Wear and Tear Warranty

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While many extended car warranties list “wear and tear” as an exclusion, there are some companies that offer specialty coverage for it. In this article, we’ll discuss the basics of wear and tear specific to car warranties, reviews for the best wear and tear coverage, and how to calculate wear and tear for your vehicle.

What Is Wear and Tear?

Wear and tear is inevitable damage that happens naturally as a result of your vehicle aging and accumulating mileage. In most manufacturer warranties and aftermarket vehicle service contracts, you’ll see in the fine print that wear and tear is exluded from coverage. This is because extended warranty coverage is designed to protect against repair costs that are the result of mechanical breakdowns and manufacturing defects. Still, some car warranty companies offer coverage for wear and tear items, which we’ll discuss below.

General car warranty wear and tear refers to damage caused by regular use of the car that excludes abuse or abnormal use. Some areas covered by wear and tear warranties are upholstery, paint, and even cleaning costs. It’s important to understand what wear and tear means according to your warranty. A wear and tear plan often covers repairs to the interior and some exterior parts of the car, and some of the most standout plans offer a car cleaning option.

Normal Wear and Tear Examples

One example of wear and tear is bearing down on the alternator so that it begins to wobble and squeak as it wears down. This is considered normal wear and tear. Some exterior examples of wear and tear are dings, dents, chips, scratches, corrosion, and poor prior repair. Any damage to the frame or inner structure is generally considered wear and tear.

Tires, wheels, windshields, lights, and turn signals are included in general warranty wear-and-tear coverage. Mechanical or electrical maintenance and any missing or broken parts will also likely be considered general wear and tear.

If you’re looking for wear and tear coverage, make sure to verify what’s covered under the contract you’re considering. Because what’s considered wear and tear can vary between providers, it’s best to know exactly what you’re getting with each contract.

Car Warranties That Cover Wear and Tear

Though finding a car warranty that covers wear and tear on a car is not common the industry, we’ve identified several providers that offer some form of coverage for wear and tear items in our comprehensive extended car warranty reviews.

CARCHEX

Along with being one of the most reputable providers in the industry, CARCHEX also offers the most plans that provide coverage for wear and tear parts on the market. Of the 5 plans offered by CARCHEX, the company’s top three coverage levels (Gold, Platinum, and Titanium) include protection for wear and tear items. Below are basic descriptions of these three plans:

• Titanium: An exclusionary plan similar to a new car warranty that also covers wear and tear parts.
• Platinum: A comprehensive stated component plan that covers wear and tear parts and balances cost with coverage.
• Gold: A powertrain plus plan that provides wear and tear protection along with coverage for major systems.

Endurance

Endurance provides the best extended car warranty in the industry, according to our research, and offers a unique coverage option that covers wear and tear parts. The EnduranceAdvantage™ plan provides a unique combination of stated component extended warranty coverage and mechanical breakdown insurance that includes coverage for some wear and tear parts.

Though not technically a wear and tear warranty, the Endurance Advantage plan’s mechanical breakdown coverage helps cover the cost for maintenance parts that are defined as wear and tear. The three coverage levels for EnduranceAdvantage™ all provide high-level stated component coverage. All of the plans cover the following maintenance items, many of which are considered or related to wear and tear:

• Yearly services
• Yearly tire rotation
• Yearly oil and filter changes
• Brake pads/shoes
• Manufacturer’s recommended service intervals
• Battery
• Wiper blades
• Cooling system maintenance (and lubrication)

How To Calculate Wear and Tear on a Car

While the primary cost we think of when using our vehicles is gas mileage, it’s important to understand the cost of your commute in terms of wear and tear. Along with being an important definition in insurance or warranty coverage and leased or rental vehicles, this is also important to understand when it comes to how it affects the valuation of your vehicle, as wear and tear is technically considered a form of depreciation that lowers the cost of your car over time. Below are the steps for calculating wear and tear on your vehicle:

1. Determine the Vehicle Type: Different types of vehicles have different wear and tear costs. As an example, rough amounts for each vehicle type (which can also vary by make and model) are about $4,100 for a minivan, $5,000 for a large sedan, $3,500 for a medium sedan, and $2,500 for a small sedan.
2. Calculate Cost per Mile: A rough approximation of average miles driven per year, which is about 15,000, is used to calculate cost per mile. To do this calculation, divide the type of cost for your specific vehicle by 15,000. For a medium sedan the calculation would be 3,500 / 15,000 = 0.23. This means that a medium sedan’s wear and tear should be around 23 cents per mile.
3. Factor in Your Mileage: Next, we have to factor in how many miles have actually been driven. To do this, multiply your per-mile figure from the previous step by the actual amount of miles you drove. If you drove 20,000 miles and had a medium sedan that costs 23 cents per mile to drive, your wear and tear costs would be calculated by multiplying 20,000 x .23. This would give you a wear and tear cost of $4,600.

While the expected deterioration of your car can be predicted with a calculation, the actual rate of deterioration can be slowed with proper vehicle maintenance. This care includes scheduled yearly maintenance to keep the car running and looking great.

Wear and Tear Warranty: Conclusion

In this article, we looked at what’s considered wear and tear as it relates to extended car warranties. Although wear and tear coverage isn’t a common offering in the industry, we took a look at which of the most reputable companies offer this coverage.

Our Methodology

Our expert review team takes satisfaction in providing accurate and unbiased information. We identified the following rating categories based on consumer survey data and conducted extensive research to formulate rankings of the best extended auto warranty providers.

• Industry Standing: Our team considers Better Business Bureau (BBB) ratings, availability, and years in business when giving this score.
• Coverage: Because each consumer has unique needs, it’s essential that a car warranty company offers an array of coverage options. We take into account the number of plans offered by each provider, term limits, exclusions, and additional benefits.
• Affordability: A variety of factors influence cost, so it can be difficult to compare quotes between providers. Our team performs ongoing secret shopper analyses for different vehicles, mileages, warranty plans, and locations to give this rating.
• Customer Service: Reputable extended car warranty companies operate with a certain degree of care for consumers. We take into account customer reviews, BBB complaints, and the responsiveness of the customer service team.

*Data accurate at time of publication.