Luxury Car Warranty: What You Need To Know

The five most popular luxury car brands are BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Tesla, and Porsche. We’ll go into detail about the warranties offered by each brand.

BMW Factory Warranty

With all new vehicles, BMW offers a warranty package that protects your vehicle for at least four years or 50,000 miles – whichever comes first. Here are the maximum term limits:

The New Vehicle Limited Warranty covers issues related to faulty workmanship or materials. The package also includes a rust perforation warranty that will take care of your car’s rust damage and metal deterioration over time. The federal emissions warranty covers only specific control devices and lasts for eight years, helping you adapt as emissions regulations change.

BMW Extended Warranty

If you want to extend your BMW warranty coverage, you can add extended coverage at any point before the factory warranty expires. BMW offers three tiers of extended warranty coverage: Powertrain Plus, Gold, and Platinum.

For each plan, you can extend coverage for one, two, or three additional years and to either 75,000 or 100,000 miles. These extended warranties include the terms of the factory warranty, so if you opt for five years and 75,000 miles, you’re only adding one additional year and 25,000 additional miles of coverage.

The Powertrain Plus plan covers the engine, transmission, drive assembly, and several systems, including fuel and cooling. The Gold plan includes the Powertrain Plus coverage and adds protection for steering, anti-lock brakes, heating, and air conditioning. 

The Platinum plan combines the protection of the other two plans while adding coverage for audio, navigation, and entertainment systems. It also provides limited coverage for your car’s interior and exterior.

The BMW extended warranty does not cover:

• Environmental or weather-related damage
• Damage from misuse
• Any aftermarket accessories
• Paint damage and other cosmetic issues
• Wear-and-tear items like wiper blades or spark plugs

Mercedes-Benz Factory Warranty

Mercedes-Benz offers a New Vehicle Limited Warranty that lasts for 4 years/50,000 miles starting on the date of purchase. Powertrain coverage, a corrosion warranty, and a roadside assistance plan are all included. Here’s an overview of the Mercedes factory warranty:

*Powertrain and bumper-to-bumper coverage

The terms for the Plug-In Hybrid and Emission Performance warranties vary based on which state you purchase in. Rather than just six years and 62,000 miles, hybrid drivers in the following states with the plug-in warranty will get coverage for 10 years/150,000:

• California
• Connecticut
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• New Jersey
• New York
• Rhode Island
• Vermont

Additionally, Mercedes covers tires for 12 months/12,000 miles, but only in cases where the tires have defects from shoddy materials or poor workmanship.

Mercedes-Benz Extended Warranty

To stretch your Mercedes warranty coverage, you must purchase extended coverage from an authorized dealership before the initial factory warranty expires. The Mercedes extended warranty lengthens coverage for one, two, or three years and up to 75,000 or 100,000 miles. 

The Mercedes Extended Limited Warranty covers a range of components, including the following:

• Engine
• Suspension traction and stability systems
• Climate control
• Transmission
• Electrical systems
• SUV 4-wheel drive system
• Passenger Car 4Matic® components
• COMAND®/MCS system
• Navigation system
• Turbocharger
• Speakers
• Rear axle

For car repairs, you can take your Mercedes-Benz to any of the 380+ authorized dealers across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The Mercedes extended warranty comes with a $0 deductible, so you won’t incur any out-of-pocket expenses.

Mercedes extended protection does not cover wear-and-tear items, the vehicle’s battery, weather-related damages, or tires.

Audi Factory Warranty

Audi’s new car warranty is a bumper-to-bumper coverage package called the Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty. Here’s a quick breakdown of its coverage plans.

The Audi factory warranty comes with 24-hour roadside assistance and features comprehensive coverage for nearly all of the vehicle’s components and major systems. Like most luxury vehicle warranties, it doesn’t cover wear-and-tear items, damage from infrequent maintenance, or damage from environmental factors or vandalism.

Audi Extended Warranty

To extend your Audi warranty coverage, purchase the plan you want before your factory warranty expires. The Audi extended warranty plans are Powertrain, Gold, and Platinum. Here’s a look at the their terms:

The Platinum plan is a bumper-to-bumper extended warranty with some exclusions. The Gold plan offers comprehensive coverage of most of your vehicle’s components, including front and rear suspensions, fuel systems, electrical systems, and climate control. Like most powertrain warranties, Audi’s Powertrain plan takes care of the engine, transmission, and drive axles.

