Best GM Extended Warranty Cost | GM Protection Plan

General Motors warranty extension increases your standard factory vehicle protection period. Whether you are looking at a new GMC, Cadillac, Buick, or Chevy, gm extended warranty is a unique offer in the market, though at an extra cost. You can opt for this deal when buying a new car. It is a great deal, especially for Chevrolet owners, in the place of purchasing a chevy limited extended warranty. With GM extended coverage, you would extend the Chevrolet factory warranty from thirty-six months and 36k-miles to sixty months and 60k-miles. Unlike a vehicle service contract, this is a real extension of General Motors’ bumper-to-bumper warranty available for new cars.

If you get the extended coverage, it stays with your car to the end of your lease term, giving it an extra edge in the resale market. And while General Motors claims it is the first genuine extended coverage from a carmaker, we have seen other makes such as Honda offering similar five-year or 60k mile bumper-to-bumper warranty without extra fees. In another example, Volkswagen recently enhanced its basic warranty coverage to six years and 72k miles. But, keep in mind that all warranties are not the same.

So, we dig into details, exploring GM limited warranty, while breaking down what it offers for each brand. You will learn the best place to buy gm extended warranty, as well as the limits and exclusions applying to GM coverage. As with other factory warranties, GM extended protection may run out well before you’re done driving your vehicle. And since it’s not the only way to cover your car, we’ll also show you more options to consider, including a service contract from a third-party company like Endurance or CARCHEX. After that, we’ll go through a few common FAQs on the gm extended warranty.

GM Extended Warranty: Everything You Should Know

Dealerships routinely get buyers an extended service contract from many different providers, serving as an insurance policy against significant repairs. These contracts carry a bad reputation for being too costly, and customers’ rip-off antennas instantly go up when the offer comes.

You must have heard that the Federal Trade Commission and Consumers Union are sending drivers red alerts about the surge of auto-warranty scammers. Many scams claim to represent automakers like GM and Toyota in providing extended warranties. Regardless, one of the most rewarding things about getting a new car is the peace of mind that its warranty offers. So, General Motors offer is an opening to crack into the negative dealership publicity with a more straightforward, confidence-inspiring program.

For example, Chevy drivers are confident that any GM-brand dealer can address warranty repairs without asking for deductibles, paperwork, or exclusions. It is the same deal for Buick, GMC, and Cadillac owners.

GM Extended Warranty Overview

Since its inception in 2018, General Motors insists that its extended coverage is not a service contract, but instead an additional coverage period of the vehicle’s factory warranty. The program is available at all Buick GMC, Cadillac, and Chevrolet dealerships. Also, GM warranty remains valid regardless of who owns the car, eliminating the need for an auto-warranty transfer. You can fold the cost of this extension into your lease or purchase price of a new automobile.

Beyond the scams and rogue dealers’ offers, the real gm extended warranty lets new buyers add two years of bumper-to-bumper protection to the original manufacturer warranty. Both the factory warranty and the extension cover the same components.

Below is how the term-lengths compare for the four GM family brands:

GMC Brand	Standard Warranty	Extended Limited Warranty
2018 to 2019 Buick models	Four years or 50k-miles	Six years or 70k-miles
2020 Buick models	Three years or 36k-miles	Five years or 60k-miles
Cadillac	Four years or 50k-miles	Six years or 70k-miles
Chevrolet	Three years or 36k-miles	Five years or 60k-miles
GMC	Three years or 36k-miles	Five years or 60k-miles

From this table, Buick is a unique GM brand. The new 2018 and 2019 Buicks have a four-year or 50k-mile warranty as the 2020 models get a three-year or 36k-mile coverage. Regardless, GM’s option tacks in twenty-four months to the base term. GMC and Chevy cars both carry a three-year or 36k-miles coverage, while Cadillac has four-year or 50k-mile factory protection.

Keep in mind that the gm extended warranty only extends the factory bumper-to-bumper coverage. It excludes corrosion protection, emissions, and control features, as well as powertrain warranties, among others.

