CarShield and Endurance Extended Warranty: A Review of 2021

We compare coverage options in this CarShield and Endurance guide.

CarShield and Endurance have both paid out millions in claims over the past decade.

If you plan to drive your car beyond the factory warranty, an extended warranty can be a good idea.

Affiliate disclosure: Automoblog and its partners may be compensated when you purchase the products below

When you buy a new car, it is covered by a manufacturer’s warranty for several years. But what do you do if the original warranty expires or you buy a used car who’s warranty has already expired. We recommend considering an extended warranty to provide peace of mind and protect you from unexpected repairs.

You have many options when it comes to the best extended car warranty companies. In this article we’ll compare two of the top providers of the market, CarShield vs. Endurance, by looking at plans, cost, exclusions, reviews, and benefits for each.

Endurance vs. CarShield

Compare two top providers on the market.

Best Overall

Most Affordable

Endurance

CarShield

Get Quote

Get Quote

(866) 990-3410

(877) 265-5123

Head-To-Head Comparison: CarShield vs. Endurance

CarShield Warranty Overview

Endurance Warranty Overview

CarShield vs. Endurance: Coverage

CarShield Plans

Endurance Plans

CarShield vs. Endurance: Cost

CarShield Cost

Endurance Cost

CarShield vs. Endurance: Customer Reviews

CarShield Warranty Reviews

Endurance Warranty Reviews

CarShield vs. Endurance: Side-By-Side Comparison

Is an Extended Warranty a Good Idea?

Expand Your Options With CARCHEX & autopom!

Head-To-Head Comparison: CarShield vs. Endurance

CarShield and Endurance are two top providers in the world of extended auto warranties. Both are well established and have paid out millions in claims over the past decade. There are also many differences between the two, so let’s dive into the details.

CarShield Warranty Overview

Who Is CarShield?

CarShield offers six plan levels with 19 individual contracts.

CarShield works with highly rated administrators to back its contracts.

CarShield plans can cover high-tech components and specialty vehicles.

CarShield is a well-known provider, protecting more than one million vehicles and paying over $1 billion in claims.

CarShield Quick Facts

Founded in 2005

Over 1 million vehicles covered

Headquartered in St. Peters, Missouri

CarShield Pros

CarShield Cons

Six coverage levels

High number of complaints

Multiple pricing options

No coverage for hybrid vehicles

Sample contracts available online

Endurance Warranty Overview

Who Is Endurance?

Endurance has six levels of coverage.

Perks include roadside assistance, tire repair and replacement, and ID theft protection.

Drivers can choose any ASE-certified mechanic for auto repairs.

Endurance is a direct provider, so you deal with only one company when purchasing a plan or filing a claim.

Endurance Quick Facts

Founded in 2006

Headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois

Maximum coverage limits of 8 years or 200,000+ miles

Endurance Pros

Endurance Cons

Direct warranty provider

Perks only free for the first year

Endurance Elite Membership perks

5 levels of coverage plus add-ons

CarShield vs. Endurance: Coverage

CarShield and Endurance both offer extensive coverage plan options, ranging from basic powertrain coverage to exclusionary bumper-to-bumper coverage.

CarShield Plans

CarShield offers six coverage levels:

Coverage Level

Details

Diamond

This is the highest level of coverage, similar to a factory

bumper-to-bumper warranty. It covers the entire car except specifically excluded parts like wear items and cosmetic materials.

Platinum

The Platinum plan covers hundreds of parts on most major systems including air conditioning, electrical, and steering. It’s the best coverage option for vehicles with higher mileage.

Gold

This mid-tier plan covers the powertrain plus the turbocharger, fuel, cooling, A/C, and electrical systems.

Silver

This is CarShield’s most affordable plan. It covers the powertrain, which is the engine, transmission, and drive axle. The plan also covers a few extra parts like the water pump and internally lubricated turbocharger components.

Aluminum

The Aluminum plan is designed to cover high-tech parts like sensors and instruments gauges. It also covers some basic components on other systems, but it doesn’t cover the powertrain.

Motorcycle & ATV

CarShield offers Platinum and Silver plans tailored to motorcycles, ATVs, and other specialty vehicles.

Additional Benefits

Along with the coverage plans, CarShield offers the following benefits for its customers:

Key lock-out service

Fuel delivery service

Tow and winch services

Battery jump-start service

Rental car reimbursement

Trip interruption reimbursement for food and lodging

CarShield Warranty Exclusions

CarShield plans don’t cover routine maintenance or normal wear and tear. Pre-existing conditions or damage from neglect, lack of maintenance, environmental events, or accidents are not covered either. CarShield does not provide warranty coverage for hybrid batteries or parts related to hybrid batteries.

One other thing to point out – CarShield plans contain a “betterment clause,” which is common in the industry. This basically says CarShield won’t pay for a substitute part if it upgrades the value of your car.

Endurance Plans

Here are the six plans you can choose from:

Coverage Level

Details

Supreme

The Supreme plan is Endurance’s bumper-to-bumper exclusionary coverage warranty. It is the most comprehensive and expensive plan.

Superior

This plan covers hundreds of parts on most systems of the vehicle. It is the highest level of stated-component coverage available.

Secure Plus

This plan adds coverage for the brakes, steering, and turbocharger, plus it covers more parts for the air conditioning and electrical system.

Select Premier

This plan covers a few more parts than the Secure plan including the air conditioning and some electrical components. It’s a good option for high-mileage vehicles.

Secure

This basic plan covers the engine, transmission, and drivetrain. These elements make up the powertrain and can be expensive to fix.

EnduranceAdvantageTM

This plan offers h

igh-level stated-component coverage plus regularly scheduled maintenance services like oil changes.

Endurance also offers a few add-on coverage options. You can add a high-tech package to a Superior plan and a hybrid vehicle package to a Superior or Secure Plus plan. Tire modifications and body or suspension lifts are also covered (with a surcharge).

Some Endurance warranties cover up to 200,000+ miles, though the coverage you’ll find depends on your car and its condition.

Additional Benefits

All Endurance plans come with one free year of Endurance Elite, which includes:

Key fob replacement

Endurance Protect app

ID theft protection tools

24/7 roadside assistance

Repair or replacement of two tires per year

Personal concierge for directions, reservations, and travel

$250 in member rewards plus discounts on retail and dining

Up to $5,000 in repair financing for non-covered components

Endurance Warranty Exclusio

Endurance warranties contain similar general exclusions as CarShield warranties:

Wear items

Regular maintenance

Pre-existing conditions

Environmental events or accidents

Damage from neglect or lack of maintenance

There is one difference in our CarShield vs. Endurance comparison that we noticed. Endurance does not use betterment clauses in its contracts. So, Endurance would allow a new or better part to replace an older one even if it boosts the value of your car. Contract clauses like these can go unnoticed and cause headaches later on if misunderstood.

CarShield vs. Endurance: Cost

Regarding cost, CarShield was named Most Affordable in 2021. While Endurance’s plan tend to be pricier, it’s still an affordable option. Below, we’ve outlined the basics of each providers’ cost.

CarShield Cost

We found that CarShield warranties are some of the most affordable, usually costing $70 to $130 a month. Extended warranty plans are tailored to your car and its age, so you’ll have to get a quote to find an exact price.

Some CarShield plans come with a $0 deductible, while others may require deductibles of $100 to $200 per repair visit.

CarShield also offers month-to-month contracts, which is fairly unique in the industry. These contracts might be a bit more expensive, but they give you some more flexibility.

Is CarShield worth the cost per month? From a strictly financial perspective, there’s a chance any warranty will cost more than the repairs it pays for in the end. But if you wouldn’t be able to pay for an expensive repair, the peace of mind and financial stability are worth it.

Endurance Cost

Like CarShield, Endurance prices are tailored to your situation. In our research, we found that Endurance prices are average compared to other companies. Expect to pay anywhere from $69 to $180 per month.

With Endurance, you might pay between $100 and $200 for a deductible when you visit a repair facility. Some contracts allow you to add a disappearing deductible option. In this case, the standard deductible of $100 will be waived when you visit AAMCO for repairs.

CarShield vs. Endurance: Customer Reviews

Customer experiences can tell you a lot about a provider’s quality and reputation. Below, we’ve compiled customer reviews and industry ratings for both providers to give you a better idea of how they stack up.

CarShield Warranty Reviews

CarShield has a 4.1-star rating on Trustpilot from over 16,000 reviews and a 4.1-star rating on Google from over 6,000 reviews. However, it also has an “F” rating from the Better Business Bureau for a pattern of complaints and aggressive marketing mailers.

The company has 1,690 complaints on the BBB from the last 3 years, which sounds like a lot. But overall, when you consider how many customers CarShield has, many more people have had a positive experience than a negative one.

Here’s what one CarShield customer said about their experience on Trustpilot:

“Having CarShield was a great experience. They were there when I needed them. All my car repairs were always taken care of in a timely fashion. I highly recommend them to anyone with an expired factory warranty.” – Marvin C.

Despite the issue of the mailers, many CarShield reviewers talk about how they actually didn’t feel any pressure to buy when working with a customer service agent.

Endurance Warranty Reviews

Between CarShield vs. Endurance reputations, Endurance has a smaller number of online reviews, but it has somewhat higher ratings. Over 1,000 reviewers on Trustpilot gave Endurance 4.2 stars overall.

Endurance also has a high number of positive customer reviews on the BBB, which is uncommon. Unfortunately, the BBB gives Endurance a C+ grade. This is because Endurance had a similar issue to CarShield with sending misleading or aggressive marketing letters. Before this issue, Endurance had a B+ rating.

Here’s what one reviewer on Trustpilot said about their experience with Endurance:

“Thank goodness we had Endurance covering our 2006 Toyota 4 Runner! The transmission went out on it. Endurance told us to take it to the nearest Toyota Dealership. We did and gave them our Endurance policy number. They ordered the parts and within a week we had our SUV fixed and all we had to do is pay the $100 deductible!” – Dianne M.

CarShield vs. Endurance: Side-By-Side Comparison

Looking at CarShield and Endurance side-by-side, both have advantages in different areas. Deciding between them may come down to contract specifics for your situation.

Here’s a quick comparison of the main differences.

CarShield

Endurance

Coverage Levels

6

6

Contracts Available

19

5

Deductibles

$0+

$100–$200

Years of Experience

16

15

Accepted Repair Sites

30,000+

30,000+

Transferable Plans

Yes

Yes

Cancellable Plans

Yes

Yes

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

Yes

Yes

Endorsements

Chris Berman, Larry MC Reynolds, Adrienne Janic, and Ernie Hudson

Courtney Hanson, Katie Osbourne, and the Vehicle Protection Association

If you want to deal with the same company when you shop for a protection plan and when you make a claim, go with Endurance. If you want a bit more control over monthly payment plans, check out CarShield. In the end, it’s a good idea to get a free quote from both since the cost for similar coverage can be different.

Endurance vs. CarShield

Compare our two top providers on the market

Best Overall

Most Affordable

Endurance

CarShield

Get Quote

Get Quote

(866) 990-3410

(877) 265-5123

When shopping for an extended warranty, carefully read the contract details.

Is an Extended Warranty a Good Idea?

Every year, automakers pack more features into new vehicles. These features can be expensive to repair, and some may even need re-calibration when a neighboring component is replaced.

This is the case with advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). According to Automotive Fleet, here’s what Kelley Hatlee, National Service Department Customer Support Supervisor for Enterprise Fleet Management, says about ADAS:

“[ADAS] also adds additional steps to common repair procedures that didn’t exist previously. For example, many minor body repairs, windshield replacements, and steering and suspension repairs now require ADAS re-calibration. This adds to the complexity of the repair, increasing labor costs.”

It’s easy to love safety and performance features. It’s also easy to forget about the possible repair cost. Vehicle service contracts, also called extended warranties, can help cover repairs so you can focus on enjoying your vehicle. Here are a few more reasons why you might consider an extended warranty:

As your car ages, you may encounter more expensive repairs. An extended warranty can keep your monthly budget predictable.

Your manufacturer’s warranty may be comprehensive, but it won’t last forever. Extended warranties can expand coverage up to 150,000 miles or more.

Many extended warranties come with extra benefits like roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, and towing at no extra cost.

Expand Your Options With CARCHEX & autopom!

Two other reputable car warranty extension companies-CARCHEX and autopom! -Millions of claims were also paid. Our CARCHEX and autopom! Get a deeper understanding of the details to help you make an informed decision.