Tesla Factory Warranty

Tesla’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty is a standard bumper-to-bumper warranty. Because Tesla makes electric vehicles, there are a few other specialized coverage levels that vary based on vehicle model, such as the Battery and Drive Unit warranties. Here are the coverage terms for for Tesla’s factory warranty:

There are mileage limits on the Battery and Drive Unit warranties:

• Model S/Model X warranty: 8 years/150,000 miles
• Model Y/Model 3 Short Range warranty: 8 years/100,000 miles
• Model Y/Model 3 Long Range warranty: 8 years/120,000 miles

Tesla’s Supplemental Restraint System warranty covers airbags and seatbelts.

Tesla Extended Warranty

Tesla extended warranties, called Extended Service Agreements, are only available for the Model Ss and Model Xs produced from 2012 to 2020. Unlike other luxury brands, Tesla is a direct seller, so the company does post pricing for its extended warranty coverage. Here’s a table with Tesla’s extended warranty options and costs:

The Extended Service Agreement covers most of the major vehicle components except for the battery and drive unit, which are covered by their own eight-year warranty. Coverage cannot be extended beyond the initial eight years. If you opt for a Tesla extended warranty, coverage will start once the factory coverage expires.

Tesla extended coverage does not cover maintenance or wear-and-tear items like fluids, upholstery, shock absorbers, tires, brake pads, or filters.

Porsche Factory Warranty

The Porsche factory warranty is similar to that of Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW in that it provides bumper-to-bumper vehicle protection for 4 years/50,000 miles. Below is a breakdown of the entire protection package that comes with all new Porsche vehicles:

*Powertrain and bumper-to-bumper coverage / **Plus states that follow emissions guidelines

An interesting perk the automaker adds into its roadside assistance and towing coverage is an “Extrication/Winch Service.” If your Porsche is stuck in a ditch, snow, mud, or sand, this service will hoist it out.

Porsche Extended Warranty

If you want to extend your Porsche warranty, you’ll have to buy their Vehicle Service Protection (VSP) before the factory warranty’s coverage terms are up. Porsche offers two extended warranty plans, the Platinum and Powertrain contracts.

Porsche’s Powertrain plan adds seals and gaskets to traditional powertrain coverage. The Platinum plan offers comprehensive coverage, providing protection for a range of components, including these:

• Engine
• Transmission
• Steering
• Audio and high-tech features
• Climate control
• Electrical system
• Shocks
• Fuel system
• Navigation
• Brakes
• Front and rear suspension

Other than a manufacturer’s extended warranty, there are plenty of third-party companies offering vehicle service contracts that may fit your needs. Here are two reputable extended car warranty companies that can help protect luxury vehicles—including used cars and other high-end makes like Jaguar, Lexus, and Land Rover.

Endurance Highline Protection Plan

Endurance offers Highline, a special version of its Supreme warranty plan that’s designed specifically for luxury cars. The Supreme plan is Endurance’s highest level of coverage, most similar to a factory warranty. As with most extended warranties, the Highline Protection Plan comes with roadside assistance, towing, trip interruption protection, and rental car reimbursement.

Read more: Endurance warranty review

CARCHEX Titanium Plan

The CARCHEX Titanium plan is the most comprehensive coverage CARCHEX offers, being the most similar to a car manufacturer’s new vehicle warranty. As a bumper-to-bumper coverage plan, Titanium covers nearly all of your vehicle’s components with a few exclusions. The plan is not specifically designed for luxury cars, but offers the highest level of protection.

Read more: CARCHEX review

Compare Your Options

If you’re looking for options beyond the extended manufacturer warranty, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from several third-party providers. This will help you determine which is the best warranty for you and your vehicle. 

Compare: Endurance vs. CARCHEX

In an effort to provide accurate and unbiased information to consumers, our expert review team collects data from dozens of extended auto warranty companies to formulate rankings of the best providers. Companies receive a score in each of the following categories, as well as an overall weighted score out of 5.0 stars.

• Industry Standing: Warranty providers with a history of strong business practices and endorsements from experts receive the highest scores in this category.
• Coverage: This rating is based on types of extended warranty plans available, coverage terms, and added benefits like roadside assistance.
• Cost: Our research team reviews sample quotes for a variety of plans and vehicles. Companies with lower prices per year of coverage receive the best scores.
• Transparency: This score takes into account contract transparency and the availability of a money-back guarantee.
• Customer Service: We comb through customer reviews and perform our own shopper analysis to get a sense of the responsiveness and helpfulness of each warranty company.