CARCHEX Reviews (Cost and Warranty Details)

Wondering if Carchex is worth it?

Read this Carchex review by industry expert, Chris Teague. 

When considering an extended warranty for your vehicle, dealing with pushy phone representatives and struggling to find information can be major turnoffs. Unfortunately, this is a common experience in the extended warranty industry.

However, some companies defy this trend by providing transparent customer service and friendly phone representatives who make your interaction with the brand a pleasant one. Carchex is among the best in the business in this regard. Their customer service is top-notch, and compared to their competitors, dealing with them over the phone is an absolute pleasure. Also, check out 2023’s list for the top 3 best extended car warranties.

Key Takeaways from this CARCHEX Review:

• Carchex is an established extended warranty provider with over two decades of experience. They offer coverage options for a wide range of makes, models, and conditions.
• Carchex provides multiple levels of warranty coverage, add-on plans, and additional benefits such as fuel delivery and roadside assistance. It is important to thoroughly understand the coverage offered by your chosen warranty plan, including specific details regarding covered repairs.
• Many complaints and negative customer reviews about Carchex can be attributed to customers who did not fully comprehend their warranty plan and the included coverage. Some customers expressed dissatisfaction with having to pay deductibles or discovering that certain parts of a major repair were not covered by their plan.
• Carchex’s prices are reasonable, although they may vary depending on the vehicle and chosen coverage level. Financing options are also available.

Carchex Warranty Pros and Cons

It can be hard to determine how a company will fit your lifestyle from reading a few online reviews. We’ve purchased warranty plans from Carchex before and know how the process works, so let’s look at some of the highs and lows.

About Carchex

With more than two decades under its belt, Carchex is an elder statesman among extended warranty companies. It’s also an ideal choice for customers with higher-mileage vehicles or older models, as Carchex offers coverage options for a wide range of makes, models, and conditions.

The company’s products include four levels of warranty coverage and an add-on extra care plan. Starting with the bronze plan, Carchex covers everything from powertrains to hundreds of components in the top titanium plan. Customers get extras with coverage, including fuel delivery and roadside assistance, that add to the value of their plans, and Carchex offers a choice of repair shops from a massive pool of certified repair locations.

Though it’s generally regarded as one of the best-extended warranty providers, Carchex is not a direct administrator, so it’s dependent on third parties for claims and other services. Customer service seems to differ between customers with different administrators, with some reporting fast turnaround times and quick responses and others noting extended wait times.

Carchex Process to Get Started

Carchex requires that you give up some personal information to get a quote, including your phone and email address. That’s a bit of a bummer for many people, but the good news is that the company doesn’t spam call a dozen times a day. Carchex’s representatives also seem genuinely interested in making the experience better and more comfortable for prospective customers. They’re also quick to answer questions and don’t lay on the super thick sales tactics that come from so many others in the industry.

Customers can choose from a range of deductibles, with some plans offering low- or no-cost deductibles in exchange for higher monthly payments. Carchex offers the ability to split the cost of its plans across up to 24 months, but the 18-month option provides a faster payoff. If you’re a first-time customer or are in a special group, such as teachers, military, and law enforcement, you may be eligible for discounts that lower your monthly payment or lump sum if you’re paying for the plan upfront.

New customers have to wait 30 days and 1,000 miles before filing a claim. That may sound like a harsh limit, but it’s in place to keep customers from signing up with an already broken car. It’s a reasonable expectation, but it also means you’ll be out of luck if your car breaks down during the waiting period.

Review Carchex Extended Warranty Claims and Process

Carchex covers repairs at certified shops, which can include ASE, AAA, and RepairPal locations. When a breakdown occurs, the customer can take the car to one of the locations for an assessment, during which the shop will communicate with Carchex to determine if the failed component or components are covered by the warranty. From there, the shop will perform the repairs and work with Carchex on payment.

The process is supremely easy and doesn’t require much thought, but there are a few things to keep in mind with Carchex and claims. The first is that the company might not cover the entirety of a repair, even if it’s for a covered component or system.

Carchex Customer Reviews

I owned a 2010 Porsche Cayenne GTS that needed a significant repair to its timing system, which totaled more than $4,500. Carchex covered most of the repair, but I was left with an almost $1,000 bill for my share. While that’s better than paying the entire amount, it can be a shock to a vehicle owner expecting to get out with just the deductible to pay.

