CarShield Cost Guide for 2024
CarShield offers a wide variety of coverage options and some neat add-ons for its policyholders, but the company’s online reputation raises a few red flags. We obtained quotes on four popular used vehicles, but would recommend shopping with a different provider, given the number and severity of negative reviews on CarShield customer experiences.
Popular Warranty Providers
How Much Does CarShield Cost?
CarShield isn’t the most expensive warranty provider out there and it offers payment options that help reduce the financial strain. The company also offers different deductibles that allow vehicle owners to pay a little less each month in exchange for paying a higher deductible when filing a claim.
CarShield Plan Overview
CarShield offers plans that range from covering just the basics to options that claim to rival factory manufacturer warranties. The average cost of a CarShield vehicle protection plan is between $99.99 and $129.99 per month. Each level of coverage offers different options, but no warranty will cover everything, so it’s important to ask questions about each plan to understand what you’re getting. If you own an EV, make sure that your battery is included in the coverage.
| CarShield Plan | What is Covered |
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CarShield Quotes
CarShield offers several coverage options that range from basic to near-comprehensive. Some plans include roadside assistance and towing benefits, and the company backs repairs with a 12-month/12,000-mile warranty, though some repairs come with a longer supplemental warranty. We gathered quotes on four popular used vehicles, and the process with CarShield is quite painless, once the initial sharing of personal information is over.
That said, the company’s actual customers often have less than positive things to say about it. The issue is so prominent that it’s tough for us to review CarShield’s products.
CarShield Cost Comparison
The quotes below are for CarShield’s best available coverage for models with 20,000 miles. The Tesla is available with Platinum coverage with unlimited mileage and time.
| Vehicle | Coverage | Deductible | Total Price (Monthly if noted) |
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Conclusion
CarShield’s pricing is decent and the signup process is pretty painless, but there are too many questions about the company’s customer service and response times for us to recommend them. The Better Business Bureau recommends caution when dealing with CarShield, which is surprising, even among extended warranty companies that often get a bad rap.
Read our full review of CarShield here.
Alternatives to CarShield
Since CarShield has so many negative reviews online from their customers, Car Talk has a hard time recommending their services and products to our readers. Here are some excellent alternatives to CarShield if you're in the market for a reputable extended warranty for your vehicle.
Best Car Warranty Companies
CARCHEX is one of the largest, most highly-rated providers of vehicle extended warranties in the market. They have been a trusted name in the business for 20 years.
autopom! is well known in the industry for customer service and responsiveness. The company works directly with 2600 certified repair facilities and has a dedicated customer advocacy program.
Endurance Extended Car Warranty company is one of the most popular and trusted providers in the business. Endurance coverage is accepted at any dealership and at any ASE-certified mechanic, and features a 30-day money back guarantee.
Our Methodology
Car Talk has spent the last two years diving deeply into the warranties industry for the benefit of our readership and long-time listeners. Our process for deciding on the best warranty companies is exceptionally thorough, involving in-depth research and our unique secret shopper initiative. We compiled over 700 data points across all reviewed companies to refine and inform our selection process. Car Talk reviewed the following important criteria for each company:
- Consumer Satisfaction: Cross referencing multiple trusted resources to pull our fair and balanced customer reviews.
- Cost: Utilizing our secret shopper initiative, we got comparable quotes across all companies so we can validly compare pricing.
- Coverage and Offerings: Our research team delved into the coverage and offerings for each company, comparing what is available, including extras and discounts.
- Official Ratings: We consulted a wide range of verified review sites to extrapolate a ratings score for each.
Read more on the Best Extended Warranties in the industry here.
