
Best Truck Warranty
Nissan offers the best manufacturer-backed truck warranty of 2024, as its bumper-to-bumper warranty has the most comprehensive coverage and longest terms.
With our #1 rated provider,
Key Points:
- The best manufacturer-backed new truck warranty is offered by Nissan, which provides 5 years/100,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage for its trucks.
- Nissan also offers the best powertrain truck warranty, providing 5 years/100,000 miles of coverage to the parts that keep your truck moving.
- Ram and Jeep trucks, both covered under the Mopar® warranty, offer the best rust-through corrosion protection, covering your truck for its lifetime.
Truck owners know the importance of dependability. They also know that progressive damage from hard work can take its toll on a truck. A manufacturer’s truck warranty can help guarantee that your vehicle won’t break down when you need it most, leaving you with costly repairs.
In this article, we take a close look at different factory truck warranties, explaining coverage options and identifying which manufacturer offers the best one. Our team also researched the best third-party extended car warranty companies, ranking them by cost, coverage, and customer service. Continue reading to see which truck warranty is best and our recommendations for extending your truck’s protection.
An extended car warranty refers to mechanical breakdown coverage offered by a vehicle manufacturer. However, this term is often mistakenly used to describe coverage from third-party companies. Independent providers offer similar protection through vehicle service contracts, but we’ve used the terms interchangeably in this article for convenience.
What Is A Truck Warranty?
A truck warranty is an agreement between you and either your truck’s manufacturer or a third-party company to cover the costs of certain repairs within a limited time period. Depending on the type of coverage and repair, truck parts will either be replaced free of charge or with a small deductible.
These warranty programs don’t typically cover truck parts that wear out over time, such as brake pads or batteries. They’re more for major components, such as the engine, transmission, turbochargers, cylinder head, differential, and more. Whether you have a commercial truck for work, a heavy-duty truck for play, or a more compact model, a truck warranty may protect you from paying out of pocket for costly repairs.
Best Truck Warranties
The best warranties by top manufacturers in the truck industry help protect critical components in the event of a mechanical failure. These warranties come standard on all new trucks and some certified pre-owned used trucks, depending on the manufacturer.
Typically, truck warranties can be broken down into different categories–bumper-to-bumper, powertrain, and corrosion coverage. Learn more about which manufacturers offer the best truck warranties in each category below.
Best Bumper-To-Bumper Truck Warranty
A bumper-to-bumper truck warranty will cover the majority of your truck’s parts. This means the manufacturer will pay to repair or replace any covered components that stop working with normal use. Since coverage is extensive, these new vehicle limited warranties typically only list what isn’t covered.
Most manufacturers offer the same factory warranty coverage for their trucks as they do for their sedans and SUVs, but this isn’t always the case. The chart below shows the manufacturers that offer the longest bumper-to-bumper truck warranties.
Manufacturer | Truck Models | Bumper-to-Bumper
Truck Warranty Length |
---|---|---|
Nissan | Frontier, Titan, Titan XD | 5 years/100,000 miles |
Chevrolet | Colorado, Silverado, Silverado HD | 3 years/36,000 miles |
Ford | Maverick, Ranger, F-150, Super Duty | 3 years/36,000 miles |
GMC | Canyon, Sierra 1500, Sierra HD | 3 years/36,000 miles |
Honda | Ridgeline | 3 years/36,000 miles |
Jeep | Gladiator | 3 years/36,000 miles |
Ram | 1500, 2500, 3500 | 3 years/36,000 miles |
Toyota | Tacoma, Tundra | 3 years/36,000 miles |
The coverage provided by a bumper-to-bumper warranty is largely the same between manufacturers, with coverage length being the main difference.
Most car manufacturers that sell trucks in the United States provide 3-year/36,000-mile warranties. The exception is Nissan, which includes a 5-year/100,000-mile warranty for its Titan and Frontier models.
Best Powertrain Truck Warranties
Powertrain warranties cover only the powertrain components of your truck. This includes the engine, transmission, transfer case, fuel pump, fuel injectors, axles, and other parts that help supply power to your truck’s wheels and make it move.
Most truck manufacturers’ powertrain coverage terms are longer than their bumper-to-bumper coverage. Some companies may offer increased warranty protection for trucks with diesel engines. See the chart below for a full breakdown of warranty lengths from each brand.
Manufacturer | Powertrain Warranty Length |
---|---|
Nissan | 5 years/100,000 miles |
Chevrolet | 5 years/60,000 miles
(100,000 miles for diesel trucks) |
Ford | 5 years/60,000 miles |
GMC | 5 years/60,000 miles
(100,000 miles for diesel trucks) |
Honda | 5 years/60,000 miles |
Jeep | 5 years/60,000 miles |
Ram | 5 years/60,000 miles
(100,000 miles for diesel trucks) |
Toyota | 5 years/60,000 miles |
Nissan offers both the best bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranty for its new trucks. However, Chevrolet, GMC, and Ram all match Nissan’s offering for their diesel trucks, unlike Toyota, Jeep, Honda, and Ford.
