A Look at AAA Extended Warranty Policies | Autance

AAA Extended Insurance Overview

The AAA extended insurance plan is divided into the Carolinas, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast Coverage. The length of the cover depends on the type of vehicle. It’s also available to vehicles that are up to 250,000 miles or are up to 20 years old. Each region has different policies, and the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic coverage are the most detailed as discussed below. 

AAA Carolinas Extended Insurance Coverage

• Essential: This is a basic policy that covers basic powertrain components. The cost depends on the type of vehicle and the cost per year can range from $300 to $500. The components covered include engine, transmission, turbo/supercharger, air conditioning, transfer case, all-wheel drive, cooling system, fuel system, and electrical components. 
• Essential Plus: This cover is a slight improvement from the Essential policy, and covers more parts, including an anti-lock braking system, suspension, select brake system components, and steering system. 
• Comprehensive: This is offered to vehicles that are up to seven years or newer, and have up to 230,000 miles on the odometer. The costs can range from $400 to $600 per year depending on the vehicle’s year, make, and model. It covers all parts in the Essential Plus Policy, and the cover extends to audio equipment. 
• Exclusionary: This is a more comprehensive cover that lasts for about six years or 60000 miles. It’s similar to your vehicle’s factory bumper-to-bumper warranty and covers all parts in the comprehensive cover including hybrid vehicles, entertainment, and navigation systems

AAA Mid-Atlantic Coverage 

• Silver: Just like Carolina’s essential policy, the Mid-Atlantic Silver Policy covers basic powertrain components and a few other systems including air conditioning. 
• Gold: On top of covering basic powertrain components, the Gold policy also covers major systems such as the suspension and brake system.
• Platinum: This is the most advanced plan that covers hundreds of major systems in a vehicle (including hybrid cars), including audio, entertainment, and navigation systems.

Insurance Costs

Because AAA has different clubs in different regions that have their own extended warranty policies, it doesn’t publish its prices on its website. Also, the costs vary from vehicle to vehicle depending on the age, make, and model. However, you can request an online quote directly from the website. 

When it comes to the deductibles or repair costs, you will get a written estimate for the repairs covered in the warranty. The cost isn’t fixed since it’s hard to tell how much work the faulty or damaged component will need. However, the cost of repairs performed will not exceed the initial estimate provided by more than 10 percent.    

Things We Like

AAA, being a credible vehicle service contract provider, has quite a straight forward extended warranty plan. The premiums are laid out in an affordable monthly plan, and you get a membership card that you present to the mechanic for repairs. 

AAA gives a 10 percent discount on repairs to members who take their vehicles to AAA-approved or club-owned repair shops. Also, the repairs are backed with a 24,000-mile guarantee. 

Members are covered with 24/7 emergency roadside assistance no matter the location and regardless of the type of vehicle you have. The service includes emergency fuel delivery,  locksmith service, and battery service. 

The AAA extended warranty, unlike other extended warranty providers, is transferable if you do decide to sell your vehicle. This helps to increase the resale value of your vehicle. There’s a reasonable transfer fee involved. 

Things We Don’t Like

There isn’t much online information about the AAA Northeast coverage. We only know that it’s available, but the website doesn’t provide information about the basics of the coverage as is the case with the AAA Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic coverage. 

Also, there isn’t a standard policy when it comes to deductibles that apply to all vehicle owners, which would make it possible to estimate repair costs and make comparisons with other warranty providers. For instance, after getting the vehicle back from the mechanic some members will have to pay a deductible while others may not have to. 

Lastly, the AAA extended warranty is only available to its members. This means that you have to subscribe to annual membership and pay a membership fee for you to enjoy the plan. 

Is an Insurance from AAA Extended Warranty Worth It?

It’s worth it, figuring that it offers coverage to high mileage vehicles whereas most extended warranty providers limit their cover to vehicles with less than 100,000 miles. The AAA extended warranty covers vehicles with up to 250,000 miles on the odometer. This helps to protect drivers who own older vehicles. 

Also, you get to save money whenever you take your vehicle to an AAA-approved repair shop. Instead of paying the standard deductible, you will get at least a 10 percent discount. However, there isn’t much information available about insurance costs, and you have to request a quote directly from the website. Also, you have to sign up for annual membership to enjoy the benefits. If this isn’t a huge deal-breaker for you, you can take the leap. 

More Information

Here are a few more resources you can use:

• AAA Extended Warranty Website
• AAA Extended Warranty Reviews