Hyundai Extended Warranty

Hyundai’s design department is working hard to turn heads with cars like the Sonata and the Prophecy concept. But no matter how cool a car looks, drivers will always have to deal with repair costs, which is why the Hyundai extended warranty exists.

In this article, we’ll review Hyundai’s vehicle service contracts, including what’s covered and what’s not.

You can get similar coverage from third-party providers, as well. We’ve researched the best extended car warranty companies to help drivers make sense of the market. If you’re looking for coverage for your Hyundai, get a few free quotes from different companies to find the lowest price.

Hyundai’s extended warranty is called the Hyundai Protection Plan Vehicle Service Contract (VSC). It comes in three levels: Powertrain, Gold, and Platinum. No matter which extended warranty plan you get, you will have coverage for your Hyundai for up to 10 years/100,000 miles.

You can purchase a Hyundai Protection Plan as long as your car has at least 30 days and 1,000 miles left of bumper-to-bumper factory warranty coverage. That means you have to purchase the plan before 59 months/59,000 miles.

Here’s how the three plans compare in terms of coverage:

You might have noticed that Hyundai already offers a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, but now you can buy an extended powertrain warranty for the same period of time. What’s the deal with that?

Well, remember Hyundai’s factory powertrain warranty doesn’t transfer to secondary buyers. Coverage reverts to 5 years/60,000 miles to match the bumper-to-bumper warranty. So, in this case, secondary buyers can still get powertrain protection for 10 years/100,000 miles by purchasing a Hyundai extended warranty.

The Gold Protection Plan is the middle-of-the-road option. It covers the powertrain plus a few hundred parts on other major systems of the car. The Platinum plan is the highest option, and it covers over 1,500 parts. If you want Hyundai bumper-to-bumper coverage to last as long as the powertrain warranty, the Platinum plan is the closest you can get.

There are various Hyundai warranty deductible options, usually from $0 to $100.

Hyundai Extended Warranty Perks

Hyundai offers three standard perks with its extended warranty: 

• Trip interruption benefits of up to $200 per day for five days
• Rental car benefits of up to $35 days for 10 days
• Roadside assistance including battery jump-starts, spare tire changes, lockout service, towing, and fuel delivery

Hyundai’s rental car reimbursement is higher than what many other providers offer. Also, it’s nice to have trip interruption benefits, especially if you cruise across long distances in fuel-efficient cars like the hybrid Hyundai Elantra.

Exclusions

The Hyundai extended warranty is fairly comprehensive but doesn’t cover everything. There are a number of limitations. For example, you can only get repairs at Hyundai dealerships. Even though you get genuine Hyundai parts, going to a dealership isn’t always the most convenient option.

Here are a few exclusions to be aware of:

• Damage from lack of maintenance or misuse
• Damage from accidents or environmental events
• Pre-existing conditions
• Normal wear and tear
• Wear items like filters and brake pads
• Any item not listed under component coverage

Hyundai doesn’t publish prices for its extended warranty online, and you can’t purchase the plan from a dealer over the web, either. You’ll have to get a quote from a dealership to know exactly what you’d pay.

However, third-party provider Endurance estimates extended warranties can cost between $350 to $700 per year of coverage. We’d expect Hyundai drivers to find prices on the lower end of the spectrum because the cars are reliable and easy to service.

Your Hyundai’s mileage, model, and year will also factor into the cost. No matter who provides the coverage, you’re more likely to get a better price (and more plan options) if the vehicle is still covered by the factory warranty.

If you just bought your Hyundai within the last couple of years, you probably don’t need a Hyundai extended warranty right now. Not only do you still have warranty coverage, but Hyundai has a reputation for reliability.

However, it’s not too early to do some research and get to know your options. You’ll be on the hook for repairs as soon as your warranty expires, and the likelihood of encountering a repair increases as your car gets older.

An extended warranty can give you peace of mind that a number of repairs are covered. It also helps you predict your monthly expenses with better certainty, since you aren’t the one cutting a check for repairs. In the long run, an extended car warranty has the potential to help some drivers save money on auto costs.

Hyundai Repair Costs

Hyundai is generally a reliable brand according to industry studies. RepairPal ranked it in fourth place for reliability compared to other automakers. It also has high scores from Consumer Reports and J.D. Power. There’s a good chance you could drive a Hyundai well beyond 100,000 miles, and that’s why it can be a good idea to have a Hyundai extended warranty.

According to RepairPal, drivers spend an average of $468 per year on maintenance and repairs. That’s about $200 less than the industry average. Here are a few repairs you might encounter with a Hyundai (via RepairPal):

Overall, these costs are reasonable. If you feel comfortable paying for repair costs like these out of pocket, then you may not need a Hyundai extended warranty.

What Hyundai Coverage Do You Already Have?

Hyundai calls its factory warranty “America’s Best Warranty,” and that’s not without reason. The Hyundai factory warranty, also called the New Vehicle Limited Warranty, lasts for 5 years/60,000 miles. What does the Hyundai five-year warranty cover? It will repair almost any mechanical or electrical part on your car if the part failed because of a defect in materials or workmanship.

This is one of the longest bumper-to-bumper warranties around. Hyundai also offers the longest powertrain warranty on the market: 10 years/100,000 miles. However, this warranty doesn’t transfer to secondary buyers. If you bought a used Hyundai, the powertrain warranty only lasts 5 years/60,000 miles. It covers the engine, transmission, and drivetrain.

You might also have coverage if you bought a certified pre-owned vehicle (CPO). The Hyundai CPO warranty comes with a few perks:

• The remainder of the original 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty
• The full 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty from the in-service date
• Roadside assistance for 10 years/unlimited miles from the in-service date
• Rental car and trip interruption benefits for the duration of the plan

One of the main benefits of third-party extended warranties is that you can buy one after your factory warranty expires. Third-party plans also give you a lot of freedom in terms of how long you want the plan to last and what parts you want to cover. Many providers offer coverage up to 200,000 miles and beyond.

Independent extended warranty companies generally let you go to any repair shop certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE^®) for coverage. That means you can choose from over 30,000 facilities across the United States.

On the other hand, you aren’t guaranteed the use of genuine parts or factory-trained technicians with a third-party warranty. Ultimately, you’ll have to decide what’s most important for you when it comes to a vehicle service contract.

Here’s a comparison between Endurance, one of the most popular independent providers, and Hyundai’s extended warranty:

If you don’t want to worry about repairs, an extended warranty can be a good idea. You can only add the Hyundai extended warranty from the dealer while you still have factory warranty coverage on your vehicle, or you can purchase a contract from a third-party company.

To find a plan and price that’s a good fit for your Hyundai, we recommend shopping around and getting a few free quotes.