Route 66 Extended Warranty Review

Route 66 is an extended warranty company that has been in business for over 35 years. Its contracts are fully insured and backed by Assurant Solutions and provide coverage throughout the United States.

While some warranties can be purchased online or by simply calling the warranty company directly, Route 66 offers its coverage only through financial institutions. Since the company doesn’t sell warranties directly, if you reach out you will be referred to the nearest participating bank or credit union for a direct quote.

Pros and Cons

What is Covered by Route 66 Plans

Route 66 offers three plans. If you want all the specifics, then you have to email the company, find your nearest financial institution, and work with them for a detailed contract. They don’t break out that information completely online, even in brochures. Its base plan, Easy Street, lists only what is specifically not covered while the Main Street and First Street plans show what is added by those plans.

Here are the 10 most expensive repairs and how they’re covered under the three available Route 66 extended warranty plans.

(*) Brakes does not include: Pads, Rotors, Shoes and Drums

Which Route 66 Warranty Plan is Right for Me?

The first thing to realize is that Route 66 is going to be WRONG for you if you drive any number of car models or entire makes.

No Route 66 plans will cover you if you drive the following:

• ANY Audi product
• Chevrolet Corvette
• ANY Land Rover product
• ANY Saab product
• ANY Jaguar product
• ANY Porsche product
• Hummer H1
• Mercedes-Benz products other than the C-Class or E-Class
• BMW 6 Series, 7 Series, 8 Series, X Series, Z Series or M cars

Folks, that’s almost six percent of all the vehicles sold in the United States. Nearly a million cars a year.

What this tells you is that Route 66 is more than happy to take your money if you have a Toyota that it won’t have to pay a claim on, but it’s not going to risk having to put a door lock module in your X5.

Additional Benefits Included in All Route 66 Plans

• Emergency Roadside Service - up to $50, limited to one call every seven days, includes flat tire assistance, towing service, battery jump start, and lock-out service
• Total Loss Refund - refunds the full purchase price of your warranty if your car is declared a total loss (requires additional coverage purchase)
• Rental Car Reimbursement - up to $50 per day for a total of $250 (receipts required)

Easy Street Plan From Route 66

This is the basic plan. Rather than listing out all that it does include, it lists select items that are not covered. The list of items which are not covered under this plan include:

• Tires
• Wheels
• Struts
• Shocks
• Brake shoes or pads
• Rotors or drums
• Belts
• Hoses
• Filters
• Fluids
• Lubricants
• Clutch
• Pressure plate or clutch release bearing
• Tune-up maintenance
• Exhaust or emission parts
• Sound reproduction components
• Collision avoidance
• Lane departure warning system
• Safety restraint system
• Lighting
• Wiring harness
• Telephone
• Clock
• Television
• Navigation equipment
• Any body parts
• Interior parts
• Trim
• Glass
• Paint
• Air bag system
• Keyless entry/anti-theft

Main Street Plan From Route 66

The Main Street plan increases coverage and lists the following as covered items:

Engine

• Timing chain guides
• Timing belt tensioners
• Intake manifolds
• Valve lash adjusters
• Valve guides
• Valve spring locks and retainers
• Harmonic balancer

Automatic Transmission

• Chain
• Drum assembly
• Solenoids
• Bushings
• Accumulator
• Clutches
• Bands
• Servos
• Parking pawl
• Speedometer gear
• Transmission Cooler
• Pistons

Air Conditioning

• Compressor
• Clutch and coil assembly
• Evaporator
• Accumulator and condenser
• Evacuation and recharge in conjunction with replacement of listed components

Front Suspension (Bonus Coverage for vehicles with under 85,000 miles at time of purchase)

• Upper and lower control arms
• Upper and lower ball joints
• Steering knuckle
• Wheel bearings
• Control arm shaft and bushings

Steering

• Power steering pump
• Electric steering motor
• Steering gear housing and its internal parts and rack and pinion assembly

Brakes

• Master cylinder
• ABS master cylinder
• Brake booster
• Wheel cylinders
• Disc brake calipers
• Hydraulic lines and fittings
• Coverage does not include pads, shoes, drums, or rotors

Cooling

• Radiator
• Fan clutch
• Water Pump
• Cooling fan motor

Fuel Delivery

• Fuel pump
• Fuel sending unit
• Fuel tank
• Fuel injectors
• Metal fuel lines

Electrical

• Battery
• Engine operation computer
• Voltage regulator
• Alternator
• Front/rear wiper motors
• Wiper module
• Window motors
• Window regulators
• Seat motors
• Ignition module
• Ignition coil
• Distributor
• Starter
• Starter solenoid and door lock actuators
• Manually operated switches for adobe listed parts

First Street Plan From Route 66

This is the premium plan from Route 66 and adds the following covered items:

Engine

• Crankshaft and bearings
• Oil pump
• Oil pump pickup/screen and tube
• Pistons
• Piston rings
• Wrist pins
• Connecting rods and rod bearings
• Timing gears and chain or belt
• Timing tensioners/guides
• Balance shafts
• Camshaft and camshaft bearings
• Push rods
• Rocker arms
• Rocker arm shaft and hydraulic lifters
• Intake and exhaust valves
• Valve springs
• Cylinder head gasket
• Engine blocks are also covered if mechanical failure was caused by above listed parts

Automatic Transmission

• Gears
• Input and output shafts
• Bearings
• Front pump
• Planetary assemblies
• Transmission case
• Overdrive carrier
• Reaction carrier
• Center support
• Parking lock actuator
• Stator and stator shaft
• Separator plate
• Pressure regulator valve
• Dipstick and filler tube
• Sprags
• Governor assembly
• Valve body
• Torque converter

