Do you own or have you recently purchased a Toyota? If your not already covered, you should seriously consider a Toyota Extended Warranty. Your vehicle is one of the most expensive purchases you will make. You rely on it to get you where you need to go, so it makes sense to protect your investment against unexpected expenses and repairs. The best way to achieve this is by purchasing an extended warranty.
When looking to purchase a warranty, you have some important choices to make. Do you need a service agreement or an extended warranty? Which level of coverage is best for your needs? Which options should you choose? And is a warranty from a third-party provider better than one from the car dealership?
Car buyers crave reliability, so we have put the Toyota extended warranty under the microscope to see how it compares from a warranty from a leading provider such as Protect My Car. Our guide will help you get the warranty you need, at the price you want.
What Does the Toyota Warranty Cover?
Toyota does not refer to their extended warranty as a warranty, instead preferring to call it a service agreement. This is a fairly common ploy by car dealerships, and there is no nefarious reasoning behind it. Just keep in mind that they are referring to what most people know as an extended warranty.
Toyota has Platinum Protection, Gold Protection, and Powertrain Protection extended warranty options available for both new Toyota and Toyota certified used vehicles.
What Is Toyota’s Platinum Protection Warranty?
This is Toyota’s premium extended warranty. It covers engine components, transmission, axle assembly, suspension, steering, fuel system, cooling system, air conditioning, heating, brakes, hybrid/alternative fuel, electrical, and computer and electronics.
The Platinum Protection service agreement also includes the following:
• Mechanical breakdown protection, including towing to the nearest authorized dealer (for covered breakdowns).
• 24/7 roadside assistance anywhere in the US and Canada for the duration of the warranty period. This covers battery jump starts, flat tire, lockout assistance, and delivery for up to 3 gallons of fuel (for a maximum of twice per month).
• Substitute transportation and reimbursement for car rentals (up to $50/day for a maximum of five days), meal expenses, and lodging (up to $100/day for a maximum of five days, provided you are more than 150 miles from home).
What Is Toyota’s Gold Protection Warranty?
This is Toyota’s mid-range extended warranty. It still covers all of the same components as the Platinum Protection warranty, but the service agreement is a little different. It includes:
• Mechanical breakdown protection, including towing to the nearest Toyota dealer (for covered breakdowns).
• 24/7 roadside assistance anywhere in the US and Canada for the duration of the warranty period. This covers battery jump starts, flat tire, lockout assistance, and delivery for up to 3 gallons of fuel (for a maximum of twice per month).
• Substitute transportation and reimbursement for car rentals (up to $35/day for a maximum of five days), meal expenses, and lodging (up to $50/day for a maximum of four days, provided you are more than 150 miles from home).
What Is Toyota’s Powertrain Protection Warranty?
This is Toyota’s entry-level extended warranty. It covers engine components, manual transmission, automatic transmission, axle assembly, and hybrid/alternative fuel.
The Powertrain Protection service agreement also includes the following:
• Mechanical breakdown protection including towing to the nearest Toyota dealer (for covered breakdowns).
• 24/7 roadside assistance anywhere in the US and Canada for the duration of the warranty period. This covers battery jump starts, flat tire, lockout assistance, and delivery for up to 3 gallons of fuel.
• Substitute transportation and reimbursement for car rentals (up to $35/day for a maximum of five days), meal expenses, and lodging (up to $50/day for a maximum of four days, provided you are more than 150 miles from home).
Some dealers offer a Platinum Plus warranty which provides the same as the Platinum Protection warranty but with the addition of dent and windshield repair. Any dent under 4 inches in length will be repaired free of charge, including hail damage. The windshield is covered for any chips and cracks with an unlimited number of repairs for the period of coverage.
Select Toyota dealers also offer a Silver Protection warranty that covers the engine, transmission, front — and rear-wheel drive components, steering, front suspension, brakes, seals and gaskets, electrical, and air conditioning. This is not available at all dealers, and because of the extremely basic level of coverage, it’s best avoided.
What Does a Toyota Extended Car Warranty Cost?
According to Team Toyota:
• The Platinum Protection plan starts at $2,495.
• The Gold Protection plan starts at $2,295.
• The Powertrain Protection plan starts at $1,795.
When shopping for a warranty, you will notice that prices do vary between Toyota dealerships, who are less than forthcoming with the price of their extended warranties. This method of deliberately obscuring the price is to discourage consumers from shopping around and choosing the dealership that gives them the best price.
As dealers are allowed to set their own price for extended warranty products and service agreements, they are free to charge whatever mark-up they like. This sounds less than ideal, but it does give the consumer the ability to negotiate. Nonetheless, this is not the preferred way for warranty providers to operate, and a common complaint is that car dealerships are much more difficult to deal with than when requesting a quote than third-party warranty providers.
What Doesn’t the Toyota Warranty Cover?
When examining whether or not you should buy a Toyota extended warranty, knowing what isn’t covered can save you a lot of trouble when it comes time to make a claim. Each level of coverage has specific items that are not covered, and the list of items not covered is extensive. The following components are excluded on all Toyota extended warranties unless additional warranty coverage is purchased:
• Accessory drive belts.
• Batteries.
• Body panels.
• Brake linings.
• Brake pads and shoes.
• Brake rotors and drums.
• Bumpers.
• Carpet.
• Chrome.
• Clutch friction disc and pressure plate.
• Dash cover and pad.
• Door fabric.
• Door trim.
• Filters.
• Fluids.
What Vehicle Years Are Covered?
Each level of Toyota extended warranty uses the same guidelines for coverage when it comes to the age of the car.
A new Toyota must have traveled less than 36,000 miles and be less than 3 years old. A used Toyota must have traveled less than 150,000 miles and be less than 9 years old. Non-Toyota models are considered on a case-by-case basis.
