CarShield Extended Warranty Review and Pricing 2025

Who It’s Good For

• New car owners who want to keep their vehicles in good, drivable condition — especially those who plan to keep their car a long time — without having to worry about large, unexpected out-of-pocket expenses
• Those who want to be able to manage their policy via a mobile app
• Drivers who are on a budget and are looking for temporary, low-cost coverage
• Owners of older and/or high-mileage vehicles

Who It’s Not Good For

• Drivers of cars with pre-existing conditions
• People who prioritize stellar customer service
• Luxury or high-performance car owners
• California drivers

CarShield plans can cover most cars, trucks, crossovers, and SUVs, including both new and used cars. It also covers vehicles with fewer than 300,000 miles, which is a higher limit than most other extended warranty providers.

I also checked the online quote tool to see what the available selections were, and it allows you to select a model year back to 1995, or 30 years old, which is also an older limit than most competitors.

I noticed that the selection of luxury cars is limited, and it does not offer coverage for high-performance or sports cars like Ferraris or Lamborghinis.

In addition, CarShield is not available to drivers in California, and like all extended warranty companies, it will not cover cars with pre-existing mechanical issues. Cars with modifications to the engine, transmission, drive axle, frame, suspension, emissions, or exhaust may also not be covered.

CarShield advertises that plans start at $99 per month, but you can expect this to be for their most basic plan and for a newer vehicle. The average cost is closer to $150 per month, but you may pay more based on factors like the age and mileage of your car. However, this extended warranty company is more affordable than most.

Discounts

As of September 2025, the only discount CarShield has is for multiple cars. Information about senior and military discounts is no longer available on the website, so I assume the discount isn’t available, either.

Money-Back Guarantee

CarShield offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you cancel your CarShield warranty within the first 30 days, you get a full refund. After 30 days, you can get a prorated refund based on the amount of time left on your contract.

Cancellation Fee

CarShield’s pay-as-you-go plan means you can cancel at any time by contacting the customer service department at 1-800-569-9044. Before you sign up for an extended warranty, ask your agent to point out the cancellation policy in the contract, as some plans may charge a $50 administrative fee.

You must buy an extended warranty from CarShield over the phone, but you can start the quote process online if you prefer by filling out a form on the company’s website. CarShield makes it very easy to get a quote for vehicle coverage, as long as you have information like your vehicle’s year, mileage, make, and model.

I filled out this information for my car and submitted it, and I got called instead of getting shown or emailed a quote. CarShield does include a disclaimer stating that it will contact you by phone, text, or email if you submit the form.

Waiting Period

Depending on the plan, CarShield’s waiting period for coverage can be 30 days and 1,000 miles, 90 days and 250 miles, or 40 days and 250 miles after purchase. This policy is designed to protect CarShield from a needed repair that a customer knows about before purchasing coverage. When you sign up with CarShield, representatives may ask for an assessment of your car and note any problems they find with it.

Transfer Policy

If you sell your vehicle while it is still under a CarShield warranty, you can transfer the policy to the new owner. To do so, you would need to have the following materials ready:

• Proof of the ownership change, such as a bill of sale, registration, or title
• An administrative processing fee of $50
• A completed transfer application (available upon request from CarShield)
• The odometer reading at the time of the ownership transfer

CarShield plans begin at $99 per month, but actual pricing varies based on your vehicle’s make, model year, and other factors. CarShield offers five levels of protection plans, as well as a motorcycle and ATV coverage plan and a roadside assistance program.

What’s Covered

In addition to the coverage mentioned above, CarShield plans may include the following:

• Rental car reimbursement: If you need a rental car while your vehicle is being serviced for more than four hours, CarShield will reimburse you $60 per day, for up to seven days total, or 14 days if you need a full replacement of your transmission and engine. You can also apply it to rideshares with Uber and Lyft for up to $60 per day, including tips.
• Trip interruption reimbursement: If your vehicle breaks down 100 miles or more from home and you need to leave it at a repair facility overnight, CarShield will reimburse your hotel and restaurant expenses up to $125 per day for up to four days, with a maximum benefit of $500 per occurrence.
• 24/7 roadside assistance: CarShield roadside assistance covers towing, tire replacement, lockout assistance, battery jump-start services, and fuel delivery. There’s a $125 limit per benefit. Three claims are allowed per benefit period.

