Car Warranty vs Service Plan: What to Choose?
Buying a new car can be a great experience. If you’ve been suffering with an old car with reliability issues, you’ll no longer have to worry about your car breaking down when you least expect it. At least, you shouldn’t. The truth is, however, even fairly new cars can have trouble, which is why new cars come with warranties, and dealerships of all kinds offer plans to protect your car in case any problems might develop.
Usually, the extra coverage that’s available is in the form of either a warranty or a service plan. You want to choose the best extended vehicle service protection, but you might not know which type is the best for you. Here are some things to think about when deciding between a warranty and a service plan.
Service Plans
As the name suggests, this is where you go if you want your services covered. Depending on the type of plan, you can expect to see coverage for routine services like oil changes, transmission fluid changes, oil and air filter replacements, as well as coolant, brake fluid, and cam belt replacements. If you keep to a regular maintenance schedule according to the manufacturer’s guidelines, most—if not all—of the routine work on your car will be covered.
For added protection, you can purchase what’s known as a maintenance plan. Plans like these are even more thorough, and might include additional services to repair and replace the parts that are subject to wear-and-tear such as brake pads and discs, wheel bearings, shock absorbers, fuses, and other items.
If you’re purchasing a new car—or a relatively new car in excellent condition—the additional monthly payments for these plans may wind up exceeding what you’d be paying without them. However, a lot of drivers prefer the security these plans provide, and would rather risk paying more to avoid having to pay for emergency repair costs when they least expect it.
Warranties
If you’re purchasing a new vehicle, you’re certainly getting some kind of warranty. While the type of warranty varies from dealer to dealer, you can expect your first few years to be covered from any mishaps resulting from factory defects. Commonly, you can expect your new car warranty to cover the engine, fuel systems, and gearbox, as well as all of the electrical components, sensors, and audio systems. Some warranties will even go so far as to offer roadside assistance, which can be a major source of comfort for most drivers.
Extended Vehicle Service Protection
There are several things your manufacturer’s warranty won’t cover. It won’t cover regular wear-and-tear items such as brakes and brake pads, and within only a few years their warranties won’t even cover transmissions and other parts of your engine that can be incredibly expensive to repair. The only way to protect your car beyond the warranty is with an extended vehicle service protection plan. Vehicle protection providers have plans available that suit your needs and can cover cars as old as 10 to 20 years old.
If you’re buying a new car, or your older car is no longer covered under warranty, contact Freedom Warranty LLC to see what kind of extended vehicle protection plan works for you. Get the peace of mind you’re looking for and call today!
