Buick Warranty Overview

Motor1 Reviews Team Take:

• Buick’s factory warranty is on the short side at three years or 36,000 miles – whichever comes first.
• Buick ranks near the top in J.D. Power studies of initial quality and reliability.
• Buick’s Protection Plan offers extended coverage for up to 8 years/100,000 miles and comes in three levels: Platinum, Silver, and Powertrain.

Up until 2020, Buick offered an impressive 4-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper factory warranty and a 6-year/70,000-mile powertrain warranty. All that changed with the 2021 model year. Buick has since reduced bumper-to-bumper coverage to 3 years/36,000 miles, and powertrain coverage is down to 5 years/60,000 miles.

A shorter warranty is usually a cost-cutting tactic, not a reflection of lower quality.

Buick’s warranty downgrade does, however, put a spotlight on considering an extended warranty for added peace of mind, either from Buick or a third-party warranty provider. We’ll compare both options and explain why we prefer third-party companies.

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Buick Warranty Overview

Let’s take a look at the coverage lengths for Buick’s factory warranty.

What Does The Buick Warranty Cover?

The bumper-to-bumper section* of the Buick new vehicle limited warranty is pretty simply stated. It covers “the entire vehicle for repairs, including parts and labor, to correct any defects in materials or workmanship for 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first.”

As for the powertrain warranty, this covers the most vital parts of the vehicle – the engine, transmission, and drive axles. These are often the most expensive car components to fix and are more likely to fall into mechanical failure as a car gets older and older, making powertrain protection incredibly useful.

This factory coverage extends to defects in tire material and workmanship. It also includes towing to the nearest authorized dealership for warranty repairs. The warranty transfers to a new owner if you sell the car.

Buick’s bumper-to-bumper limited warranty also includes:

• Emissions Control System Warranty: This gives you peace of mind that your emissions system is protected. Most components are covered for 2 years/24,000 miles, with select elements covered for 8 years/80,000 miles.
• Rust-Through Protection: Buick covers the vehicle for rust-through, which it defines as “an actual hole in the panel,” for 6 years/100,000 miles.
• Courtesy Transportation: If your vehicle requires warranty repairs, alternate transportation, or reimbursement of certain transportation expenses, coverage may be available under the Courtesy Transportation Program.
• Roadside Assistance: This 24-hour service includes towing, vehicle-unlock assistance, flat tire changes, battery jump-starts, and emergency fuel deliveries.
• First Maintenance Visit: Your first maintenance visit (within the first year of vehicle delivery) at a participating dealer is covered. This includes an oil change, multi-point vehicle inspection, and a tire rotation.

*For more in-depth information about coverage and the warranty industry, consult our Car Warranty Guide.

What The Buick Warranty Doesn’t Cover

Buick doesn’t specifically mention maintenance parts (like brake rotors and pads) not being covered by the bumper-to-bumper warranty. However, it does exclude “routine maintenance,” which could include any associated parts.

Buick has a rather long list of major components that are not covered under the powertrain warranty:

• Sensors, wiring, and connectors
• Engine radiator, coolant hoses, coolant, and heater core
• Starter motor
• Engine/powertrain control module and/or module programming
• The entire pressurized fuel system (in-tank fuel pump, pressure lines, fuel rail(s), regulator, injectors and return line)
• Transmission cooling lines, hoses, radiator, sensors, wiring, and electrical connectors

Those components, should they fail, could lead to expensive repairs. Some components, such as the fuel system, are covered under the 2-year/24,000-mile federal emissions warranty. This coverage is longer for vehicles purchased in California and states that follow its emissions regulations.

Like other brands, Buick’s warranty doesn’t cover damage resulting from:

• Misuse, like off-roading or street racing
• Negligence or improper maintenance
• Accidents or collisions
• Theft or vandalism
• Fire, floods, and other acts of nature
• Contaminated gasoline
• Odometer tamperings
• Aftermarket alterations

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What To Expect From Buick Quality

Buick was once known for an advertising slogan that it used from the 1930s until the 1960s: “When better automobiles are built, Buick will build them.” The slogan may sound hokey today, but the brand can boast of good quality.

In the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Initial Quality Study^℠, Buick ranked fourth out of 33 auto brands. The study surveys problems buyers encounter when a car is new, in this case within the first 90 days of ownership. But, what happens when the factory warranty expires?

Amid Buick’s shortened factory warranty coverage, the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study^℠ becomes an even more critical measurement for car buyers to consider.

According the study, Buicks registered an average of 159 problems per 100 vehicles, putting the brand behind only Lexus, Genesis, and Kia. Buick’s showing is significantly better than the industry average of 186 per 100 cars. Keep in mind that this is an average across the entire model line. Not all Buick models have the same results. The J.D. power website offers more research tools, and Consumer Reports is also a good source to find reliability information of individual Buick models.

Buick Repair Costs

Considering all of the items not covered by the Buick powertrain warranty, it makes sense to see what replacing such things might cost. Checking with RepairPal, a site that monitors the average repair and part replacements costs of many auto manufacturers, we pulled a few examples:

Keep in mind that these estimates do not include taxes, diagnostic costs, and other fees. They will also vary by your location and your Buick model.

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Warranty For Buick Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles

The General Motors Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) program covers Buick, Chevy, and GMC. (Cadillac has its own separate program.) Under the terms of the GM CPO program, the bumper-to-bumper warranty for those three brands is 12 months/12,000 miles.