Reasons Carchex Denies Claims

Extended warranty companies try to differentiate themselves from the competition with more elaborate and generous add-on coverage bonuses, but they all tend to be far less creative when it comes to reasons to deny claims. Carchex, like most others in the industry, won’t cover modified components and is happy to deny your claim if you’ve abused or neglected maintenance. The company is also quick to note that it’s not an insurer and will not cover damage that occurs during a wreck, vandalism, theft, or natural disaster.

Routine maintenance and wear items are also excluded, which means that oil changes, tire rotations, belts, hoses, tune-ups, and other items are not covered. Carchex also notes that it will not cover components that have not failed or moved past what the automaker considers as a safe or normal operating range. In other words, you may hear funny noises coming from under your hood, but the repair won’t be covered unless the component has failed or had its functionality almost completely reduced.

Carchex Warranty Cost

Carchex’s prices are not the cheapest around, but they are reasonable and appropriate for the coverage levels. Most people pay between $100 and $250 per month for a Carchex extended warranty, but every vehicle is different. When I purchased a Carchex extended warranty for my high-mileage 2010 Porsche Cayenne GTS, it cost $275 per month and required a $195 down payment. Most plans are much less than that, as a 200,000-mile German car comes with a unique and very expensive set of maintenance requirements that many others don’t. The good news is that Carchex offers coverage for vehicles of all types and with mileages of up to 250,000 miles, so there’s a great chance that your vehicle qualifies.

Carchex’s add-ons are a big selling point for the company, as its customers get several benefits with their extended warranty policy. The list includes rental car reimbursement, emergency roadside assistance, towing, trip interruption reimbursement, and more. Customers have 30 days to determine if Carchex is right for them, and the company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for plans that have not been used.

Carchex Warranty Reviews BBB

The Better Business Bureau has 166 reviews on Carchex as of July 2023, and the company has amassed a 1.98/5 star review on the site. It’s always interesting to see how different customers assess the experience they had, and many of the clients that left Carchex a negative review seem to have had difficulty understanding the coverages provided by their selected warranty plan. Others were surprised by having to pay a deductible, or that part of a large repair wasn’t covered by their plan.

Though some warranty companies act as direct administrators, cutting out the third parties and smoothing the process, Carchex isn’t one of them. Its phone reps are knowledgeable and not pushy, but there can be customer service hiccups when dealing with more than one company on a claim. Some people had difficulties getting a refund or reaching the correct person to solve an issue, but most reviewers reflected positively on their experience with Carchex.

CarShield vs. Carchex BBB Rating

While Carchex may appear to have a low average customer review rating on BBB, it is worth noting that they hold an A+ BBB rating and are accredited. This A+ rating is commendable, especially when compared to one of the industry’s other major extended car warranty companies, CarShield.

CarShield, on the other hand, has an average BBB customer review rating of 1/5, derived from 2,234 customer reviews. CarShield’s BBB rating stands at D, and the company is not accredited. Feel free to explore CarShield’s review further!

Should You Buy a Carchex Warranty?

Carchex stands out among the sea of other warranty providers as one with transparent phone reps and friendly customer service. While it can be a bit old-school to deal with at times and requires a phone call to get started, the company is one of the more easily recommended choices in the industry. Coverage options are solid, and there’s a plan for almost any driver and vehicle. Pricing is also reasonable, though higher-mileage models may cost more over the length of the warranty.

Having said that, it’s important to enter any business arrangement with caution, and it’s a good idea to understand what you’re getting into with any extended warranty company. Many of the worst Carchex reviews state that there was confusion on what the warranty covered and how much, so you’ll be well served to take the time and review what is included in your plan.

Carchex Alternatives

Carchex is one of the most well-known companies in the space, though it doesn’t offer coverage in California and limits access to some of its popular add-on options after one year of service. Olive is a great alternative as well, and it’s one of the few companies that don’t require a phone call to get started. That said, Olive is very strict on coverage restrictions and isn’t the cheapest option, so budget shoppers will need to look elsewhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

If you’re considering Carchex as your extended car warranty company, take a look at the following ratings. These ratings are based on the key criteria you should consider when choosing the best-extended car warranty companies.

About Author

Teague-Residential & Automotive Product Researcher