Cornerstone United Warranty: Reviews & Coverage

CornerStone United prides itself on being one of the leading experts in warranty and service contracts in the United States and Canada. Founded in Hickory, North Carolina, the company has since expanded its operations across all 50 states and opened a second full-service office in Ontario, Canada.

CornerStone currently provides a wide range of service contracts and extended warranties for autos, RVs, powersports, marine, and manufactured housing.

Rather than selling direct to customers, CornerStone’s products are available through dealerships and manufacturers. To learn more about the provider, we’ve put together an overview of its coverage offerings and customer reviews in the following article.

For additional options, our team has done extensive research into the best extended auto warranty providers. You can get free quotes from our top picks to see how much you would pay for coverage.

CornerStone United stands out from competitors with its assortment of extended car warranty options – from automobiles to powersport vehicles – and willingness to provide a plan that meets any customer’s needs. The provider is open to offering custom-tailored coverage at competitive prices. However, customer reviews reveal it may be difficult to get a claim approved, and customer service has not been very helpful in many cases.

Between its signature programs and custom-tailored offerings, CornerStone United assures there’s a coverage option for anyone. CornerStone’s service contract programs include both standard and extended warranty coverage. Each program can also be set at different deductibles and terms. We rounded up all the available coverage options below:

Auto

CornerStone’s auto coverage alone includes six different plans, which range from standard coverage to extended auto warranties. The company further promises to cover vehicles many others don’t, such as high mileage, highline, or customized automobiles.

CornerStone Auto

This plan is a standard service contract available in four different levels, namely powertrain, basic, select, and ultimate coverage. It also comes with five deductible options to fit every budget.

Xtended Auto

Xtended Auto is comprehensive coverage for used vehicles, regardless of any age or accumulated mileage. This plan is also ideal for those who want to protect their electric vehicles, commercial vehicles, and vehicles with suspension or performance modifications.

Xtended Auto comes with different levels of protection, such as standard engine and transmission to other specific components (i.e., electrical, brake, drive axle, cooling).

Additional levels include Powertrain Plus (engine and transmission, drive axle, cooling, and fuel delivery), Advantage (addition of steering and suspension), and Supreme (addition of AC compressor, electrical, seals and gaskets, brakes, and day one coverage).

Extended Care

This is a service contract program specifically for vehicles with high mileage. You can select your own coverage options, from basic engine and transmission to more comprehensive components. The plan can also be customized according to limits of liability and waiting periods as a way to keep premiums within budget.

Limited Warranties

A highly versatile plan, CornerStone’s limited warranties are best used to provide original factory warranty coverage, extend an original factory warranty, or provide warranty coverage on used vehicles.

Tire and Wheel

This plan comes with three coverage levels, including tire only protection, tire and wheel protection, and expanded tire and wheel with cosmetic repairs. Tire and Wheel coverage is available for new and used cars. Terms last up to five years, with no claims limits and no deductibles.

Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP)

GAP is available as a way to cover any cases of vehicle theft or damage beyond repair, particularly if you still have a balance left on the loan. Many plans only pay for the vehicle’s market value at the time of loss (minus the deductible), which leaves you having to pay the amount left on the loan. GAP is available for 125 percent and 150 percent of the MSRP or NADA price.

Tip: Your car insurance provider may also offer GAP insurance.

Other Vehicles

CornerStone also offers several coverage options for many other vehicle types:

• RV: From pop-up campers to million-dollar motorhomes, coverage includes RV extended service contracts and RV tire and wheel coverage for up to 15 model years old and 100,000 miles.
• Powersports: As the administrator of Arctic Cat, Suzuki, and KYMCO manufacturer-based programs, CornerStone provides mechanical repair service contracts, GAP programs, and tire and wheel coverage for powersports vehicles.
• Marine: For personal watercrafts, CornerStone has mechanical repair service contracts for new and used crafts running on either gasoline or diesel. Coverage can be for engine only, with the option to include accessory packages, such as ski boat, sport fishing, cruising, and the like.
• Manufactured Housing: CornerStone is also a major provider of manufactured housing service contracts, protecting the house structure, systems, and appliances.

