Volvo has a reputation for manufacturing high quality, sporty vehicles. While they certainly produce great cars, mistakes in manufacturing can still happen. That’s why we always suggest purchasing an extended warranty so that you’re protected from an expensive repair bill if something happens. But should you get it from Volvo directly? Learn more in our in-depth Volvo extended warranty review.
Today, we’re going to go through the Volvo extended warranty program. We’ll discuss the levels of coverage they offer, the fine print details, and give you our ultimate recommendation.
The Highlights:
- Volvo offers three coverage plans and your choice of term lengths.
- All repairs must be completed at a Volvo dealership.
- Some benefits are included, like towing coverage and trip interruption coverage.
- We recommend the Volvo warranty, due to their great coverage and flexible term lengths.
Is It Worth Getting a Volvo Extended Warranty?
Before we can talk about whether a Volvo extended warranty is worth purchasing, we first need to examine what’s included in the warranty itself.
The Volvo extended warranty has three levels of coverage:
Powertrain Coverage Plan
As the lowest plan available, this plan covers the powertrain systems. That includes the engine, transmission, and drive axle. There is also limited additional coverage for hybrid and electric vehicles.
Gold Coverage Plan
This plan builds upon the Powertrain Coverage Plan by adding a number of major systems. Coverage includes steering, brakes, cooling, electrical, suspension, and air conditioning systems.
Platinum Coverage Plan
This plan is an exclusionary coverage plan. That means that any component is covered unless it is specifically listed as an exclusion. You can view the complete exclusion list on their sales brochure.
You’ll have your pick of term lengths when purchasing your Volvo warranty, with the maximum option being an additional six years or 120,000 miles.
All repairs must be completed at a Volvo dealership. This is standard practice for automaker warranties. It can sometimes be a drawback, but it also means that your car will always be worked on by Volvo-trained technicians and repairs will be completed with genuine Volvo parts. These perks can be important, as aftermarket parts are not always as reliable as genuine parts.
Each of the three plans offered come with some excellent benefits, which include:
- Rental reimbursement of up to $40 per day for up to 10 days
- Towing reimbursement of up to $100 per incident
- Travel coverage for covered breakdowns that occur more than 100 miles away from your home, with coverage up to $100 per day and up to $500 per occurrence
- All fluids are covered when used for a covered repair
The Volvo extended protection plan is fully transferable, which improves your resale value if you decide to sell your car down the road. Volvo does not state whether there is a fee for transferring the warranty or not.
There is no coverage for any issues related to misuse, abuse, or neglect. Neglect is defined to include the failure to add necessary fluids to the vehicle, such as coolant or oil. Additionally, there is no coverage for something that is already covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. All of these “fine print” terms are standard practice.
Why aren’t we talking about prices in our Volvo extended warranty review? As mentioned in an earlier post about vehicle service contracts, prices will vary based on the VIN and mileage of the vehicle in question. As such, the quote you receive will be different from another customer’s quote, even if you have the same car.
So is a Volvo extended protection plan worth it? We believe that it is. There’s nothing particularly special about the Volvo extended warranty, but that’s not a bad thing. It means that they provide the level of coverage, term lengths, and benefits that we should expect from all automakers. It’s worth getting a quote from Volvo to see if the price they give you works with your budget.
Volvo Factory Extended Warranty vs. Third-Party Extended Warranty
Third-party extended warranty providers tend to copy the coverage that’s available with automakers’ extended warranties. As such, if you shop around, you’ll see that the coverage is pretty similar across direct and indirect extended warranties.
There is one vital difference, however…where you can have your car repaired. With a Volvo extended warranty, all repairs must be completed at a participating Volvo dealership. While this does mean that you’ll have genuine parts used in your repairs, getting a broken-down vehicle to a dealership might prove troublesome.
On the other hand, most third-party warranties will let you have your vehicle repaired at any repair shop that is licensed by ASE or AAA.
What is Covered Under a Pre-Owned Volvo Extended Warranty?
Unfortunately, Volvo does not make any special mention of Volvo CPO vehicles in any of their available information about extended warranties. This might mean that they are covered, but it could also mean that they’re ineligible. As such, you’ll need to contact a Volvo dealership to determine if your CPO is eligible for a Volvo warranty.
Do We Recommend a Volvo Vehicle Service Contract?
Where do we land on our Volvo extended warranty review? We do recommend a Volvo vehicle service contract. There is nothing special about their VSC offering, but that’s perfectly fine. Their coverage is excellent, and their term lengths are flexible. All of the other terms of the Volvo vehicle service contract are to be expected. We think that it’s worth getting a quote for a Volvo extended warranty.
If you’re looking for another option, we’ve partnered with a third-party provider of vehicle service contracts. Our partner provides excellent coverage with transparent pricing. We even include a consultation call to help you decide which option is right for you, even if you don’t pick our partner. Reach out to us today to schedule a call or request a quote.
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