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Dec 18, 2025
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- Carchex coverage generally costs around $150 per month
- Great for older vehicles
- Titanium
- Platinum
- Powertrain Plus
- Powertrain
- Extra Care
Our Take: Carchex Review
Overall, we give Carchex a rating of 4.2 out of 5 and place it in the top three of our best extended car warranty companies. It can be a good option for customers who want flexibility in their vehicle protection plans and benefits that enhance their coverage. Carchex offers comprehensive plans for older vehicles with up to 250,000 miles on them. However, owners of newer vehicles may find competitive deals elsewhere.
Carchex Pros and Cons
Below are the pros and cons associated with a vehicle service contract from Carchex:
Pros
Excellent industry reputationob
Generous coverage termsal
Cons
No RV or motorcycle coverage
Services can vary by contract administrator
Our Carchex Ratings
We rate Carchex 4.2 out of 5 and give it our Best Industry Reputation award. You can see how we rated Carchex in each category below and how it stacks up against other options:
| Ratings Category | Carchex Rating | Average Rating of All Providers |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 4.2 | 4.0 |
| Industry Standing | 4.1 | 3.9 |
| Coverage | 4.9 | 4.3 |
| Cost | 3.8 | 4.0 |
| Transparency | 4.9 | 3.9 |
| Customer Service | 3.7 | 3.7 |
Learn more about our methodology and editorial guidelines.
What Makes Carchex Unique?
Carchex stands out in the extended warranty industry for its 26 years in business, its partnerships with leading names like Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book, and its generous coverage terms.
Carchex Coverage
Drivers interested in purchasing a Carchex vehicle protection plan can choose from five levels of coverage, ranging from basic powertrain coverage to a plan similar to a manufacturer’s warranty. These plans can last up to 250,000 miles on cars up to 20 years old.
Carchex Vehicle Protection Plans
Carchex offers the following levels of long-term automotive coverage:
- Titanium: The Titanium plan is the highest level of coverage Carchex offers, similar to a bumper-to-bumper or factory warranty. You’ll find coverage for all components minus a short list of excluded items.
- Platinum: This plan provides extensive protection for all major vehicle systems and is the highest stated-component coverage available through Carchex.
- Powertrain Plus: Coverage for this level includes most major systems in your vehicle such as the powertrain, air conditioning and electrical coverage.
- Powertrain: The powertrain plan covers common and expensive repairs for the engine and transmission on high-mileage vehicles. This is the most basic level of powertrain coverage from Carchex.
- Extra Care: This covers crucial items not involved with the powertrain such as the electrical system, steering, suspension and braking.
*Some Carchex plans may not be available in all states or for all vehicles.
Which Parts Does a Carchex Vehicle Service Contract Cover?
Here’s a closer look at the components covered by each Carchex vehicle protection plan:
| Carchex Plan | Titanium | Platinum | Powertrain Plus | Powertrain | Extra Care |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Transmission | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Drive axle | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Turbo/supercharger | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transfer case | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Air conditioning | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Electrical components | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Fuel system | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Cooling system | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Gaskets | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Suspension | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Brakes | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Steering | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
If a covered repair is needed, you can take your vehicle to any of the 30,000 repair shops certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, including a local dealership. Your Carchex plan administrator will pay repair costs to the shop directly, minus your deductible.
What Does a Carchex Vehicle Protection Plan Not Cover?
Purchasing a vehicle service contract doesn’t mean you have coverage for every car repair. Some of the exclusions outlined by Carchex are:
- Repairs made without the authorization of the warranty provider
- Damage from neglect or lack of maintenance
- Damage from acts of nature like floods or falling objects
- Parts that have been modified or don’t meet the manufacturer’s specification
- Damage from collisions, theft or vandalism
- Normal wear and tear
Other common extended warranty exclusions include oil changes, tire rotations and wiper blade replacements. All of these exclusions are standard in the extended car warranty industry.