GM Extended Warranty: Inclusions and Exclusions

The contract includes factory defects and caters to repairs using genuine GM parts. Besides, it’s independent of deductibles and allows you to repair your vehicle at any of its brand’s dealers. This warranty covers car components that don’t wear with continued use. They include safety systems, air conditioning, and electronics.

However, the warranty does not cover some parts, including:

• Chippings or cracks in the vehicle’s exterior paint
• Wear items such as brake pads and tires
• Minor vibrations or noises
• Regular maintenance

The essential aspect here is defective materials or workmanship. So, if your car radio suddenly stops working, it would cover that. If your air conditioning starts blowing hot air when you want to be cold, the warranty covers it. But if the driver parking next to you at the grocery opens lets their door open too far to chip your car paint, the extension doesn’t cover.

The manufacturer always covers recalls, whether the vehicle is on warranty or not. Nevertheless, it does not give the best picture when General Motors has to recall nearly four million GMCs, Chevys, and Cadillacs for possible issues with brakes.

Additional Benefits

If you ask for a gm extended warranty quote, you’ll notice that choosing to lengthen your factory coverage with GM will not impact roadside assistance. Though, GM offers roadside help to new model autos for the powertrain warranty’s length term.

• For GMC and Chevy owners, that is five years or 60k-miles.
• Cadillac drivers will receive six years or 70k-miles.
• With Buick, 2020 models carry five years or 60k-miles, as 2019 models have six years or 70k-miles of roadside assistance.

General Motors Protection Plans

If extending the factory warranty through GM isn’t a perfect match, the company also offers Protection Plans that are similar to extended warranties from other automakers. The plans are typically vehicle service contracts, although most sources call them extended warranties.

The GM Extended Coverage Major Guard is an example of the manufacturer’s Protection Plan programs. These Protection Plans are available in three levels, based on the various GM brands. They include:

• Major Guard: Highest coverage
• Value Guard: Mid-level coverage
• Basic Guard: Lowest coverage

GM also provides a Platinum Protection Plan to enhance your vehicle protection once the factory coverage ends. Term lengths are between twenty-four months or 24k-miles and sixty months or 60k-miles, covering over 1,000 parts. You can get added perks with GM’s Protection Plans, such as;

• Lockout services
• Cover for towing services
• Rental car protection

Getting The GM Extended Warranty

You should remember that this extended limited warranty by General Motors is slightly different from what other manufacturers have. It lengthens coverage for everything in your base term for two additional years. So, this is what to expect with the deal;

• The package does not add or remove anything.
• You’ll get all the vehicle parts from the factory.
• GM will do all repairs.
• You won’t be worrying about paying for repairs and waiting for compensation since you’ll be dealing with the same company.

But there is a catch. You can only purchase gm extended warranty when buying or leasing your car. Unlike other auto warranties out there, you cannot drive around for a while and then decide that you want to get the warranty. You must determine if you wish to have the warranty before getting the keys.

Depending on which vehicle you buy, the extension can add from around $1000 to $2000 to the lump sum. You can choose to roll up this cost into your monthly payments. Doing this, however, comes at a premium since you’ll be paying interest on the extended warranty as well.

The extra coverage is fully transferable if you’ll want to sell your car. On this point, General Motors lines up with the crowd since most automakers include their contracts to the vehicle identification number instead of the owner.

GM Extended Warranty: The Good and The Bad

There are plenty of gm extended warranty reviews on the internet. Reading comments by GM brand owners might give you a good idea of what it feels like to get this extension. Even so, while it is nice to know that extending your factory warranty with GM caters to manufacturer repairs, the cover still excludes a whole lot. This type of auto protection covers manufacturer defects for up to six years or 70k-miles, depending on which car you drive.

At this point, most vehicles are still in good working condition. So, you may end up using this coverage for a faulty component, or you may not use it at all. But probably the biggest shortcoming with GM extended protection is that you must get it at the sale point. You cannot think about it then purchase it later. That fact contrasts the buying process of several other warranty extensions.

Is The GM Extended Warranty Worth It?