The GM/Buick CPO powertrain coverage is still pretty good at 6 years/100,000 miles, although the exclusions mentioned in Buick’s new car powertrain warranty still apply. If you buy a three-year-old certified pre-owned Buick with 30,000 miles, the remaining powertrain coverage would give you 3 years/70,000 miles more of covered driving.

The GM CPO warranty offers some solid benefits, including:

• $0 deductible
• Transferable to subsequent owners
• Roadside assistance (for same coverage period as powertrain)
• Courtesy transportation (for 12 months/12,000 miles)

Buick’s CPO program does not indicate availability of GM-backed extended warranties, but you can buy a third-party extended warranty on your own.

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Buick’s Protection Plan Program (Extended Warranty)

With Buick offering reduced warranty coverage for model years 2021 and newer, you may want the peace of mind offered by extended coverage. Buick offers a Protection Plan program with three varying levels of coverage: Platinum, Silver, and Powertrain. All three plans can provide extended protection for up to 8 years/100,000 miles.

Buick’s Platinum protection covers up to 1,500+ car parts, while the Silver plan covers everything under the Powertrain plan plus other systems like the front and rear suspension, the climate control, and more. This table below gives an overview of the Buick parts covered by each plan:

Buick Protection Plans are also known as vehicle service contracts (VSCs). VSCs are almost identical to extended warranties in that they provide the same services for autos, but they’re not technically not the same thing.

The main difference is that VSCs are often created by separated companies (though offered and sold through dealerships) – and have their own regulations. However, VSCs can be considered as extended warranties when offered by auto manufacturers.

Buick Protection Plan Benefits

All three protection plans also come with a standard set of benefits found with most VSCs:

• Roadside assistance: This 24-hour service includes towings, tire replacements, fluid and fuel deliveries, jump-starts, and lockout assistance.
• Trip interruption: If you break down 100 miles or more from home, you’ll get reimbursed $200 a day for up to five days for food and lodging.
• Rental car coverage: If your car is in the shop, Buick can secure rental car coverage for up to $40 a day at a maximum of 10 days.
• Cancellation: You can cancel your Buick Protection Plan within 30 days of coverage for a full refund. After that, you can still cancel for a prorated refund.
• Transferability: You can transfer your Buick Protection Plan to a subsequent owner within 30 days of a resale – but for a $50 transfer fee.

To know more about exclusions, benefits, and purchase periods, consult our Buick extended warranty review.

Does Buick Offer The Extended Limited Warranty Anymore?

Buick used to feature an Extended Limited Warranty (ELW) on its site, which would initially just stretch the time and mileage limits for the factory warranty up to 5 years/60,000 miles. The ELW had all the same benefits, exclusions, and coverages as the factory warranty.

However, Buick no longer features this warranty option on its site – primarily pushing its Protection Plan program as its main source of extended coverage. 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.

Our Manufacturer Extended Warranty Survey

In December 2023, our research team polled 1,000 drivers with automaker extended warranties to better understand consumer satisfaction with vehicle protection plans. Out of 1,000 people surveyed, only 4 had coverage with Buick. All were satisfied with the coverage, and drivers reported paying between $1,000 and $3,000 for their plans. However, it’s hard to know if this is representative of most consumers’ experiences with such a small sample size.

One driver with a Buick Envision that was new upon purchasing the warranty said, “I am very satisfied with the warranty we purchased. It’s a great plan that can help once the vehicle [factory] warranty is over.”

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Is A Third-Party Extended Warranty Better Than The Buick Plan?

Given the recent changes to the Buick new vehicle warranty, and the requirement to buy a Buick Protection Plan at the time of vehicle purchase if you want one, it makes sense to evaluate third-party warranty options before you go to a dealer. Based on our research, we ranked the best car warranty companies.

More Flexible Purchase Periods

Right off the bat, a key benefit of a third-party warranty compared to Buick’s extended warranty is that you can buy it after you buy a new or certified pre-owned Buick. Some aftermarket warranties can be bought even after the factory warranty coverage expires – so you have more flexibility and less pressure to make a purchase when you buy the car.

Use the tool below to get free quotes from our top three picks:

More Coverage Options And Longer Mileage Limits

Among other benefits, third-party warranties offer a wider choice of coverage options than Buick’s extended warranty options. For example, you can buy everything from a powertrain-only warranty to a full-vehicle warranty with up to 10 years/250,000 miles of coverage.

Our top pick for used cars, Carchex, offers five coverage options with those exact term and mileage limits. Our best overall provider, Endurance, even offers six coverage plans up to 8 years/200,000+ miles.

Potentially Lower Costs And More Repair Facility Choices

Third-party warranties generally cost less than factory extended warranties for similar coverage. Also, with a third-party warranty, you can have a covered repair performed at one of tens of thousands of repair facilities across the U.S., including Buick dealers, local independent shops, and national chains such as AAMCO, Goodyear, Midas, and Meineke.

That can be a lot more convenient than having to find a nearby Buick dealer in the event of a breakdown.

More Deductible Options

You’ll usually have the choice of deductibles for covered repairs, usually something like, $0, $50, $100, or $200. Choosing the latter reduces the upfront cost of the warranty.

For a no-pressure evaluation, read the sample contracts online before you buy. You’ll see exactly what is and isn’t covered, and be able to best determine what kind of coverage makes sense for you.

The graphic below shows the major differences between the two most popular coverage choices in the extended warranty industry: the bumper-to-bumper contract, and the powertrain plan:

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Buick Warranty: FAQ

Below are some frequently asked questions about the Buick warranty:

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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.

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