Toyota Extended Warranty Overview

Motor1 Reviews Team Take:

• Toyota extended warranty plans cost about $437 per year on average, which is on par with the coverage offered by many other automakers.
• According to RepairPal, Toyota vehicles have below-average annual maintenance and repair costs.
• The majority of Toyota extended warranty owners in our May 2024 manufacturer warranty survey were satisfied with their coverage.

*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. 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.

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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 Toyota VSA*. Toyota offers three extended service plans to choose from: Platinum, Gold, or Powertrain protection.

Toyota Extended Warranty Plans

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 Plan Name	Description of Coverage	Coverage Terms*
Platinum	The most inclusive of Toyota’s vehicle service agreements, the Platinum plan is similar to a bumper-to-bumper factory warranty. There’s only a short list of exclusions.	3 years/50,000 miles to 10 years/125,000 miles
Gold	This stated-component plan features a long list of covered parts. The Gold plan expands on basic powertrain protection to cover the fuel system, electrical system, front and rear suspension, and more.	3 years/50,000 miles to 8 years/125,000 miles
Powertrain	The most basic Toyota warranty plan, this option covers the engine, transmission, and drive axle(s).	Up to 6 years/ 100,000 miles total

*All term and mileage limits start from the vehicle’s original in-service date.

What’s Not Covered by the Toyota Extended Warranty?

The items that are excluded from Toyota VSAs are commonly left out of manufacturer extended warranties. Parts and damages that aren’t covered by Toyota extended plans include:

• Brake pads, linings, and shoes
• Wiper blades
• Door fabric and trim
• Headliners
• Interior and exterior trim and moldings
• Accessory drive belts
• Batteries
• Damage from lack of routine maintenance
• Damage from misuse, like offroading or street racing

Toyota Extended Warranty Benefits

Toyota extended warranty plans include these perks:

• Roadside assistance: This is 24/7 assistance including towing for covered breakdowns, flat tire assistance, lockout services, dead battery jump-starts, and fuel deliveries.
• Substitute transportation benefits: This covers up to $35 per day ($50 for Platinum) for up to five days of a rental car when your vehicle is in the shop for covered repairs.
• Travel protection: This coverage provides up to $50 per day for lodging and meals if you experience a covered breakdown more than 150 miles from home.

Toyota Extended Warranty Terms and Conditions

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 a free one-time transfer.

Toyota Extended Warranty Maintenance Plans

Toyota offers prepaid maintenance plans for new and used vehicles. ToyotaCare Plus is designed for new vehicles and can extend the included 2-year/25,000-mile maintenance coverage up to 5 years or 75,000 miles. Toyota Auto Care is for used vehicles and can last up to 4 years or 55,000 miles.

Both plans cover scheduled routine maintenance services like oil and oil filter changes, tire rotations, and multi-point inspections. You also get 24-hour roadside assistance with each Toyota prepaid maintenance option.

More Toyota Protection Products

You can also purchase these protection plans through Toyota:

• Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP): Gap insurance helps cover the difference between what your car is worth and what you owe on it in the event of a total loss. This coverage can also pay up to $1,000 toward your insurance deductible if you make a claim.
• Tire and Wheel Protection: Toyota features two levels of tire and wheel protection: the Gold plan covers all tire and wheel damages for up to six years. The Platinum plan adds dent fixes and windshield repair.
• Excess Wear-and-Tear Protection: This is for leased vehicles and helps cover any charges associated with wear and tear. The total claim limit is $5,000, but it can cover single instances of damage up to $1,000.

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Toyota Extended Warranty Vs. Factory Warranty

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 have faulty workmanship. It won’t cover the cost of repairs for a breakdown due to normal wear and tear.

Toyota’s factory warranty includes the following coverage:

Toyota Warranty Type	Terms	Coverage Details
New Vehicle Limited Warranty	3 years/36,000 miles	Bumper-to-bumper coverage; only a short list of exclusions
Powertrain Warranty	5 years/60,000 miles	Covers engine, transmission, drive axle(s)
Rust-Through Coverage	5 years/unlimited miles	Covers rust perforation of sheet metal
Emissions Coverage	Varies according to Federal and California regulations	Covers parts in emissions control systems, like the catalytic converter

Toyota Certified Pre-Owned Warranty

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.

