Should You Buy a Ram Extended Warranty? | Autance

FAQs

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Should You Buy a Ram Extended Warranty? | Autance © Should You Buy a Ram Extended Warranty? | Autance

RAM EXTENDED WARRANTY BASICS

Specifications
  • 8
    YEARS
    or
    120,000 MILES

    Coverage

  • 4
    YEARS
    or
    48,000 MILES

    Eligibility

Pros
  • Included roadside assistance
  • Car rental reimbursements and key fob replacements included
Cons
  • Coverage must start when factory warranty is still in effect
  • Limited number of repair facilities

The standard Ram extended warranty is one that shares the same basic (in some cases exact) coverage terms as its sister brands like Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep. The warranty offers a lot of options in terms of coverage plans with a few extra perks thrown into the mix. If you’re looking at extending your Ram warranty before the expiration date, here’s the most important information you should know.

Better Extended Coverage

Don’t just rely on the factory warranty. New or used, there’s a great extended warranty with one of these providers:

Want to save money on an extended warranty? Don’t just stick with a warranty from the factory. You can get more coverage and save more money with a plan from Endurance.

Rated the top warranty provider by Consumer Advocates, Consumer Affairs, and Retirement Living, Endurance offers a number of high-quality warranty plans you can tailor to your personal needs.

Get a free quote today or call to speak with an Endurance representative: 1-855-426-0518

GET A FREE QUOTE

CarShield Logo

CarShield pays claims directly to a US or Canadian ASE-Certified® repair facility of your choice. Our contracts have low or no deductibles to prevent stress to your wallet at a critical time. Never worry about being stranded somewhere after a breakdown. All of our vehicle repair contracts include towing services to transport you and your vehicle to a safe repair facility.

GET A FREE QUOTE

Autopom Logo

Autopom! is the warranty provider of choice for many California residents struggling to find quality options in the state. The company’s line of insurance plans is great for saving money on services and repairs that come up unexpectedly.

Check out the autopom! website or or call for a free quote: 1-888-843-8078

GET A FREE QUOTE

What IS Included

The basics of the extended warranty try to replicate the main coverage you get with the factory warranty from a Ram dealership. The automaker’s vehicle protection plans offer a lot in terms of factory defect coverage with a few extra perks, like roadside assistance, included in the package.

Basic Coverage

The primary coverage of the Ram extended service contract keeps most of the parts covered on a vehicle, just like the original bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranties. The extended warranty actually comes in two separate Mopar Vehicle Protection Plans: Maximum Care and Added Care Plus.  

For a basic powertrain-like warranty, the Added Care Plus plan lasts up to eight years (minimum five years) and 60,000, 75,000, 85,000, 100,000, or 125,000 miles beyond the original warranty. This warranty plan uses genuine Mopar replacement parts and services done by technicians who are certified on vehicles like the Ram truck (and older models of the Dodge Ram). 

As an inclusionary warranty, the Added Care Plus lists the parts it covers. These parts include major drivetrain components like the engine, transmission, rear-wheel/front-wheel/all-wheel drive systems, steering, brakes, electrical, and more. 

Ram gives drivers the option to expand the number of parts covered with its premium plan. The Maximum Care plan lasts two to eight years and 60,000 or 125,000 miles and includes almost everything on a vehicle. In fact, the only things it doesn’t cover tend to be wear items (i.e. brake pads and tires), body and paint items, and routine maintenance services. 

Extras

Ram includes a number of extra perks that can help you save money when issues arise during a trip or vacation. Most of these services only apply in particular conditions, like being a minimum distance of 100 miles away from home, so it helps to look up the particulars of the coverage for the complete information.

Both warranty plan options include a basic trip interruption program that offers roadside assistance like towing, rental car reimbursement, and basic food and lodging support while the vehicle is getting fixed (if the work must be done overnight and the issue is caused by a factory defect).

The major thing to note is that these extra perks expire around the 100,000-mile mark. This means the additional services will end sooner than the extended warranty itself if you go past 100,000 miles while your vehicle is covered by the extended warranty. 

What’s NOT Included

Given the average warranty costs of the Ram service contracts, it helps to know what’s not included in the warranty coverage so you aren’t surprised in a worst-case scenario.

