One thing that every car owner knows is that a repair bill can strike at the most unexpected time. One way that some consumers choose to protect themselves against these unexpected expenses is by purchasing a vehicle service contract (VSC), known colloquially as an “extended warranty”. A VSC will pay for mechanical breakdowns that are related to a manufacturer defect.

We strongly encourage and advise people to fully research what a VSC will cover, their cost, and which companies are reputable in the space before making a purchase. Two factors to keep in mind as you do your research are your personal risk tolerance and the average cost of repairs for your specific vehicle.

Today, we’re going to examine two companies that offer vehicle service contracts: CarEdge and Endurance Warranty. We’ll discuss the background of each of these companies, what their VSCs are designed to protect, and highlight a few customer reviews. Our hope is that by reading this you’ll be able to make an informed decision.

We’ll be happy to walk you through your VSC options. Create a free CarEdge account to schedule your call today.

CarEdge vs. Endurance: An Overview of the Companies

Before spending thousands of dollars on a VSC, we encourage you to learn about the companies providing them. Independent research is a must, however we’ve done some of the due diligence for you.

CarEdge and AUL Corporation

CarEdge was founded in 2020. We specialize in providing a number of solutions to our members to help them secure a great deal on a new car. As a part of our comprehensive tools for car buyers, we also offer vehicle service contracts through our partner company, AUL.

We interviewed many different extended warranty administrators in advance of deciding to work with AUL Corporation. There are a lot of “fly by night” companies out there, and AUL is not one of them.

AUL Corporation has been in business for 31 years. They are fully accredited with the BBB and have an A+ rating. Their BBB rating is 4 out of 5 based on 54 customer reviews, with corporate headquarters in Napa, California.

The reason we chose to work with AUL Corporation is because of their track record in the industry, commitment to customer service, and quality vehicle service contracts.

Endurance Warranty

Endurance Warranty has been in business for 15 years. They are based out of Illinois. They are not BBB accredited and they currently have a rating of C+ with the service. Their consumer rating is currently at 3.62 out of a potential 5.

As of this writing, Endurance Warranty’s page with the BBB has a warning that alerts consumers about misleading and confusing advertising practices. The BBB has gotten multiple complaints about mailers that contain deceptive wording and design features that make it seem like an official government document.

While Endurance ads commonly talk about plans being “extended warranties,” similar to the ones given by manufacturers, this is not truly the case. As the footer on their website shows, they actually offer vehicle service contracts.

However, Endurance is the underwriter for most of their plans, which can help when it comes time to file a claim.

CarEdge vs. Endurance: What Do the Vehicle Service Contracts Cover?

There are two big factors that need to be considered when you’re deciding which VSC to purchase: cost and coverage.

Costs

As we went over in our guide to vehicle service contracts, the cost of a VSC is based on your VIN and the mileage of your vehicle. As such, your cost and quote may be quite different from the quotes that other consumers receive for their vehicle.

You’ll need to request quotes from any prospective company to compare prices. Keep in mind that you may be able to use quotes to negotiate offers from other companies.

Here at CarEdge, we promise to always be transparent in our pricing. Currently, our pricing model charges a flat $500 markup on every VSC we sell. If we are required to change our pricing in the future, we will always provide a reason for the change. Our priority is transparency, so we encourage potential customers to reach out if they have any questions.

CarEdge Coverage

CarEdge’s VSCs are administered by AUL Corporation and are insured by American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida. We interviewed many different VSC administrators in advance of deciding to work with AUL Corporation.

AUL offers a comprehensive selection of coverage options under the umbrella of 15 different plans. These plans range from exclusionary coverage that will cover almost everything on your vehicle to stated coverages that are more hyper specific, along with some customizable levels of coverage.

Here at CarEdge we sell AUL’s Sentinel brand of products. There are four coverage options we are able to provide:

• Supreme Plus
• Supreme
• Premier
• Powertrain. 

Supreme Plus is the highest level of coverage that most closely mimics a manufacturer’s new car warranty. Supreme, Premier, and Powertrain are all stated coverages that are more limited in scope. In the spirit of transparency, you can view a sample contract as well as a breakdown of specifically what is and isn’t covered by each level of coverage by logging into your CarEdge account.

Take note that there is no coverage for issues that relate to abuse, misuse, or neglect. VSCs are intended to protect you from manufacturer defects, not other forms of breakdowns, like forgetting to change your oil or getting into a car accident.  

All of the plans from AUL come with a few notable perks, including:

• 24/7 roadside assistance with towing
• Trip interruption coverage of up to $100 per day for up to 3 days
• Rental car reimbursement

Please note that our VSCs are not currently available to customers in California, Florida, or Massachusetts.

