Zurich Warranty Reviews

Key Takeaways:

• Zurich offers three extended warranties that range from basic coverage to exclusionary bumper-to-bumper protection.
• Zurich has nearly 40 years of experience in the warranty industry, but its higher costs and lack of coverage options mean that other providers might be better choices.
• You can only purchase Zurich warranties and get quotes through dealerships.
• If your car is more than 10 years old or has over 100,000 miles, it may be worth it to get a Zurich warranty.

Our team of experts has thoroughly reviewed 46 providers to determine the best extended warranty companies. As part of our 1,475 hours of research, we take a close look at companies’ ratings with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the coverage levels each offers, and reviews from customers on the BBB and Trustpilot. We’ve also surveyed roughly 2,000 warranty customers to learn more about the consumer experience. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Zurich’s coverage, costs, customer satisfaction, and industry standing to help you determine if it’s the right provider for your needs.

Comprehensive coverage offerings and positive reviews make a Zurich warranty a good choice for extended protection, but there are other options out there with more availability and perks.

How We Rated Zurich Warranty

To give you the most current information, we update our review standards several times each year. Our warranty research evaluates providers in the following categories:

Industry Standing: 4.8 Stars

We give Zurich a high rating in this category largely because of its decades of experience in the warranty industry and its accredited A+ rating from the BBB. Zurich has been offering vehicle service contracts since 1984. Its nearly 40 years of experience is unique in the industry.

Coverage: 4.2 Stars

Zurich offers fairly standard coverage plans with a long list of add-on coverages and maintenance contracts to choose from. However, Zurich provides less versatile coverage options when compared to other companies like Endurance, which offers six different vehicle service contracts for customers with varying needs.

Cost: 3.5 Stars

Zurich receives an average cost rating largely because of its higher rates. Zurich warranties are only available through dealerships, so you can’t buy a plan directly from the company. What you pay for a Zurich warranty plan will depend on several factors, such as your vehicle type and mileage, the coverage level you select, and more.

Transparency: 2.5 Stars

While Zurich is a reliable warranty provider, it offers limited transparency into its contracts. It doesn’t offer sample contracts online, nor does it mention a money-back guarantee on its website. Because of this, we give Zurich a lower transparency rating.

Customer Service: 4.2 Stars

Overall, Zurich has a decent reputation among customers. It has many positive reviews on sites like ConsumerAffairs, where customers cite the hassle-free ease of Zurich’s claims process and the added benefits that help when the car is in the repair facility. However, Zurich has its fair share of negative reviews on sites like the BBB as well.

Is A Zurich Warranty Worth It?

If you own a car that’s at least 10 years old or has more than 100,000 miles on it, a Zurich warranty may be worth it. Older vehicles with higher mileages are far more likely to break down and need repairs. 

But you can also go by what past customers of extended warranties say. In our March 2022 auto warranty survey, we asked 1,000 car owners about their experiences getting extended service plans and why they decided to buy them. Of all the respondents:

• 24 percent got their protection plan from an independent warranty company.
• 50 percent got their contract from their vehicle’s automaker.
• 12 percent got their extended coverage after their manufacturer warranty expired.
• 33 percent got their service contracts when their car had 50,000 to 100,000 miles on it.
• 27 percent experienced a mechanical breakdown once a year, while 23 percent had a mechanical failure every two years.

Cost Of Auto Repairs

You could end up paying thousands of dollars out of pocket if your car breaks down, depending on what vehicle parts need to be fixed. It helps to know generally how much repairs could cost when deciding whether an extended warranty is worth it.

According to RepairPal, the average cost of car repairs is $652 per year across 32 car manufacturers. Here are the average prices for some common part replacements:

Reliability Of Your Vehicle

One good way to determine if you need an extended warranty is to look at the manufacturer that made your car. If your car brand has a reputation for unreliable vehicles or consistent mechanical issues, it may be worth getting an extended warranty from Zurich.

Kia vehicles suffered the least mechanical problems in 2022, according to the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study℠. Land Rover was dubbed the least reliable automaker brand by J.D. Power, suffering on average 284 problems out of 100 vehicles. The table below lists the top six and bottom six auto manufacturers by reliability:

Zurich Warranty Quick Facts

• Founded: 1913
• Headquarters: Schaumburg, Illinois
• Coverage options: Comprehensive, Standard, Powertrain

Zurich has been operating for over 100 years, and it’s been offering vehicle service contracts for nearly 40 years. Zurich’s vehicle service contracts are offered through Zurich North America, which is a subsidiary of Zurich Insurance Group. Zurich operates in more than 200 countries and territories.

Is Zurich Warranty Legit?

It’s important to know whether you can trust a warranty provider before signing any contract. Zurich has been in business for over a century as a legitimate multi-functional company and has spent the last 39 years offering vehicle service contracts. It has accreditation and an A+ rating from the BBB, along with many positive reviews from customers.

Zurich’s warranty service gets a lot of praise from customers. In multiple reviews, customers have remarked on Zurich’s efficiency and consistency in handling claims, as well as the company’s tendency to go the extra mile with its service:

“I am so happy that I got Zurich because they have been excellent with my service. I’ve done about $7,000’s worth of work on my vehicle that they covered … They had my back on the last repair, where they wanted an itemized bill from my dealership to make sure that they weren’t using secondhand parts and they were using OEM parts.”

– Leslie, ConsumerAffairs

“It was a quick, hassle free experience, I couldn’t have asked for better service. I would buy Zurich coverage for all my vehicles in the future if I can. Even fully covered my rental for the few days I was without a car.”

