Toyota Extended Warranty: Costs, Plans, And Coverage
Toyota offers three extended warranty plans – Platinum, Gold, and Powertrain – costing between $1,000 and $1,500 when purchased from a dealership.
With our #1 rated provider,
Motor1 Reviews Team Take:
- Toyota’s three extended warranty options last up to 10 years or 125,000 miles, whichever comes first.
- All Toyota extended warranty plans include 24/7 roadside assistance, travel protection, and a one-time warranty transfer.
- While Toyota cars are reliable according to industry studies, they still experience commonly needed repairs – which extended warranties can help cover.
*Based on data from our users.
Whether your factory warranty is expiring or you’re about to purchase a new Toyota, you may be wondering if a Toyota extended warranty is justified to help shield your bank account from unexpected breakdowns. The question really lies in whether you want to handle each repair as it happens or have more financial security as your odometer ticks upward each year.
While a Toyota extended warranty can be a good choice for coverage, third-party warranty companies can provide comparable protection. This overview takes a close look at Toyota vehicle service agreements (VSAs) and third-party warranty contracts to determine what will meet your needs. If you’re looking for options at a reasonable price, you’ll usually find a more customizable and affordable deal from one of the best extended auto warranty providers.
Toyota Extended Warranty
When you purchase a new, used, or certified pre-owned (CPO) car from a Toyota dealership, you’re eligible to buy a a Toyota VSA. Toyota offers three extended service plans to choose from: Platinum, Gold, or Powertrain protection.
Toyota Extended Warranty Coverage
Toyota vehicles are eligible for a new car extended warranty if they’re still within their Basic Coverage factory warranty. That means any new Toyota within 3 years/36,000 miles is eligible for a vehicle service contract (VSC).
Below are the coverage options for new and used cars. Certified Used Toyotas have just one protection plan option available, which we’ll get into later on.
Toyota Extended Warranty |
Coverage Description |
Coverage Terms* |
Platinum Plan | This is the most inclusive of Toyota’s VSAs. Comparable to a bumper-to-bumper warranty, the Platinum Plan covers everything save for a small list of items in the contract. If an item isn’t listed in the contract, you can consider it covered. | 3 years/50,000 miles to 10 years/125,000 miles |
Gold Plan | While not quite as inclusive as Toyota’s Platinum warranty, the Gold Plan covers a large number of parts listed in the contract. This includes everything under the Powertrain Plan plus fuel systems, electrical systems, front and rear suspension, and more. |
3 years/50,000 miles to 8 years/125,000 miles |
Powertrain Plan | The Powertrain warranty is the most basic of the warranties offered by Toyota. It covers most of the major components of the car, like the engine, transmission, and drive axle components. | Up to 6 years/100,000 miles |
*All term and mileage limits start from the original in-service date of the car.
You’ll have to use the Toyota dealer for all repairs, just like you do with the factory warranty. Deductibles are $100 per visit, with a disappearing deductible if repairs are made at the dealership that originally sold the service agreement. In addition, the extended warranty plan comes with 24/7 roadside assistance, travel protection, and a free one-time warranty transfer.
The table below shows a more detailed account of the major car parts covered by each of the plans:
Component | Platinum | Gold | Powertrain |
---|---|---|---|
Transferable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Engine | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Manual transmission | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Automatic transmission | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Axle assembly | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Hybrid/alternative fuel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Suspension | ✓ | ✓ | |
Steering | ✓ | ✓ | |
Fuel system | ✓ | ✓ | |
Cooling system | ✓ | ✓ | |
Air conditioning/heating | ✓ | ✓ | |
Brakes | ✓ | ✓ | |
Electrical | ✓ | ✓ | |
Computer and electronics | ✓ | ✓ | |
Additional components | ✓ |
Certified Used Toyota Vehicle Service Agreement
Unlike new and used agreement options, Toyota offers only one vehicle service agreement for Certified Used Toyota vehicles. Your Certified Used Toyota is eligible for extended warranty coverage if it has a Toyota Certified Used Vehicle Limited Powertrain Warranty and is less than six model years old with a total of up to 85,000 miles.
