Carshield gets okay scores from NerdWallet compared to other extended car warranty providers. The company has sample contracts available online and the representatives we spoke to were professional and not pushy.
However, Carshield doesn’t actually let you see your quote online like competitors Endurance and Olive — you’ll have to call. Carshield, like several extended warranty companies we reviewed, is a broker, not a direct claims administrator. That means that Carshield doesn't review, grant, or deny claims itself, which can leave customers without a clear office to hold accountable. Carshield sells vehicle service contracts backed by American Auto Shield.
Based on our secret shopping, Carshield has one of the lowest-cost exclusionary plans (the most comprehensive coverage) for newer cars, but its used-car coverage is among the most expensive we reviewed. The actual cost of an extended warranty depends on your vehicle’s make, model, age and mileage, plus the level of coverage you choose.
Why trust NerdWallet
Our Home Services Team reviewed nine extended warranty companies across 50 unique rating factors.
We've read hundreds of pages of service agreements to compare coverage, exclusions and policies.
We've researched more than just the biggest national extended car warranty companies.
The Nerds' take on Carshield
Best for inclusive coverage
Cost comparison
$$
Online quote
No
Plan choices
Excellent
What makes it shine: Compared to other providers, Carshield’s month-to-month plan for a newer car is one of the cheapest per mile (based on an average of 1,200 miles driven monthly). The sample contract (from American Auto Shield) states that any teardown required to diagnose a problem will be covered, which isn’t the case for all extended car warranty companies. Also, for extras like roadside assistance and rental car reimbursement, Carshield’s per-repair caps are more generous than many competitors.
What could be better: Carshield doesn’t offer online quotes, so you must call to get one. Also, some cost factors could negate the savings of a lower monthly premium. For example, the per-repair deductibles quoted to us started at $250 (some companies start at $100). Also, emergency repairs without preauthorization are limited to $500 per breakdown. Carshield also promoted the month-to-month plan when we were shopping, which isn’t a fixed price like a term plan and could increase at any time.
📌 Carshield's extended car warranty plans
Carshield offers five plans, plus separate plan options for motorcycles, RVs and electric vehicles. All of Carshield’s plans are offered either via term (a set amount of time or mileage) or month-to-month. These are your options, from narrowest to widest coverage:
Aluminum: Specialty coverage for electrical and computer-based parts. Doesn’t cover basic powertrain elements like the engine and transmission. Covers the following components and systems:
- Engine control module.
- Starter.
- Alternator.
- Navigation or GPS.
- Electrical system components.
- Specific parts of the cooling, steering, air conditioning, suspension, brake, electronic, fuel, turbocharger and audio center systems.
Silver: Powertrain coverage. Covers the following components and systems:
- Major engine components.
- Major transmission components.
- Water pump.
- Specific parts of the turbocharger, transfer unit and drive axle.
Gold Select: Intended for cars with over 100,000 miles. Covers the following components and systems:
- Major engine components.
- Major transmission components.
- Water pump.
- Starter and alternator.
- Specific parts of the turbocharger, cooling, transfer unit, drive axle, air conditioning and electrical systems, such as power window motors.
Platinum: Extensive coverage for higher-mileage vehicles. Covers the following components and systems:
- Major engine components.
- Major transmission components.
- Water pump.
- Most parts within the cooling, transfer unit, drive axle, electrical, steering, air conditioning, suspension, brake, electronic, fuel, turbocharger, audio and emissions systems.
Diamond: Exclusionary coverage. This means the plan covers all parts and systems in your vehicle (with specific exclusions). This plan is intended to most closely replace an original manufacturer warranty.
🔎 Spotted by the Nerds: Carshield offers an EV-specific plan that includes the battery. Some extended warranties don’t include EV batteries, and some, like Endurance, only offer warranties for specific EV brands like Tesla.
💸 How much Carshield will cost you
These were the costs we were quoted for Carshield’s Diamond plan, adjusted to include down payments and likely contract terms:
- 2025 Toyota SUV with 5k miles: $43.32 monthly or 3.6 cents per mile.
- 2025 Audi sedan with 7k miles: $51.65 monthly or 4.3 cents per mile.
- 2017 Honda sedan with 80k miles: $129.99 monthly or 10.8 cents per mile.
The price you’ll pay with Carshield depends on your car’s make, model, age and mileage, plus the plan you choose. You have the option to pay upfront or make monthly payments, though the month-to-month and term plans are detailed in separate contracts.
Carshield will either reimburse you or the repair facility once your claim is approved. Carshield has an app for customers, and you can make payments online.
