Is a Toyota extended warranty worth it?
- Toyota Extended Warranty Overview
- New Vehicle Service Agreements
- Certified Used Toyota Vehicle Service Agreement
- Toyota Used Vehicle Service Agreement
- Cost Of Toyota’s Extended Warranty
- Do You Need Toyota Extended Warranty Coverage?
- What Warranty Coverage Do You Already Have?
- Common Toyota Repairs
- What Are The Benefits Of Third-Party Warranties?
- Our Take On Toyota’s Extended Warranty
- FAQ: Toyota Extended Warranty
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Advertiser Disclosure
If you plan on keeping your Toyota for years to come, you may consider a protection plan to shield your bank account from unexpected breakdowns. A Toyota extended warranty gives you peace of mind as your odometer ticks upward each year.
Third-party warranty companies can provide comparable protection, and we already did the research for you to find the best extended auto warranty companies. You’ll typically find a more customizable and affordable plan from one of these third-party providers, as opposed to the dealer.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about a Toyota extended warranty.
In this article:
Toyota Extended Warranty Overview
You can buy a Toyota extended warranty contract, called a Vehicle Service Agreement (VSA), when you purchase your new vehicle. There are three Toyota extended service plans to choose from. Each is sold by dealerships and may be available to certain new, certified pre-owned (CPO), and used Toyota vehicles.
Below are the coverage options for new and used cars. Certified Used Toyotas have just one protection plan option available, which we’ll get into later on.
| Toyota Extended Warranty | Coverage Terms |
|---|---|
| Platinum Plan | 3 years/50,000 miles to 10 years/125,000 miles |
| Gold Plan | 3 years/50,000 miles to 8 years/125,000 miles |
| Powertrain Plan | Up to 6 years/100,000 miles |
New Vehicle Service Agreements
You can choose from three Toyota extended warranty options for new vehicles.
Eligibility: Toyota vehicles are eligible for a new car extended warranty if they are still within their Basic Coverage factory warranty. That means any new Toyota within 3 years/36,000 miles is eligible for a vehicle service contract.
Toyota provides three levels of coverage for you to choose from:
- Platinum Warranty: Toyota’s platinum extended warranty is the most inclusive of the Vehicle Service Agreements. Comparable to a bumper-to-bumper warranty, the platinum warranty offers flexible coverage terms, which range from 3 years/50,000 total vehicle miles to 10 years/125,000 total vehicle miles.
- Gold Warranty: The gold warranty is not quite as inclusive as Toyota’s platinum warranty and offers coverage to a large number of parts listed in the contract. The flexible coverage terms range from 3 years/50,000 total vehicle miles to 8 years/125,000 total vehicle miles.
- Powertrain Warranty: The powertrain warranty is the most basic of the warranties offered through Toyota’s vehicle service agreements and covers most of the major components of the car, like the engine, transmission, and axle components. This extended warranty offers flexible coverage terms for 6 years/100,000 total miles.
| Platinum | Gold | Powertrain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transferable | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Engine | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Manual transmission | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Automatic transmission | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Axle assembly | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Hybrid/alternative fuel | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Suspension | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Steering | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Fuel system | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Cooling system | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Air conditioning/heating | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Brakes | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Electrical | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Computer and electronics | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Additional components | ✔ |
You will have to visit a dealership for all repairs covered under your Toyota extended warranty, just like you do with the factory warranty. Deductibles are normally $100 per repair visit but can become a disappearing deductible if repairs are made at the dealership that originally sold you the service agreement.
With these plans, you do get to choose the coverage terms. Toyota provides terms lasting from three to 10 years and 50,000 to 125,000 miles. In addition, the Toyota vehicle service agreement comes with 24/7 roadside assistance, travel protection, and a one-time warranty transfer.
Certified Used Toyota Vehicle Service Agreement
Unlike new and used agreement options, Toyota offers only one vehicle service agreement for Certified Used Toyota vehicles.
Eligibility: Your Certified Used Toyota is eligible for extended warranty coverage if it has a Toyota Certified Used Vehicle Limited Powertrain Warranty and is less than 6 model years old with a total of up to 85,000 miles.
You can only purchase a Certified Used Vehicle extended warranty for the first 12 months or 12,000 miles. Vehicle protection plans for Certified Vehicles must be bought from your Toyota dealer.