Carchex Perks and Benefits
Carchex reviews from customers mention a few benefits that offer peace of mind:
- Roadside assistance: Carchex covers up to $125 per occurrence for towing, lockout service, spare tire installation, jump-starting, fuel delivery and winching. There’s a $500 maximum limit for emergency road service benefits for the term of the warranty contract.
- Rental car reimbursement: If your vehicle is in the shop for covered repairs, Carchex will reimburse you up to $60 per day for rideshare services or $100 per day for a rental vehicle similar to your car.
- Trip interruption reimbursement: If you’re more than 100 miles away from home when your vehicle breaks down, Carchex will reimburse you up to $125 per day for a maximum of four days to cover food and lodging.
Since each Carchex plan is administered by a different provider, your plan benefits may vary slightly.
How Much Does a Carchex Vehicle Protection Plan Cost?
According to our research, a Carchex vehicle service contract typically costs $1,832 per year of coverage. This is slightly more than the industry average of $1,297 per year across the dozens of warranty providers we’ve reviewed.
Coverage from Endurance, our top pick, costs an annual average of $1,257 — $575 less than Carchex. Endurance offers six coverage options, though coverage is term-based and the company doesn’t offer a month-to-month payment plan like Carchex.
The cheapest car warranty is sold by autopom! and it ties with Carchex with an overall score of 4.4 out of 5. Autopom! Plans cost an average of $831 per year, or $1,001 less per year than Carchex, though the company only sells three standard types of plans and doesn’t offer month-to-month contracts.
Carchex Quotes
Our team gathered quotes for month-to-month Carchex vehicle service contracts on different vehicle models. Here’s a look at the rates we received:
| Carchex Plan | Vehicle Model | Vehicle Mileage | Monthly Cost | Deductible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain Plus | 2016 Mazda CX-5 | 115,000 | $150 | $250 |
| Powertrain Plus | 2017 Honda Civic | 100,000 | $150 | $250 |
| Titanium | 2020 Nissan Rogue | 50,000 | $150 | $200 |
| Titanium | 2022 Subaru Outback | 52,000 | $150 | $200 |
| Titanium | 2022 Ford Explorer | 50,000 | $150 | $200 |
From our experiences with secret shopping, we’ve found that many companies offer discounts. However, most don’t advertise any. We recommend asking for discounts directly or doing a bit of bargaining on the phone. Sales reps will often bring the price down to get your business instead of losing you to a competitor.
Carchex Customer Reviews
Carchex reviews are mixed, with over 130 reviews through the BBB and more than 1,500 from Trustpilot. This number of reviews is relatively low compared to the number of customers with a Carchex extended warranty, so their experiences may not match your own.
Carchex has a weighted average rating of 2.4 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot. Customers on the BBB website give the provider an average rating of 1.7 out of 5 stars.
Positive Carchex reviews praise the company’s knowledgeable customer service representatives and professional service. Negative reviews mention difficulty getting claims approved and a lack of clarity about parts that are not covered.
Our review team reached out to Carchex for a comment on these reviews but did not receive a response.
What Our Team Found
Below, you can read the general sentiment from both our team and customers for every part of the Carchex experience:
| Carchex Service Category | Customer Experience |
|---|---|
| Quote process | We had no trouble getting quotes from Carchex, and the representative was helpful after a wait time of less than one minute. It’s important to note that the first price you receive can change with some haggling or if you speak with a different salesperson later. |
| Claims | Many negative Carchex reviews focus on repairs not being covered, which isn’t unusual in the extended warranty industry. |
| Cancellation | Customers can cancel a Carchex vehicle protection plan within 30 days for a full refund. Those who cancel after the 30-day window receive a prorated refund. |
| Mobile app | Carchex offers a roadside assistance app, but it has a poor 1.8-star rating on the App Store based on just five reviews. |
How Does a Carchex Vehicle Service Contract Work?