Perhaps you have found a vehicle you cherish and plan to keep it for some years. Let’s say it’s a Chevy, on which you decide to extend on its factory coverage. You’ll now have five years or 60k-miles of protection. Even though five years seems like plenty of time, keep in mind that the mileage expiry could come first. A topical survey indicates that men ages 35 to 54 often drive 18k+ miles annually on average. With that rate, you would burn through the enhanced warranty in slightly over three years.

Besides, in the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study of 2019, Buick and Chevy ranked highly at fifth and fourth spots from 31 brands, respectively. The survey focused on the number of issues drivers experience in every 100 cars from each brand. Also, each vehicle in the study was three years old, where the owners would record any problems they had within the past twelve months.

The remaining two GM brands underperformed. At positions 23 and 24, respectively, both GMC and Cadillac performances were below the industry average. Moreover, the 2019 GMC Sierra 3500, 2500, and 1500, all recorded low scores on Consumer Reports’ reliability predictions. There is a range of issues with Cadillac’s owners’ reports. They include broken door handles, which dealerships regard as wear and tear, and erratic functioning gauges, among others.

GM bumper-to-bumper factory warranty has two issues. First off, it fails to meet the customers’ expectations concerning coverage inclusions. Then, avid drivers can expire the warranty through high-mileage driving. The gm extended warranty cost can range from $1,000 to $2,000 for adding only two years to your coverage.  For the same price, you can find extra coverage from reputable third-party providers.

Protecting GM Brand Vehicles Using Third-Party Options

GM brand owners can spread coverage for their vehicles to over 100k miles through third-party options. Some of the best providers include roadside help in their vehicle service contracts. Also, you’ll get to pick a certified mechanic of your liking for repairs.

We reviewed different third-party providers for these six factors to bring you the top companies in the industry:

• Trustworthiness
• Customer service
• Extra benefits
• Coverage options
• Cost
• Convenience

Inside the categories, we were checking for money-back guarantees, BBB accreditation, and ratings, including the number of online reviews on different review websites. While the market has many good options for the gm extended warranty, some are better than others. In our view, the top five best third-party providers are CARCHEX, Endurance, CarShield, AA Auto Protection, and Protect My Car, respectively.

The chart below shows how protection plans from the five third-party options stack up:

	CARCHEX Extended Warranty	Endurance	CarShield	A.A. Auto Protection	Protect My Car
Start	any time	Any time	Any time	any time	Any time
Max Coverage yrs	10	15	n/a	10	10
No. of Plans	5 levels, 16 plans	5 plans	6 plans	5 levels, 24 plans	3 plans
Transferable	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Deductible	$0+	$100	$0-$100	$100	$100
Trip Interruption	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Roadside Assistance	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Repair Network	> 30,000 facilities nationwide	> 350,000 ASE-certified shops	Select ASE-certified shops	any ASE-certified mechanic	Any licensed repair shop
Cancellation Policy	Refund if in 30 days	Refund if in 30 days	Refund if in 30 days	Refund if in 30 days	Refund if in 30 days
Availability	Free, instant quote online	Free, instant quote online	Call for an instant quote	Free, instant quote online	Free, instant quote online

The Bottom Line

The gm extended warranty is a good fit for many drivers who want the convenience of using the manufacturer’s services. All Buick, Cadillac, Chevy, and GMC dealers across the country will accept this optional warranty without question. Regardless, you may still want to obtain the automaker’s Protection Plans for additional coverage. And if you’re going to keep your car even beyond the extended warranty’s expiration, consider getting a service contract. There are good third-party options in the market, especially when you choose a reputable company.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Does GM offer an extended warranty?

Yes. GM has an extended warranty that adds two years of coverage to your vehicle’s base term.

How much does a gm extended warranty cost?

The gm extended warranty cost is anything between $1,000 and $2,000 based on your vehicle brand.

What does GM extended warranty cover?

GM’s extended warranty is an extension of your bumper-to-bumper factory warranty. So, it covers everything in the three-year or 36k-miles base term, with no changes.

Is GM extended warranty worth it?

The GM extended warranty is a good option for drivers who prefer the manufacturer’s services for repairs and parts replacement.  However, you can get more coverage for the cost of a gm extended warranty if you go with a third-party option.