Best Corrosion Truck Warranties
A rust-through corrosion warranty pays to replace sheet metal panels that are damaged by rust-through perforation. See the table below for a breakdown of rust-through corrosion coverage by vehicle manufacturers.
Manufacturer | Rust-Through Corrosion Warranty |
---|---|
Nissan | 5 years/unlimited miles |
Chevrolet | 6 years/100,000 miles |
Ford | 5 years/unlimited miles |
GMC | 6 years/100,000 miles |
Honda | 5 years/unlimited miles |
Jeep | Lifetime (not transferable) |
Ram | Lifetime (not transferable) |
Toyota | 5 years/unlimited miles |
While Nissan offers the best bumper-to-bumper truck warranty, it doesn’t have the best rust-through corrosion warranty. Ram and Jeep trucks, both covered under the Mopar warranty, will replace sheet metal parts that rust through for the lifetime of the vehicle.
Best Overall Truck Warranty Package
Among truck manufacturers, Nissan has the most comprehensive truck warranty. The automaker provides 5 years/100,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper and powertrain coverage. Ram and Jeep have the best rust-through corrosion warranty for trucks, but this is arguably less important than other warranties.
Do You Need An Extended Truck Warranty?
Extended warranties can be worth it for truck drivers who want peace of mind on the road. Any vehicle can have an unexpected breakdown, leaving you on the hook for hundreds or even thousands of dollars in repairs.
Truck owners may depend on their vehicles for their jobs and need them to perform. The best way to keep your truck running is to keep it well-maintained. But even the best-maintained trucks can experience a breakdown. An extended warranty could help you budget for repair costs and keep your truck in service longer.
However, the cost of an extended truck warranty may exceed the cost of outright repairs, especially if you have a reliable truck. That’s why it’s important to research reliability and average repair costs when considering extended warranty coverage.
Average Cost Of Truck Repairs
Our researchers use RepairPal when assessing reliability. RepairPal rates vehicles based on average annual repair costs, frequency of unexpected repairs, and the probability of a needed repair being severe. A severe repair costs more than three times the average annual repair cost across all models. For reference, the average chance of a severe repair is 18 percent for full size trucks, 13 percent for midsize trucks, and 12 percent for all vehicle models.
See below for a repair cost and severity breakdown from RepairPal.
Truck Model | Average Annual
Repair Cost | Chance of Severe Repair |
---|---|---|
Nissan Titan | $555 | 16% |
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | $714 | 16% |
Ford F-150 | $788 | 15% |
GMC Sierra 1500 | $727 | 15% |
Honda Ridgeline | $502 | 15% |
Jeep* | $634 | 13% |
Ram 1500 | $691 | 13% |
Toyota Tacoma | $478 | 17% |
*Because they’re so new to the market, Jeep Gladiator models are not yet provided an average annual repair cost by RepairPal. Therefore, we’ve included Jeep’s overall average annual repair cost instead of a model-specific cost.
The average annual repair costs for trucks can vary by hundreds of dollars among models. Knowing what to expect when with these costs can help make your decision on extended warranty coverage easier.
We also recommend researching the costs for specific repairs. For example, repairs for emissions systems, such as aftertreatment system repairs or an exhaust pipe replacement, can cost you a pretty penny. Internally lubricated parts within your engine and transmission are also expensive to repair and replace.
See the table below for specific truck model repairs across manufacturers. If you don’t feel comfortable with the costs of these repairs, an extended warranty may give you peace of mind.
Truck Model | Repair | Estimated Cost |
---|---|---|
Nissan Titan | Oil pump replacement | $1,820 to $2,232 |
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | Exhaust pipe replacement | $326 to $349 |
Ford F-150 | Camshaft replacement | $1,442 to $1,724 |
GMC Sierra 1500 | Fuel injector replacement | $940 to $1,054 |
Honda Ridgeline | Water pump replacement | $627 to $814 |
Jeep Gladiator | Radiator replacement | $901 to $937 |
Ram 1500 | Exhaust muffler replacement | $466 to $541 |
Toyota Tacoma | Head gasket replacement | $2,267 to $2,696 |
Aftermarket Vs. Manufacturer Extended Truck Warranties
Both manufacturer-backed and aftermarket extended truck warranties can provide mechanical protection for your vehicle, but there are some differences worth discussing. A third-party provider offers a more extensive and affordable selection of coverage levels. You’ll also have your pick of repair facilities across North America as long as you choose one that’s certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE®).
While you’re limited to having repairs done at a dealership with a manufacturer-backed plan, it does have its benefits. For example, your repairs are done by factory-trained technicians using original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts. With a third-party plan, your repairs may be done with aftermarket parts. Ultimately, you’ll need to decide what’s most important to you when choosing an extended warranty plan.
