GM Extended Warranty

Whether you’re looking at a new Buick, GMC, Chevy, or Cadillac, General Motors’ extended warranty offers something unique to the market. That’s because the GM extended warranty is a true extension of GM’s bumper-to-bumper warranty that comes with your new car, rather than a vehicle service contract.

We’ve explored the ins and outs of GM’s extended warranty and will break it down for you below. Like other factory warranties, the GM warranty may expire well before you’re finished driving your car, and that’s just one of the reasons you might consider an extended warranty from a third-party provider like Endurance, CARCHEX, or CarShield.

But remember, not all warranties are created equal. We’ve investigated all major third-party warranty brands and ranked the best extended car warranty providers on factors like coverage options and customer service. Compare several quotes to find the best option for you.

GM offers two main types of warranties: an Extended Limited Warranty and a variety of Protection Plans. The Extended Limited Warranty simply extends the same warranty that came with your vehicle, while Protection Plans are additional contracts with GM for different types of coverage. Here are more details on both.

GM Extended Limited Warranty

GM’s Extended Limited Warranty gives new buyers the option to add two years of bumper-to-bumper coverage to their factory warranty. The covered components are the same for both the factory warranty and the GM extended warranty. Here’s how the term lengths look for the four brands in GM’s family:

As you can see, Buick is a special case. New 2018 and 2019 models come with a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty, while 2020 and newer models receive a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty. Either way, GM’s extended warranty option adds two years to the base term. Chevrolet and GMC vehicles both come with a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty, while Cadillac comes with a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty.

Keep in mind, this is only an extension of the bumper-to-bumper warranty. It’s independent of warranties for the powertrain components, emissions control systems, corrosion protection, and others.

You can only purchase the GM Extended Limited Warranty when you purchase your vehicle.

GM Extended Limited Warranty Exclusions

GM extended warranty coverage includes damage due to defects in materials or workmanship and provides for repairs with GM factory parts. There is no deductible for repairs, and you can take your vehicle to your local GM dealership to get the work done.

GM’s extended warranty covers the parts of your car that don’t wear with use. These include electronics, air conditioning, and safety systems. Examples of items that are not covered include:

• Slight noises or vibrations
• Cracks or chips in the exterior paint
• Damage to the finish of a truck bed liner
• Wear items like tires and brake pads
• Routine maintenance services

The key idea here is defects in materials or workmanship are covered but not damage from the environment, wear and tear, or misuse.

GM Protection Plans

In addition to extending the factory warranty, GM also offers Protection Plans in line with the extended warranties offered by most other manufacturers. The plans are technically vehicle service contracts, though they are commonly called extended warranties. GM’s Protection Plans are backed by AMT Warranty.

Depending on the brand and dealership, you may be able to choose either the Platinum Protection Plan or one of the Major Guard, Value Guard, or Basic Guard plans. The Platinum Protection Plan is the highest level of protection, but it doesn’t cover quite as much as the factory warranty.

Term lengths range from 24 months/24,000 miles to 60 months/60,000 miles, and more than 1,000 parts are covered. These terms begin upon purchase. GM Protection Plans also come with added benefits such as rental car coverage, towing services, and lockout services.

You can get a GM Platinum Protection Plan as long as your vehicle has fewer than 80,000 miles.

Depending on which car you purchase, a GM Extended Limited Warranty will add between $1,000 and $2,000 to the total cost. This cost can be rolled up into your monthly payment.

When it comes time to sell your car, the warranty is fully transferrable. On this point, GM aligns with the crowd since most manufacturers tie their warranties to the vehicle identification number (VIN) and not the owner.

GM Protection Plans range in cost based on your vehicle and the terms you select. According to the Chevrolet website, a 60 month/60,000-mile Platinum Protection Plan for a 2019 Chevrolet Cruze can cost about $3,500. All of the GM brands offer instant free quotes for protection plans, which makes comparing options easy.

In J.D. Power’s 2022 Vehicle Dependability Study, Buick and Cadillac ranked highly, taking the second and ninth spots out of 32 brands. The study looked at the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles from each brand. Each car was three years old, and owners recorded any issues they had in the past 12 months.

Chevrolet ranked above the industry average in position 10, but GMC didn’t fare quite well. GMC finished just above the industry average in 17th place. According to the study, GMC vehicles exhibited 192 problems per 100 vehicles.

The cost of GM’s extended warranty is somewhere between $1,000 and $2,000, and that only adds two years to the coverage. For a similar price, there are third-party options that offer much more coverage.

