Liberty Automotive Protection is an extended warranty provider that can pay for repairs to your vehicle after a mechanical breakdown. But with so many warranty companies to choose from, how do you know if Liberty is the best choice?
In this article, we’ll compare Liberty Auto Protection to a few of the best extended warranty companies to let you know what to look for in a provider. Anytime you shop for coverage, we recommend getting free quotes from multiple sources so you can find the best deal.
Liberty Auto Protection Review: 3.0 Stars
Liberty Auto Protection earned 3.0 stars from our review team for its extensive coverage offerings and good reviews on pricing. Whether or not the company fulfills its end of the bargain is another story, as shown by Liberty Auto Protection reviews.
Reputation |
2.0 |
---|---|
Coverage |
4.0 |
Price |
3.5 |
Customer Experience |
2.0 |
Overall Rating |
3.0 |
About Liberty Auto Protection
Liberty Auto Protection is a vehicle service contract provider based in New Jersey–not to be confused with Liberty Bell Auto Protect, which is another warranty company coincidentally based in New Jersey. The company offers plans directly on its website and through agents.
Liberty Auto Protection plans are backed by Palmer Administrative Services, which also owns the trademark for Liberty Auto Protection. Palmer Administrative Services has a A- rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). It has been in business for 11 years.
Liberty Auto Protection Extended Warranty Coverage
Liberty Auto Protection offers six plans that span a good range of coverage:
- Elite Exclusionary: This bumper-to-bumper warranty plan covers any part unless it is specifically excluded. Some exclusions are cosmetic items, wear and tear, GPS systems, maintenance, alignments, and exhaust components.
- Royal Select: This plan covers 13 major systems with optional coverage for five more, including SUV, high-tech, sliding door, and audio-visual packages.
- Premier: This plan covers nine systems including the powertrain, water pump, transfer unit, electrical, and fuel systems.
- Classic: This powertrain-plus plan covers six systems including the powertrain, electrical, air conditioning, and fuel systems.
- Powertrain: This plan covers the engine, transmission, and drive axle.
- Basic: This plan covers the engine only.
Compared to other companies, these covered repair options are standard except for the engine-only basic plan. Most other extended auto warranty companies offer a powertrain warranty plan as the lowest level.
Liberty Auto Protection warranty plans include the following extra benefits:
- Roadside assistance
- Rental car reimbursement
- Travel expense reimbursement (with most plans)
The warranty company doesn’t provide sample contracts online or information about deductibles, which is a red flag for transparency. It doesn’t give eligibility requirements in terms of mileage or age, either.
Cost Of A Liberty Auto Protection Extended Warranty
Liberty Auto Protection doesn’t publish costs online. In our research of top providers, we found plans normally cost between $350 and $650 per year of coverage. You can use that range as a guideline when receiving a quote from Liberty Auto Protection.
Extended warranty costs are influenced by the state where you live and your car’s make, model, age, and mileage. Newer cars with fewer miles will generally have more affordable rates than cars with many miles.
How Liberty Auto Protection Works
Unlike most other extended car warranty companies on the market today, Liberty Auto Protection doesn’t give quotes online. You’ll have to call the Liberty Auto Protection phone number to get a quote. The office for customer service and claims is only open during the week until 7 p.m. EST.
All repairs need to be authorized before any work can be completed. The good thing is you can go to any licensed repair facility in the U.S. or Canada, and Liberty Auto Protection will pay the repair shop directly.
Plans are transferable to secondary buyers. Transferring a warranty plan can add to the resale value of your car. Liberty Auto Protection doesn’t have a cancellation policy listed online, so if you get a quote, be sure to ask about the cancellation policy.
Liberty Auto Protection Reviews
Of the more than 80 customer reviews for Palmer Administrative Services on the BBB, many are one-star reviews. In addition to that, there are about three times as many complaints. It’s never a good sign when the number of complaints outweigh the number of reviews.
Many negative reviews aren’t actually from customers but from people who have been harassed by phone calls and aggressive warranty expiration notices from the company. Negative reviews from customers mention unpaid claims and poor customer service.