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Toyota Extended Warranty Cost

According to our research, Toyota VSAs cost about the same as the extended coverage offered by most other automakers. Below are the sample quotes we received from Toyota for its extended warranty options: 

Vehicle Model	Mileage	Toyota Extended Warranty Plan	Term Length	Total Cost
2021 RAV4	25,000	Platinum	10 years/ 125,000 miles	$2,781
2021 Tacoma	26,000	Platinum	6 years/ 60,000 miles	$1,928
2021 Camry	30,000	Gold	5 years/ 60,000 miles	$2,714
2022 Corolla	20,000	Platinum	10 years/ 100,000 miles	$1,130

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What Our Survey Respondents Say About Toyota Warranties

In May 2024, our team surveyed 1,000 consumers who had purchased extended warranty coverage for their vehicles. Of those surveyed, 302 bought vehicle service contracts from an auto manufacturer.

For about 33 percent of the respondents who purchased coverage from an automaker, “total cost” was the most important factor in choosing a warranty provider. About 26 percent of these consumers said coverage benefits were most important, while about 22 percent reported that variety of warranty coverage options was the key criterion.

Here’s how our survey respondents answered a few other pertinent questions about their vehicle service contracts:

How Much Did You Pay in Total for Your Extended Warranty Coverage?

• 10% paid less than $1,000
• 20% paid between $1,000 and $1,500
• 20% paid between $1,500 and $2,000
• 10% paid between $2,000 and $2,500
• 13% paid between $2,500 and $3,000
• 10% paid between $3,000 and $3,500
• 16% paid more than $3,500

How Satisfied Are You with Your Warranty Coverage?

• 62% very satisfied
• 32% slightly satisfied
• 4% slightly unsatisfied
• 2% very unsatisfied

What Was Your Primary Motivation To Purchase an Extended Car Warranty?

• 51% dealership recommended warranty coverage
• 16% anticipated car’s repair needs
• 15% want to maintain car’s resale value
• 13% existing warranty coverage expired

Quotes from Our Survey

Here are a few quotes from our survey respondents about their experience with a manufacturer warranty: 

• “They’re reliable, offer a good schedule for customer service availability and they’re trustworthy. A good value all around.”
• “I most liked that the warranty company was directly associated with my automobile manufacturer and the local dealership where I bought my car, ensuring little problem when dealing with claims.” 

Here’s a quote from a respondent who wasn’t satisfied with their manufacturer extended warranty coverage:

• “I’m not super satisfied just because they overprice the warranty but it doesn’t fix anything for you.”

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Should You Buy a Toyota Extended Warranty?

Toyota has a reputation for producing reliable vehicles, so you probably don’t expect to have a lot of mechanical issues when you buy one. However, even the most trusted vehicles on the road suffer breakdowns from time to time.

Reliability of Toyota Vehicles

We use car repair cost estimator site RepairPal and consumer studies from J.D. Power to gauge the reliability of each automaker. The more reliable a vehicle is, the less likely you are to face expensive repair bills in the future. 

J.D. Power Reliability Ratings

Toyota performed very well in the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study℠, which measures the amount of problems vehicle owners experience after three years of ownership. The average number of problems per 100 vehicles in the study was 190. Toyota placed second out of 29 auto brands with a score of 147. Lexus, Toyota’s luxury brand, led the way with a score of 135.

RepairPal Reliability Ratings

RepairPal gives Toyota solid ratings for reliability. Here’s a look at how the automaker’s ratings compare to the industry averages:

Category	Toyota Ranking	Industry Average
Cost of ownership	$441	$652
Repair frequency	0.3 times per year	0.4 times per year
Repair severity	12%	12%
Overall reliability ranking	4.0 out of 5.0 (8th among 32 car brands)	3.4 out of 5.0

Cost of Toyota Repairs

Here are a few estimates for common Toyota repairs, courtesy of RepairPal:

Toyota Model	Location	Repair	Estimated Repair Cost
2019 RAV4	Bloomington, IN	Camshaft position sensor replacement (both)	$337 to $356
2020 4Runner	Albany, NY	Alternator replacement	$561 to $757
2021 Tacoma	Omaha, NE	AC compressor replacement	$1,036 to 1,176
2021 Camry	Raleigh, NC	Water pump replacement	$1,053 to $1,222
2022 Highlander	Sacramento, CA	Catalytic converter replacement	$1,540 to $1,598

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Toyota Extended Warranty Vs. a Third-Party Warranty

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.

