Toyota Extended Warranty: Coverage, Plans & Cost (2023) (2024)

*Based on data from our users; 10/1/2022 – 3/1/2023

Compared to other car companies’ coverage, the length of Toyota’s factory warranty is relatively short. Some drivers opt for additional coverage when their factory warranty expires by purchasing a Toyota extended warranty.

In this article, the MarketWatch Guides Team will walk through what’s covered under the Toyota extended warranty and how much coverage costs. We’ll also look at some of the best extended car warranties from third-party providers and compare their coverage with Toyota’s extended warranty options.

A Toyota extended warranty, also called a Toyota Vehicle Service Agreement (VSA), provides coverage for your vehicle in the case of mechanical breakdowns. Toyota factory warranty coverage lasts for up to 5 years/60,000 miles, but an extended warranty plan can expand that protection.

Toyota offers three extended warranty plans: Platinum Protection, Gold Protection and Powertrain Protection. All three levels of coverage are available for new and used vehicles, though the coverage terms vary for both.

New Vehicle Service Agreements

Owners of new cars can choose from the three Toyota extended warranty options mentioned above. A new Toyota vehicle is eligible for an extended warranty from the automaker if it’s still within the 3-year/36,000-mile term of the Basic Coverage factory warranty.

Platinum Protection

Platinum Protection provides the most comprehensive coverage of all Toyota extended warranty plans. It’s most comparable to a bumper-to-bumper warranty, and it includes coverage for parts excluded from the Gold plan.

As Toyota’s highest level of coverage, Platinum Protection offers flexible coverage periods that range from 3 years/50,000 miles to 10 years/125,000 miles.

Gold Protection

Though not as inclusive as the Platinum plan, Toyota’s Gold Protection plan covers most parts of the vehicle and offers much more comprehensive coverage than the Powertrain Protection plan. Its coverage terms are also flexible and range from 3 years/50,000 miles to 8 years/125,000 miles.

Powertrain Protection

Powertrain Protection is the most basic Toyota extended warranty package. The powertrain plan covers most major components of the vehicle, including the engine, transmission and axles. This extended auto warranty offers coverage for 6 years/100,000 miles.

Compare what each of the three Toyota extended warranties covers below.

Used Vehicle Service Agreements

Toyota offers the same three extended warranty options for used vehicles. The three plans cover the same components, but the terms of the warranties are a good bit shorter for used cars.

Used Toyota models are eligible for an extended warranty if they are 10 years old or less and have fewer than 150,000 miles. A used vehicle extended warranty can only be purchased at the time of the vehicle sale.

What’s Not Covered?

Toyota’s extended warranty plans will repair or replace certain defective parts, but not everything is covered. Here are a few exclusions from Toyota’s extended warranty coverage as listed on the Toyota website:

• Paint
• Accessory drive belts
• Batteries
• Spark plugs
• Body panels
• Glass (including windshield)
• Carpet
• Brake pads and shoes, rotors and drums, and linings

It’s also important to note that extended warranties only cover parts that fail due to mechanical breakdowns. Warranty coverage will not repair damage from a car accident, environmental damage or wear and tear.

Additional Benefits

All Toyota extended warranties come with these features:

• One year of towing and 24/7 roadside assistance
• Travel protection that reimburses up to $100 per day for lodging and meals if your car breaks down at least 150 miles from home
• Reimbursem*nt of up to $50 a day for alternative transportation for five days if your car breaks down
• Transferable coverage from the original owner to a private party once at no cost
• Disappearing deductible of $0 or $100 if covered repairs are made at the dealership where the extended warranty was purchased
• Ability to cancel the plan within 30 days for a full refund, minus a $50 processing fee

Most car manufacturers don’t list prices for their vehicle service contracts on their websites, and Toyota is no exception. To get an accurate idea of what a Toyota extended warranty for your car will cost, it’s best to check with your local Toyota dealership.

Toyota extended warranties generally cost between $1,000 and $1,500 depending on the type of coverage you choose, according to users on the TacomaWorld forum. Toyota drivers can expect to find more affordable prices because of the brand’s reputation for reliability.

Before deciding to purchase an extended car warranty, it’s helpful to research the overall reliability of your vehicle. You should also factor in what coverage you already have, your financial situation and what will give you the most peace of mind.

Toyota is known for making very reliable vehicles. Vehicle repair cost estimation site RepairPal gives Toyota a 4.0 out of 5.0 for reliability, ranking the automaker eighth out of 32 car brands.

Toyota performed even better in the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study℠, ranking fifth for overall dependability out of 32 brands. J.D. Power’s study ranks manufacturers based on how many mechanical issues owners report, finding the industry average to be 121 issues per 100 vehicles. Toyota owners only report 98 issues, performing much better than the industry average.

According to RepairPal, the estimated annual cost for Toyota maintenance and repairs is $441 per year, which is well below the industry average of $652. Here are a few common Toyota repairs and their average costs per RepairPal’s website:

If your car is no longer under warranty, you’ll have to pay out of pocket for any repairs your Toyota may need. Consider your financial outlook to determine whether a Toyota extended warranty is the right choice for you.

What Coverage Do You Already Have?

Because your car must still be under factory warranty to be eligible for a Toyota extended warranty, you should look at the terms of your current plan to determine what you want covered by an extended vehicle protection plan. All Toyota factory warranties include a 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and five years or 60,000 miles of powertrain coverage.

Here’s a breakdown of what the Toyota factory warranty includes:

Toyota only offers one extended warranty plan for Certified Used Toyota vehicles. The Certified Used Vehicle extended warranty covers eligible parts after the factory warranty expires.

To be eligible for Toyota’s Certified Used Vehicle extended warranty, a Certified Used Toyota must have a Certified Used Vehicle Limited Powertrain Warranty, be six model years old or less and have fewer than 85,000 miles. The coverage terms last for the first 12 months of vehicle ownership or 12,000 miles. You can only purchase this extended coverage through your Toyota dealer.

If you’re not totally sold on a Toyota VSA after reviewing the coverage options, you may want to consider purchasing an extended car warranty from a third-party provider. Reputable extended car warranty companies can often provide vehicle owners with a wider variety of options when it comes to coverage.

In March 2022, our team surveyed 1,000 people who had bought an extended car warranty. Nearly 54% of these respondents reported purchasing a long-term vehicle protection plan from an auto manufacturer. About 23% bought an extended warranty from a third-party provider.

Some of the benefits of an extended warranty from an independent provider include:

• Independent companies offer the chance to purchase coverage for a vehicle that’s up to 20 years old for up to 300,000 miles.
• You don’t have to purchase a plan before your factory warranty expires.
• Companies like Carchex offer plans for vehicles up to 250,000 miles and help you avoid the sometimes high markups your local dealership can impose on warranty plans.
• Coverage isn’t subject to interest.

Another selling point for independent warranty companies is that they provide far more choices when it comes to repair facilities. Manufacturer warranties usually stipulate that your vehicle must be repaired at a dealership, but independent warranty companies can expand your repair shop options to neighborhood garages or bigger chains.

However, be advised that with independent coverage, you may not be able to get genuine parts or manufacturer-certified mechanics.

Figuring out the best price for an extended warranty plan means taking the time to compare providers. To get a free quote for a Toyota extended warranty, contact your local dealership. Compare third-party warranty providers if you want to find more flexible coverage options.

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