Nissan Extended Warranty Overview

Motor1 Reviews Team Take: 

• Nissan’s extended warranty options are called Security+Plus^® Extended Protection Plans.
• You can choose Gold Preferred, Silver Preferred, or Powertrain Preferred coverage.
• Nissan’s average annual repair costs are well below average.
• A third-party service contract can offer more flexibility in some situations.

Purchasing a Nissan is a safe bet for many car buyers, but a Nissan extended warranty can ensure protection long after the 3-year/36,000-mile Nissan factory warranty expires. The company’s standard bumper-to-bumper warranty will cover most repairs and is typical when compared to most automakers in the United States.

In this article, we’ll discuss the Nissan extended warranty in depth, including coverage options, costs, and how it compares to other reputable third-party warranties. We’ve also researched the best extended car warranty companies to help you find the best coverage.

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Nissan Extended Warranty

Nissan offers three coverage options, which are branded as Nissan Security+Plus^® Extended Protection Plans. These include the baseline Powertrain Preferred plan, which covers over 840 components, and the Silver Preferred plan, which covers over 680 additional components. Nissan’s flagship plan, the Gold Preferred, covers virtually all mechanical and electrical components, except for a short list of exclusions.

The vehicle service contracts (VSCs)* are valid for up to 8 years/120,000 miles, whichever comes first, once the initial factory Nissan warranty expires. For full coverage details and limitations, refer to the complete Extended Protection Plan agreement.

*VSCs are technically not extended warranties, because they do not “extend” the coverage of a car’s original factory warranty. VSCs are often created by separate companies (though offered and sold through dealerships)—and have their own regulations. 

However, VSCs 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 contract” and “extended warranty” are used interchangeably.

Nissan Extended Warranty Plans

Below is a quick comparison between the three plans. Note that multiple plans may cover the same system but not the same number of components in the system.

Plan Name	Maximum Term	Systems Covered
Gold Preferred	8 years/120,000 miles	Similar to a bumper-to-bumper factory warranty, the Gold Preferred plan protects virtually every vehicle component.
Silver Preferred	8 years/120,000 miles	This is an expanded powertrain plan that covers the engine, transmission, steering, suspension, electrical system, brakes, and air conditioning.
Powertrain Preferred	8 years/120,000 miles	This goes beyond basic powertrain protection of the engine and transmission to cover the fuel system, many electrical components, brakes, suspension, and more.

What Parts Does the Nissan Extended Warranty Cover?

What’s Not Covered by the Nissan Extended Warranty?

Most extended warranties come with a list of exclusions. Nissan vehicle protection plans are no different. Your Nissan extended warranty won’t cover: 

• Routine maintenance services
• Wear-and-tear items like brake pads and wiper blades
• Damages from lack of maintenance
• Damages from irresponsible use, such as off-roading or street racing

Nissan Extended Warranty Benefits

Nissan’s extended warranty provides several benefits, but their availability depends on the coverage level you choose. Powertrain Preferred only allows for emergency roadside assistance, but Gold Preferred and Silver Preferred allow for the following benefits:

• 24-hour emergency roadside assistance: Up to $100 per claim for battery jump-starts, tire changes, fuel deliveries, and towing and locksmith services with no required deductible
• Emergency travel/trip interruption benefits: Alternative transportation, meals, and lodging covered up to $500 per claim should a mechanical breakdown occur 100 miles or more away from home
• Towing services: Reimbursement up to $100 per claim for towing to the nearest participating Nissan dealer
• Car rental reimbursement: Reimbursement up to $35 per day for rental cars (up to five days) and $175 per breakdown

Nissan Extended Warranty Terms and Conditions

​Here are a few key things to note about Nissan extended service plans:

• Transferability: You may transfer your extended warranty for a nominal fee to a new owner if you decide to sell your vehicle.
• Deductible: Rather than foot the bill for repair costs, you may choose between a $0 or $100 deductible per visit. The $0 option will have a higher monthly premium than the $100 deductible option.
• Dealership specific: Your car must be serviced at an authorized Nissan dealership rather than a local car repair shop.
• No upfront repair payment: Nissan will pay the dealership directly for the repairs, so there is no need to pay up front and wait for reimbursement later.
• Flexible terms: Nissan offers a wide range of term options for both new Nissan vehicles and certified pre-owned vehicles. However, if your extended coverage plan is bundled with the rest of your new car’s financing, that also means you’re paying interest on the extended warranty and will see a higher monthly payment.

Nissan Extended Warranty Maintenance Plans

Nissan’s Maintenance Care Protection plan is available at terms of two, three, or four years to Nissan buyers and lessees. The program covers parts that are excluded from most extended warranties, such as the battery, brake pads, belts and hoses, wiper blades, headlamps, fuses, and bulbs. 

The Nissan maintenance plan also offers rental car coverage, wheel alignment services, diagnostics, and a full complement of roadside assistance services.

More Nissan Protection Products

Nissan also gives drivers a range of optional protection plans, including the following:

Tire & Wheel Protection

There’s no deductible or replacement cost limit for this plan, which covers tire and/or wheel repairs or replacements for up to seven years. You also get 24-hour roadside assistance with the Nissan Tire & Wheel Protection option.

Lease Wear & Tear Protection

This covers most wear-and-tear items you might otherwise incur charges for at the end of your Nissan lease. Covered types of damage include:

• Chipped paint, dings, and dents
• Stains, burns, and carpet or upholstery tears
• Tires and wheels
• Chipped or cracked glass
• Missing parts ($100 or less)

Appearance Protection

This seven-year limited warranty includes protection against paint fading and insect damage. It also provides interior protection for fabric, carpet, leather, and vinyl surfaces.

Platinum and Ultimate Platinum Protection

Nissan also gives you the option to bundle several of its add-on protections with one program called Platinum Protection. Tire and wheel protection, paintless dent repair, windshield repair, and roadside assistance are included in the Platinum Protection option. The Ultimate Platinum tier adds key replacement benefits and certain cosmetic coverages.

Each plan comes with terms of one to seven years, and you can add Lease-End Protection with $1,500 in lease wear-and-tear coverage.

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Nissan Extended Warranty Vs. Factory Warranty

Nissan provides 3 years/36,000 miles of factory warranty coverage, which is pretty standard for the warranty industry. If you’d like to keep your Nissan on the road many years beyond this new car warranty coverage period, an extended protection plan is a worthwhile investment.  

Nissan New Car Warranty

You may also want to account for the coverage you already have. Nissan’s factory warranty includes 3 years/36,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage and 5 years/60,000 miles of powertrain coverage.

Purchasing an extended auto warranty for a vehicle still covered by the manufacturer is often cheaper, but a plan’s cost-effectiveness varies between car brands. Nissan’s new vehicle limited warranty is typical for the industry, though still considerably short, making added coverage an option worth considering.

Nissan Certified Pre-Owned Warranty

The Nissan Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) Warranty is for vehicles within six model years and with a maximum of 80,000 miles. Each Nissan CPO vehicle must pass a comprehensive 167-point inspection.

A Nissan CPO warranty features 7 years or 100,000 miles of limited warranty coverage. You also get one year or 15,000 miles of prepaid maintenance benefits.

Nissan vehicles up to 10 years old and with less than 100,000 miles can qualify for Nissan Certified Select warranty coverage. This plan comes with a 6-month/6,000-mile limited warranty and one complimentary maintenance visit during the first year of ownership or first 15,000 miles.

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Nissan Extended Warranty Cost

Nissan extended warranties typically cost right around the industry average. Depending on coverage level and terms, you can find good coverage for your Nissan at below-average prices. 

Nissan Extended Warranty Quotes

Here are some quotes we gathered for the Nissan Gold Preferred plan. Each quote is for a Nissan model with below 36,000 miles.

Nissan Model	Terms	Total Cost
Altima	5 years/100,000 miles	$1,173
Frontier	5 years/100,000 miles	$1,668
Rogue	6 years/100,000 miles	$2,075
Murano	5 years/120,000 miles	$2,207

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Should You Buy a Nissan Extended Warranty?

Nissan has decent reliability ratings and below-average repair costs. You’ll have to consider factors and the automaker’s relatively short factory warranty when deciding whether to buy a Nissan protection plan.

Reliability of Nissan Vehicles

Nissan received a below-average score in the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study℠. This study measures the number of problems customers experience during the first three years of ownership. Nissan owners reported 199 issues per 100 vehicles on the road, above the study average of 190.

RepairPal Reliability Ratings

We use car repair estimator site RepairPal to gauge each automaker’s average ownership costs and overall reliability. Here’s a quick look at how Nissan compares to the industry average scores in RepairPal’s reliability ratings: 

Category	Nissan Ranking	Industry Average
Annual repair cost	$500	$652
Repair frequency	0.3 times per year	0.4 times per year
Repair severity	13%	12%
Overall reliability ranking	4 out of 5 (ninth among 32 car brands)	3.4 out of 5

Cost of Nissan Repairs

RepairPal puts the average annual repair cost of a Nissan vehicle at $500. This is significantly lower than the overall industry average of $652. Here are a few RepairPal estimates for common Nissan repairs:

Nissan Model	Repair	Average Repair Cost
Murano	Camshaft position sensor replacement	$331 – $514
Frontier	Power seat switch replacement	$399 – $424
Altima	Ignition coil replacement	$427 – $666
Rogue	Fuel injector replacement	$786 – $939
Kicks	Brake caliper replacement	$885 – $908
Maxima	Head gasket replacement	$2,032 – $2,418

What are the most common repairs? According to the Director of Marketing at Endurance, Jessica Campbell:  

“Transmissions are the most common repair claim, followed by water pumps. Repair costs can vary widely depending on several factors, including vehicle type, model, age, and the complexity of the individual repair.”