Customers will be able to choose any repair shop that has been certified by ASE or AAA. This includes any local dealerships. Covered repairs will be paid directly to the repair shop. However, repairs must have prior authorization before they begin, and because AUL has long standing relationships with dealers, a service advisor will handle this on your behalf.

A deductible may be applied, depending on the type of plan you choose. As with any VSC, you should be fully aware of the deductible before you sign the contract.

Endurance Warranty Coverage

Endurance Warranty offers six tiers of plans to choose from, each with different levels of coverage. Let’s walk through each of these tiers.

Secure

As the lowest tier plan, this plan covers the powertrain, which includes the engine, transmission, and drivetrain.

Select Premier

This plan builds upon the Secure plan by adding coverage for fuel delivery systems, cooling system components, and electrical components.

Secure Plus

With the addition of coverage for the steering components, this plan builds upon the previous two plans’ coverage.

Superior

This program has the highest level of stated coverage, which means that it contains a list of components that are covered. It covers nearly every component, with the exception of seals and gaskets.

Supreme

As the only exclusionary plan offered, this program will cover everything on your vehicle that is not specifically itemized as an excluded component.

Endurance Advantage

This plan provides basic coverage for mechanical breakdowns, including coverage for some maintenance services. This is not something that is found in very many VSC plans.

We were only able to obtain one sample vehicle service contract from Endurance. You can learn more about their coverage by reading through it, or you can view all of their plans on their website.

Much like AUL Corp., there is no coverage for any issues related to neglect, misuse, or abuse. You’ll still be responsible for making sure any routine maintenance is kept up-to-date, as well.

Covered repairs may be completed at any shop that is ASE or AAA-certified. The invoice will be paid directly by Endurance Warranty over the phone. You may be responsible for a deductible, depending on your plan.

CarEdge vs. Endurance: The Customer Reviews

Reading customer reviews is a great way to determine how a company treats current and past customers. Let’s take a look at what past customers have had to say about each company.  

CarEdge Customer Reviews

Instead of looking at CarEdge reviews, we’re going to look at reviews for AUL Corporation. We are doing this because the reviews for CarEdge often focus on the other solutions that we offer to our members, such as our Market Price Report or our informational YouTube channel. Our reviews are quite good for both of those!

Since AUL manages the VSCs, we will showcase a handful of their reviews below.

Rosemary S., 5-star review, BBB site

“AUL has exceptional service customer support. I highly recommend them as your next warranty provider.”

KC C., 5-star review, BBB site

“AUL employees, who I have worked with for over 14 years, do an excellent job of trying to help dealers and their customers. I am very happy with the service and follow-up I have experienced over the years.”

Peter D., 1-star review, BBB site

“AUL is not a dealership level of mechanical breakdown insurance provider. They will often decline repairs as pre-existing and not pay normal retail dealership prices as they will attempt to ship in used parts or AutoZone parts. Most people don’t go to the dealership for used or brand X parts. If you are okay with these policies, find an independent shop that will accept AUL. My dealership stopped honoring AUL when AUL refused to use factory parts and shipped in gray market parts from out of state.”

AUL Corporation Response to Peter D.

“Thank you for taking the time to let us know about your concerns. You are correct that AUL is not responsible for fixing a car that you sold with known issues. We have never shipped or supplied parts from AutoZone and any part we do supply is completely covered by AUL. Any rental needed due to supplied parts issue would be covered, as well, so please give us a call to review. Thank you.”

We had to dig all the way back to October 2019 to find this 1-star review, and we are quite satisfied with the response from AUL. Otherwise, the majority of consumers who are leaving reviews for AUL are saying that they’ve had a positive experience.

Endurance Warranty Customer Reviews

We know that Endurance Warranty has had their BBB rating impacted by complaints of their advertising practices, but what do current customers think of them? Below, we’ll explore a few notable customer reviews.

Joel G., 1-star review, BBB site

“Sold the covered vehicle. Takes an act of Congress to cancel — they want a notarized letter with the mileage of the vehicle I traded in a month ago to cancel. They keep sending me bills for a policy.”

Bashaan C., 4-star review, BBB site

“My experience with Endurance customer service was great and very helpful. I’m very satisfied with the person who helped me today. Thanks.”

Ca S., 4-star review, BBB site

“Just signed up and other than having to wait 30 days and 1,000 miles, I am very pleased with them so far. Did a comparison shop between other companies and this one seems to be the best when it comes to cost, coverage, and quality customer service.”

CarEdge vs. Endurance: Who Do We Recommend?

It might not surprise you to find out that in the battle of CarEdge vs. Endurance, we recommend working with us. Our partnership with AUL Corporation allows us to provide a top-quality VSC to our members. We chose to work with AUL due to their excellent plans, affordable cost, and great customer reviews. Still not sure? Create a free CarEdge account to schedule your call today.