You can only purchase a Certified Used Vehicle extended warranty for the first 12 months or 12,000 miles. Vehicle protection plans for Certified Vehicles must be bought from your Toyota dealer.
The Certified Used Toyota Vehicle Service Agreement offers protection for most of your Toyota’s components after the Basic Coverage warranty expires. You’ll need to talk with your dealer to learn more about possible coverage terms and mileage limits.
There is no deductible for covered repairs and the plan can be transferred once at no extra cost.
Toyota Used Vehicle Service Agreement
Toyota offers the same extended protection for used cars as it does new cars, with much shorter coverage terms. As with the New Vehicle Service Agreements, you can transfer your plan to a new owner once without additional costs.
All used vehicle plans offer deductible options of $0 or $100. You may also receive a disappearing deductible if your car is repaired at the same Toyota dealer that sold you the contract. This is up to the dealer, and the dealership doesn’t have to participate in the disappearing deductible program. Used Vehicle Service Agreements must be purchased at the same time as the sale of the car.
To qualify for coverage, the vehicle must be within the last 10 model years, including the current year, and have fewer than 150,000 total vehicle miles.
- Platinum Protection terms: Up to 5 years or 60,000 miles
- Gold Protection terms: Up to 5 years or 60,000 miles
- Powertrain Protection terms: Up to 2 years or 24,000 miles
Toyota Extended Warranty Cost
Like most manufacturer warranties, Toyota’s extended warranty can range in price depending on the model and trim of your vehicle and where you get your warranty. Models with more expensive and complicated parts can cost more to repair. You can purchase protection from the Toyota dealership when you buy your car or use a third-party provider instead.
Our team conducted a manufacturer warranty survey in 2023. Toyota owners were the highest percentage of the 1,000 respondents, representing 18.7 percent. Of these owners, 34 percent indicated they paid between $1,000 and $2,000 for their extended Toyota warranties. Another 21 percent said they paid between $2,000 and $3,000 for their coverage policies from Toyota.
*Based on data from our users; 10/1/2022 – 3/1/2023
Is A Toyota Extended Warranty Worth It?
Toyotas are known for being highly reliable and durable vehicles. Whether you drive a practical Camry or an off-roading Tacoma, you’re probably not expecting a lot of mechanical issues. For the most part, you’d be correct. Toyota holds the seventh spot in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study℠for mass-market vehicles and was recently ranked third in Consumer Reports’ reliability rankings.
However, even the most reliable vehicles break down sometimes. The longer you keep your car, the more likely you are to experience a breakdown. Without proper financial planning and saving for possible breakdowns, it may be more difficult to pay for auto repairs out of pocket. We recommend getting quotes from several different warranty providers (including Toyota and third-party companies) and comparing those costs to the average repair costs for your Toyota model.
Common Toyota Repair Costs
Cars are large machines with tons of moving parts. We consulted RepairPal (a site that monitors the average repair and part replacement costs of many auto manufacturers) to get some of the costs associated with common Toyota repairs and services:
Toyota Model | Repair | Repair Cost |
Toyota Celica | Anti-lock brake system diagnosis | $79 to $100 |
Toyota Tundra | Drive belt idler pulley replacement | $171 to $225 |
Toyota Tercel | Oxygen sensor replacement | $200 to $281 |
Toyota Echo | Brake booster replacement | $692 to $1,257 |
What Warranty Coverage Do You Already Have?
When deciding if an extended warranty is worth it, it’s best to consider what coverage you already have, like the Toyota factory warranty. A manufacturer’s warranty is limited coverage for your vehicle offered by the manufacturer at no extra charge. A factory warranty only covers parts that are defective or faulty workmanship. It won’t cover the cost of repairs for a breakdown due to normal wear and tear.