With third-party extended protection, coverage for your GM vehicle can last well beyond 100,000 miles. Leading vehicle service contracts also include roadside assistance options and let you go to any repair shop you want.

If you compare costs between GM’s plans and third-party plans, you’ll find that most third-party options are cheaper for a similar level of coverage. With a lower total cost, it’s more likely that you’ll use the full value of a third-party warranty over the life of the plan.

Another benefit is that you can get an extended warranty for your GM vehicle after the factory warranty expires and even after the car is ineligible for GM’s own protection plans. This gives you more flexibility and time to consider whether to get an extended warranty. Below are the results of our 2021 consumer survey on why consumers purchase extended auto warranties.

GM Coverage With Endurance

While there are many good options for vehicle service contract providers on the market, some rise above others. In our view, the one at the top of the list is Endurance. We found this provider to have the best combination of coverage options and value.

A few things set this company apart from the competition. Endurance is a direct provider, which means that warranty services and claims are handled directly by Endurance. There is no middleman or underwriting provider.

Endurance offers six coverage plans:

• Select Premier: Coverage for high-mileage vehicles with a fairly extensive inclusion list that focuses on the powertrain.
• Secure: Endurance’s most basic auto warranty that only covers parts of the powertrain.
• Secure Plus: Mid-level warranty with a short waiting period of only 30 days or 1,000 miles.
• Superior Coverage: High-tier comprehensive plan provides coverage for hundreds of listed parts.
• Supreme Coverage: Endurance’s exclusionary, bumper-to-bumper warranty.
• EnduranceAdvantage™: Covers mechanical breakdowns as well as maintenance, like oil changes, engine diagnostics, and brake pad replacements.

Coverage extends to 200,000+ miles. This is much longer than most manufacturers’ extended warranties. Endurance also pays all repair costs directly to the repair facility, so you won’t have to front the money for a costly repair. Some companies require you to pay up front and wait to be reimbursed, but that’s not the case here.

GM Coverage With CARCHEX

CARCHEX is our pick for Best for Used Cars. While it’s an account broker – meaning it connects you with companies that service your warranty – it pays repair costs directly to the shop. Speaking of shops, CARCHEX also lets you go to any shop you like, which is another bonus. Plus, all Carchex plans include perks like roadside assistance and lockout service.

As far as coverage goes, here’s what the five plans look like:

• Bronze: Up to six years of coverage, basic coverage for important components
• Silver: Up to seven years of coverage, good for high-mileage vehicles, much more than a powertrain warranty
• Gold: Up to 10 years of coverage, best for cars with more than 60,000 miles, most major components are covered
• Platinum: Up to 10 years of coverage, all main systems are covered
• Titanium: Up to 10 years of coverage, covers everything except a small number of excluded items

How far can you go on a CARCHEX vehicle service contract? The coverage tops out at 250,000 miles, which is significantly higher than any manufacturer’s warranty. We aren’t the only ones who noticed the value CARCHEX provides to drivers.

The company has BBB accreditation with an A+ rating and is supported by industry leaders like CARFAX, Kelley Blue Book, and Edmunds.com. Compared with GM’s extended warranty, you have more flexibility and better coverage options.

GM Coverage With CarShield

Another company that made it to the top of our list is CarShield, which we named the Best Monthly Payments provider. CarShield is a very popular provider, and the company has garnered over 15,000 reviews on Trustpilot alone. CarShield is also popular throughout the media, having been featured on networks like CNN, TBS, HGTV, and ESPN.

Here’s what CarShield’s six different plan tiers look like:

• Silver: Base-level coverage for crucial components
• Gold: Enhanced powertrain coverage that adds the water pump, starter, and more
• Platinum: Inclusive coverage for cars with higher mileage
• Diamond: Continues factory-level coverage beyond the manufacturer’s warranty
• High Tech: Specifically for vehicles with advanced tech
• Specialty: Coverage tailored for motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles

We like that CarShield has special coverage options for high-tech vehicles. These vehicles can have thousands of dollars of equipment that a standard warranty might not cover. Alongside that, CarShield has a plan that’s unique for motorcycles and ATVs. These plans set the company apart from its competitors. For a deeper breakdown, check out our comparison between CARCHEX and CarShield.

GM’s Limited Extended Warranty and Protection Plans offer good coverage, but they can also come with a high price tag. We suggest comparing third-party options with GM’s extended warranty as you shop for coverage. Below is a graphic showing the most popular extended warranty companies, as well as a table comparing our recommendations to the GM extended warranty.