Keeping your vehicle in great condition should be a top priority no matter what kind of driving you do. Whether you rely on their car for daily commuting or you only take it out for short trips once in a while, knowing that it will start up every time you turn the key in the ignition is essential. That is why it is so important to have a protection plan in place that will help you keep your vehicle running smoothly for many years to come. When you buy a new car off the lot, it comes with a factory warranty provided by the manufacturer. Once that warranty is up, though, you are solely responsible for any repairs that need to be made, which can be a huge financial burden.
If you want to keep protecting yourself from high repair bills after your factory warranty is up, an extended warranty is a great option. An extended warranty, which is more accurately called a vehicle service contract (VSC), can be purchased from a third-party provider and give you the peace of mind you need when you are out on the road.
Endurance and Fortegra Auto Warranty both provide VSCs to drivers, and knowing how they compare and stack up against one another will help you make the right choice for your car and your bank account.
Endurance and Fortegra: Company Overviews
About Endurance Warranty
Since 2006, Endurance has been providing drivers with top-tier coverage for their vehicles. With a focus on customized coverage and a massive variety of plans, you can find something that will suit you well and give you the protection you need. Endurance offers plans ranging from the most basic powertrain coverage all the way up to protection for high-end luxury vehicles and exotic cars. Every plan is tailored to your specific needs so you can be sure that when something goes wrong with your vehicle, you will be able to get it repaired.
Endurance also offers mechanical breakdown insurance for California residents. VSCs are not available in California but MBI acts in a similar way and protects your vehicle from issues that can come up due to mechanical failures. This kind of complete and cohesive coverage makes Endurance an excellent option for drivers and cars of all kinds.
About Fortegra Auto Warranty
Fortegra is perhaps more well-known as an insurance company than a VSC provider. Founded in 1978, Fortegra has been steadily expanding its scope of coverage and has gone from a regional insurer to a country-wide protection operation. Fortegra offers extended coverage for a wide variety of items, including furniture, appliances, and electronic devices. The company also works with dealerships to provide VSCs to drivers as well as other vehicle coverage products like theft protection and GAP insurance.
Your Options for Coverage
Endurance Vehicle Protection Plans
Endurance offers pre-made plans that can help get you started on customizing your coverage to meet the specific needs of your vehicle. Knowing what your options are right off the bat is a good way to decide how much protection you need and which components of your vehicle need the most coverage. Our plans include:
- Supreme Plan – If you are looking for some of the best protection on the market, the Supreme plan is a great choice. In addition to the most important components like the engine and transmission, this plan offers complete coverage for everything from the cooling system to the electrical components to the seals and gaskets.
- Supreme for Highline Vehicles Plan – It can be difficult to get coverage for high-end cars and luxury SUVs, but the Supreme for Highline Vehicles plan is designed for them. With coverage for vehicles made by Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Alfa Romeo, as long as your car has fewer than 80,000 miles on the odometer and is less than eight years old, you can protect it.
- Superior Plan – The Superior plan offers crucial coverage for your vehicle’s most vulnerable and important components such as the engine, transmission, air conditioning, and much more.
- Select Premier Plan – Having a lot of miles on the odometer can limit your options when it comes to coverage for your vehicle, but the Select Premier plan is here to protect your high-mileage vehicle.
- Secure Plus Plan – Coverage for basic components can end up saving you a lot of money over the years. The Secure Plus plan covers parts like the engine, transmission, and drive axle, which can cost a fortune to repair.
- Secure Plan – If you are working with a strict budget, the Secure plan is here for you. This economic plan covers the most important parts of your vehicle’s powertrain so you can keep it running.
- Advantage Plan – When you need comprehensive, all-around coverage, the Advantage plan is your best option. This plan includes up to $3,500 in annual or routine maintenance for things like oil and oil filter changes. With proper maintenance and top-tier protection, you can keep your vehicle in great shape for many years to come.
Fortegra Auto Warranty Plans
Fortegra Auto Warranty provides vehicle service contracts through dealerships around the United States. Since the company is not a direct provider of service, the level of coverage you get may change from dealership to dealership. Fortegra Auto Warranty’s VSC includes parts and labor, but no specific plans are available.
According to the company’s website, though, they offer different types of coverage, including mechanical, pre-pay maintenance, lifetime warranty, auto auction warranty, and parts warranty, but how these different options cover your car will vary. Because of this, it is important to know exactly what is covered when you get a Fortegra VSC and that you have a complete understanding of what is being offered at the dealer.