Toyota offers one of the worst factory warranties of any automaker, partially because the brand is known for reliability. See the chart below to find out what’s covered by the original warranty for new Toyota models.
Toyota’s factory warranty includes the following coverage:
Type of Toyota Warranty | Length of Warranty | What’s Covered? |
---|---|---|
Basic Coverage | 3 years/36,000 miles | This comprehensive warranty provides bumper-to-bumper protection for all components, except for a short list of exclusions. Regular wear-and-tear items and routine maintenance are not covered. |
Powertrain Coverage | 5 years/60,000 miles | This warranty covers the parts that move your car, like the transmission, engine, air bags, seat belts, and front- and rear-wheel drive systems. |
Rust-Through Coverage | 5 years/unlimited miles | You are covered from any rust perforation, or the formation of rust from the inside of your vehicle’s sheet metal outwards. |
Emissions Coverage | Varies for Federal and California regulations | This coverage varies under federal and California regulations, but covers parts in emissions control systems, such as the catalytic converter. |
Hybrid Battery Warranty | 10 years/150,000 miles | Starting with 2020 model vehicles, the hybrid battery is protected for longer than in previous years. |
ToyotaCare Roadside Assistance | 2 years/unlimited miles | 24-hour roadside assistance including towing, fuel delivery, and battery jump-starts |
Certified Pre-Owned Toyota Warranties
If you purchase a certified pre-owned Toyota, there are some additional coverage plans you should know about:
- Limited comprehensive warranty (1 year/12,000 miles): This plan comes with every Gold Certified Toyota used vehicle, including hybrid models, and is effective from the date of used vehicle purchase.
- Limited powertrain warranty (7 years/100,000 miles): Gold Certified Toyotas are covered for major engine components, transmission components, and all internally lubricated parts from the date of used vehicle purchase.
Toyota also offers Silver Certified used vehicles, which undergo a slightly different certification process than Gold Certified Toyotas. Because of this, Silver Certified vehicles only carry the limited powertrain warranty above, and it’s limited to 1 year/12,000 miles.
What Toyota Customers Think About Extended Coverage
In our team’s 2023 manufacturer warranty survey, 187 respondents had purchased a Toyota extended warranty. Most customers who participated in the survey were satisfied overall.
Here are a few examples of positive customer comments about Toyota’s warranty coverage:
- “I’m completely satisfied with my warranty. If anything happens I take it to my dealership and they handle all the issues.”
- “I am somewhat satisfied with the warranty. It has paid for most of the repairs for my vehicle and all I have to do is pay the deductible.”
- “I am extremely satisfied with the warranty coverage that I have purchased as it makes me feel less stressed since I have costs covered.”
Here are some of the comments from respondents who weren’t satisfied with their warranty coverage from Toyota:
- “I’m very dissatisfied. Getting an existing brake issue took over a year and I had to fight a lot with them.”
- “I’m not super satisfied just because they overprice the warranty but it doesn’t fix anything for you.”
What Are The Benefits Of Third-Party Warranties?
Instead of buying an extended warranty through Toyota, you can purchase vehicle protection through a third-party warranty provider. While a Toyota VSC might come with limitations, third-party extended warranty companies generally offer similar coverage to the Toyota extended warranty but often cover high-mileage cars that are not covered by Toyota. These extended warranties can be purchased at any point in time.
In fact, many Toyota customers indicate they would shop for extended warranty coverage from a third-party provider rather than from Toyota itself. In our 2023 survey, 59 percent of Toyota owners responded that they would consider purchasing extended warranty coverage from third-party providers. This preference may be in part due to the factors below.
Third-party extended auto warranties generally include additional perks such as roadside assistance, towing, and rental car reimbursement. Some additional reasons you might want to choose a third-party warranty over a Toyota extended warranty include:
- Flexibility: You can find reputable independent providers with options for almost any car and coverage level. If you decide a VSC isn’t right for you yet, there’s no pressure to buy a contract right away. Third-party companies allow you to purchase coverage at any time.
