Should You Buy A GMC Extended Warranty?

GMC is most known for its iconic full-size pickups and rock-solid commercial vehicles. While they are typically outclassed by manufacturers such as Ford and Ram, models such as the Denali are famous for their comfortable ride quality and onboard technology.

When it comes to warranty coverage, GMC gives the new car buyer several options. They are one of the only manufacturers that allow new vehicle purchasers to extend a factory warranty once expired instead of buying another service or warranty plan. There are plenty of additional add-ons and warranty options to choose from, and on the surface, it seems like GMC gives owners the ability to perfectly match their warranty to their needs. However, the question still remains — should you buy a GMC extended warranty?

What Does the GMC Warranty Cover?

Every new GMC vehicle sold is protected by a three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. Once this warranty has expired, GMC owners are given the option to purchase an additional five-year/60,000-mile extended warranty. This is an extension of the existing factory coverage rather than a stand-alone product as most other manufacturers offer.

While bumper-to-bumper coverage sounds like comprehensive coverage of every part of the car, the name is somewhat misleading. In fact, there are thousands of parts that are not covered by a bumper-to-bumper warranty. The level of coverage varies between warranty providers, but let’s take a look at what the GMC extended warranty covers exactly.

Engine

Cooling and heater lines and hoses are covered. Engine oil is listed as being covered, but seeing as this is a service item, its inclusion is odd. Also included are the cylinder head, block, oil pump and oil pump housing, the oil pan, the turbocharger or supercharger, and all internally lubricated parts as well as manifolds, the water pump, flywheel, and engine mounts.

Transmission and Transaxle

The case and associated seals and gaskets are covered, as well as the torque converter and internal electrical components and any actuators directly connected to the transmission.

Transfer Case

The transfer case and associated electrical components, actuators, encoder motor, gaskets, seals, and mounts are covered in the GMC extended warranty.

Drive Systems

This covers CV and universal joints, axle bearings, propeller and axle shafts, and associated electrical components as well as all gaskets, seals, and mounts.

What Extras Does the GMC Warranty Include?

GMC extended warranty coverage does provide some additional extras for GMC owners, including the following.

Courtesy Transport Program

GMC provides alternative transportation or reimbursement of specific transportation expenses if your vehicle requires any warranty repair. This is usually in the form of a loaner car from the dealer, but it is up to the warranty providers’ discretion.

Roadside Assistance

GMC offers 24-hour/seven-day roadside assistance. Select conditions apply; for instance, a lock-out may be covered, but lost keys may not be covered. This is up to the discretion of your warranty provider, and often, people don’t know what they are covered for until they try to make a warranty claim.

Corrosion and Rust-Through Protection

It’s rare for any new vehicles to exhibit signs of rust, but GMC covers body panels against corrosion for three years/36,000 miles. Additionally, any sheet metal panel that rusts through is protected for up to six years/100,000 miles.

What Does a GMC Warranty Cost?

The purchase price of the GMC extended warranty can be included in the overall vehicle payment plan, and there is no deductible. Costs usually vary between $1,000-$2,000, but it is up to each GMC dealer to set individual prices. This makes shopping for the best price difficult and requires a lot of legwork.

What Doesn’t the GMC Warranty Cover?

As with most extended warranties, routine maintenance is not covered by the GMC extended warranty. This is where things get interesting though. Remember, the GMC extended warranty claims to be a bumper-to-bumper warranty, but as we will see, there are a lot of parts that are known to commonly fail or require replacement that GMC does not cover.

Engine

Excluded from the extended warranty are the radiator and heater core as well as most major cooling components, the starter motor, fuel system, and powertrain control module. The big takeaway from this is that in a catastrophic head gasket failure, some of the engine is covered, but most is not. This is a common ploy that typically leaves the new car owner with a large bill to pay.

Transmission/Transaxle

Excluded from the GMC extended warranty are the transmission cooling lines, radiator, clutch, pressure plate, and transmission control module. When this many major components are excluded, you start to wonder why they claim to cover clutch repairs at all.

Transfer Case

Transfer case cooling lines, hoses, radiator, sensors, wiring, and electrical connectors as well as the transfer case control module and/or module programming are not covered.