What to Expect from Customer Service
Endurance Customer Service
In addition to offering high-quality coverage, Endurance is well known for having some of the best customer service in the industry. With a high star rating on Trustpilot with over 9,000 reviews in total, customers have been thrilled with the way Endurance handles issues and questions. We also maintain an A- consumer rating through the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
Many customer reviews have specifically singled out the customer service team for being courteous, helpful, and willing to go to any length to ensure that issues are remedied. Having this kind of service on your side will ensure that you can rest easy knowing that you won’t have to spend a lot of money whenever you need a repair done on your vehicle.
Fortegra Auto Warranty Customer Service
Unfortunately, Fortegra Auto Warranty’s reputation is not as stellar as it could be. With a very low star rating on Trustpilot, many customers have been unable to get the benefits they were promised when they signed up for their coverage. Since Fortegra offers protection for more than just vehicles, the reviews include complaints from people who have used Fortegra for everything from furniture to electronics, but plenty of vehicle owners have chimed in as well.
The main issue that seems to come up regularly is denied claims even when the customer was assured that a specific component would be covered. It is unclear whether this is the fault of Fortegra or the dealership where customers got their coverage, though, which is one of the downsides of working with a company that isn’t a direct provider. Because of these reviews, it is incredibly important that you have the dealer walk you through the fine print and which components will be covered before you sign up for a Fortegra VSC and that you get everything in writing whenever possible.
Claims Process Comparison
Endurance Warranty Claims
When the time comes to have a repair done on your vehicle using your Endurance coverage, the process is incredibly simple. All you have to do is take your car to the certified shop of your choice, present your Endurance contract to the service manager, and they will take care of the rest. As long as the repair is covered under your Endurance plan and you cover your contract’s deductible, all you have to do is wait for the repair to be done and then get back out on the road.
This easy claims process takes any guesswork out of the equation and makes it as quick as possible to use your coverage. Unlike other providers, which may require you to file a separate claim and present documentation so you can be reimbursed, Endurance is a direct provider of most of its plans — meaning we take care of everything in-house with very little in the way of admin on your part.
Fortegra Auto Warranty Claims
The claims process that Fortegra Auto Warranty uses is a little more traditional and complex than Endurance’s. When an issue comes up with your vehicle, you can take it to the dealership where you purchased the coverage and get it repaired there. If the dealer is far away or is not in a convenient location, though, you can also take your car to the mechanic of your choice. If you go this route, you should be prepared to collect extensive documentation and pay out of pocket upfront.
Once the repair has been done, you can contact Fortegra to get it reimbursed. It should be noted, however, that there is a lot of room for error in this process. The last thing you want to deal with is paying for an expensive repair and thinking that it will be covered only to find out that it is not. It can be helpful to go to the dealership whenever possible so you can be certain that your repair will be covered by your plan.
More Than Coverage: Extra Benefits and Perks
Endurance Benefits
On top of some of the best coverage in the industry, Endurance also offers a comprehensive collection of standard benefits with every plan. These include things like 24/7 roadside assistance, rental car coverage, and travel interruption coverage. For a small activation fee, you can also get access to the Elite Benefits program, which comes with extra perks such as tire repair or replacement, key fob replacement, $1,000 toward total loss protection, and more.* With these extra benefits, you can be sure that you will be safe and secure on the road, no matter what happens.
Fortegra Auto Warranty Benefits
While Fortegra Auto Warranty doesn’t explicitly state that its plans come with any extra perks, some add-ons can be included with your coverage as a separate product. These include tire protection, key protection, appearance protection, roadside assistance, and GAP coverage. Depending on the dealership where you purchase your plan, these may or may not be included or rolled into the overall cost of your vehicle. It is best to find out what additional costs these extras may add to your payments before you agree to any of them.
Get the Best Coverage for Your Car With Endurance
When the time comes to get the best possible auto protection for yourself and your vehicle, Endurance is here for you. With plenty of options available for everything from older high-mileage vehicles to newer luxury cars, there is something for everyone. Plus, Endurance even covers cars that other providers won’t, such as Canadian Gray Market vehicles, cars with a rebuilt or salvage title, and vehicles used for rideshare or delivery.
If you are ready for excellent coverage, contact our customer service department at (800) 253-8203 for a FREE quote. You can also shop online to see your price right away and make the right decision.
Be sure to check out the Endurance Warranty blog for more helpful guides on mechanical breakdown insurance, provider comparisons, DIY tips and tricks, and much more.