Positive Liberty Auto Protection Reviews
“It went smoothly. Not only did I get immediate help, I didn’t have to pay anything to the mechanic as the company said they would settle the bill themselves. I am a true believer in the worth and need for holding an auto protection plan.”
– Paul S., BBB
Negative Liberty Auto Protection Reviews
“Horrible customer [service]. They will lie to you and give you the runaround. I have been without my car and no word on when it will be fixed. Stay away. I will be contacting someone about cancelling the policy.”
– Jason M., BBB
“They will only pay a capped amount for parts, not the dealer’s price. My car was in the shop for a drive axle and seal replacement and they clearly didn’t pay what’s required. They only paid a portion and I was on the hook for the remainder.”
– Bernard S., BBB
Top Recommendations For Extended Car Warranties
In our review of the nation’s best warranty providers, Endurance and CARCHEX earned the highest ratings for their strong coverage, competitive pricing, and smooth claims processes. Opting for one of these providers can give you peace of mind when on the road.
Endurance: 4.6 Stars
In our Endurance warranty review, we found that this company earns high praise from customers for its six coverage plans and low prices. Endurance is a direct provider that has been around for about 15 years. It administers its own plans so you don’t have to deal with a middleman when filing a claim.
Here are a few things we like about Endurance:
- Six levels of coverage: In addition to a basic powertrain warranty and a bumper-to-bumper warranty, you can find mid-level coverage and a plan that combines warranty coverage with regularly scheduled maintenance.
- Endurance Elite membership: Each plan comes with one year free of Elite Benefits, which includes tire repairs and replacements, key fob replacement, total loss protection, collision discount, roadside assistance, and the Endurance mobile app.
- Positive customer experience: Endurance has a rating of “Excellent” from over 5,600 reviews on Trustpilot. Positive reviews say Endurance representatives are courteous and they explain coverage thoroughly.
Get a free quote from Endurance to see how much you would pay for coverage.
Read more: Endurance Warranty review
CARCHEX: 4.4 Stars
CARCHEX also stood out in our research for its long coverage terms and excellent reputation. CARCHEX can cover vehicles up to 250,000 miles, which makes it a great option for drivers with older cars. The company offers five levels of coverage and uses a few different administrators, which means each plan has different variations.
Here are a few CARCHEX highlights:
- Reputation: CARCHEX is endorsed by industry leaders like Kelley Blue Book, CARFAX, and Edmunds.com. It also has an A+ rating from the BBB.
- Transparency: You can read different sample contracts for each CARCHEX plan on its website to know exactly what’s covered. The company gets many positive reviews, but it doesn’t try to hide negative ones, either. Instead, customer service representatives respond to offer help and issue refunds when necessary.
- Price: The CARCHEX No-Haggle, Low-Price, Everyday GuaranteeTM means you’ll always get the lowest price available when you get a quote. This sets CARCHEX apart from other providers that only offer discounts in certain situations.
Learn more about CARCHEX by getting a free quote for your vehicle.
Read more: CARCHEX review
Liberty Auto Protection: FAQ
How We Rate Warranty Providers
Our review process aims to deliver consistent and unbiased assessments of extended auto warranty providers. While there are multiple qualities that make a warranty company successful, our review team focuses on those we believe are the most important for consumers:
- Reputation: It’s important that an extended car warranty company is able to meet its claims obligations. Companies with a strong rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) score well in this category. Established providers with a long history of reliable service also receive positive marks.
- Coverage: Our team of experts looks at the number of extended warranty plans available, as well as term limits, exclusions, and added benefits like roadside assistance. Ratings also take into account the availability of maintenance coverage.
- Cost: Cost can be difficult to compare between providers because so many factors impact vehicle service contract pricing. To determine our cost score, we perform a secret shopper analysis for a variety of vehicles and plans and consider available deductibles.
- Transparency: Our team evaluates the availability and transparency of each company’s contracts, as well as whether each provider offers a money-back guarantee.
- Customer Experience: We listen to real customer sales calls and comb through reviews on sites like the BBB to learn about customer experiences. Warranty companies with a low volume of complaints score well in this area. We also consider the availability of mobile apps and chat features.