How Carshield’s pricing compares to competitors
Carshield’s exclusionary plan lands above and below the average prices we found when shopping, depending on the vehicle you’re getting quotes for. These are the average costs we found when shopping for an exclusionary plan across all the extended warranty companies we reviewed:
- 2025 Toyota SUV with 5k miles: $63 average monthly (about $35 to $115 range), or 5.4 cents per mile.
- 2025 Audi sedan with 7k miles: $84 average monthly (about $40 to $175 range), or 7.69 cents per mile.
- 2017 Honda sedan with 80k miles: $102 average monthly (about $60 to $140 range), or 8.49 cents per mile.
Deductible cost
Carshield quoted us different deductibles depending on the car we were shopping for.
- Toyota: $250, or $500 for an engine or transmission replacement.
- Audi: $500 for any repair.
- Honda: $1,000 for the first 90 days. $250 after 90 days, or $500 for an engine or transmission replacement.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
Car warranties, including Carshield's extended warranty plans, pay to repair or replace components and systems that malfunction because of mechanical or electronic failure. They don’t cover normal wear and tear, which means an item stops working because it's worn out. Wear-and-tear items typically include tires, brake pads and rotors. 💡 Carshield membership perks are generous
Like most other extended warranty companies we reviewed, Carshield offers 24-hour roadside assistance including towing, flat tires, lockout, battery and fuel/fluid delivery. Also, there are a few extra benefits you get with a Carshield extended warranty that some competitors don’t offer. Here are our favorites:
- Rental car coverage. Carshield pays up to $60 per day for up to 7 days for you to rent a car while your vehicle is under service, or up to 14 days for an engine or transmission replacement if you have a Diamond or Platinum plan. This is the highest-value rental car coverage among the warranty companies we reviewed.
- Trip interruption coverage. Carshield pays up to $125 per day for up to 4 days, or up to $500 per breakdown. Some competitors, like Endurance and American Dream, pay up to $150 per day, and others pay less or don’t explicitly offer this coverage.
- Teardown coverage. Carshield and CARCHEX are the only companies we reviewed that explicitly promise to cover the cost of a teardown if they require one to get to the root of your car’s problem.
🚨 The catch with Carshield
There are a few aspects of Carshield coverage with limits to watch out for. Here’s what to know:
- Perk usage limit. You can only use up to $125 of roadside assistance coverage per occurrence, and up to $500 total per contract term.
- Aggregate limit. Carshield will only cover repairs up to either $15,000 or the average retail value of your car, whichever is higher. On the phone, a Carshield representative told us that they will cover up to the cash value of the vehicle. Some warranties, like Endurance’s, have no set aggregate dollar limits, though some, like Ox’s, have a lower limit ($7,500).
- Vague per-repair limit. Carshield limits reimbursement to a “reasonable” cost of parts, but doesn’t define what reasonable means. Some companies’ coverage limits are more specific.
- No subsequent damage coverage. Carshield doesn’t cover damage to a covered part by a non-covered part, or vice versa. Some companies cover one or the other.
» Learn more: How to file a car warranty claim in five steps
🚙 Used-car coverage is pricey, but may work short-term
Carshield’s month-to-month structure can be appealing for used-car owners not wanting a long-term commitment. Since many used cars already have higher mileage, month-to-month coverage may be a budget-friendly way to get protection, without paying for a multi-year term you won’t use if you hit the mileage limit first.
However, Carshield doesn’t offer online quotes, and the quote we got on the phone for an older vehicle, $139.99 per month, was one of the highest for a stated component plan among the companies we reviewed. Deductibles also start high for used and higher-mileage cars, and with month-to-month unlimited coverage, costs could increase over time.
Who can get a Carshield plan?
Carshield sells plans in all U.S. states except for California, where there are special rules for vehicle services contracts. The company says they can refer interested California customers to a licensed mechanical breakdown coverage provider. Carshield also has different contracts for customers in Florida.
What car owners say about Carshield
This section highlights customer reviews and posts about Carshield. Reddit is an online forum where users share their thoughts in “threads” on various topics. The popular site includes plenty of discussion on financial subjects like extended car warranties, so I sifted through Reddit forums to get a pulse check on how users feel about Carshield. People post anonymously, so we cannot confirm their individual experiences or circumstances. Likewise, I can’t verify the experiences customers post on consumer review websites.
Carshield has mostly negative reviews on Reddit. One person reports a hassle-free engine replacement that more than paid for the monthly warranty cost. This user expressed shock that the extended warranty wasn’t a scam, especially after hearing bad things about Carshield on the internet.
🟢 A standout positive review:
"They take care of my car and the price is unbelievable. Sometimes too good to be true happens."