Note that these coverages may also be included on your auto insurance policy, so double-check to make sure you’re not paying twice for the same coverages.

What’s Not Covered

One of the most important parts of your contract with CarShield will be the list of ineligible services. I recommend you read this section very carefully. CarShield vehicle service plans will not pay for the following:

• Repairs performed without prior authorization
• Issues caused by inadequate maintenance
• Regular maintenance items, like brake pads, filters, and fluid changes
• Damage caused by acts of nature or external circumstances, like vandalism or storms
• Damage resulting from misuse
• Issues caused by engine overheating due to inadequate levels of coolant, fuel, or fluids
• Diagnostic costs, including engine teardown
• Failures of airbags, seat belts, or other restraint systems

CarShield does not offer 24/7 customer support by phone, but you can file claims online at any time. You can reach the customer support department by calling 1-800-859-9923 Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. CT.

Third-Party Reviews

CarShield is now accredited with the BBB and has an A+ rating. Its customer rating has improved to 2.89 out of five stars (versus 1.45 stars in the previous year). While many of the complaints were from aggrieved customers who did not understand the waiting period, some reviews compliment CarShield for excellent customer service, quick repair times, and easy claims approval.¹ Most businesses have very low customer ratings on the BBB, so CarShield’s major rating boost is promising.

In contrast, there are higher ratings and more positive CarShield reviews on Trustpilot, with an average rating of 4.2 out of five stars.² This is based on 53,000 reviews, which is significant.

CarShield makes it easy to file a claim for your extended warranty plan. For repairs to be covered, you must get your vehicle serviced within CarShield’s network of dealerships and ASE-certified repair facilities.

CarShield’s website makes it easy to start a quote and has ample information on its offerings, including sample contracts, which I appreciated.

Not every warranty company has a mobile app, but Carshield does. The app allows customers to access:

• Details about their contracts
• Claims information
• Roadside assistance
• Customer service

I downloaded the app, but I wasn’t able to access anything without logging in. The main screen provides the option to log in, create an account, and request a quote.

The app holds 4.3 stars in the Google Play store and 4.6 stars in the App Store. While many reviews mention a buggy user experience, some negative reviews are complaints about CarShield not paying for claims rather than issues with the app itself.

We review vehicle service contracts according to the following factors:

• Vehicle Eligibility: We see what vehicles the extended warranty would cover in terms of the driver’s state of residence and the car’s make, model year, mileage, and preexisting conditions, if any.
• Buying Process and Claims: We prefer companies that allow customers to get quotes and buy warranties both online and over the phone. We prioritize companies that don’t require a pre-inspection or waiting period, or have shorter waiting periods. We also prefer companies that let customers use any licensed repair facility in the U.S. or Canada and those that pay the shops directly rather than reimburse customers.
• Pricing: We compare the services each company offers with its average cost to see if it is a reasonable value. However, because nearly no extended warranty companies are forthright about their prices, we look at industry averages.
• Third-Party Ratings on Customer Service: We prioritize companies that let their customers reach them in multiple ways: email, online forms, and phone. We also check customer service ratings from the BBB and Trustpilot, trusted third parties with reviews from thousands of real customers.
• Mobile App: Some companies offer iOS and Android mobile apps, which allow for easy claim submission, repair shop location searches, and other tools. We look for well-designed apps that have ratings of at least three out of five stars in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
• Extras: Some companies offer extras, but these perks are rare. For example, Toco provides a discount on reservations from Hotels.com. However, these are bonuses, so we don’t penalize companies that lack them.