Olive is one of NerdWallet’s top picks for an extended car warranty provider. It offers online quotes and purchasing with flexible deductibles and monthly payments. There’s no waiting period to start coverage, and plans are free to transfer to a new owner.
Based on our secret shopping, Olive’s coverage is on the pricey end compared to other companies for a luxury vehicle like an Audi, but on the lower end for a non-luxury brand like a Toyota. The actual cost of an extended warranty depends on your vehicle’s make, model, age and mileage, plus the level of coverage you choose.
It’s also important to note that Olive, like several extended warranty companies we reviewed, is a broker, not a direct claims administrator. That means that Olive doesn't review, grant or deny claims itself, which can leave customers caught in the middle if something goes wrong.
To give you a better idea of Olive’s offerings, NerdWallet’s editorial team investigated contracts, compared quotes for different vehicles and read dozens of customer reviews. Here’s what we found.
Why trust NerdWallet
Our 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 Olive
Best for inclusive coverage
Cost comparison
$$
Online quote
Yes
Plan choices
Limited
NerdWallet rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.
What makes it shine: Olive's online quote functionality lets you select higher deductibles for a lower cost and enables you to purchase online. It was the only extended car warranty company we reviewed with no waiting period for coverage to begin. Most other companies have a 30-day waiting period. Olive’s terms and conditions document also spells out details others don’t, such as the exact national guides used to set labor cost limits.
We also liked that Olive was the only company that did not try to sell us overlapping coverage on a new car still under the manufacturer’s warranty. Instead, they told us to check back about six months before the factory warranty ends.
What could be better: For an emergency, unauthorized repair, Olive requires you to report the repair to them the next business day, while other companies allow five business days. Also, Olive’s per-mile and per-month cost for a luxury vehicle was the highest, but it was among the cheapest for non-luxury brands. And, Olive has only three different plans.
📌 Olive's extended car warranty plans
Olive offers three plans. All three have a 36-month or 185,000-mile term, whichever comes first. These are your options:
Powertrain: Major vehicle components. Covers the following components and systems:
- Engine.
- Transmission.
- Front-wheel drive.
- Rear-wheel drive.
Powertrain Plus: Major components, suspension and air conditioning. Covers everything in the Powertrain plan, plus:
- Odometer and speedometer.
- Steering.
- Front suspension.
- Rear-wheel drive.
- Brake system.
- Air conditioning.
- Electrical.
Complete Care: Exclusionary or bumper-to-bumper. Covers everything in the Powertrain Plus plan, plus high-tech elements, seals and gaskets.
💸 How much Olive will cost you
Monthly fees
These were the costs we were quoted for Olive’s Complete Care plan, adjusted to include down payments and likely contract terms:
- 2025 Toyota SUV with 5k miles: $49.95 monthly or 4.2 cents per mile.
- 2025 Audi sedan with 7k miles: $172.65 monthly or 14.4 cents per mile.
- 2017 Honda sedan with 80k miles: $84.36 monthly or 7 cents per mile.
The price you’ll pay depends on your car’s make, model, age and mileage, plus the plan you choose. You have the option to pay upfront or make payments with Olive. Olive will reimburse you or the repair facility once your claim is approved. Olive has an online customer portal where you can access your contract, payment information and claims.
How Olive’s pricing compares to competitors
Olive’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 5.29 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: $98 average monthly (about $60 to $140 range), or 8.16 cents per mile.
Deductible cost
With Olive, you can choose a $100, $250 or $500 deductible. A higher deductible will result in lower monthly payments. The monthly payments we were quoted were for a $100 deductible.
Olive is the only company we reviewed that allows you to choose your deductible online. Other companies, like Endurance, offer flexible deductibles as well, but you’ll need to negotiate that over the phone with the sales team.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
Car warranties, including Olive'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. 💡 Olive membership perks are mid-level
There are a few extra benefits you get with an Olive extended warranty. Here are our favorites:
- Rental car coverage. Olive pays $35 per day for up to 5 days, or $175 maximum, for you to rent a car while your vehicle is under service. Some extended warranties offer slightly more coverage — Carshield, for example, offers up to $60 per day or $420 total.
- Towing reimbursement. Olive doesn’t offer a full roadside assistance package, but they do reimburse you up to $100 per claim for towing services.
- No time limit on perks. Unlike some other companies we reviewed, there’s no limit to the number of times you can take advantage of Olive’s rental car or towing coverage within a given timeframe.
- Aggregate limits. Olive has no set aggregate dollar limit for its exclusionary plan. All repairs and benefits can't exceed the vehicle’s retail value. This is one of the better aggregate limit policies we saw when shopping for extended warranties. Several companies have a set cash limit, such as $7,500, no matter how much your vehicle is worth.