Our Manufacturer Extended Warranty Survey

In December 2023, our team surveyed 1,000 drivers with manufacturer extended warranty coverage. A total of 78 respondents had Nissan vehicle service contracts. Here’s how much they reported paying for extended coverage from the automaker:

• 13% paid under $1,000
• 36% paid between $1,000 and $2,000
• 24% paid between $2,000 and $3,000
• 10% paid between $3,000 and $4,000
• 10% paid above $4,000
• 6% weren’t sure what they paid

What Survey Respondents Said about Nissan Extended Warranties

Just over half (51.3 percent) of the Nissan warranty holders in our survey said they would consider coverage from a third-party provider. About 27 percent said they would only purchase extended protection from the automaker.

Two-thirds of Nissan owners said that coverage was the most important factor when choosing an extended warranty plan. Cost came in a distant second at about 17 percent.

The majority of Nissan owners were satisfied with the plans, but some weren’t. Below are a few quotes from respondents on our survey:

• “I was extremely satisfied. […] There were two pretty major repairs that I needed for the car and the warranty really covered almost all expenses…”
• “I am completely satisfied because it has paid for things that happened to my car.”
• “I am satisfied with the coverage. It has covered everything I have needed done.”
• “I’m not satisfied. I feel like I overpaid.”
• “I wasn’t satisfied at all… When I needed work, they wouldn’t do it.”

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Nissan Extended Warranty Vs. Third-Party Warranty

A manufacturer-backed extended warranty isn’t the only extended protection option for your Nissan vehicle. You can find similar extended warranty plans with more flexibility and possibly lower rates from a number of third-party providers. Independent coverage offers a variety of benefits, including:

• Contracts for older, higher-mileage vehicles
• Flexible, month-to-month payment plans
• Licensed repair shops available nationwide
• Additional coverage plans to choose from

Our Experience Buying Third-Party Warranties

In 2023, our team purchased vehicle service contracts from autopom!, Carchex, CarShield, Endurance, and Olive^®. Here’s a look at our experiences vehicle service contracts from these providers:

Third-Party Company	Plan	Price	Coverage Terms	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.

**Editor’s Note: On July 31, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that CarShield will pay $10 million to settle FTC charges that its advertisements and telemarketing for vehicle service contracts are deceptive and misleading, and that many purchasers found that repairs were not covered. Our research team is currently reevaluating CarShield’s rating and will update this article with our latest recommendation as soon as possible.

What Our Survey Data Says about Buying Third-Party Warranties

In May 2024, our team surveyed 1,000 people who had purchased extended car warranties. Third-party warranty providers made up about two-thirds of the plans in the survey.

Here’s how third-party warranty customers answered some key questions about their coverage: 

Who is your extended warranty provider?

Here’s the breakdown of top third-party vehicle service contract providers 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 respondents purchased a plan with bumper-to-bumper coverage. Nearly a quarter bought powertrain plans, while about 23 percent split the difference with a mid-level warranty.

What was the most Important factor when choosing a warranty provider?

Coverage and cost were the two key criteria for those surveyed as they compared warranty companies. About 29 percent said coverage was the most important element, while just under a quarter said total cost was the deciding factor.

How much did you pay for your extended warranty?

Of the 609 respondents who pay for their extended warranty on a monthly basis, about 56 percent reported paying between $50 and $100 per month. Of those who paid for their coverage upfront, about 19 percent paid between $1,000 and $1,500 for their plan, while about 51 percent said they paid between $1,500 and $3,500.

How satisfied are you with your extended warranty coverage?

About two-thirds of the 1,000 respondents reported that they were very satisfied with their vehicle service contracts. Another 30 percent reported being slightly satisfied with their coverage. Just over 1 percent of the customers we surveyed said they were very unsatisfied with their vehicle protection plans.

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Best Extended Warranty for Nissan

A Nissan extended warranty is a decent choice for added coverage. We like the number of contracts available, but we would’ve liked to see better added perks and longer term limits. It’s always a good idea to compare manufacturer-backed options with third-party offerings.

To give you the best recommendations, we’ve researched and reviewed the most popular extended car warranty companies based on a variety of different criteria such as company reputation, customer service, coverage options, and additional perks. 

Endurance: Our Ratings

We ranked 41 third-party warranty providers in our industry-wide review, rating companies on their reputation, coverage options, cost, transparency, and customer service. Endurance took the top spot in these rankings, scoring above the industry average in all categories.

Here’s a full breakdown of how we rated Endurance compared to industry average scores: 

Category	Endurance’s Score	Average Study Score
Industry standing	4.6	4.0
Coverage	4.9	4.2
Cost	4.6	4.0
Transparency	4.9	4.0
Customer service	3.9	3.6
Overall score	4.6	4.0

*Scores are out of five points each.

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Nissan Extended Warranty: Bottom Line

Nissan’s extended warranty program provides up to 8 years/120,000 miles of coverage, but it’s likely your Nissan will last much longer than that. For plans with higher limits and more flexibility, consider third-party options.

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Nissan Extended Warranty: FAQ

Below are commonly asked questions about the Nissan 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.

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