The Certified Used Toyota Vehicle Service Agreement offers protection for most of your Toyota’s components after the Basic Coverage warranty expires. You’ll need to talk with your dealer to learn more about possible coverage terms and mileage limits.
There is no deductible for covered repairs and the plan can be transferred once at no extra cost.
Toyota Used Vehicle Service Agreement
Toyota offers the same extended protection for used cars as it does new cars, with much shorter coverage terms. As with the New Vehicle Service Agreements, you can transfer your plan to a new owner once without additional costs.
All used vehicle plans offer $0 deductible options or $100. You may also receive a disappearing deductible if your car is repaired at the same Toyota dealer that sold you the contract. This is up to the dealer, and the dealership doesn’t have to participate in the disappearing deductible program. Used Vehicle Service Agreements must be purchased at the same time as the sale of the car.
Eligibility: The vehicle must be within the last 10 model years, including the current year, and have fewer than 150,000 total vehicle miles.
- Platinum Protection terms: Up to 5 years or 60,000 miles
- Gold Protection terms: Up to 5 years or 60,000 miles
- Powertrain Protection terms: Up to 2 years or 24,000 miles
Cost Of Toyota’s Extended Warranty
Like most manufacturer warranties, Toyota’s extended warranty can range in price depending on the model and trim of your vehicle. Models with more expensive and complicated parts can cost more to repair. In general, a Toyota extended warranty costs between $1,000 and $1,500, which is a fair price in the industry for what you get.
Do You Need Toyota Extended Warranty Coverage?
Toyotas are known for being highly reliable vehicles. Whether you drive a practical Camry or an off-roading Tacoma, you’re probably not expecting a lot of mechanical issues. For the most part, you’d be correct. Toyota holds the fifth spot in the 2022 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability StudySM for mass-market vehicles and was recently ranked third in Consumer Reports’ reliability rankings.
However, even the most reliable vehicles break down sometimes. The longer you keep your car, the more likely you are to experience a breakdown. If you’re a driver who never plans for mechanical breakdowns, you’ll probably be out a lot of money to cover repair costs.
Toyota extended warranties can help save you from expensive repair bills. More importantly, you shouldn’t overlook the value of peace of mind. You know your car is reliable, but with a Toyota extended warranty, you have added protection in case something goes wrong.
You’ll also get additional perks and benefits with most vehicle service contracts. Emergency roadside assistance, for example, is common among providers. If you run out of gas or break down along the road, you can call for help right away, and the expenses will be at least partially covered.
What Warranty Coverage Do You Already Have?
When shopping for an extended car warranty, it’s best to first consider what coverage you already have, like the Toyota factory warranty. A manufacturer’s warranty is limited coverage for your vehicle offered by the manufacturer at no extra charge. A factory warranty only covers parts that are defective or faulty workmanship. It won’t cover the cost of repairs for a breakdown due to normal wear and tear from regular driving.
Toyota offers one of the worst factory warranties of any automaker, partially because the brand is known for reliability. See the chart below to find out what’s covered by the original warranty for new Toyota models.
| Type of Warranty | Length of Warranty | What’s Covered? |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Coverage | 3 years/36,000 miles | Bumper-to-bumper comprehensive protection for all parts of your Toyota, except for wear-and-tear items |
| Powertrain Coverage | 5 years/60,000 miles | Covers the parts that move your car, like the engine, transmission, and drivetrain |
| Rust-Through Coverage | 5 years/unlimited miles | Covers rust perforation, or the formation of rust from the inside of your vehicle’s sheet metal outwards |
| Emissions Coverage | Varies for Federal and California regulations |
Covers parts in emissions control systems, such as the catalytic converter |
| ToyotaCare Roadside Assistance |
2 years/unlimited miles | 24-hour roadside assistance including towing, fuel delivery, and battery jump-starts |
Common Toyota Repairs
Cars are large machines with tons of moving parts. It’s no surprise that even a reliable brand like Toyota has some commonly needed repairs. Here’s a breakdown of typical repairs for a Toyota Camry and what they may cost, according to RepairPal.
| Replacement | Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Exhaust pipe replacement | $526 to $558 |
| Control arm replacement | $996 to $1,481 |
| Rack and pinion replacement | $1,229 to $1,537 |
| Parking brake shoe replacement | $221 to $244 |
What Are The Benefits Of Third-Party Warranties?
An extended warranty can bring you peace of mind as your car ages, but a Toyota vehicle service contract might come with limitations. Third-party extended warranty companies generally give you plenty of plan options with the ability to customize your coverage based on your needs.
