Buick Extended Warranty Overview
If your Buick’s warranty is about to expire, learn about Buick’s extended warranty plans in detail and how to save on extended coverage in our guide.
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Motor1 Reviews Team Take:
- Buick’s extended warranty is a vehicle service contract that comes with three different coverage levels to choose from – Platinum, Silver, and Powertrain.
- Buick’s Protection Plans range from full-scale bumper-to-bumper coverage down to just the most expensive components of your vehicle with powertrain protection.
- The Buick new car limited warranty is shorter than many other automakers at 3 years or 36,000 miles.
- Buick offers five optional specialty plans that can cover tires and wheels, wear-and-tear components, and routine maintenance.
Buick offers two extended warranties, as well as five add-on protection plans. While Buick extended warranty plans can cover everything from major car repairs to minor fabric tears, they may not be worth the cost in comparison to third-party providers.
In this article, we’ll discuss Buick extended warranties in detail, including coverage, cost, customer reviews, and more. We’ll also go over reputable third-party warranty plans for Buick vehicles.
Our Motor1 reviews team has conducted research on the best extended car warranty providers. Through our analysis, we’ve determined that Endurance is the Best Coverage option for vehicle service contracts, including for Buick extended warranty plans. A few other leading brands trail behind.
Buick Extended Warranty
Buick’s extended warranty is its Protection Plan coverage that goes up to 8 years/100,000 miles and comes with three coverage levels: Platinum, Silver, and Powertrain. Here’s a more in-depth description of each Buick Protection Plan level:
- Platinum: This covers all components in your car, save for a small list of items outlined in the contract. Essentially, if a car part isn’t listed in your contract, you can consider it covered – like a bumper-to-bumper warranty.
- Silver: This mid-tier coverage protects all parts under the powertrain protection plan – in addition to other vital systems like front and rear suspension, climate control, electrical, and more.
- Powertrain: This plan is for you if you only need to protect the most expensive and vital parts of your Buick. Powertrain is the most cost-effective Buick plan.
The table below shows the major components covered by each protection level. You can also check out this sample contract to know more.
| Component/System | Platinum | Silver | Powertrain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transmission | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drive axles | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hybrid/electric | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Front suspension | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Rear suspension | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Climate control | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Electrical | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Steering | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Brakes | ✓ | ✓ | |
| High technology | ✓ | ||
| Audio | ✓ | ||
| Navigation | ✓ |
Buick used to offer an Extended Limited Warranty (ELW) that prolonged the factory warranty’s term and mileage limits up to 5 years/60,000 miles – but no longer features this coverage on its website. Despite this, there is evidence that the ELW may still be offered at some dealerships. To know if the ELW is available to you, contact your nearest local Buick or other GM-brand dealership.
Buick Extended Warranty Benefits
Buick’s Protection Plan includes the following additional benefits for all coverage levels:
Roadside Assistance
Buick’s roadside assistance is 24 hours a day, seven days a week and will:
- Tow your car at $100 per covered breakdown
- Remove or replace of a flat tire (with your Buick’s spare)
- Deliver fuel (up to three gallons, up to three times)
- Deliver emergency oil, fluid, or water (with your payment upon delivery)
- Assist if you get locked out of your car
- Jump-start your Buick
Trip Interruption
If your trip 100 miles or more away from home is interrupted by a breakdown, the Buick Protection Plan will ensure you’re reimbursed up to $200 a day for up to five days (with a maximum of $1,000 per occurrence). This applies to any travel expenses needed while your Buick is in the repair ship overnight – like lodging and food.
Rental Car Coverage
If your Buick is in the shop for a while and you need transportation to get around, the Buick Protection Plan will cover rental car expenses for a maximum of 10 days with up to $40 per day. However, this excludes fuel, collision damage, and optional insurance charges.
Cancellation And Transferability
If you want to cancel, you can get fully reimbursed for your Buick extended warranty free of charge, as long as it hasn’t been past 30 days since coverage started and you haven’t filed a claim. You can still cancel after 30 days, but you’ll get a prorated refund and have to pay a cancellation fee.
You can transfer your extended warranty to a private party (not a dealership) for a $50 fee within 30 days of a resale.
