Is Hyundai’s Extended Warranty Worth It?

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.

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.

A Hyundai extended warranty can keep your car on the road for longer and save you hundreds—even thousands—of dollars at the repair shop. Learn what’s covered under the Hyundai extended warranty to see if coverage is worth it after your factory warranty expires.

Extended warranties are vehicle service contracts that provide continued coverage for certain repairs and parts of your Hyundai vehicle at an extra cost. If you purchase extended protection from the Hyundai dealership, you choose from three levels of protection options:

• Platinum—This plan gives the highest level of component coverage, including high-tech electronics and the navigation system.
• Gold—This covers what’s included in the powertrain extended warranty, plus additional components like the climate control system, front and rear suspension, and the fuel system. It doesn’t include high-tech electronics, brakes, or steering components.
• Powertrain—This only covers the engine, transmission, and drive axle of your Hyundai vehicle.

Hyundai also offers limited Gold and Platinum-level extended warranty options for certified pre-owned Hyundai vehicles.

Limitations of a Hyundai Dealership Extended Warranty

Extended warranties offer great protection for your vehicle. However, choosing a Hyundai-branded extended warranty may not be the best decision. When you purchase a vehicle service contract from Hyundai, your flexibility and payment options are limited. For example:

• Limited Repair Shops—When you use a vehicle service contract from Hyundai, you have to take your vehicle to a Hyundai dealership for any covered repairs.
• Interest Charges—Most Hyundai dealerships will encourage you to add an extended warranty contract to your financing. This might seem like an easy way to make monthly payments on your service contract, but it also includes the interest on your new car financing. You’ll not only pay the price for the vehicle service contract, but you’ll also have to pay interest on that amount.
• Higher Costs—Your Hyundai dealer won’t be able to shop around for the best price. In fact, most dealerships aren’t able or willing to give you a lower price on a vehicle service contract.
• Limited Time Frame—Unless you purchase a certified pre-owned Hyundai, you can only add an extended vehicle service contract at the time you buy a new Hyundai. If you decide a few years into ownership that you’d like to protect your vehicle, you won’t be able to purchase a Hyundai-branded service contract.

Hyundai Assurance, known as America’s Best Warranty, is Hyundai’s bumper-to-bumper warranty for new vehicles. Hyundai offers some of the longest warranties and protection plans for new vehicles. The brand offers a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, a term that’s widely considered the best protection on the market. However, what protections are you missing with the Hyundai warranty?

Hyundai Warranty at a Glance

Here’s a quick look at the manufacturer’s warranty that comes with a Hyundai the moment you drive it off the lot.

• 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty—Covers the repair or replacement of components of the powertrain, such as engine or transmission components
• 5-year/60,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty—Bumper-to-bumper coverage of almost all components on the vehicle, with limitations for certain audio systems, batteries, and paint
• 7-year/unlimited-mile anti-perforation warranty—Provides coverage for rust holes only from the interior body to the exterior
• 5-year/unlimited-mile 24-hour roadside assistance—Offers roadside assistance services such as towing
• 1-year/12,000-mile replacement parts and accessories warranty—Covers Hyundai-certified replacement parts installed after the 5-year/60,000-mile warranty coverage is up
• 8-year/80,000-mile federal emission defect and performance warranty—Covers repairs or replacements of certain emissions control components should they fail an EPA-approved inspection
• 7-year/70,000-mile California emission control system warranty—Applies to vehicles manufactured to California state emissions requirements and covers emissions control components that fail to meet California state inspections
• Lifetime hybrid battery warranty—Replaces lithium-ion batteries in Hyundai hybrid models and recycles old batteries free of charge

What You Should Know about a Hyundai Factory Warranty

Hyundai’s factory bumper-to-bumper warranty is one of the best offered by a manufacturer, but there are a few things you should know:

• All the warranties listed above cover only pieces manufactured by Hyundai or original to the vehicle.
• You’re only covered by the plans listed above if you get your car serviced at select authorized Hyundai dealerships.
• If you sell the car or buy a used Hyundai, all those great warranty perks end.
• Once your dealer warranty expires, you’re on the hook for all repair bills.
• Covered repairs are limited to parts or components that are found to be defective.

The most important reason to protect your Hyundai with a vehicle service contract is to help pay for covered repairs. Although Hyundai is in the top half of auto brands for vehicle reliability in the 2024 J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study^℠, all cars are prone to breakdowns.

Check out this list for common repairs and their cost for various Hyundai models, according to data from RepairPal:

If your Hyundai factory warranty has expired or if you’re shopping for a pre-owned Hyundai, a third-party vehicle protection plan can give you the peace of mind you need in the event of an expensive repair.

Here’s a look at the five levels of coverage offered by CARCHEX, with many protection plans available within each.

• Titanium—This high-level coverage plan includes most vehicle systems with only a short list of exclusions.
• Platinum—This is a high level of stated-component coverage that protects elements of all major vehicle systems.
• Powertrain Plus—This protects the engine, transmission, and drive axle like a basic powertrain plan while also covering the air conditioning and various electrical components.
• Powertrain—This is our basic powertrain coverage, with protection for key engine components, the transmission, drive axle, and transfer case.
• Extra Care—The Extra Care plan covers vital components that aren’t part of the vehicle’s powertrain, including the electrical system, steering, suspension, and brakes.

*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.

Get More with a CARCHEX Vehicle Service Contract

When you choose to protect your Hyundai with CARCHEX, you’ll enjoy these benefits:

• We offer low monthly payments, so you can be sure your vehicle protection plan will comfortably fit into your budget.
• You get to choose your repair shop, so you can stay with the mechanic you trust most and won’t have to go to the dealership for repairs.
• We pay claims directly to the repair facility, so you never have to foot the bill then wait around for reimbursement.
• All CARCHEX plans are transferable, which can increase your car’s resale value on the private market.
• We offer a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee, so if you’re not completely satisfied with your vehicle service contract, you get a refund.
• We give you roadside assistance, which helps you get your car to the nearest repair facility and back on the road.
• We’ve got an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, meaning we’re a vehicle service contract company you can trust.

Get Peace of Mind with CARCHEX

A Hyundai extended warranty is always a smart move, but you have options beyond what the manufacturer provides. CARCHEX auto protection specialists will work with you to ensure that you find extended coverage for your Hyundai that suits your needs and budget. Our flexible plans can be customized specifically for you.

Sources:

Hyundai: 
https://www.hmfusa.com/vehicle-protection/mechanical-coverage

Hyundai: 
https://www.hyundaiusa.com/us/en/assurance/america-best-warranty

Autotrader: 
https://www.autotrader.com/car-tips/buying-a-car-is-the-factory-warranty-transferable-228454

Edmunds: 
https://www.edmunds.com/auto-warranty/five-questions-to-ask-before-you-say-yes-to-an-extended-warranty.html

Edmunds: 
https://www.edmunds.com/hyundai/sonata/2018/cost-to-own/#style=401758164

CARS.com: 
https://www.cars.com/articles/making-sense-of-new-car-warranties-1420680927011/

J.D. Power: 
https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2024-us-vehicle-dependability-study-vds

RepairPal:
https://repairpal.com/hyundai

Better Business Bureau: 
https://www.bbb.org/us/md/hunt-valley/profile/extended-warranty-contract-service-companies/carchex-0011-23015869