General Maintenance Costs

Many drivers naturally assume that a standard factory or extended warranty will help them save money on maintenance costs that are periodically needed to keep the vehicle running. Unfortunately, this is usually not the case unless the warranty includes a basic maintenance plan.

The Ram extended warranty plans provide minimal support for factory-recommended maintenance. While it does use genuine replacement parts, this is usually done when unexpected issues arise. Therefore, you will likely have to pay out-of-pocket for routine service. 

Incidental and Accidental Damage

If your Ram vehicle is damaged from bad weather, vandalism, or normal wear and tear, you won’t get much support from the factory or extended warranties. Ram follows the standard warranty procedure of covering issues it causes due to poor workmanship or faulty materials. Other types of damage, on the other hand, will need to be covered by a third-party provider with the right comprehensive coverage or auto insurance. 

The Good

Ram takes a slightly different approach with its warranty coverage compared to most automakers, which is what we like. Offering two primary warranty plans with a number of time and mileage length options means there is more potential for customization when buying a plan for the first time. This is somewhat rare for automakers that tend to offer just a single expansion plan for the factory warranty.

Offering an extended powertrain or comprehensive warranty gives owners the ability to select which component coverage is best for their particular vehicle. Since all vehicles are different in what they need, this makes it easier to tailor the extended warranty without sacrificing too much in terms of extra perks. 

This is also where the Ram coverage shines: additional services, like roadside assistance and trip interruption protection. Since these extras are offered with both warranty plans, you won’t have to make the ultimate decision just based on which plan gives you some extra value while traveling on the road. 

The Bad

The major thing we dislike with the Ram extended warranty is how the automaker has structured its eligibility and service caps. Basically, the automaker has decreased the overall value by setting up some pretty strict vehicle eligibility limits. In order to get coverage, you can only add the extended warranty if the original powertrain coverage is still in effect. Otherwise, you’re out of luck.

There are also a few services that end more quickly than the main bulk of the extended warranty. As mentioned before, the main roadside assistance and trip interruption program, for example, will end 20,000 miles before the maximum range of the main warranty options. 

Takeaway Value

While it has its limitations, Ram’s extended warranty offers a lot of potential value depending on the specific terms and plans you choose. The amount of customization, alone, is worth checking out the details of coverage if you really want to be sure you get the right warranty for your vehicle as it ages. 

More Protection and Peace of Mind

If you really want to cover your vehicle (and your wallet) from unexpected issues and costs, check out these great third-party providers below:

Endurance Logo

Want to save money on an extended warranty? Don’t just stick with a warranty from the factory. You can get more coverage and save more money with a plan from Endurance.

Rated the top warranty provider by Consumer Advocates, Consumer Affairs, and Retirement Living, Endurance offers a number of high-quality warranty plans you can tailor to your personal needs.

Get a free quote today or call to speak with an Endurance representative: 1-855-426-0518

GET A FREE QUOTE

CarShield Logo

CarShield pays claims directly to a US or Canadian ASE-Certified® repair facility of your choice. Our contracts have low or no deductibles to prevent stress to your wallet at a critical time. Never worry about being stranded somewhere after a breakdown. All of our vehicle repair contracts include towing services to transport you and your vehicle to a safe repair facility.

GET A FREE QUOTE

Autopom Logo

Autopom! is the warranty provider of choice for many California residents struggling to find quality options in the state. The company’s line of insurance plans is great for saving money on services and repairs that come up unexpectedly.

Check out the autopom! website or or call for a free quote: 1-888-843-8078

GET A FREE QUOTE

FAQs

Q: Is there a lifetime warranty available?

There used to be one available, but Ram decided to phase this option out a couple of years ago. Older lifetime warranties are still available and transferable on some used Ram vehicles.

Q: Is the extended warranty required?

Not at all. You can choose to go without coverage or try to find a third-party warranty plan if you’d like.

Q: Which plan should I choose between the Maximum Care and Added Care Plus?

This primarily depends on how much component coverage you need for your vehicle. In most cases, the basic powertrain coverage of the Added Care Plus is good enough if your vehicle doesn’t have major factory issues. The Maximum Care plan, however, can offer extra peace of mind if you feel like the vehicle needs more coverage to save you money.

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