Drive Systems

Wheel bearings, hubs, drive system cooling, wiring, and electrical connectors, and the drive system control module are also excluded from coverage.

What Vehicle Years Are Covered?

Only vehicles that are purchased or leased new from GMC are eligible for the GMC extended warranty. This does include current and previous year vehicles, although it is rare to find a new car dealer carrying old stock.

What Extra Options Does a GMC Warranty Have?

A number of optional extras can be added to a GMC extended warranty or purchased as a stand-alone product. It seems like these allow a vehicle owner to select the exact level of coverage they require, but as you will see, some of these options are severely lacking.

What Is the GMC Protection Plan?

The GMC Protection Plan is supposed to protect owners from unexpected and expensive repair costs when the original warranty expires. The GMC Protection Plan covers select mechanical and electronic components in the event of a mechanical breakdown.

Approximately 1,000 parts are covered under the GMC Protection Plan, including:

• Select engine and transmission components.

• Drive axle.

• Transfer case.

• Steering.

• Electrical.

• Enhanced electrical (OnStar MyLink).

• Airbags/safety restraint system.

• Brakes (including abs components).

• Air conditioning system.

• Seals and gaskets (of covered components).

• Adaptive cruise control.

• Ride control suspension.

• Heated seats.

• Blind-spot sensors.

• Video display screen.

• Reverse warning systems/sensors.

• Factory-installed entertainment system and emergency trunk release.

The following items are not covered but realistically, these are parts that are unlikely to fail anyway and include some regular service items that are generally excluded from most warranty policies:

• Battery and battery cable/harness.

• Lenses sealed beams and light bulbs.

• Key fobs.

• Tire pressure sensors.

• Brake rotors and drums.

• All exhaust components.

• Trim items.

• Tires and wheels/rims.

• Maintenance services.

• Select emission components including egr purge valve and emission vapor sensors.

Other additional benefits include:

• Rental Car Coverage: The service contract states it will reimburse up to $40 per day (max. $280/visit) for public transport expenses, or to rent a replacement vehicle. In all likelihood, this will cover most, (but not all) of your car rental expenses.

• Towing and Road Service: If your vehicle needs to be towed for repair, the service contract will cover charges up to a maximum of $150. This expense will have to be reimbursed upon production of the towing invoice and receipt.

• Trip Interruption: If you are more than 100 miles from your home when a breakdown occurs and repairs need to be completed overnight, GMC will reimburse you up to $200 daily (maximum $800).

• Lost Key and Lockout: If you are locked out of your vehicle, or the keys are broken or lost, ed in your vehicle, you may be reimbursed for up to $35, for locksmith services. This will probably not be enough to cover the locksmiths call out fee which can be double or more on weekends and after hours.

The protection plan is priced between $1,200 and $2,700, which seems like a lot when you consider just how few parts and services are covered fully.

What Is GAP Coverage?

GAP Coverage is designed to make up any shortfall between the market and the financial value of a vehicle in the event of an accident. If a vehicle is a write-off following a major accident, GAP coverage will help compensate the owner for the difference between the current market value and what is left owing.

What Is Tire and Wheel Protection?

Tires are often the part of your car that is most commonly replaced. Therefore it may seem like an excellent idea to have some kind of tire and wheel protection, but as we can see from the exclusionary conditions, GMC tire and wheel protection really only covers manufacturing defects.

The following instances are excluded when it comes to tire damage:

• Normal wear.

• Dry rot.

• Abnormal wear from misalignment.

• Oversized wheels and tires.

• Cosmetic damage (unless Tire and Wheel Protection Plus is purchased).

What Is Appearance Guard?

The GMC Appearance Guard warranty option provides coverage for exterior dents and dings, as well as lost or damaged key/key fob and covered rips, tears, burns, and cuts to the interior fabric.

• Paintless dent repair covers minor dings for unlimited repairs.

• Windshield repair means that small cracks or chips will be repaired free of charge.

• Interior fabric repair means GMC will cover the cost to repair small cuts, tears, burns, and rips in the vehicle’s carpet and upholstery.