— Keith, Better Business Bureau review, May 2026
Negative comments about Carshield reflect general customer complaints about extended warranties. These typically include issues with high-pressure sales tactics, claim denials and unhelpful customer service. One Reddit user warned that some repair shops won’t work with Carshield because the company doesn’t pay them. Several users warn against extended warranties overall and recommend putting that money into a savings account, and many users call Carshield an outright scam.
🔴 A standout negative review:
"I expected clear communication, honest representation of benefits, and fair handling of my claim. Instead, I experienced a denial of coverage that I believe contradicts the promises and assurances provided when the policy was sold to me."
— Lawrence, Better Business Bureau review, May 2026
Carshield is Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited with an A+ rating. Its average ratings are fair (around 3.75 out of 5 stars overall) on customer review websites, including the BBB website, Consumer Affairs and Trustpilot. Other companies, like Endurance and Premier Auto Protect, have better average reviews.
🚨 Nerd Alert: When Carshield addresses complaints through the BBB website, they reference claim reviews through the warranty administrator, which is not Carshield. Carshield is a broker and does not review or deny claims, which seems to have caused issues for customers.
NerdWallet's Editorial Team Picks for Best Overall Extended Car Warranties
See which extended car warranties our writers and editors think are the best options for car owners.
What to know before buying an extended car warranty
To help avoid costly misunderstandings in the future, make sure to read the coverage and exclusions information in your contract. You have a right to read your contract before purchasing a plan, and it’s important to understand that extended car warranties:
- They always have exclusions to coverage, no matter what their sales pitches say. Read your contract carefully before purchasing a plan — especially anything listed as an exclusion or limit of liability. For example, extended warranties tend not to cover damage to a covered part that’s caused by a non-covered part.
- They’re not a type of insurance. Even though some companies call their service fees deductibles, car warranties do not work the same way as insurance policies. They differ in what they cover and how they pay for repairs or replacements. An extended car warranty is not a substitute for car insurance, and it’s not legally required like car insurance.
- They can deny your claim for several reasons. Examples include work performed on a covered item without approval, or modification of a system with aftermarket or used parts.
- They may not pay enough to cover the full cost of repairing a covered item. For example, extended car warranties often authorize hourly labor rates up to the repair facility's posted labor rate, and reimburse for the hours needed to complete the repair based on a nationally recognized labor guide. Your repair may take longer or cost more than your warranty is willing to pay.
Frequently asked questions about Carshield
How long do you have to have Carshield before you can use it?
You can start making claims through Carshield after 30 days or 1,000 miles, or 90 days and 200 miles, whichever comes first. This is standard for most of the extended warranties we reviewed. Competitor Olive has no wait time for you to start making claims after purchasing a warranty.
Does Carshield offer refunds?
Carshield does offer a full refund if you cancel within the first 30 days of your plan. After 30 days, you can still cancel and receive a prorated refund for a $75 fee.
Can I transfer my Carshield car warranty to a new car owner?
Yes, you can transfer your Carshield car warranty to a new owner for a $50 fee. Some warranties aren’t transferable (Toco), and some don’t charge a fee (Olive).
Alternatives to Carshield
Endurance
Best overall
Cost comparison
$$$
Online quote
Yes
Plan choices
Excellent
Why it's a good alternative to Carshield
Endurance:
- Is a direct provider and administrator that handles most of its own claims in-house.
- Offers seven customizable plans with built-in trip interruption coverage and roadside assistance.
- Makes quotes available online and clearly explains coverage in preview contracts.
This option makes more sense for car owners who want extra perks from a direct administrator.
Olive
Best consumer-friendly terms
Olive
Cost comparison
$$
Online quote
Yes
Plan choices
Limited
Why it's a good alternative to Carshield
Olive:
- Is the only extended car warranty company we reviewed with no waiting period for coverage to begin.
- Spells out exact national guides used to set labor cost limits.
- Has among the lowest per-mile and per-month cost for non-luxury car brands.
This option makes more sense for car owners who don't want to wait 30 days for their extended warranty to kick in.
Premier Auto Protect
Best for 24/7 claim filing
Cost comparison
$$$
Online quote
No
Plan choices
Good
Why it's a good alternative to Carshield
Premier Auto Protect:
- Offers 24/7 claims submission.
This option makes more sense for car owners who want the ability to file a claim anytime.
How we rate and review car warranties
Our Home Services team reviews car warranty companies with our readers in mind. We provide unbiased reviews that consider several factors, including cost, covered items, coverage limits, customer ratings, ability to choose your own repair shop and transparency. When rating car warranties, we researched 9 companies, compared terms and conditions in their service agreements and read customer reviews from three consumer review websites. While NerdWallet does have partnerships with some car warranty companies, our editorial team is not involved in that process to ensure unbiased reviews and recommendations. Read more about how NerdWallet rates car warranties.
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