How Good Is The Lexus Certified Warranty?

Each vehicle in the Lexus certified pre-owned (CPO) program undergoes an extensive certification process and is backed by the Lexus Certified warranty. If you’re considering buying a used Lexus, purchasing an L/Certified vehicle can provide the peace of mind that comes with a new car at used-car prices.

This article will explain the Lexus CPO warranty, the CPO certification process, and help you decide if a Lexus Certified vehicle is worth buying. If you’re interested in finding the best extended car warranty for your L/Certified vehicle, click below to see our top picks.

The Lexus Certified warranty is an extension of the factory Lexus warranty, which offers 4 years and 50,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage. The L/Certified warranty adds two years and unlimited miles of coverage after the new-vehicle warranty expires or from your purchase date, whichever occurs later.

When a covered vehicle part fails due to defects in materials or workmanship, the Lexus Certified warranty pays for repairs at no cost to you. Only genuine Lexus parts are used for reconditioning, and repairs and most vehicle components are covered. However, there are some common exceptions, such as:

• Wear-and-tear items like brake pads and wiper blades
• Body and exterior trim
• Accessories

In addition to covering the cost of unexpected repairs, the Lexus CPO warranty also includes:

• Rental car reimbursement: Reimbursement for loaner car expenses at $50 a day for up to five days
• Trip interruption allowance: Reimbursement for food and lodging at $200 a day for up to three days if your car breaks down more than 100 miles from home
• Roadside assistance protection: Reimbursement for roadside services such as flat tire change, lockout services, battery jump-starts, and fuel delivery
• Towing: Reimbursement for towing to the nearest Lexus dealership

The Lexus CPO warranty is one of the longest in the industry. Most manufacturer CPO warranties only provide 12 months of CPO warranty coverage. Several manufacturer CPO warranties also include a deductible, which Lexus does not.

Used vehicles less than 6 years old and with less than 80,000 miles on the odometer are eligible to be re-sold as part of the L/Certified program. Eligible vehicles undergo a 161-point inspection process that includes a road test. Faulty components are repaired or replaced with genuine Lexus parts.

In 2021, U.S. News and World Report named L/Certified the “Best CPO Program” based on its stringent qualification standards and excellent Lexus Certified warranty. In addition to this warranty, Lexus CPO vehicles come with:

• CARFAX Vehicle History Report
• 2 years/20,000 miles of complimentary maintenance
• Two-month Lexus Enform trial (L/Certified vehicles model year 2018 or newer only)

Lexus Enform is a program that allows you to connect your Lexus to your phone to access features such as remote start, live navigation, stolen vehicle locator, emergency assistance, automatic collision notification, and onboard Wi-Fi.

Lexus takes many steps to guarantee that all Lexus Certified vehicles are running in top shape. The included Lexus Certified warranty further guarantees that you won’t have to pay for unexpected breakdowns for the first two years after you purchase a vehicle. But what happens after that warranty expires?

You can purchase an extended warranty from your Lexus dealer or a third-party provider, but are extended car warranties worth it? The value of these contracts largely depends on your vehicle. Let’s take a look at Lexus reliability to help you make your decision.

Lexus ranked first in the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study^SM. The Lexus ES was the highest-ranked compact premium car, and the Lexus GX was the highest-ranked midsize premium SUV.

RepairPal ranks Lexus seventh out of 32 brands in terms of vehicle reliability. The brand has a reliability rating of 4.0 out of 5.0 (above average). More RepairPal reliability details are described in the chart below.

Given Lexus reliability, you may not need a Lexus extended warranty. It is unlikely that the cost of one of these warranties will exceed the cost of covered repairs. However, there is always the chance that an unexpected breakdown could occur. An extended auto warranty can prevent you from needing to pay repair costs out of pocket. Consider the cost of several Lexus repairs as reported by RepairPal users.

Used-vehicle service agreements are available for Lexus vehicles up to 9 years old and with less than 125,000 miles, but details vary by dealership. Cost and coverage terms are likely to be similar to the Lexus extended warranty.

There are three Lexus Vehicle Service Agreements to choose from, with coverage ranging from a basic powertrain warranty to a full bumper-to-bumper plan. An extended warranty from Lexus must be added on before your L/Certified warranty expires and can be purchased from a dealership.

Dealership warranties are typically more expensive than extended warranties from third-party providers. Third-party vehicle service contracts also typically offer more coverage options, longer coverage terms, and a greater choice of repair shops.

Our review team has taken a close look at some of the best extended car warranty companies. Based on our research, two standout options to cover your Lexus are Endurance and CarShield.

Endurance: Best Coverage

Endurance offers six tiers of coverage that can last up to 8 years or more than 200,000 miles. Some Endurance warranties, called EnduranceAdvantage^TM plans, even include coverage for regular maintenance items like tire rotations and oil changes.

Endurance has a 4.4 out of 5.0-star rating on Trustpilot based on more than 3,000 reviews. Many reviews mention a smooth and painless claims process and positive interactions with the Endurance customer service team.

Learn more by reading our full Endurance warranty review, and get a free Endurance quote by clicking below.

CarShield: Best Value

CarShield also has six tiers of coverage and contracts that extend up to 300,000 miles. CarShield’s Diamond plan rivals factory-level bumper-to-bumper coverage similar to a new car warranty. You can also purchase cheaper contracts like the Silver plan, which provides powertrain warranty coverage for your vehicle’s engine and transmission – some of the most crucial and expensive-to-replace components.

CarShield has a 4.0 out of 5.0 rating on Trustpilot based on more than 22,000 customer reviews. Many reviews mention courteous representatives and relief that they were able to be reimbursed for costly repairs after their vehicles broke down.

Learn more by reading our full CarShield review, and get a free quote from CarShield below.