- Resulting damage. Olive covers damage to a non-covered part by a covered part with a Complete Care plan. It’s one of only three companies we reviewed that does this (Toco and Ox Car Care), and it’s the top-rated of the three. Some companies don’t address resulting damage in their contracts at all.
🚨 The catch with Olive
There are a few aspects of Olive coverage with limits to watch out for. Here’s what to know:
- Vague per-repair limit. Like other companies we reviewed, Olive limits reimbursement to the repair or replacement cost of a failed part that’s covered in your contract. However, they say they’ll restore your vehicle to the “same or like condition,” which is less specific than some companies’ coverage limits.
- Next-day reporting. For an emergency, unauthorized repair, Olive requires you to report the repair to them the next business day, while other companies allow up to five business days.
» Learn more: How to file a car warranty claim in five steps
🚙 Some used cars might not be eligible
Olive has no waiting period for coverage and doesn’t require an inspection, which can be a benefit with a used car. You can also buy coverage online and activate it immediately. We also liked that Olive’s quote for a car with 80,000 miles on the odometer was among the lowest of the companies we researched.
However, Olive has the lowest maximum mileage of any company we reviewed. This means many older cars wouldn’t be eligible for coverage. There are also only three plan options, and claims administration is handled by a third-party company.
Who can get an Endurance plan?
Olive sells plans in all U.S. states except for Massachusetts. In California, where there are special rules for vehicle services contracts, Olive only sells mechanical breakdown insurance.
What car owners say about Endurance
This section highlights customer reviews and posts about Olive. 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 Olive. 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.
Olive has very mixed reviews on Reddit, and there’s less chatter about the company than more popular warranty companies like Endurance. One user highlighted the affordable pricing and hassle-free claims. Another was even surprised when their repairs got covered without a struggle.
🟢 A standout positive review:
Negative comments about Olive online are in line with the frustration customers report about extended warranties in general. The most common complaints about Olive are claim denials blamed on "pre-existing conditions” and repairs getting rejected because the cost exceeds the car's value. Customers also report strict maintenance requirements that can void your coverage. Some say that Olive is more consumer-friendly than some competitors, but most users warn against extended warranties overall.
🔴 A standout negative review:
"No one made it clear that the policy needed to be mentioned right away before the work was performed, and now they won't let me submit my claim for any reimbursement at all. So now I'm paying a monthly payment, yet still eating the cost of $720 of work done that is absolutely covered under my policy. Not helpful and not clear on the process."
Olive is Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited with an A+ rating. Its average ratings are mediocre 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 Olive addresses complaints through the BBB website, they state that Olive is not the warranty administrator and does not review or deny claims. Because Olive is a broker, they’re not liable to address issues, 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.
Nerdy Perspective
When I shopped companies that offer extended car warranties, I found that many attempted to gloss over important details and pushed for me to commit on the spot. Repeatedly, I was given a high-level list that included the engine, transmission, electrical system, etc. for exclusionary coverage. When I asked specific questions, I was assured I would be getting a plan that “covers everything.” But when I obtained a sample agreement, that wasn’t always true. Comparing contract details is important.
Frequently asked questions about Olive
How long do you have to have Olive before you can use it?
Olive has no wait time for you to start making claims after purchasing a warranty. Most of the extended warranties we reviewed have coverage that kicks in after 30 days or 1,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Does Olive offer refunds?
Olive does offer a full refund if you cancel within the first 30 days of your plan. After 30 days, you can still cancel for a prorated refund. Olive doesn’t list any cancellation fees. Some extended warranty companies, like Endurance, have clearer refund terms.
Can I transfer my Olive car warranty to a new car owner?
Yes, you can transfer your Olive car warranty to a new owner for free. This is a rare perk – some warranties aren’t transferable (Toco) and several others charge a $50 fee.
Alternatives to Olive
Endurance
Best overall
Endurance
Cost comparison
$$$
Online quote
Yes
Plan choices
Excellent
Why it's a good alternative to Olive
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.
Carshield
Best for low cost per mile (new car)
Cost comparison
$$
Online quote
No
Plan choices
Excellent
Why it's a good alternative to Olive
Carshield:
- Offers one of the cheapest per-mile plans for a newer car.
- Covers the cost if they require a teardown to diagnose a problem with your car.
- Has higher maximums for roadside assistance and rental car reimbursement.
This option makes more sense for car owners who want lower premiums and don't mind a higher deductible.
Premier Auto Protect
Best for 24/7 claim filing
Cost comparison
$$$
Online quote
No
Plan choices
Good
Why it's a good alternative to Olive
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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