Concord Auto Protect: Review, coverage and cost (2021)

Concord Auto Protect review

In Our Opinion:

Concord Auto Protect is a new but trusted provider, earning some of the highest customer ratings we've seen. Compared to other providers, the company's main limitation is its few coverage options.

Industry Standing

Coverage

Affordability

Customer Service

Pros

High customer ratings and reviews

Direct warranty provider

Low cancellation fee ($25)

No transfer fee

Cons

No exclusionary contract

Only three plans to choose from

Must pay up front or over just a few months

4

The financial risk of owning a car multiplies on the day your factory warranty expires. Many drivers choose to purchase an extended warranty for the peace of mind it brings.

Concord Auto Protect is a relative newcomer to the extended warranty scene, but it has made many happy customers. We’ll examine the company’s coverage options, prices, and perks.

When shopping for the best extended car warranty company, it’s wise to get quotes from several providers. Reach out to Concord Auto Protect and some of our other recommended providers.

Featured Extended Warranty Companies

We reviewed the industry’s top extended auto warranty providers, and here are our featured picks.

Best Overall

Best for Used Cars

Low-Cost Plans

Endurance

CARCHEX

Select Auto Protect

Get Quote

Get Quote

Get Quote

(866) 990-3410

(866) 950-7122

(860) 294-4933

Top 5 Things We Like About Concord Auto Protect

Concord Auto Protect Coverage Overview

Perks

Stated-Component Coverage Vs. Exclusionary

What Concord Auto Protect Doesn’t Cover

How Concord Auto Protect Works

Where Can You Get Coverage?

Concord Auto Protect Warranty Reviews

Sample of Customer Reviews

Technical Service Bulletins

Concord Auto Protect Costs

Conclusion: Should You Get Concord Auto Protect?

Top 5 Things We Like About Concord Auto Protect

Concord Auto Protect has been around since 2013, so it’s younger than many of its competitors. However, it offers a decent range of vehicle coverage options and perks. Plus, most customers have a positive experience with the company, which is good to see.

Here are five standout features of Concord Auto Protect:

All protection plans are cancellable and transferable.

Concord Auto Protect is a direct warranty provider, meaning it backs and administers its own plans.

Concord Auto Protect pays the repair facility directly.

The company has high ratings on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot.

All plans come with additional benefits, such as roadside assistance, trip interruption, and rental car reimbursement.

With Concord Auto Protect’s 30-day money-back guarantee, you can cancel and get a full refund. After 30 days, Concord offers prorated refunds based on mileage spent and claims paid. Cancellations after 30 days also require a $25 fee.

If you sell your car, you can also transfer a Concord vehicle warranty to the next buyer. Plans can only be transferred once, though. There is no fee to transfer a warranty, but the first owner must supply maintenance records and request a transfer within 15 days of selling the vehicle.

Concord Auto Protect Coverage Overview

Concord Auto Protect offers three different warranty plans: Premium, Advanced, and Powertrain. Here’s a comparison between the three different plans:

Premium

Advanced

Powertrain

Engine???

Transmission???

Drive axle???

Electrical???

Cooling???

Brakes???

4WD/AWD??

Steering??

Heating?

Air conditioning?

Fuel system?

Anti-lock brakes?

High-tech?

Turbo/supercharger?

Front and rear suspension?

Concord Auto Protect plans fit in the middle of the range of extended auto warranty coverage. Looking at the basic Powertrain plan, it actually covers a bit more than the powertrain – electrical system, cooling, and brakes. On the other end, the Premium plan doesn’t quite cover as much as a factory bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Also, this is just an outline of coverage. Not all parts that make up a particular system are covered. For example, electrical component coverage includes six parts, even though many more parts make up the entire system.

High-tech coverage under the Premium plan adds more electrical components, but again, it doesn’t cover every electrical component in your car. The best thing is to read the contract carefully when you are shopping around.

Perks

All three plans offer the same perks:

Trip interruption: Concord Auto Protect will reimburse you for food and lodging up to $50 per day for three days if a covered breakdown happens more than 100 miles from home.

Roadside assistance: Concord Auto Protect will reimburse you for various costs associated with towing, lockout, jump-start, fuel delivery, and spare tire installation. You’ll need to pay for roadside service up front and submit receipts for reimbursement.

Rental car reimbursement: Concord will reimburse you for rental car costs up to $75 per day for four days in the case of a covered repair. $75 is a pretty large daily allowance, and you’ll be able to get a better rental car with it. Many other companies only cover up to $35 per day. At the same time, four days might not be enough time if the repair is extensive.

Stated-Component Coverage Vs. Exclusionary

All Concord Auto Protect plans are stated-component contracts, which means there is no true bumper-to-bumper option.

A bumper-to-bumper warranty is an exclusionary contract, which only lists non-covered items. If an item isn’t on the list, it’s covered. On the other hand, stated-component contracts list every covered item.

The highest level of stated-component coverage won’t cover as much as an exclusionary warranty. So, if you’re looking for coverage to closely match your car’s factory warranty, you’ll have to look at other companies.

What Concord Auto Protect Doesn’t Cover

All of the plans share some common exclusions. Here are a few examples of excluded parts:

Carburetor

Head gaskets

Audio systems

Lighting assembly

Exhaust and emissions components

Here are a few more general exclusions:

Cosmetic items.

Regular maintenance.

Wear items like brake pads and filters.

Repairs done without prior authorization.

Aftermarket parts not approved by the manufacturer.