CornerStone United sells its contracts through agents, dealers, manufacturers, distributors, and auctions. While it’s necessary to go through the company’s nationwide network, CornerStone assures customers all its programs are backed by insurers with at least an A- (Excellent) rating by AM Best.

The process of getting a quote or filing a claim greatly depends on each policyholder’s specific dealer and service facility. The general claims process starts with the service facility submitting a policyholder’s claim to CornerStone. Afterward, CornerStone may approve, deny, or adjust the claim, or require further inspection.

While CornerStone does process the paperwork, the length of the claims process depends on the service facility’s ability to inspect and provide all requested information.

Some customers have given CornerStone excellent reviews for providing good coverage and service. On the other hand, a notable number of customers on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) have found filing claims to be quite difficult. Service representatives have also been reviewed as being quick to respond, but oftentimes unhelpful.

Being in service for over 40 years and offering coverage across the U.S. and Canada, CornerStone United also boasts a high A+ rating on the BBB.

However, the BBB, as well as other customer-focused platforms like Yelp and Google Reviews, reveal mixed ratings for CornerStone. Below are some of the most recent ones, including some of the highest and lowest reviews:

“Filing the claim was an easy task, and the representative was very cooperative and professional. Follow up and communication are great. Large price discrepancy between vendor’s invoice and the price approved by the claim adjuster. Still working on it.”

– Oren G., February 2020 (four stars on Google Reviews)

“I bought a 2007 Nissan Maxima last year with the extended care warranty covering transmission and engine, along with some other parts. My car currently needs a transmission told to me by the repair shop … After the inspection was done, everything seemed fine after that until it was time for the part to be replaced. CornerStone refused to honor my warranty giving me different reasons every time … We went as far as trying to get a second inspection done, which CornerStone refused stating that my claim was open, but wouldn’t do anything about the vehicle. I’ve never missed a payment with them ever. But ironically they want me to still pay for something I can’t use!”

– John E., January 2019 (one star on BBB)

“I have an extended warranty on our 2017 Fleetwood Discovery Motorhome … The first time I tried to use our warranty through CornerStone, we were stranded in a state park with the rear bedroom slide not retracting … I had no choice but to call a mobile RV service, who declined to take CornerStone as warranty for payment as he said, ‘They are horrible at covering claims, and I might not get paid.’ I also had some other routine maintenance done [and] CornerStone would not cover the labor and fees … Do yourselves a favor. If purchasing a big ticket item like a car, RV, or boat, if CornerStone is the extended warranty offered, ask for another.”

– Ray C., Orange Park, FL, February 2020 (one star on Yelp)

As CornerStone’s coverage plans are sold through its partners, it doesn’t list any specific coverage costs on its site. The provider does claim to offer a wide variety of plans, which can be further tailored to your coverage requirements and budget.

On its brochures, CornerStone further notes that average repairs (such as $4,700 for engine overhaul or $1,200 for electronic control modules) will only cost up to $100 out-of-pocket with its CornerStone auto plan. All plans come with a low standard deductible of $100 per occurrence, with options to choose from $0, $50, $200, and $100 disappearing deductible options for new and used vehicles.

CornerStone United has been in the warranty business for a long time, with an expansive countrywide network and a number of coverage plans to prove it. It’s important to note, however, the company doesn’t sell coverage directly to customers. CornerStone coverage can be purchased through its approved partners, which include agents, dealers, manufacturers, distributors, and auctions.

While customer reviews range from one to five stars, CornerStone may be worth considering if you’re looking for a specific customized coverage solution. The provider prides itself on its flexibility in accommodating most customer needs. But as with all warranties, it’s best to read through the terms and conditions thoroughly to know exactly what’s protected under your plan.

When shopping for extended warranties, the best thing to do is call around and get quotes customized to your specific vehicle. That way, you can compare each company’s prices and get a feel for customer service. Get free quotes from our top three providers below:

If you’re interested in exploring your options, there are a number of other top providers that sell directly to consumers. You can go online or call these companies to get a quote customized to your vehicle. Our team has put together a review of the best extended car warranties in the market today, such as Endurance and CARCHEX which can help you get started in your search.