A Carchex vehicle protection plan works much like a factory warranty, protecting you from costly repairs related to mechanical breakdowns. The repairs and replacements covered by your Carchex plan depend on the level of coverage you choose.
The following sections provide additional details about Carchex vehicle protection plans.
Carchex Terms and Conditions
Here are some important policies to know about Carchex plans:
- Waiting period: As with most extended warranty companies, there is a 30-day, 1,000-mile waiting period for any Carchex plan to take effect.
- Repair network: Carchex plans are honored at any ASE-certified repair facility, including dealerships.
- Transfer policy: Carchex plans are transferable for a $50 fee.
- Cancellation policy: You can cancel a Carchex plan within 30 days for a full refund, with a prorated refund available after that time frame.
How Carchex Vehicle Protection Plan Payments Work
There was no down payment required with the quotes we received from Carchex. We locked in our monthly rate and chose a deductible of $200 (Carchex allows you to select a deductible between $0 and $250). Selecting a higher deductible means you’ll pay more out of pocket for covered repairs but also leads to lower monthly payments for your plan.
How To File a Carchex Claim
If you need to file a claim, Carchex lays out the following steps to get warranty service:
- Take the vehicle to a licensed car repair shop.
- Allow the repair facility to assess the vehicle’s repair needs.
- Have the repair facility contact the Carchex claims department for approval.
- Once approval is received, the contract holder pays the deductible and picks the vehicle up after the repairs are complete.
While most Carchex reviews say the claims process is straightforward, we saw some complaints mentioning denied claims and extra hassle. Our analysis was based on reviews on the BBB and Trustpilot. We reached out to Carchex for comment on its claims process but didn’t receive a response.
Did You Know? Auto manufacturers offer protection against mechanical breakdowns through extended car warranties. While similar coverage from third parties is available, this coverage is technically considered a vehicle service contract. Many consumers and third-party companies commonly use these terms interchangeably, so we’ve done the same in this article.
Carchex Vehicle Service Contracts: FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about Carchex vehicle protection plans:
Carchex ranked second in our industry-wide review of third-party extended warranty companies in 2025 and received our Best Industry Reputation award. We like the provider’s variety of coverage options and affordable pricing.
Based on our research, Carchex coverage generally costs between $149 and $160 per month. Prices will vary depending on the type of coverage you purchase in addition to factors specific to your vehicle such as its make, model and mileage.
Yes, there’s a waiting period of 30 days and 1,000 miles before you can use your Carchex coverage. After that, you can submit a claim directly to Carchex if something happens to your car.
Yes, you can cancel a Carchex plan at any time. If you cancel within a 30-day window, you’ll receive a full refund. After that, you’ll get a prorated refund.
Our Methodology: How We Rated Carchex
Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best extended car warranty companies. We collected data on dozens of auto warranty providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the companies that scored the most points topping the list.
Here are the factors our ratings take into account:
- Coverage (30% of total score): Companies that offer a variety of choices for warranty coverage, long contract terms and added benefits are more likely to meet consumer needs.
- Cost (30% of total score): Auto warranty companies with affordable rates and multiple deductibles scored highest in this category.
- Transparency (20% of total score): This score is based on contract transparency and the availability of a money-back guarantee.
- Reputation (10% of total score): Our research team considers availability, ratings from industry experts and years in business when conferring this score.
- Customer experience (10% of total score): Based on customer satisfaction ratings and our extensive shopper analysis, we consider the responsiveness, friendliness and helpfulness of each warranty company’s customer service team.
Our credentials:
- 500+ hours researched
- 40+ companies reviewed
- 2,000+ consumers surveyed
How we obtained cost information:
- Our research team used a secret shopper strategy to get accurate quotes
- The research team will find out if there are any discounts or savings opportunities
- We keep track of the length of the call, sample contracts, and overall helpfulness of the representative
*Data accurate at time of publication.