Some reasons you might want to choose a third-party warranty over a Toyota extended warranty include:
- Flexibility: You can find reputable third-party warranty providers with options for almost any car and coverage level. If you decide a vehicle service contract isn’t right for you yet, you can wait and purchase a contract when you’re ready. There’s no pressure to buy right away when you purchase your car.
- Repair Shop Options: With a Toyota vehicle service contract, you’re limited to getting repairs done at a Toyota dealership. Third-party companies usually allow you to use any licensed repair shop. This is especially important if you move to an area without a Toyota dealer nearby or if your car breaks down while traveling.
- Lower Prices: Dealerships such as Toyota tend to mark up the cost, and you may even pay interest on the price of your vehicle service contract if you roll it into your financing. Many reputable extended car warranty companies give you options for monthly payments or payment plans without added costs.
Our Take On Toyota’s Extended Warranty
Overall, Toyota offers a fairly affordable extended warranty for new vehicles. However, you can only purchase it before the factory warranty expires. Also, if you want to cover your vehicle beyond 150,000 miles, you’ll need to look elsewhere. We recommend comparing third-party plans with Toyota’s VCA to find the best option.
Toyota Extended Warranties vs. Third-PartyHere’s a quick comparison of the Toyota extended warranty compared to some of our favorite third-party extended warranty providers.
| Toyota Extended Warranty |
CARCHEX | Endurance | CarShield | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start Date | Upon expiration of factory warranty |
Anytime | Anytime | Anytime |
| Max Length of Coverage | 10 years/125,000 miles | 10 years/250,000 miles | 8 years/200,000+ miles | 300,000 miles |
| # of Plan Options | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Transferable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Deductible | $0 or $100 | $0+ | $0+ | $0+ |
| Trip Interruption | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Roadside Assistance | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Repair Network | Toyota dealers only | > 30,000 facilities nationwide | Repair facilities certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE®) | ASE-Certified® repair facilities |
| Cancellation Policy | Refund if within 30 days | Refund if within 30 days | Refund if within 30 days | Refund if within 30 days |
| Availability | From local dealer | Free, instant quote | Free, instant quote | Free, instant quote |
| Contact your Toyota Dealer for Pricing | Get Quote | Get Quote | Get Quote |
FAQ: Toyota Extended Warranty
Can you buy Toyota extended warranty after purchase?
You can buy a Toyota extended warranty when you purchase your new vehicle or anytime before your factory warranty coverage expires. Any new Toyota vehicle within 3 years/36,000 miles is eligible for an extended warranty.
How much does Toyota extended warranty cost?
Our research found that a Toyota extended warranty costs around $1,000 to $1,500. A third-party extended warranty is likely to cost less and offer more coverage and benefits.
Can I extend my ToyotaCare?
Your ToyotaCare can be extended by purchasing ToyotaCare Plus, which extends maintenance coverage up to 4 years/45,000 miles. The original ToyotaCare plan only covers your vehicle for 2 years/25,000 miles. To qualify for ToyotaCare Plus, your vehicle needs to be less than 37 months old with less than 31,000 miles.
What is Toyota’s extended warranty called?
Toyota’s extended warranty is called a Vehicle Service Agreement, or VSA for short. Toyota offers three types of VSAs for new cars, one type for certified pre-owned cars, and three types for used cars.
Can you buy a Toyota extended warranty online?
You can only buy a Toyota extended warranty VSA from a Toyota dealership in person. However, you can get third-party extended warranties online from a variety of reputable companies.
Methodology
In an effort to provide accurate and unbiased information to consumers, our expert review team collects data from dozens of extended auto warranty companies to formulate rankings of the best providers. Companies receive a score in each of the following categories, as well as an overall weighted score out of 5.0 stars.
- Industry Standing: Warranty providers with a history of strong business practices and endorsements from experts receive the highest scores in this category.
- Coverage: This rating is based on types of extended warranty plans available, coverage terms, and added benefits like roadside assistance.
- Cost: Our research team reviews sample quotes for a variety of plans and vehicles. Companies with lower prices per year of coverage receive the best scores.
- Transparency: This score takes into account contract transparency and the availability of a money-back guarantee.
- Customer Service: We comb through customer reviews and perform our own shopper analysis to get a sense of the responsiveness and helpfulness of each warranty company.
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Read our guides to other warranty providers: