National Vehicle Protection Services: Review & Plans

Car repairs can be expensive and inconvenient, which is why so many vehicle owners buy protection plans or service contracts that help keep their cars running in peak condition for a long time – even after the factory warranty has expired.

One of the many extended warranty providers out there is National Vehicle Protection Services, a Missouri-based seller of vehicle service contracts with more than 12 years of experience in the industry. In addition to evaluating this company’s coverage options, cost, trustworthiness, and other important factors that can affect your overall customer experience, we will also compare it with the best extended car warranty providers in the market today.

Founded in 2007, National Vehicle Protection Services, also called NVPS, sells vehicle service contracts for new and used cars and is headquartered in Saint Charles, Missouri. National Vehicle Protection Services acts as a “broker” of contracts, while the contracts are administered by a different company. The longest coverage term for a National Vehicle Protection Services extended warranty is 7 years/100,000 miles.

National Vehicle Protection Services offers three main protection plans – Core, Comprehensive, and Complete – that can be further customized to suit different needs.

Core

The basic Core plan from National Vehicle Protection Services provides coverage for the following parts of the car:

• Lubricated engine parts
• Transmission
• Water pump
• Differential
• 4×4
• Turbo/supercharger

Comprehensive

The Comprehensive plan from National Vehicle Protection Services provides coverage for every component listed in the contract. Covered component groups include but are not limited to:

• Engine
• Transmission
• Electrical system
• Starter
• Alternator
• Air conditioning and heating
• Water pump

Consumers can also add coverage for vehicle parts such as the brake system, fuel system, power windows and seats, navigation system, and other parts by choosing a higher coverage level within the Comprehensive plan.

Complete

The Complete plan from National Vehicle Protection Services provides coverage for almost all vehicle parts but does not include routine maintenance, such as oil changes or new tires. In addition to the parts included in the Core and Comprehensive plans, the Complete plan may also include coverage for anti-theft systems, emission systems, and more in its higher coverage tiers.

Additional Benefits

National Vehicle Protection Services offers additional benefits such as towing, roadside assistance, and rental reimbursement with its vehicle service contracts. However, there is little to no information available online as to what those benefits will exactly entail. If you decide to get a quote from this company, we suggest clarifying the coverage, terms, and limits for each service.

National Vehicle Protection Services offers quotes over the phone. If you fill out the online form, a NVPS extended service contract representative can get in touch with you to discuss your contract.

For customer service and claims, you can reach a National Vehicle Protection Services representative at 877-517-9966. Since NVPS contracts are accepted at all ASE certified mechanics and facilities, you can take your vehicle for repairs to any repair shop of your choice. You will need to provide your service contract number or a copy of your extended warranty. The repair facility will then contact the contract administrator for authorization of the repairs.

While we were not able to determine the exact claims process followed by this company, many vehicle service contract providers require you to obtain prior authorization to be eligible for coverage.

If a teardown is required to determine the cause of the breakdown and its eligibility for coverage, you will have to authorize it. However, it is important to note that the administrator will pay for the teardown only if the cause of the breakdown is covered by the contract. So, before you sign, make sure that you read the contract clearly and discuss what charges will be covered under the contract and what is not covered.

If you have a National Vehicle Protection Services contract, the payment for the repairs is sent directly to the repair shop. If you have a deductible, you will be required to pay it when you pick up your car.

National Vehicle Protection Services alternates between a B+ rating and no rating on the Better Business Bureau and has an average rating of 2.77 stars from 39 customer reviews. The BBB has received multiple complaints from customers about this company, which is why the profile currently features an alert advising consumers caution in doing business with it.

Most complaints (37 closed in the last three years) revolve around the company’s high-pressure sales tactics, repeated phone calls, and misleading advertisement language that led customers to wrongly believe that National Vehicle Protection Services was affiliated with their car dealership or manufacturer. Many customers who were victims of false marketing were elderly.

After the BBB sent a letter to NVPS informing them of the pattern of consumer complaints in 2018, the company responded saying that it has created a Compliance Department to address customer concerns and has also increased customer service training for its employees. Despite this promise, our research found customer complaints as recent as February 2020 on the BBB over misleading advertisements by mail.

Another customer complaint submitted in September 2019 says that the company paid for all of the car parts for the repair but did not pay the full cost of labor.

“I took out a warranty from this company. They paid for all of the parts but only part of the labor. They said the labor charges by the dealership were too high and they would only pay a portion of it. I bought the warranty with the expectation that I would only be paying my deductible, but that is not what happened.”

National Vehicle Protection Services responded to the complaint saying that it was not the administrator of the contract and is not involved in the approval or denial of claims. However, it promised to work with the customer to find a resolution.

Extended warranties are typically priced based on the coverage and the vehicle make, model, mileage, and age. While National Vehicle Protection Services does not list sample prices online, customer reviews indicate that a five-year contract for a 2015 model Kia cost around $3,355 in 2018. If you are interested in buying a vehicle protection plan from this company, we suggest getting a quote for your specific car and desired coverage. The cost of extended warranties will always vary.

In most cases, you won’t have to pay for your contract up front. After the initial down payment, you will most likely be able to pay the remaining amount in monthly installments for 12 to 18 months.

You may choose to cancel your contract at any time with a written notice. Your extended service contract will contain more information about the exact National Vehicle Protection Services cancelation process.

Online customer reviews for National Vehicle Protection Services are overwhelmingly negative and criticize the company’s high-pressure and misleading marketing and sales practices, which may have misled people to sign up for protection plans they did not fully understand. If you decide to sign up for a vehicle service contract from this company, we strongly recommend you read the terms and conditions carefully.

In addition, National Vehicle Protection Services’ coverage is standard, and we think you can find similar or better coverage with other providers.

For your extended warranty and vehicle protection service contract needs, our recommendation is to get a quote from several providers. We think it’s worth your time to investigate their plans and policies thoroughly, but if you’re in a hurry, here are the highlights of our top provider list:

If the credibility and trustworthiness of your service contract provider and your own peace of mind are important to you, you may instead want to consider getting quotes from leading car warranty providers like Endurance and CARCHEX which are rated exceptionally well in our recent review. When it comes to a huge investment like your car and its care, it is always good to shop around and get multiple quotes from known and established providers before making a decision.

Below is a breakdown of the most popular extended warranty companies based on our survey results.