CarShield Review: Cost and Coverage (2024) (2024)

CarShield is a broker of extended auto warranties that sells plans on behalf of American Auto Shield, an administrator. CarShield ranks No. 4 on our list of best extended car warranty companies because its plans cover vehicles for up to 300,000 miles — the highest mileage limit in the industry.

Where CarShield falls short is its price and customer service, especially compared to some of its competitors, such as Endurance or Autopom. Our CarShield review looks at where the company stands out, what it offers, what its plans cost and what customers think of its service and coverage.

To get a good sense of how CarShield stacks up against the competition, request a free quote from Endurance, our No. 1 pick, below:

Our thoughts on CarShield

We rated CarShield 4.4 out of 5 stars in our rating methodology and rank it in fourth place among our top recommendations. We gave the company 4.8 out of 5 stars for coverage because of its available plans and coverage levels, contract term lengths, high mileage limit and specialized EV coverage.

The company also scored 4.8 out of 5 stars for trustworthiness based on its money-back guarantee and available sample contracts. CarShield falls short on its market standing, earning 4.0 out of 5 stars, cost (4.1 out of 5 stars) and customer experience (4.0 out of 5 stars).

See how CarShield stacks up against our methodology in the chart below.

Compare top auto warranty companies

While CarShield is a reliable auto warranty company, we ranked others higher for different reasons. For example, Endurance has more coverage options and Autopom has a better customer service rating. You can compare our top picks below.

What does CarShield cover?

CarShield offers a full range of coverage options from basic to comprehensive plans similar to a manufacturer’s warranty. It also has a couple of specialty extended warranty plans: one for high-tech components and the other for electric vehicles. Here are the details of CarShield contracts:

• Diamond: This comprehensive plan is similar to a bumper-to-bumper factory warranty. It covers any mechanical breakdown except for a list of exclusions.
• Platinum: This plan covers 15 systems including the powertrain (engine, transmission and drive axle), plus steering, suspension, brakes, audio, high-tech and electrical systems.
• Gold: The Gold plan is a mid-level contract that covers nine systems of the car including the powertrain, electrical, steering, brake and air conditioning systems.
• Silver: This basic plan covers the crucial systems of the engine, transmission, drive axle, transfer unit, cooling system and turbocharger.
• Aluminum: This plan covers non-powertrain components like the air conditioning, electrical and high-tech systems. It’s useful for augmenting an existing powertrain warranty.
• Electric Vehicle Coverage: This specialty plan can cover EV drive unit components like the electric motor and generator.

CarShield customers can go to any ASE-licensed repair facility for auto repairs. This is different from most manufacturer extended warranties, which require you to visit a dealer location for repairs. Some used car dealer coverage plans even require you to visit that specific dealer alone.

As far as coverage options go, CarShield offers almost anything you can find from other extended car warranty companies. Beyond CarShield’s five levels of coverage for cars, it also offers a plan for motorcycles and ATVs. That said, some companies such as Endurance and Omega Auto Care can cover regular maintenance services, which CarShield doesn’t cover.

CarShield added benefits

All CarShield plans come with the following benefits, which are fairly standard in the industry:

• Roadside assistance: This covers towing, emergency tire service, lockout assistance, battery jump-start and fuel delivery up to a limit per occurrence and over the life of the contract. This limit isn’t stated in sample contracts.
• Rental car coverage: CarShield covers a rental car or alternate transportation (Uber and Lyft) up to a daily limit for up to seven days per repair (fourteen days for an engine or transmission rebuild).
• Trip interruption: You can get reimbursem*nt for food and lodging if you have a breakdown over 100 miles from home. CarShield covers up to $125 per day for a maximum of four days.

Exclusions

No extended warranty covers everything, not even CarShield’s bumper-to-bumper plan. Vehicle service contracts are meant to cover mechanical breakdowns, not regular maintenance or cosmetic repairs. They don’t cover damage from the environment, accidents, misuse or lack of maintenance.

Here are a few more exclusions:

• Wearable parts such as brake pads and wiper blades
• Glass
• Struts and shock absorbers
• Aftermarket components
• Damage to a covered component by a noncovered component

It’s important to read the fine print of the contract to know exactly what qualifies as a covered repair.

CarShield warranty terms and conditions

Like most extended car warranties, CarShield has a waiting period before you can use coverage. This is 30 days and 1,000 miles or 90 days and 200 miles. If you drive very little, you’ll have to wait longer to use coverage.

