Is a Ram Extended Warranty Worth Buying?

Disclosure: This content was produced by an independent editorial party for the purposes of educating our customers, and is not influenced by the other business operations of CARCHEX.

An extended car warranty is protection from the vehicle manufacturer against mechanical breakdowns. This term is sometimes incorrectly used to describe coverage from third-party providers, which offer similar protection plans called vehicle service contracts. CARCHEX is a vehicle service contract provider.

While your manufacturer’s warranty has helped to keep your Ram on the road, there will come a time when the warranty expires. Then what? Buying a Ram extended warranty will keep your truck running longer and may save you hundreds—or possibly thousands—of dollars over time.

Learn more Ram extended warranty coverage and find out how a vehicle service contract from CARCHEX can protect your vehicle down the road.

As a Ram owner, you can get extended warranty coverage through Ram dealerships. You can choose between the Maximum Care or Added Care Plus plan. These vehicle plans are offered by the parts manufacturer Mopar^®, which is in the process of rebranding to FlexCare. FlexCare is a subsidiary of Stellantis (formerly the FCA), the official company for Fiat, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram, and Alfa Romeo. You might see plans from FlexCare or Mopar offered by your Ram dealer. 

Here are the details on the main plans you can select:

You can purchase a Ram extended warranty before the factory warranty of three years or 36,000 miles expires. Also, the auto warranty terms above count from the in-service date. So, if you get an 8-year/125,000-mile Maximum Care plan, you really get five years and 89,000 miles of extended coverage.

Ram Extended Warranty Benefits

You also get the following benefits with a Ram extended warranty:

• Roadside assistance
• Towing allowance
• Rental car coverage
• Trip interruption
• Key fob replacement

What Ram Extended Warranty Plans Don’t Cover

No extended warranty covers everything. See what’s excluded from Ram extended warranty plans. Exclusions vary depending on what coverage you purchase.

• Maintenance services and items used for maintenance services
• Plastic lenses
• Wear-and-tear items such as tires, manual clutch assembly, brake pads, rotors, drums, belts, and windshield wipers
• Catalytic converter
• Light bulbs
• Body and paint items
• Particulate filters
• Snowplows, winches, and trailer hitches
• Glass

Typical factory warranties cover you for only a few years. They can usually be broken down into two main components: the bumper-to-bumper warranty and the powertrain warranty.

Most Ram models have a five-year or 60,000-mile limited powertrain warranty and a three-year or 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. Each warranty covers different aspects of your Ram.

• Powertrain Warranty—The powertrain warranty covers the cost of labor and parts for repairs to the major systems that make the car run. Those systems include components such as the engine, drive shaft, and transmission. The Ram powertrain warranty outlasts the basic, bumper-to-bumper warranty, protecting your car’s powerhouse a little longer than some of its other parts.
• Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty—A good way to think about a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty is that it covers the majority of the components in between your front and rear bumper. Items typically covered include air conditioning systems, suspension, oil systems, and other electrical systems.

Ram models with diesel engines have a powertrain warranty of five years or 100,000 miles.

It doesn’t matter whether you were anticipating a repair or if your vehicle surprised you. Either way, repairs for Ram trucks can be expensive to pay for out of pocket. If you’re used to being covered by your Ram factory warranty, it can be easy to lose touch with the costs associated with repairing your truck.

Here are some common repairs performed on Ram trucks, according to RepairPal:

While some of these common repairs might appear to be affordable, they add up quickly. If you want to ensure that you’ll be protected from high repair costs, make sure to purchase repair coverage. That way, you can avoid pricey lump-sum expenses like those listed above and extend the life of your Ram.

You can also purchase a vehicle protection plan from a third-party provider like CARCHEX to cover repairs. Vehicle service contracts can cover a range of repairs on many systems from the engine to electrical. Consider the following benefits:

• Greater flexibility for servicing your vehicle—With a third-party vehicle service contract, the dealership isn’t your only option for repairs. CARCHEX works with thousands of repair facilities across the U.S.
• More plan options—CARCHEX offers five different vehicle service contracts. You can choose just to cover the basics or cover many systems like the air conditioning, electrical, steering, and brakes.
• Transferability with your contract—If you sell your car, you can transfer your third-party vehicle service contract to a new owner. This can make your vehicle more appealing to potential buyers.

*Any plans offered by CARCHEX are not extended warranties, but are often referred to by consumers as such. CARCHEX vehicle service contracts (also called “protection plans”) operate similarly to extended warranties and provide repair coverage for mechanical breakdowns after factory warranties expire.

Trying to decide which extended warranty to purchase can be a daunting task, so know what you’re looking for with repair coverage. The best third-party providers will offer the following:

• Accreditation from an organization like the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
• Endorsements from industry leaders
• Competitive, transparent prices and money-back guarantees
• Terms that can be customized to your needs, budget, and driving habits
• Transferable policies, so you can increase your car’s resale value

When you choose a vehicle service contract from CARCHEX, you get:

• Claims paid directly to the repair facility (minus your deductible)—That way, you’re not the middleman and don’t have to wait for the reimbursement.
• An easy payment plan with transparent pricing—With CARCHEX, you won’t have any surprises when your bill comes.
• Customer-friendly contracts that are easy to understand—We’re not here to confuse you. We want you to understand what you’re getting with your protection plan.
• No-Haggle, Low-Price, Everyday Guarantee^™—We offer affordable prices every day and have flexible payment plans.
• 30-Day Money Back Guarantee—Not happy with your protection plan? We’ll give you your money back.*
• Impressive endorsements—CARCHEX holds many endorsements from key industry groups, including Edmunds, Assurant, RepairPal, and CARFAX.
• Protection plan extras—Get free roadside assistance as well as rental car, towing, gas delivery, and trip interruption benefits (up to contract limits).

CARCHEX Coverage Plans

You can choose from five vehicle service contracts that cover different systems of the vehicle.

• Titanium—High-level coverage for many systems like the engine, transmission, drive axle, high-tech, air conditioning, electrical, steering, suspension, and brakes.
• Platinum—Covers everything in the powertrain plus plan as well as the brakes, high tech electronics, suspension, fuel system, and more.
• Powertrain Plus—Covers nine main systems including the air conditioning, cooling system, fuel system, and electrical.
• Powertrain—Covers the engine, transmission, drive axle, turbocharger, transfer unit, and cooling system.
• Extra Care—Covers components outside the powertrain system like the steering, suspension, brakes, fuel system, audio, and air conditioning.

Sources:

RepairPal: 
https://repairpal.com/ram

RepairPal: 
https://repairpal.com/estimator/dodge/ram-1500/windshield-wiper-motor-replacement-cost

RepairPal: 
https://repairpal.com/estimator/dodge/ram-1500/suspension-control-arm-bushings-replacement-cost

RepairPal: 
https://repairpal.com/estimator/dodge/ram-2500/suspension-ball-joint-replacement-cost

RepairPal: 
https://repairpal.com/estimator/dodge/ram-2500/exhaust-manifold-replacement-cost

Better Business Bureau: 
https://www.bbb.org/greater-maryland/business-reviews/extended-warranty-contract-service-companies/carchex-in-hunt-valley-md-23015869

Mopar: 
https://www.mopar.com/en-us/care/mopar-vehicle-protection.html

*Refund methods vary by state. See extended service plan for complete details, including refunds, exclusions and limitations.