Buick Extended Warranty Exclusions
Buick’s protection plans come with their own special exclusions outside of car parts. Generally, Buick’s Protection Plan won’t cover damages or mechanical failures that come from:
- Collisions or car accidents
- Acts of nature like floods or fire
- Theft or vandalism
- Street racing or off-roading
- Other forms of misuse or neglect
- Aftermarket alterations
- Odometer tamperings
Buick’s Protection Plan essentially won’t cover anything that car insurance would cover. It also won’t cover pre-existing issues, regular maintenance services, or items that wear out naturally with use. However, Buick does have specialty coverage plans that do cover these things, which you’ll find more information about below.
Additional Buick Services
In addition to Buick’s Protection Plan, the company offers five optional protection plans that cover everything from tire and wheel repairs to maintenance costs:
| Plan | Details |
|---|---|
| GAP Coverage Plan | The GAP Coverage Plan helps in the event your vehicle is totaled. Most insurance companies will only compensate you for the current value of the vehicle, not for the deductible or what is still owed on the car. This plan can help fill that gap for up to eight years. |
| Tire and Wheel Protection Plan | The Tire and Wheel Protection Plan provides coverage for tires and wheels to protect against road hazards. It covers repairs and replacements of flat tires and damaged wheels, along with minor repairs for cosmetic damage. There is a $0 deductible. |
| Pre-Paid Maintenance Plan | The Pre-Paid Maintenance Plan helps cover regular maintenance costs, such as tire rotations and oil changes. This plan has no deductible. |
| Advanced Protection | This plan protects certain wear-and-tear components for up to 5 years/60,000 miles. Covered parts include brake pads, belts and hoses, bulbs and fuses, and wiper blades. Services like wheel alignments, diagnostics, and fluid replacements are also included. |
| XS Wear® Lease Protection Plan | The XS Wear Lease Protection Plan provides coverage beyond the typical wear and tear. This plan is only available for leased Buicks and has a $0 deductible. |
Why You Might Need A Buick Extended Warranty
No car is immune to breakdowns, and repair costs can be expensive. Here are some cost estimates for common Buick repairs, courtesy of RepairPal, a site that monitors the average repair and part replacements costs of many auto manufacturers:
| Model | Repair | Location | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Buick Regal (Sport Touring) | Brake Pad Replacement (Front, both sides) | Jacksonville, FL | $245 to $339 |
| 2019 Buick Encore | Water Pump Replacement | Albuquerque, NM | $921 to $979 |
| 2018 Buick LaCrosse (3.6L, 6-cylinder) | Starter Replacement | Raleigh, NC | $845 to $990 |
| 2020 Buick Enclave | Fuel Pump Replacement | Troy, MI | $1,316 to $1,641 |
Note that these estimates do not include taxes, diagnostic charges, and other fees.
Changes To Buick Factory Warranty Coverage
Buick changed its limited warranty coverage for new vehicles in 2020. In 2019, new Buicks had bumper-to-bumper coverage for 4 years/50,000 miles and powertrain coverage for 6 years/70,000 miles.
In 2020, new vehicle coverage was reduced to 3 years/36,000 miles for bumper-to-bumper and 5 years/60,000 miles for powertrain. This means that new car owners will have to consider an extended warranty sooner, since Buick’s factory warranty coverage won’t last as long.
Buick Extended Warranty Pros And Cons
Now that the plans are laid out, it’s time to decide if buying a Buick extended warranty is worth it. Buick offers a wide variety of protection in its plans, covering everything from small wear-and-tear parts to major breakdowns. Buying one of these also ensures that any covered repairs or replacements are handled directly between the dealership and auto manufacturer, meaning that the car owner doesn’t have to manage all of the paperwork.
But Buick’s plans have some downfalls, too. While Buick’s deductible is competitive at $0, the plan prices make up for it. The starting price for the Protection Plan is $1,319 for the lowest amount of coverage (24 months/24,000 miles). That price could quickly increase if you extend the coverage or add one of the other protection plans on top.
Even with the variety, there are still limitations in terms of what is covered and how much Buick is willing to reimburse for one occurrence or one part. In the end, a Buick plan may not be worth the cost.
Our Manufacturer Extended Warranty Survey
In 2023, we used Pollfish to survey 1,000 people from across the U.S. who purchased extended warranties from the auto manufacturer. Out of the total, four had Buick extended warranty plans. The sample is small but it’s useful to hear their thoughts. Here’s what they said about their satisfaction:
- “I think it was a decent warranty.”
- “It was fine. Never used it.”
- “I’m satisfied.”
- “I am very satisfied with the warranty we purchased.”
There’s always a chance the warranty doesn’t cover as much in repairs as it costs. That’s something to think about as you shop around.
Best Third-Party Car Warranty Companies
We recommend a third-party extended vehicle service contract over Buick extended warranty coverage for several reasons:
- You can generally get a better price on a third-party extended warranty because you’re not locked in to only the dealership’s options.
- Third-party plans also provide coverage for longer. Endurance, for example, offers coverage for up to 200,000+ miles, while Buick only covers up to 100,000 miles.
- Third parties give you more coverage options. Endurance offers six tiers with several plans under each, versus Buick’s three levels.
We have done extensive research into the best third-party extended warranty options and have come up with three that stand out from the rest for Buick extended warranty coverage.
- Endurance gets the first-place spot as Best Coverage for its overall quality and customer service.
- Tied in second place is Carchex because of its outstanding company reputation and customer care.
- CarShield is in fourth because of its month-to-month contract options and six levels of coverage.
Here’s a quick comparison of the Buick Protection Plan compared to three reputable third-party extended warranty providers.
| Buick Protection Plan | Endurance | Carchex | CarShield | |
| Start Date | Varies | Anytime | Anytime | Anytime |
| Max Length of Coverage | 5 years/60,000 miles | 8 years/200,000+ miles | 10 years/250,000 miles | 300,000 miles |
| Number of Plan Options | 3 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
| Transferable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Deductible | $0 or $100 | $0, $50, $100, $200 | $0, $50, $100 | $0, $50, $100, $200 |
| Trip Interruption | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Roadside Assistance | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Repair Network | Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac dealerships | Repair shops certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE®) | > 30,000 facilities nationwide | ASE-Certified repair facilities |
| Cancellation Policy | Full refund if within 30 days | Refund if within 30 days | Refund if within 30 days | Refund if within 30 days |
| Availability | From local dealer | Free, instant quote | Free, instant quote | Free, instant quote |
Buick Extended Warranty: FAQ
Below are some frequently asked questions about the Buick extended warranty:
How much is a Buick extended warranty?
According to our research, the cost of a Buick extended warranty can range from $1,300 to $3,200 or more depending on coverage terms. As one example, we received a quote for four years or 48,000 miles of Platinum coverage on a 2021 Buick Enclave with 34,000 miles. The total estimated price of this plan (with a $0 deductible) was $2,310.
Is it worth getting an extended warranty from the dealer?
This all comes down to price and convenience. Buying from a dealership means you’re limited in where you can take your vehicle for covered repairs. You might also find a lower price from a third-party provider. In general, it’s best to compare quotes from dealers and independent companies before you make a decision.
Who has the best extended car warranty?
We rate Endurance as the best overall extended warranty option. As a direct warranty provider, Endurance makes sure there’s no middleman between you and your coverage. This makes the claims process easier. Combine this with extensive coverage options and competitive prices and you get our top choice for an extended warranty.
Methodology
In an effort to provide accurate and unbiased information to consumers, our expert review team collects data from dozens of extended auto warranty companies to formulate rankings of the best providers. Companies receive a score in each of the following categories, as well as an overall weighted score out of 5.0 stars.
- Industry Standing: Warranty providers with a history of strong business practices and endorsements from experts receive the highest scores in this category.
- Coverage: This rating is based on types of extended warranty plans available, coverage terms, and added benefits like roadside assistance.
- Cost: Our research team reviews sample quotes for a variety of plans and vehicles. Companies with lower prices per year of coverage receive the best scores.
- Transparency: This score takes into account contract transparency and the availability of a money-back guarantee.
- Customer Service: We comb through customer reviews and perform our own shopper analysis to get a sense of the responsiveness and helpfulness of each warranty company.
*Data accurate at time of publication.