You can cancel a CarShield plan in writing within 30 days for a full refund. After that, you’ll get a prorated refund.

If you sell your car, you can transfer the CarShield plan to the new owner. You’ll have to fill out a form and pay a $50 transfer fee.

How much does CarShield cost?

CarShield’s standard rates range from $199.99 to $129.99 per month according to quotes our team received while secret shopping. We also found CarShield sometimes offers discounted rates $10 to $20 below those amounts. These rates apply with a $200 deductible, which you pay to the repair facility. CarShield also offers $100 deductibles.

When looking at the total cost of a CarShield warranty, its approach is unique. Unlike most car warranty providers, CarShield offers flexible contracts with unlimited month-to-month terms. That means you aren’t locked into a five- or six-year plan.

But that also means you keep paying the monthly rate as long as you have the warranty. In contrast, most other companies like Endurance and Olive offer fixed-term plans with set payments of 24 to 48 months.

We found bumper-to-bumper plans cost an average of $824 per year of coverage across the industry. However, a year of CarShield’s Diamond plan can cost up to $1,680 without discounts.

The bottom line is that CarShield can work for shorter timeframes that other companies don’t offer. It’s also easy to stop a plan at any time. But long-term contracts become expensive with CarShield.

Customer thoughts on CarShield

CarShield is the most popular third-party warranty provider in the industry, according to our December 2023 survey of 1,500 extended warranty customers. CarShield has over 46,000 reviews on Trustpilot with a rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars. The company has an A rating on BBB, which indicates that the company responds to and attempts to resolve customer concerns. However, its customer score is only 1.4 out of 5 stars from over 2,400 reviews on the platform.

As a whole, customers have more positive or neutral experiences than negative ones. Most positive CarShield reviews are about the shopping experience but many detail claims being covered. One customer said CarShield covered their BMW repair at a dealership and another said CarShield covered a turbocharger and oil leak repair on their truck.

That said, not everyone has a good experience. Some customers have issues with claims not being covered and others have a hard time finding a local repair shop that works with CarShield.

According to our survey, 87% of CarShield customers are satisfied or very satisfied with the company:

When asked about their satisfaction with CarShield's customer service, 87% of respondents are satisfied or very satisfied, though 11% are neutral:

A total of 88% of respondents are satisfied with their coverage:

The results of our survey align with online customer reviews. Generally, CarShield customers are happy with their policy, coverage and the company as a whole, though there are some who are neutral or unsatisfied.

Does CarShield cover warranty claims?

Looking at positive review trends, CarShield covers claims most of the time. However, as a warranty broker, it’s actually the administrator American Auto Shield that covers claims, not CarShield.

In response to negative reviews, we noticed CarShield customer service representatives said the company has little to no control over whether a claim is approved, and that it’s the administrator’s domain. CarShield can help in resolving a complaint, but American Auto Shield has the authority to approve or deny claims.

Most extended warranty companies are brokers like CarShield. There are a few exceptions, such as Endurance, that administer their own contracts.

In our survey,182 of respondents indicated having filed a claim with CarShield. A total of 18% of these claims were for transmission issues, 17% for engine trouble and 14% for air conditioning repairs. CarShield approved 173 — 95% — of these claims.

Overall, 89% of the 173 respondents whose claims were approved were satisfied or very satisfied with the CarShield claims process:

Based on our survey data, CarShield paid for the full cost of 119 claims (69%). Seventy percent of approved claims were paid within three days, with another 22% paid within one week.

Final take: CarShield is a good choice for short-term plans

CarShield’s flexible monthly terms make it easy to get coverage for a short while, but its relatively high monthly rates make long-term coverage expensive. It’s good for high-mileage vehicles because plans cover up to 300,000 miles. Its unique EV coverage also makes it one of the only options that makes sense for fully-electric vehicles.

Our rating methodology for auto warranty companies

At Homefront, we analyze, rate and rank top vehicle service contract providers to help you discover the right one for your needs. The best auto service contract companies offer transparency, affordability and expansive coverage options, among other qualities.

We rate companies using our objective scoring methodology. We assess brands on factors that are important to consumers like you — including cost, coverage, market standing, trustworthiness and customer experience. After scoring companies on a 100-point scale, we simplify final scores into the 5-star ratings you see in our content.

BBB and Trustpilot scores are accurate as of April 2024.