Our Experience Buying Third-Party Warranties

In 2023, our team purchased vehicle service contracts from five popular providers: Endurance, autopom!, CarShield, Carchex, and Olive^®. Here’s a breakdown of our experiences buying coverage from these third-party providers:

Third-Party Company	Plan	Price	Coverage Terms	Our Buying Experience	Cancellation
autopom!	Exclusionary (comprehensive)	$135 for 15 months	5 years/ unlimited miles	The salesperson was helpful and patient, though it took a few calls to reach a live person	Cancellation by phone was easy and we received email confirmation
Carchex	Titanium (comprehensive)	$140 per month	Month-to-month	The agent was helpful and not pushy about buying right away	Smooth cancellation process
Endurance	Secure Plus (mid-level)	$150 for 30 months	4 years/ 48,000 miles	Easy experience overall, though salesperson pushed Supreme plan at first	Cancellation within 30 days was quick with the policy number
Olive	Powertrain	$35 for 36 months	3 years/ 185,000 maximum miles	100% online purchase was easy to do in under an hour	Canceled via email easily, though contracts say mailing cancellation is required
CarShield	Silver (powertrain)	$159 per month	Month-to-month	Rep was helpful though they pushed the Diamond plan instead	Cancellation was easy within 30 days

*The Carchex plan applies to a 2019 Jeep Wrangler with 49,313 miles. All others apply to a 2021 BMW X5 with 26,000 miles.

What Our Survey Data Says about Buying Third-Party Warranties

In the same survey mentioned above, about two-thirds of respondents purchased vehicle protection plans from third-party companies. Here’s what these customers said about their coverage in our survey: 

Who Is Your Extended Warranty Provider?

Here’s how aftermarket warranty providers were represented in our survey:

• CarShield: 32.5%
• Endurance: 8%
• EasyCare Warranty: 7%
• Carchex: 6.5%
• American Dream Auto Protect: 4.1%
• Omega Auto Care: 3.7%

What level of coverage did you purchase?

About 41 percent of those surveyed bought a comprehensive warranty plan. It was nearly an even split for the other two main categories of vehicle service contract, with just under 25 percent choosing a powertrain plan and about 23 percent opting for mid-level protection.

How satisfied are you with your extended warranty coverage?

In total, about two-thirds of the 1,000 respondents in our auto warranty survey were very satisfied with their coverage. About 30 percent said they were slightly satisfied. Only about one percent of those surveyed were very unsatisfied with their extended warranty coverage.

Quotes from our survey

Here are a few quotes from our survey respondents about their experience with a third-party warranty: 

• “What I like most about the company that I worked with was how friendly they were and how easy it was to do business with them.”
• “They were easy to work with and customer service was friendly and knowledgeable as well.”
• “They were not pitchy and very clearly explained the benefits and cost.” 

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Best Third-Party Vehicle Service Contract Options

While the Toyota warranty has its perks, we also recommend getting a quote from Endurance, our top pick for warranty coverage. The company took the Best Coverage award in our 2024 industry review. See the tables below to learn more about Endurance vehicle protection and how it compares to Toyota’s extended warranty options. 

Endurance Vs. Toyota Extended Warranty

See how Endurance compares to Toyota warranty side by side: 

	Endurance	Toyota
Plan Options	6	3
Maximum Mileage	200,000+	125,000
Maximum Age	8 years	Within 3 years or 36,000 miles of original in-service date
When To Buy	Anytime	Before factory warranty expires
Choice of Repair Shop	Any mechanic certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE®)	Toyota dealerships
Maintenance  Coverage	Advantage plan covers oil changes, brake pads, cooling system maintenance and more	Two options, both of which cover oil and oil filter changes, tire rotations, and multi-point inspections
Benefits	Roadside assistance, trip interruption, rental car plus Elite Benefits like key fob replacement and tire repair for one year	Roadside assistance, travel benefits (trip interruption), and substitute transportation coverage (rental car)

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Toyota Extended Warranty: Bottom Line

Toyota produces remarkably reliable vehicles, but its factory warranty coverage is on the shorter side. A vehicle service agreement from the automaker extends protection for your Toyota for up to 10 years or 125,000 miles. We recommend checking out Endurance, our top third-party warranty provider, before you buy a plan from Toyota.

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FAQ: Toyota Extended Warranty

Below are commonly asked questions about the Toyota extended 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.

*Data accurate at time of publication.

*VSAs are technically not extended warranties, because they do not technically “extend” the coverage of a car’s original factory warranty. VSAs are often created by separate companies (though offered and sold through dealerships)—and have their own regulations. However, VSAs serve the same functions as extended warranties and can be considered as such when offered by auto manufacturers. For this article, the terms “vehicle service agreement/contract” and “extended warranty” are used interchangeably.

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