Is A Ford Extended Warranty Worth the Cost?

Whether you own a new, used, or certified pre-owned Ford vehicle, it’s important to look into your extended warranty options. Here, we will explore Ford Protect Extended Service Plans (ESP) and examine the Ford extended warranty cost to see if it is worth what you pay.

Overall, we think it makes sense for most Ford owners to have an extended car warranty. Once the Ford factory warranty expires, owners are left to deal with the cost of repairs on their own, and these bills can be hefty. The difficulty is deciding whether to go with the dealer or a third-party provider for your vehicle protection plan.

When shopping for extended warranties, the best thing to do is call around and get quotes customized to your vehicle. That way, you can compare each company’s prices and get a feel for customer service. Compare free quotes from some of the industry’s best extended warranty companies.

There is no clear-cut answer to this question, but we do see an average in the industry. Based on our research, an extended warranty from a manufacturer or third-party provider can cost anywhere between $1,600 and $4,500 for three to six years of coverage. The average is about $2,862.

While there isn’t a universal pricing table that the manufacturer or third-party companies follow, it’s easy to know what the prices are based on. The following factors affect the cost of an extended warranty:

• Condition of your vehicle: The older your vehicle and the higher the mileage, the more you can expect to pay.
• Coverage type: If you choose comprehensive coverage, you will pay more than you would with just a powertrain warranty.
• Deductible: The higher your deductible, the lower your premium will be. Just remember that you will need to pay that deductible any time you have warranty work performed.
• Vehicle type: If you drive a luxury model or sports car, you will pay more for your warranty because the parts for your vehicle cost more.

Given the information above, let’s compare the Ford extended warranty cost to the amount you could pay for repairs. RepairPal gives Ford 3.5 out of 5 stars for reliability, which makes it 21st out of 32 ranked car brands. The company reports an average annual repair cost of $775 per year for Fords, which is higher than the industry average of $652 per year.

Here are a few common vehicle repair costs you might run into with a Ford:

Common Ford Repair Costs

Keep in mind that these numbers are each for a single repair. Imagine what you could spend if you have multiple parts break over the years.

The choice to have an extended warranty is entirely up to you. Some consumers prefer to avoid auto warranties, while others want the peace of mind they provide. To figure out what’s important to you, there are a few questions you can ask yourself:

Is your vehicle getting older? The older a car gets, the more likely it is to require service. Extended warranties make sense for older vehicles, especially once the manufacturer’s warranty expires.

Do you still have a Ford factory warranty? If the car is new and covered by its original bumper-to-bumper warranty, you might not need an extended warranty yet. Just keep in mind that it’s often cheaper to start the extended warranty while you still have factory coverage.

Are you looking for extra perks? Many extended warranty companies provide more than just repairs. You can find plans with roadside assistance, rental car coverage, trip interruption services, and gas delivery services. These features help when an emergency arises.

As with any purchase, you must evaluate the pros and cons of an extended car warranty for your Ford to decide if it’s right for you.

As you evaluate the Ford extended warranty cost, you will want to look at the various plans offered by the automaker. Ford Protect Extended Service Plans can be purchased directly from the dealership and are backed by Ford Motor Company.

You have four plans to choose from, each offering various covered repairs. All four of these options protect Ford vehicles for up to 8 years or 150,000 miles of service, whichever comes first.

In addition to the levels of coverage listed above, each plan comes with added benefits, including:

• Interest-free financing for up to 30 months
• 10 days of rental car benefits
• 24-hour roadside assistance
• Policy transferability

What’s Excluded In The Ford Extended Warranty Plans?

With extended vehicle protection from Ford, complete protection comes with some exclusions. Like most extended warranties, the plans do not include wear and tear items or common maintenance items. These must be paid for separately, or you can opt for the Ford Protect Premium Maintenance Plan on top of your extended warranty. You can also purchase separate protection for windshields, dents, and tires.

Purchasing an extended warranty from Ford isn’t your only option. You can get extended protection through third-party providers, too, and we’ve done the research to find the best extended car warranty companies in the industry.

A few benefits of third-party companies include:

• Flexibility: You can usually take your vehicle to any licensed mechanic, which is especially convenient when traveling. With a Ford extended warranty, services are provided at Ford and Lincoln dealerships only.
• Potential lower costs: When you purchase from a third-party provider, the warranty isn’t rolled into your auto loan, so you aren’t going to pay any interest.
• Added perks: The majority of third-party warranty providers offer other coverage as well. Look for plans that include 24/7 roadside assistance, rental cars, trip interruption, gas delivery, and towing.

If you want to find the lowest Ford extended warranty cost, there are several things you can do:

• Buy early: If you purchase the plan before your Ford factory warranty expires, you will usually pay less.
• Evaluate plans: Decide what level of coverage you need and what you can go without. If you opt for a plan without all the bells and whistles, you will save more, but might have to pay for more repairs. Figure out what works for your budget.
• Shop around: It’s okay to get quotes from multiple companies. In fact, that’s what we recommend. To ensure you get the best coverage at the lowest prices, you want to compare several providers.

With that said, there are a few providers we have found to offer the lowest Ford extended warranty cost and best coverage.

Endurance Extended Warranty

Our choice for Best Coverage is Endurance. The company offers direct-to-consumer extended warranties, unlike many third-party brokers in the extended warranty industry. This means warranty services all come directly from Endurance, and the provider handles all claims directly. There’s no middleman, and excellent customer service during the quotes and claims processes is a focus of many of the positive Endurance warranty reviews.

Endurance offers six different coverage plans:

Additionally, drivers who purchase an Endurance auto warranty receive one free year of Endurance Elite Benefits, which includes roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, towing, tire repairs and replacements, and more. To see how much your Ford extended warranty would cost, get a free quote from Endurance.

CARCHEX Extended Warranty

We rated CARCHEX as the provider that is Best for Used Cars in our extended warranty company comparison. When you look at its A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), you’ll see that this is a company that takes care of its clients. CARCHEX is endorsed by big names like Kelley Blue Book, CARFAX, and Edmunds.com.

As for the extended warranty coverage options, you can choose from the following customizable plans:

Other benefits to using CARCHEX include 24/7 roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, and towing services. Learn more in our complete CARCHEX review, and get a personalized quote for your vehicle below.

CarShield Extended Warranty

CarShield is our choice for Best Value because the company has some of the lowest-priced vehicle service contracts in the industry, so you can get a great Ford extended warranty cost. It has served more than one million consumers since starting in 2005 and is endorsed by many celebrities and television personalities.

A few CarShield highlights include:

• 4.1-star Google rating based on over 7,000 reviews
• Listed on Inc. 5000 America’s Fastest-Growing Companies
• Featured on CNN, HGTV, ESPN, TBS, and more

CarShield provides six protection levels. One is a specialty tier that won’t accommodate your Ford model but is geared toward motorcycles and other recreational vehicles. Here’s a closer look at the other five plans:

Additional benefits to using CarShield include 24/7 roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, and towing services. Read more about coverage in our full CarShield review, and get a quote to see how much you would pay toward Ford extended warranty costs.

Comparing Ford Extended Warranty Vs. Third Party

Here’s a breakdown of the Ford extended warranty compared to Endurance, CARCHEX, and CarShield. We recommend getting in touch with a few companies so you can compare coverage and pricing side by side and get the best Ford extended warranty cost.