– Jared, ConsumerAffairs

Zurich Warranty Complaints

Like all companies, especially in the warranty industry, Zurich has a collection of complaints alongside its positive reviews. Many customers talked about Zurich’s representatives being dismissive and unhelpful in their service. Several others commented on Zurich’s attempts to use loopholes to get out of paying for services:

“They refused to cover my windshield wiper motor because water had seeped into the motor. You know, the motor that gets wet everytime it rains … The reps that I called were condescending and rude … They make it difficult to cancel your warranty and get a prorated refund.”

– Charles C., Trustpilot

“[I] recently found out that I needed to replace the radiator in my [vehicle] … [Zurich] refused to approve the claim because the dealership didn’t call them before doing the work. … The communication I had about this was disrespectful, rude, and included being hung up on.”

– Kirk L., BBB

You can choose from three levels of coverage with a Zurich extended warranty plan. Plan levels give you the option to choose basic coverage or comprehensive coverage. See an overview of the Zurich warranty options below:

Zurich Auto Warranty Plans

Zurich Warranty Benefits

Zurich auto warranty plans come with additional benefits for drivers. Trip interruption coverage, rental car reimbursement, emergency roadside assistance, towing and lockout services can all help you stay on the road when you have a breakdown. These roadside benefits are included with all levels of protection.

Unlike most extended warranties offered by dealerships, you can choose to get covered repairs at any shop certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE®) with a Zurich warranty. Many dealership warranties require that you have your vehicle serviced at the dealership for the repair to be covered, so this is a major benefit of the Zurich extended warranty.

In addition to extended warranties, Zurich offers other types of vehicle protection products for your car. These services can be added to your total cost along with your extended warranty to give your vehicle more protection.

Zurich Shield^® Advanced Environmental Protection

Zurich Shield is a protection plan to help keep your car looking its best, even after being exposed to environmental hazards. Zurich Shield helps pay for damages to the interior and exterior surfaces.

Covered items include paint, fabric, vinyl, and leather surfaces of your vehicle that are protected against everyday hazards. Hazards may include stains, weather-induced fading, loss of gloss shine, acid rain, and bird waste.

New car warranties and extended warranties alike don’t normally cover these damages, so this plan is designed to fill in the gaps.

Tire & Wheel

The Zurich Road Hazard Tire & Wheel protection covers some tire repair expenses. The cost of mounting and balancing tires and wheels may also be covered. This protection is extra but could be helpful if you live in an area with lots of potholes or road hazards.

Many tire manufacturers provide their own warranties and guarantees for tires. Be sure to check for tire manufacturer warranties before adding more cost to a Zurich warranty.

Prepaid Maintenance

A prepaid maintenance contract allows you to pay upfront for the cost of recurring maintenance expenses. You will likely save little, if any, money using a prepaid maintenance plan, but they’re helpful in keeping your routine maintenance expenses on track.

Additional Zurich protection plans include:

• Guaranteed asset protection (GAP): In the event of a total loss, this will cover the financial “gap” between your car’s cash value and the remaining amount on your loan or lease.
• Theft-deterrent: Using Universal Security Guard^®, this package protects against theft through warning labels and assists with car recovery.
• Paintless dent repair: This plan is available for new and pre-owned vehicles. There are no deductibles, and repairs are quickly completed by nationally certified technicians.

As an insurance provider, all Zurich vehicle protection plans are backed by the insurance division of Zurich. Having an insurance-backed extended warranty is important so you know your claim has the necessary financial backing.

Zurich Warranty Claims

If you experience a breakdown, take your vehicle to your preferred repair shop. The repair shop will diagnose your vehicle. For covered components or repairs, you must have your repair shop or dealership service center file a claim with Zurich. The shop will receive an authorization number. If the Zurich warranty claims team authorizes the repair, your shop can complete repairs to your vehicle.

Most Zurich plans require you to pay a deductible after your vehicle is repaired. When you pick up your car, you’ll pay the deductible amount, usually up to $200. The rest of the authorized amount is paid to the repair shop by Zurich directly.

Can You Transfer A Zurich Auto Warranty?

Yes, you can transfer your Zurich warranty to a new owner. In fact, offering a vehicle with an extended car warranty could help increase the resale value of your car.

Like most warranty providers, Zurich doesn’t post its extended warranty prices online. This is largely because extended warranty costs are based on a vehicle’s make, model, mileage, and age, so they vary significantly from driver to driver. 

In our March 2022 warranty survey, the majority of respondents reported paying between $1,500 to $3,500 total for their extended warranties. However, this number accounts for consumers that bought service contracts from many different warranty providers – not specifically Zurich.

Realistically, most extended warranty costs range anywhere from $300 to $700 per year, or $1,500 to $4,000 overall. The price of an extended warranty from Zurich will depend mostly on your car and your chosen protection plan. To know how much a Zurich warranty will cost, call 888-835-5063 to find the nearest selling dealership where you can get a quote.

All in all, we think Zurich is a reputable extended warranty company that can provide you peace of mind, but its limited availability may make purchasing a plan more difficult depending on whether it’s available through your dealership. 

Car Warranty Companies Like Zurich

We recommend getting quotes from multiple extended warranty companies to compare your options. In your search, it’s worth checking out Endurance and CarShield.

Endurance: 4.6 Stars

Endurance receives our highest score because of its many flexible coverage options, outstanding benefits, and records of great customer satisfaction. Endurance offers six coverage options that can fit your specific needs. All Endurance warranties also include one free year of Endurance Elite Benefits, which include key fob replacements, up to $500 in collision discounts, and more.

Keep reading: Endurance Warranty review

CarShield: 4.5 Stars

In our March 2022 survey, CarShield was the warranty company of choice for 56 percent of the respondents that purchased extended warranties from third-party providers. The company offers flexible month-to-month service plans for affordable prices, making it a smart option for many drivers.

Keep reading: CarShield review

Below are frequently asked questions about Zurich Warranty: