Buying a new car is an exciting time in anyone’s life, but attempting to weigh the cost benefits of purchasing an extended warranty can lead to a major headache. When an extended warranty is offered by a car dealer, the only information given to the customer is a slick marketing brochure. This leaves the customer asking a question that they may find difficult to answer — Should you buy a Nissan extended warranty?

When you’re spending money to protect your asset, you want peace of mind that you’re going to be covered when you need it the most. Therefore, we will examine all the ins and outs of Nissan’s extended warranty in this article. We will also compare it with an extended warranty offered by a leading warranty provider to see how it measures up.

What Does the Nissan Warranty Cover?

The extended warranty that Nissan offers is called the Nissan Security+Plus Plan. It can be purchased to extend your Nissan’s coverage after a new vehicle’s basic limited warranty expires. The information booklet that Nissan produces claims that their warranty covers virtually every vehicle component, but in reality, it’s not quite so cut and dry.

The Nissan extended warranty is available in four different levels of coverage. They are:

• Security+Plus Gold Preferred Plan.

• Security+Plus Silver Preferred Plan.

• Security+Plus Bronze Preferred Plan.

• Security+Plus Power-train Preferred Plan.

What Is the Nissan Gold Preferred Plan?

The Gold Preferred Plan is the most comprehensive warranty plan that Nissan offers. It covers over 2,000 vehicle components, including the engine and transmission, brakes, drive axle, suspension fuel system, electrical, steering, heating/air conditioning (OEM only), some exterior and interior components, and audio/video/navigation.

What Is the Nissan Silver Preferred Plan?

The Silver Preferred Plan is a step down from the Gold Preferred Plan and provides a medium level of coverage. In this plan, 1,400 components are covered from the major vehicle components mentioned above. Belts and hoses are also covered, although these are subject to some specific clauses.

What Is the Nissan Bronze Preferred Plan?

The Bronze Preferred Plan is only available from selected Nissan dealers. It covers over 780 components including the engine, transmission, steering, suspension and axles, brakes, electrical, heater/air conditioning, and audio/video components.

What Is the Nissan Powertrain Preferred Plan?

The Powertrain Preferred Plan provides basic warranty coverage to major mechanical items. It covers over 800 vehicle components, which may sound like a lot, but when you consider that a car can be made of approximately 30,000 parts, the level of coverage this warranty plan provides is severely lacking. If parts are used in a repair that isn’t part of the warranty policy, the policyholder is expected to pay for them.

What Does a Nissan Extended Warranty Cost?

As of August 2019, the Nissan Extended Warranty price of a Gold Preferred Plan on a brand new Nissan Pathfinder can start at $395 for 39-month/39,000-mile coverage and up to $2,485 for 96-month/120,000-mile coverage (with a $100 deductible).

Although this is Nissan’s nationwide warranty that is honored in all 50 states, individual dealers are free to set their own prices. So although you may be purchasing an extended warranty plan from an authorized Nissan dealer, it doesn’t automatically mean that you’re getting the best value for the money.

What Doesn’t the Nissan Warranty Cover?

Possibly the most important aspect to consider when answering the question of should you buy a Nissan extended warranty is which components are not covered. Car dealerships are typically less than forthcoming about this information.

Wear and tear and maintenance items are not covered by the Nissan Security+Plus Plan. Items used during the normal scheduled maintenance are the responsibility of the customer. This includes oil, oil filters, air filters, fuel pumps, water pumps, fuel filters, brake pads, and fluids. Aftermarket parts and damage caused by aftermarket parts are not covered. This removes the owner’s freedom to use non-genuine parts which are more cost-effective.

There is a more serious problem with buying a Nissan extended warranty. Once they have sold a warranty there is no incentive for them to assist the customer because they don’t stand to make any extra money, whether their customer is satisfied or not. This is different from third-party warranty providers who are incentivized to assist their customers as much as they can, as warranty sales make up the core component of their business.

Additionally, each Nissan Security+Plan provides a different level of coverage. Unless a customer pays for the top level of protection, most steering, transmission, brake, electrical, and clutch components will not be covered. It not only varies between the level of coverage but is also subject to dealer discretion as well.

What Vehicle Years Are Covered?

The Nissan extended warranty covers new Nissan and pre-owned vehicles Nissan vehicles only. It does not cover vehicles made by other manufacturers.

A vehicle is considered new if it is still covered by the Nissan 36-month/36,000-mile warranty. Nissan considers a vehicle pre-owned if its 36-month/36,000-mile warranty has expired, but it is still covered by the 60-month/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.

If your vehicle does not fall under these criteria, it is not eligible for coverage by Nissan’s extended warranty. In this case, the only option available is to take out an extended warranty with a third-party provider.

Can You Buy a Nissan Extended Warranty Online?

The options for purchasing a Nissan Extended Warranty are pretty limited. Although a majority of business is done online, a Nissan Extended Warranty can only be purchased by physically visiting an authorized Nissan dealer. The vehicle must meet strict criteria to be eligible for a Nissan Extended Warranty, and the warranty provider will insist on inspecting the vehicle themselves.

What Extra Options Does a Nissan Warranty Have?

Only some individual dealers offer options as part of a Nissan Extended Warranty. Some dealers are offering Preferred Service & Maintenance Plans and Prepaid Maintenance Plans, while others are offering Theft Protection Packages, Windshield Protection, and Dent Protection. There doesn’t appear to be any uniformity between Nissan dealers which makes it harder to compare quotes.

However, the Nissan Extended Warranty does provide some additional coverage as part of the policy. These are the extras that are included with a Nissan extended warranty:

• 24-hour emergency roadside assistance only covers up to $100 per claim if the problem is a flat battery, car lockout, fuel delivery, or a flat tire.

• Trip interruption offers reimbursement for alternative transportation, lodging, and meals only if you are more than 100 miles from home.

• Car rental assistance reimburses for actual expenses of substitute transportation up to $35/day, for a maximum of five days and $175 per breakdown.

• Towing assistance covers a maximum value of $100 for towing to the closest participating Nissan dealer.

Keep in mind that the Powertrain Preferred Plan excludes 24-hour roadside assistance and trip interruption and towing benefits.

What Do You Do After Your Nissan Warranty Expires?

The Nissan Security+Plus Plan cannot be renewed. Once the warranty has expired, it is the vehicle owner’s responsibility to pay for repairs or seek additional coverage from a third-party provider.

How Long Does a Nissan Extended Warranty Last?

Nissan’s extended warranties are available in a range of time and mileage to suit your personal needs.

• The Gold Extended Warranty can provide cover for up to 96 months and 120,000 miles.

• The Silver Extended Warranty can provide cover for up to 96 months and 120,000 miles.

• The Bronze Extended Warranty can provide cover for up to 84 months and 100,000 miles.

• The Powertrain Extended Warranty can provide cover for up to 84 months and 100,000 miles.

Is Your Nissan Warranty Transferrable?

The Nissan extended warranty is transferable only from the retail customer to one subsequent private owner. A specific form must be completed and submitted prior to the sale, and this does not take place automatically when the car is sold.

What Will Void My Nissan Warranty?

Your Nissan extended warranty may be void if your vehicle shows any kind of misuse outside of manufacturer intent. This judgment is up to the discretion of the warranty administrator, so even if you haven’t driven your Nissan hard, if the warranty administrator suspects you have, they are able to cancel your warranty.

Another way a warranty may be voided is if the service schedule is not strictly followed. Additionally, any service and maintenance work must be carried out by an authorized Nissan dealer. The person responsible for performing maintenance on your vehicle must also use Nissan approved parts, fluids, and oils. Using any aftermarket parts will also void your warranty.

Compare Nissan’s Warranty To A Protect My Car Policy

The Nissan Extended Warranty can seem comprehensive at a first glance, but there are plenty of clauses designed to keep warranty claims to a minimum. In comparison, an extended warranty from Protect My Car is simple to understand and quite transparent.

Protect My Car provides coverage for any vehicle under 10 years of age/125,000 miles. By contrast, a Nissan extended warranty will only cover Nissan vehicles, and only if the factory warranty is still valid at the time the policy is purchased.

There are three different extended warranties that Protect My Car offers. These are based on the age of the vehicle and have been designed to give car owners the optimal type of protection needed.

• Driveline Warranty — Protect My Car’s Driveline policy provides protection for vehicles that are four to 10 years of age and over than 80,000 miles. This provides five years/125,000 miles of warranty coverage against unexpected mechanical failures.

• Select Warranty — Protect My Car’s Select policy is the best option for vehicles with more than 50,000 miles. It provides complete protection for those vehicles that are just outside of the requirements for the Supreme policy.

• Supreme Warranty — Protect My Car’s Supreme policy closely mimics the manufacturer’s new car warranty and is designed for consumers who plan to keep their new vehicle for longer than the manufacturer’s warranty terms.

Additionally, Protect My Car is widely regarded as one of the top warranty providers, with Consumer Affairs ranking Protect My Car as one of its Top Five Extended Warranty Plan companies. It also has an average customer satisfaction score of 4.8/5.

Protect My Car offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on every extended warranty plan. Upon purchasing an extended car warranty plan if, for any reason, you are not unsatisfied with the terms and conditions of your coverage plan, there is a simple process for providing a full refund of your down payment.

Perhaps the most important advantage of an extended warranty from Protect My Car is the processing and payment of warranty claims. Nissan dealers allocate a set amount of time to perform repairs and a maximum amount for required parts. Any additional time spent on parts or labor is billed to the customer, even though it is out of their control.

In contrast, Protect My Car offers 100% payment of repairs (when covered by the relevant policy), with a $100 deductible. There are no hidden charges or surprises.

Finally, roadside assistance and car rental are covered on every warranty offered by Protect My Car. Even if you choose the most basic level of coverage, you will never be left stranded on the side of the road.

Are Extended Warranties Worth It for New Cars?

If you are planning to keep driving your new vehicle after the factory warranty has expired, it is definitely worth purchasing an extended warranty. New vehicles cost a significant amount of money, and the level of protection and peace of mind an extended warranty gives you is priceless.

Additionally, many extended warranties come with additional options or include roadside assistance and towing. So in the event of a breakdown or vehicle failure, the warranty provider will organize to have your vehicle towed to a reputable repair shop and may even cover the cost of a rental vehicle.

Considering how much we rely on our cars, it can be disruptive at a minimum when they break down. With an extended warranty, you won’t have unexpected repair bills or have to put plans on hold because your vehicle is in the repair shop.

Shopping for an Extended Warranty Made Easy

As you can see, an extended warranty is important for a number of reasons. Car dealers are motivated by commissions and will often try every trick in the book to get the customer to buy an extended warranty on the spot. Nobody wants to be forced into a high-pressure sales environment when there are much easier ways to shop around.

Protect My Car makes it easy to get a quote online, on the phone, or via live chat. Enjoy transparency with a company you can trust when you need them the most. Get an instant quote by calling our customer service experts at 1-888-483-5998.