Damage from misuse, accidents, or environmental events.

Most of these exclusions are fairly standard. It’s always a good idea to compare multiple contracts from other companies side by side to see if there are d

Like many extended auto warranty companies, Concord Auto Protect doesn’t cover tires or wear-and-tear items like filters or brake pads.

How Concord Auto Protect Works

Concord Auto Protect is a direct coverage provider, which means the company pays for claims and backs coverage itself. This means you’ll interact with the same customer service team whether you are purchasing a policy or filing a claim.

However, Concord Auto Protect plans are not backed by an independent insurance company, unlike most other extended warranty plans. If something happens and the company goes south, its customers don’t have a way to recover their losses.

Where Can You Get Coverage?

You can go to any ASE-certified repair shop to perform covered repairs. Concord Auto Protect will need to authorize the repair before any work can be done.

You may have to authorize and pay for a diagnosis, which Concord won’t cover whether the repair is under warranty or not. Plans may also require a deductible, though the choices aren’t specified online.

Concord Auto Protect Warranty Reviews

Even though Concord Auto Protect hasn’t been around as long as other companies like CARCHEX, it has high ratings online. Many positive reviews are about the customer service experience when buying a plan, but there are positive reviews about claims being handled and paid, too.

The company has a five-star rating from customer reviews on the BBB, which is rare. Concord Auto Protect’s BBB rating of B is also good, though the business isn’t accredited with the BBB. The company also has a 4.7-star rating on Trustpilot from almost 300 reviews in total.

Sample of Customer Reviews

Concord is proactive about asking new customers to leave reviews. Here are a few Concord Auto Protect reviews from the BBB:

“I have had the plan for two years now and had to use it one time when my transmission light came on. I have to say they did a great job walking me through the process and were very quick to resolve the issue. Highly recommended.” – Sam H.

“This company is outstanding! I used my policy several months after purchasing it, and the cost of repairs almost covered the cost of the policy on my BMW. I just purchased another policy for my son’s Jeep! Money well spent!” – Carmella L.

“Concord does not cover any problem that has had a previous technical service bulletin issued. I highly suggest you avoid this company! Their prices are too good to be true for a reason and that reason is you will never get reimbursed for your repairs.” – Mike V.

Technical Service Bulletins

The last reviewer above gave Concord Auto Protect a one-star rating for not covering technical service bulletins (TSBs). In looking at the company’s sample policy, it clearly excludes recalls and TSBs.

Manufacturers issue TSBs to dealerships when there is a recurring problem with a certain part that does not threaten life or limb. So, a car may have an issue which causes decreased gas mileage. The problem doesn’t threaten injury to passengers, so it is noted in a bulletin. Concord Auto Protect won’t cover those problems.

However, this isn’t rare in the world of extended warranties. Two industry leaders, CarShield and Endurance, both exclude TSBs in their service contracts.

If you are wondering if a TSB has been issued on your car, you can enter your VIN into the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall lookup tool. In addition to recalls, you’ll find manufacturer communications and TSBs.

Concord Auto Protect Costs

A number of reviewers have said Concord Auto Protect prices are lower than other options they’ve found. Our data backed up this claim. The catch is that most plans are paid up front or over just a few months. If you don’t have the cash on hand and are banking on that low monthly payment, Concord might not be your best fit.

Our team reached out for a quote on a 2011 Hyundai Sonata with 60,000 miles. We said we drove 5,000 miles per year and received quotes for Concord Premium coverage, the highest level. Here are the details:

Premium Plan Length

Price

2 Years

$1,150

3 Years

$1,400

4 Years

$1,750

Extended warranty prices are based on your car. Different models have different average repair costs. Hondas, Kias, and Toyotas are cheaper to repair than many American models and most European vehicles.

In addition to that, cars need more repairs as time goes on. So, a warranty for a car with 30,000 miles would be cheaper than the same coverage for a car with 70,000 miles.

Overall, we’d say Concord’s total prices are pretty affordable. Even though the Sonata was nine years old and beyond Hyundai’s factory warranty, the mileage was relatively low.

A car with higher mileage might not be eligible for the Premium plan. Similarly, a driver who travels more miles per year may find different prices. Eligibility requirements for the three plans aren’t listed online, but the quote form allows cars back to the model year 2000.

Conclusion: Should You Get Concord Auto Protect?

Our team named Concord Auto Protect the Best for Luxury Cars and rated it 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. The provider has average coverage options but better-than-average total prices and reviews. Most of its negative reviews stem from a misunderstanding of exactly what was covered, so you should definitely read the entire contract before buying.

You can also go through the contract with a friend or family member during the 30-day guarantee period to see if it’s right for your situation.

When you buy an extended warranty, you’re signing a binding contract. In exchange for the price you pay, the company has to hold up their end of the bargain. Issues come up when there is confusion about exactly what is covered.

While we don’t think Concord Auto Protect is a bad choice, it isn’t at the top of our list. Other companies like CARCHEX and CarShield offer more coverage choices and good perks. Endurance is another direct provider, like Concord, but it’s also backed by an A-rated insurance company.

Check out our recommendations on the best extended warranty providers and get multiple free quotes to find the best option.

Featured Extended Warranty Companies

We reviewed the industry’s top extended auto warranty providers, and here are our featured picks.

Best Overall

Best for Used Cars

Low-Cost Plans

Endurance

CARCHEX

Select Auto Protect

Get Quote

Get Quote

Get Quote

(866) 990-3410

(866) 950-7122

(860) 294-4933