Best Truck Warranties: Our Take
In this review, we compared the best truck bumper-to-bumper factory warranties, powertrain coverages, and corrosion protection plans among automakers. While Nissan offered the best factory bumper-to-bumper and powertrain coverage terms overall, Ram and Jeep offer better coverage for rust and corrosion damages.
When your factory coverage runs out, you may want to consider an extended warranty, depending on the reliability of your vehicle. We recommend researching your vehicle and comparing warranty quotes to find out if extended warranty coverage is worth it for you.
You can start comparing truck extended warranty quotes with our free tool below.
Recommended Extended Truck Warranty Providers
Our team analyzed and reviewed dozens of third-party auto warranty providers. We then rated providers based on their reliability, coverage plans, pricing, transparency, and customer experience. Through this research, we named Endurance and CarShield as two of our top picks.
Learn more about each provider’s offerings down below.
Endurance: Best Overall
Endurance is our top choice for extended vehicle coverage. The company has warranties for both new and used trucks and even has plans that pay for maintenance services in addition to breakdown repairs. The six Endurance plans include:
- Supreme: This is an exclusionary, bumper-to-bumper warranty that includes coverage for most mechanical and electrical parts.
- Superior: This plan offers named-component coverage for hundreds of listed parts and systems, such as the cooling system, suspension, and fuel system.
- Secure Plus: This plan covers powertrain components as well as air conditioning, brake components, and steering.
- Secure: This is a basic powertrain plan that covers parts of the engine, transmission, and drivetrain.
- Select Premier: This plan is designed for high-mileage vehicles and covers most powertrain components.
- EnduranceAdvantage™: This plan includes three mechanical breakdown coverage tiers that also cover routine maintenance services such as oil changes.
Each plan comes with benefits like roadside assistance, towing, rental car reimbursement, and one free year of Endurance Elite benefits. Learn more about Endurance coverage by reading our Endurance warranty review.
CarShield: Best Flexible Payment Plans
CarShield, one of the most popular extended warranty companies in the industry, has six different service contracts for cars as well as protection plans for motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles. We love how CarShield offers flexible month-to-month contracts for those looking to avoid a long-term commitment. You can choose from the following plans:
- Diamond: This is an exclusionary bumper-to-bumper coverage contract.
- Platinum: This plan offers comprehensive coverage for high-mileage vehicles that includes most mechanical and electrical parts.
- Gold: In addition to all the items covered by the lower-tier Silver plan, this covers the alternator, starter, air conditioning, and power windows.
- Silver: This is powertrain coverage that includes all lubricated engine parts, the transmission, and the water pump.
- Aluminum: This plan gives specialty coverage for many electrical and computer-related parts, such as the engine control module, starter, alternator, and GPS.
- Electric Vehicle Coverage: Exclusively for EVs, this plan covers parts such as the electric drive unit, electrical system, battery pack, and more.
We encourage you to check out our CarShield review for more information on this provider.
Best Truck Warranty: FAQ
Below are some frequently asked questions about the best truck warranties:
Which truck manufacturer has the best warranty?
Nissan has the best truck bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage among all automakers with a term length of five years or 100,000 miles.
Should I get a truck extended warranty?
Truck extended warranties can be worth it if you want peace of mind when your vehicle breaks down. Costs for an extended warranty could offset large repair fees. However, you should check the reliability and average repair costs of your vehicle before making a decision, since the warranty may be more expensive than potential repairs.
What is the difference between a powertrain and a bumper-to-bumper warranty?
Powertrain warranties only cover parts that help supply power to your car’s wheels and make it move, like the engine, transmission, transfer case, fuel pump, fuel injectors, and axles. Bumper-to-bumper warranties are more comprehensive and cover almost everything between your front and back bumper–hence the name.
How We Rate Car Warranty Companies
Our review team extensively researches extended car warranty providers to deliver informed and unbiased assessments of leading companies. We evaluate several key rating factors that are important to consumers to determine which providers are the best in the industry:
- Reliability: Warranty providers that earn strong ratings from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), work with reliable partners and administrators, and have a long history in the warranty industry score well in this category.
- Coverage Plans: We take a close look at the coverage plans available through each provider, including how many are offered, maximum term limits, plan exclusions, and more. We also evaluate the added benefits companies include with their warranty plans, such as roadside assistance and trip interruption benefits.
- Pricing: Our team performs a secret shopper analysis for a variety of vehicles and coverage plans to get a sense of a provider’s average costs. We see how each company’s pricing, deductible options, and discount opportunities compare to competitors when determining this score.
- Transparency: We evaluate the availability and transparency of each company’s contracts, as well as whether each provider offers a money-back guarantee.
- Customer Experience: We consider customer reviews and complaints from sites like the BBB and Trustpilot. Our team also reaches out to customer service reps during our secret shopper analysis to get a sense of the customer experience with each company.