• Key/key fob coverage means if your key/key fob is damaged or lost, GMC will cover the replacement cost of a new key fob and key up to $400.

What Is Prepaid Maintenance Coverage?

There are two different prepaid maintenance plans available. These are similar to what other car manufacturers offer under the name service agreements. The prepaid maintenance plan covers oil changes, tire rotations, and fluid top-offs listed in your agreement for a predetermined price.

The GMC Pre-Paid Maintenance Plus plan covers some of the costs associated with the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance for items such as air filters, spark plugs, and fluid changes.

What Is XS-Wear Lease Protection?

If you are leasing a vehicle instead of buying one, this is an option to protect you against damages when you return your vehicle. It is available for new or previously dealer-titled vehicles with fewer than 10,000 miles at lease inception.

Instances covered under XS-Wear include:

• Scratches, dents, hail damage, and chipped paint.

• Any burn holes or permanent interior stains.

• Cracked or chipped glass.

• Missing parts to a maximum of $150 per item.

• Up to $400 of excess mileage charges.

Exclusions to this plan include:

• Any single incident that causes charges over $1,000.

• Charges due to illegal or fraudulent acts.

• Any missing parts valued at over $150 each.

• Odometer tampering in any capacity.

• Any parts added to the vehicle after delivery are not covered.

Business Use XS-Wear must be purchased if the vehicle is used for the purpose of or by a business. This seems a little ridiculous given how few people lease a vehicle for personal use instead of buying one.

What Is Advanced Lease Protection?

This option covers parts that will commonly be replaced during the lease period of a vehicle. It’s supposed to cover the majority of costs for parts that are replaced during routine servicing and maintenance, but it still falls short from protecting the owner against all of the charges that are generally occurred.

Items covered under the service contract include:

• Brake pad coverage.

• Battery coverage.

• Headlamp bulb coverage.

• Belts and hoses.

• Windshield wiper blade coverage.

• Lightbulbs and fuses.

• Wheel alignment.

What Do You Do After Your GMC Warranty Expires?

After a GMC extended warranty expires, it cannot be renewed under any circumstances. In the event that additional coverage is required, the owner of the vehicle would have no option but to purchase an extended warranty from a third-party provider.

Is Your GMC Warranty Transferrable?

The GMC extended warranty is fully transferrable which can add additional value to your vehicle, should you decide to sell it. This really isn’t anything unusual, as most manufacturer or dealer extended warranties can’t be extended once they expire, so there is perceived value in being able to transfer it at the time of sale.

What Will Void My GMC Warranty?

Items are not covered for damage in the event of an accident, misuse, alteration, insufficient or improper maintenance, contaminated or poor fuel quality, damage or corrosion due to chemical treatments or aftermarket products, impact, or environmental factors. All repairs need to be carried out by an authorized GMC repairer to ensure continued coverage.

How Does a GMC Warranty Compare to a Policy From Protect My Car?

After examing the fine print of GMCs extended warranty, you might still be wondering “should I buy an extended warranty on my used car” and “is an extended warranty worth it on a new car?”

The Extended Warranty policy from Protect My Car differs from the GMC extended warranty in a number of significant ways. Protect My Car offers three different levels of protection based on the age of your vehicle, and unlike GMC’s extended warranty, you don’t need to have a brand new car to qualify for a Protect My Car Extended Warranty.

The levels of coverage that Protect My Car offers are more straightforward, with less exclusionary clauses. There is a $100 deductible in most cases, but the policy also covers 100% of the repair. This means that you are far less likely to get stuck with an unexpected bill if your vehicle is protected by a Protect My Car policy.

Every Protect My Car policy also includes free 24/7 roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement and towing, and a 30-day money-back guarantee on each extended warranty plan if you are not completely satisfied for any reason.

Risk-Free Coverage With Protect My Car

You need a warranty provider who will back you up when you need them the most. Protect My Car offers simple, transparent warranty plans for stress-free coverage that fits your needs perfectly. Call Protect My Car at 1-800-253-2850 to protect your vehicle, and your wallet, from expensive surprises.