What Extra Options Does a Toyota Warranty Have?
Some add-ons and options are available from selected Toyota dealers. These occur additional costs, and a deductible may apply. It does allow a consumer to tailor their package to their needs, but it also leaves the consumer with a less-than-optimal level of coverage compared to a warranty from a third-party provider.
Guaranteed Auto Protection — If a purchased or leased Toyota has been written off, the insurance company will pay the market value of the vehicle at the time of the incident. This can sometimes be much lower than the amount left owing on a finance or lease contract. In this instance, a Guaranteed Auto Protection policy may reduce or even eliminate the monetary difference.
Prepaid Maintenance Plans — Each new Toyota comes with a maintenance plan that covers the cost of routine service for up to two years/25,000 miles. This can be extended for up to five years and 75,000 miles. It’s designed to keep Toyota owners on track with their service requirements and prevent potential bill shock.
The prepaid maintenance plan will cover oil and oil filter replacement, inspections, tire rotations, and most scheduled maintenance listed in the vehicle’s scheduled maintenance guide.
Tire & Wheel Protection — The tire and wheel option provides protection for wheels and tires for six years. It covers tire repair or replacement in the event they are damaged by certain road hazards. These include glass, nails, potholes, and tree limbs.
Wheels are covered by warranty and will be replaced at no cost if they are damaged and a seal can’t be made with the tire. There are no limits to how many claims can be made for wheels and tires within the warranty period, provided replacement wheels and tires meet manufacturer specifications.
Excess Wear & Use Protection — This was designed to cover lease vehicles rather than vehicles purchased from a dealership. When a vehicle is returned at the end of a lease, the customer may be subject to pay for any damage incurred, so the excess wear and use policy provides protection against that.
The policy provides coverage for:
• A single event of damage for a value of up to $1,000.
• Missing equipment or parts for a value of up to $200.
• Claims can accumulate for a value of up to $5,000 at lease end.
What Do You Do After Your Toyota Warranty Expires?
Toyota states their warranty can be extended up to the maximum mileage and time frame, provided certain conditions are met. As well as following the manufacturer’s scheduled maintenance and service plan, the vehicle must be presented to a Toyota dealership annually to be inspected.
Is Your Toyota Warranty Transferrable?
The warranty is able to be transferred at the point of sale, potentially increasing the resale value of your Toyota. Some dealers will allow this to be done free of charge, while others will charge a small fee. The dealer may ask to inspect the vehicle prior to attempting to transfer the warranty. If you are buying a vehicle with an extended warranty, it’s worth making sure all the required preventative maintenance has been kept up to date and the warranty has not been voided.
What Will Void My Toyota Warranty?
Often, car dealerships will claim that modifying your vehicle outside the manufacturer’s specification will void your Toyota warranty. The burden of proof lays with the dealer who sold you the warranty to prove that installing an aftermarket part caused a failure, but it can be much more difficult to get a warranty claim approved if you have aftermarket or non-genuine parts fitted to your Toyota.
Not following the recommended service schedule is another way to void your Toyota extended warranty. To be eligible, the service schedule must not only be followed as per the manufacturer’s recommendations, but your vehicle must also be serviced at an authorized Toyota service center.
In some cases, these examples may not void your extended warranty, but they will give the dealership a reason to not process your claim. Remember, once the dealership has sold your warranty, they don’t have as much incentive to help you as third party providers do, and they may even allow you to renew your warranty without telling you that it has been voided.
How Does a Toyota Warranty Compare to a Policy From Protect My Car?
When considering if a Toyota extended warranty is worth it, it helps to compare it to an extended warranty from a leading provider like Protect My Car. Third-party providers are much more transparent about the terms of your warranty upfront. And because you aren’t having to deal with several independent businesses — as is the case with Toyota — submitting your warranty claim is a breeze.
Protect My Car has three different extended warranty options available. Unlike Toyota, these are all based around the age of your vehicle and have been carefully designed to provide optimal protection. The Protect My Car extended warranty does have a $100 deductible, but it also provides better coverage, with 100% of the cost of repairs covered instead of having parts and labor limits like Toyota.
Perhaps the most notable difference between a Toyota warranty and a Protect My Car policy is the way they treat their customers. Toyota is in the business of maximizing their profit through selling aftercare (such as additional parts and service agreements). Once the sale has been made, there is no real incentive for them to look after their customers. On the other hand, Protect My Car is in the business of customer service. Their business relies on achieving complete customer satisfaction.
To achieve this, they provide 24/7 roadside assistance on every level of extended warranty at no additional cost. Towing, rental cars, and accommodation costs are available on every policy. If the problem is going to take less than two hours to repair, no prior authorization may be needed as long as a claim is submitted within five days.
Protect My Car also provides a 30-day cooling-off period. If, after purchasing an extended warranty from Protect My car, you are not satisfied with the terms and conditions within 30 days, you are eligible for a full refund of your down payment.
Learn More About Protect My Car’s Warranty Today
To take advantage of the perks and privileges that only a Protect My Car extended warranty can provide, call 1-800-253-2850 to speak with one of our customer service experts. We have a whole team dedicated to answering your questions and so you can get back on the road as smoothly as possible.
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Protect My Car is a vehicle service contract provider, also referred to as extended car warranty provider, with multiple coverage plans for new and used vehicles with low to higher mileage to help meet your needs and budget. Protect My Car customers work directly with the company for customer service, claims administration and contract financing. No middleman or the need for third-party approval. All Protect My Car Plans include best-in-class claims and customer support, 24/7 roadside assistance, free oil changes and tire rotations and the exclusive PMC Rewards Plan, providing daily deals, giveaways, coupons, and thousands of ways to save money every day. Protect My Car has a 30-day money-back guarantee.