- Repair shop options: With a Toyota VSC, you’re limited to getting repairs done at a Toyota dealership. Third-party companies usually let you to use any licensed repair shop. This is especially important if you move to an area without a Toyota dealer nearby or if your car breaks down while traveling.
- Lower prices: Dealerships such as Toyota tend to mark up the cost, and you may even pay interest on the price of your vehicle service contract if you roll it into your financing. Many reputable extended car warranty companies give you options for monthly payments or payment plans without added costs.
Toyota Extended Warranties vs. Third-Party
Here’s a quick comparison of the Toyota extended warranty compared to some of our favorite third-party extended warranty providers.
Toyota Extended Warranty Details | Toyota Extended Warranty | Carchex | Endurance | CarShield |
Start date | Upon expiration of factory warranty | Anytime | Anytime | Anytime |
Max length of coverage | 10 years/125,000 miles | 10 years/250,000 miles | 8 years/200,000+ miles | 300,000 miles |
Number of plan options | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Transferable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Deductible | $0 or $100 | $0+ | $0+ | $0+ |
Trip interruption | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Roadside assistance | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Repair network | Toyota dealers only | >30,000 facilities nationwide | Repair facilities certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE®) | ASE-Certified® repair facilities |
Cancellation policy | 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 |
In reviewing the industry’s best extended warranty brands, we found the most versatile options are offered by Endurance. The company’s customizable coverage options span six plans. You can choose comprehensive, bumper-to-bumper coverage or just opt for a powertrain plan, based on what your needs are. Endurance customers also receive one free year of Endurance Elite benefits including roadside assistance.
Check out our warranty provider panel down below, or look at our in-depth reviews of Carchex, CarShield, or our comparison of Endurance to CarShield.
*Based on data from our users; 10/1/2022 – 3/1/2023
Toyota Extended Warranty: Bottom Line
Overall, Toyota offers a fairly affordable extended warranty for new vehicles. However, you can only purchase it before the factory warranty expires. Also, if you want to cover your vehicle beyond 150,000 miles, you’ll need to look elsewhere. We recommend comparing third-party plans with Toyota’s VSA to find the best option for your warranty needs.
Extended Car Warranty Toyota: FAQ
Below are frequently asked questions about the extended car warranty from Toyota.
Can you buy a Toyota extended warranty after purchase?
You can buy a Toyota extended warranty when you purchase your new vehicle or anytime before your factory warranty coverage expires. Any new Toyota vehicle within 3 years/36,000 miles is eligible for an extended warranty from Toyota. However, you can buy extended coverage for your Toyota from an independent warranty company at any time.
How much does Toyota extended warranty cost?
Our research found that a Toyota extended warranty costs around $1,000 to $2,000. A third-party extended warranty is likely to cost less and offer more coverage and benefits.
Can I extend my ToyotaCare?
Your ToyotaCare can be extended by purchasing ToyotaCare Plus, which extends maintenance coverage up to 4 years/45,000 miles. The original ToyotaCare plan only covers your vehicle for 2 years/25,000 miles. To qualify for ToyotaCare Plus, your vehicle needs to be less than 37 months old with less than 31,000 miles.
What is Toyota's extended warranty called?
Toyota’s extended warranty is called a Vehicle Service Agreement, or VSA for short. Toyota offers three types of VSAs for new cars, one type for certified pre-owned cars, and three types for used cars.
Can you buy a Toyota extended warranty online?
You can only buy a Toyota extended warranty from a Toyota dealership in person. However, you can get third-party extended warranties online from a variety of reputable companies.
What does Toyota's extended warranty cover?
Toyota offers three levels of extended warranty protection. The highest plan, Platinum, covers all major systems of the vehicle and many high-tech components.
How much does Toyota Extra Care Platinum cost?
Toyota’s highest extended warranty, the Platinum vehicle service agreement, can cost $1,500 or more depending on your vehicle.
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.