Standard Transmission

• Gears
• Input and output shafts
• Bearings
• Overdrive housing and transmission case if malfunction caused by above listed parts
• Clutch plate
• Pressure plate
• Flywheel
• Release and pilot bearings are not included

Drive Axle Assembly (Front-Wheel or Rear-wheel Drive)

• Drive shaft
• Ring and pinion gears
• Pinion bearings
• Side carrier bearings
• Carrier assembly
• Thrust washers
• Axle and axle bearings and limited slip clutch pack assembly
• Universal and CV joints except if boot was damaged or missing
• Drive axle housing is also covered if damage is caused by failure of listed lubricated parts

Drive Axle Assembly (4-Wheel and All-Wheel Drive)

• Transfer case including gears, main shaft, drive chain, thrust washer and shim, bearings
• Front drive shaft
• Differential axles
• Universal joints and CV joints except if boot was damaged or is missing

Seals and Gaskets

• Seals and gaskets are covered in conjunction with repair of above listed components

Bonus Coverage

• Cooling: Water Pump - Full coverage on Main street, Limited to 50% parts and labor on First Street only
• Electrical: Alternator, stater, and voltage regulator - Full coverage on Main street, Limited to 50% parts and labor on First Street only

How Much Does a Route 66 Car Warranty Cost?

Route 66 does not make it easy to figure out how much it costs to obtain an extended warranty. There is no direct quote mechanism online and you can’t call for a quote. If you do call, then they will refer you to your local financial institution. This can yield a wide range of figures depending on whether it's a credit union or bank and your prior history of business with that specific institution. Depending on your car expect to pay a minimum of $1,000 with the possibility of paying thousands more.

These quotes were collected from a variety of user forums. This is what actually owners said they were given for the terms of their warranties.

How to File a Route 66 Claim?

You have lots of options for where you take your vehicle for service when you need a covered repair. Choose any ASE Certified repair facility and you’re good. The key is to make sure you reach out to Route 66 before any work is done. You can even have the repair facility do this for you. Repairs are paid directly to whoever does the work so you don’t have to worry about out-of-pocket expenses.

Is My Car Eligible for a Route 66 Warranty?

Most cars are eligible for a Route 66 warranty, but there are some that are not covered.

• Select Makes and Models: Makes include Audi, Land Rover, Saab, Jaguar, and Porsche. Makes include the Hummer H1, Chevrolet Corvette, and select Mercedes and BMW models.
• Restricted Titles: If your vehicle has a restricted title including salvage theft, total loss, flood damage, or parts only titles, then it is not eligible for coverage.
• Exotics and Limited Production Vehicles: These vehicles are not eligible for any Route 66 warranty.

Most Common Reasons Why Route 66 Claims Are Rejected?

• Unauthorized repairs: You must receive authorization before any repairs are made to your vehicle. Not receiving prior authorization, even if you have receipts, can result in a rejection of your claim.

• Components not a part of coverage: A car is made up of a lot of parts and it can be difficult to figure out which are and are not covered by an extended warranty. Be sure you fully understand your coverage so you know what the warranty covers before you have work done and get a surprise bill at the end.

• Neglecting scheduled maintenance: You have to keep up with scheduled maintenance for your vehicle and keep the receipts as proof. If you don’t and there’s a problem that comes down to not performing this maintenance, then your claim may be rejected.

Customer Reviews of Route 66

Positive Reviews

“...this warranty saved my butt. about 2 years into our experience with the vehicle the transmission started acting up. Route66 covered just about everything and the process seemed much more pleasant than any other 'insurance' i have ever tried using.” - Freak N,. Yelp “I've never had an issue getting claims paid for. Fast, friendly process. The shop I take my vehicle to has never had a problem or has ever had to wait to get paid.” - Megan R., Yelp

“...I give them 4 stars because I'd buy Route 66 over any other aftermarket warranty available. Thanks to my $3k purchase I saved about $8000 on this one repair.” - Steve P., Yelp

Negative Reviews

“I would recommend not purchasing an extended warranty from this company. I purchased the Easy Street extended warranty policy. Every time something breaks on my car and I try to use this policy, I get the same standard response that we're sorry but that's not covered under your warranty. The way they word the exclusions in the policy, almost everything can be tied back to an exclusion. Buying this warranty was a waste of money.” - Gregory V., Yelp

“They will immediately deny almost every claim. They are very nice about it, but in the end, you are really just paying them to answer the phone to tell you know.” - Bert J., Yelp

Should You Get a Route 66 Extended Warranty?

The decision to get an extended warranty is one that depends on you, your car, and your comfort level with unexpected repairs. If you are terrified at the thought of having a mechanical breakdown and being on the hook for expensive repairs, then an extended warranty can remove that fear. Instead of having to break into your piggy bank, you can budget the cost of the warranty more easily.

An extended warranty is also a good choice if your car doesn’t have a history of being reliable. If the make or model is one that is constantly in the shop, then it’s not a bad idea to have an extended warranty to manage those repairs.

The downside is that you may be paying to save yourself from repairs that never even happen. Newer cars are already covered by lengthy manufacturer’s warranties that cover key components past the time when you may even own your car. If you don’t plan on keeping your car well past that original warranty period, an extended warranty may not be worth the cost.

Always be wary of any calls out of the blue offering an extended car warranty. These are very often scams. It’s a better bet to do your own research and choose a provider that has a reputation you can trust.

Read our full recommendations for the Best Extended Warranty Companies here.