Summer usually flies by, which means that back-to-school season arrives before you know it. This time of year can serve as an excellent point for checking in on your vehicle, given that it marks the change of seasons. However, beyond this, it’ll be crucial to ensure that the warranty you have on your vehicle is able to handle any potential issues that arise.

Learn everything you need to know about getting your vehicle and warranty ready for the new school year.

Increased Vehicle Usage: The Back-to-School Impact

There are a variety of reasons that back-to-school season serves as a great check-in point for your vehicle, but the primary one is that your vehicle usage will increase drastically. Whether it’s the daily commute of taking your kids to and from school, driving them off to extracurricular activities, or simply road trips as the holiday season begins to pick up, your vehicle will be driven far more than normal.

In fact, the AAA created an entire campaign entitled “Schools Open — Drive Carefully!” to help reduce pedestrian-related fatalities due to the combined increase in the number of drivers and people on the road. As the wear and tear of daily driving takes its toll on your vehicle over time, you may notice a variety of commonly seen issues.

4 Common Vehicle Issues During Back-to-School Season

As mentioned, daily use of your vehicle can quickly lead to some common issues that most vehicles face at one point or another. The most notable of these include:

1. Brake Wear: The back-to-school traffic you will face dropping your kids off is no joke, and it can quickly lead to added wear on your brakes. From the constant stop-and-go traffic in the parking lot to potentially needing to slam on your brakes due to frustrated parents driving poorly, there is no shortage of reasons why your brakes may age quicker, resulting in brake fluid top-offs or new brake pads.
2. Tire Wear: Naturally, the more you drive your vehicle, the quicker the tires will start to wear down. Tire rotations are recommended every 5,000 miles or six months, and they tend to fall around the same time. During the back-to-school months, though, you may notice that you hit 5,000 miles far quicker than the six-month average, which means you may need to get your tires rotated more frequently.
3. Battery Life: One of the most common automotive issues faced by new and used cars alike is battery life issues during back-to-school months. Parents often leave their vehicles idling for long amounts of time or, with the stress of dropping kids off, forget to turn off headlights or other similar items. This can lead to an intense drain on your battery that potentially kills it, requiring assistance from a tow company.
4. Engine and Transmission Stress: Finally, the added driving will simply take a toll on both your engine and transmission in the long run. While both these parts have lengthy lifespans, increased driving will naturally move that needle closer and closer by the day.

Driving your vehicle more frequently during the back-to-school months may cause many more issues, which is why staying on top of your maintenance is so important. Even vehicles from higher-end brands such as Audi y BMW can have issues, which is why adding a warranty to your vehicle if you don’t already have one is crucial.

The Importance of an Up-to-Date Warranty

No matter how good you are at taking care of maintenance on your trusty vehicle, something can always go awry. That’s why having an up-to-date vehicle warranty or vehicle service contract tied to your car is so crucial. For those unfamiliar with it, a warranty offers financial protection against mechanical breakdowns by covering the repair costs so long as the issue is covered under the warranty. This is not the same as insurance, though, which is an important distinction.

Car insurance offers financial protection in the event of accidents or collisions, which is not covered by a warranty. The main three benefits having an up-to-date vehicle warranty can provide you during these upcoming back-to-school months include:

• Financial Protection: The primary benefit of keeping your warranty up to date is the financial protection it offers. Depending on the scope of the job, repairs can cost thousands of dollars on a vehicle, and many people don’t have those funds available.
• Peace of Mind: Knowing that you’re covered out on the road can offer much peace of mind and make you more comfortable behind the wheel. It can also help you feel more confident in your family’s safety.
• Pure Convenience: An often overlooked benefit of a warranty on your vehicle is the fact that you will gain access to a network of certified repair shops and quick repair work as a result, which can get you back on the road faster.

Checking Your Warranty Status

The last thing you want to discover during a mechanical breakdown is that your vehicle warranty is no longer active, as this will mean you are on the hook for repair costs. To avoid this, take the time to see if your Garantía de Fábrica or extended warranty is still active. First, review any warranty documents you were provided at the time of signing to see if they list an expiration date or terms that may void the warranty.

Assuming you are either unable to find information or the information is not clear, it’s a best practice to simply call your warranty provider and give them your information so that they can check in the system on your status and any available updates that may be ready. Finally, you should schedule a warranty inspection for your vehicle to make sure that all parts are in good condition and that there’s nothing you need to address to keep your warranty active.

Extended Warranties: Enhanced Coverage for the School Year

For those who only have a factory warranty and have never heard of an garantía extendida, the latter is offered by a third party rather than by the vehicle manufacturer (although manufacturers can also sell extended warranties). The primary benefit of an extended vehicle warranty lies in adding it to your vehicle once the factory warranty expires or overlaps with your factory warranty.

In some cases, extended warranty contracts may come with perks such as reimbursements for some maintenance tasks such as an engine oil change or tire rotations, though this is not standard. There is also a misconception that extended warranties are only for older vehicles, though this is not true.

While certain extended warranty contracts are geared toward older vehicles, these contracts can come in all shapes and sizes. For example, Endurance vehicle service contracts are often more comprehensive in nature and can offer coverage for things ranging from the coolant system, hoses, gaskets, general auto repair and major repairs, and more.

The terms powertrain and comprehensive coverage are often used with extended warranties, though they describe what is being covered under the contract. If you’re wondering what the cost of an extended warranty can look like, the answer is that it will vary. With that said, though, a study from USA Today determined an average cost of $108 per month, along with a deductible that will range from $0 to $250.

While this cost may appear steep for something you hope you never have to use, the benefits truly shine when your vehicle inevitably breaks down. No matter how well-built your vehicle may be, there is always the chance of failure in one or more parts. This is the exact reason why having an extended warranty contract for your vehicle, especially during the back-to-school season, is so important.

Back-to-School Safe Driving with Endurance

The last thing you need while driving your kids to school or on the way to pick them up is to experience a mechanical breakdown. From the hassle of arranging last-minute transportation for your kids to getting the bill associated with the needed vehicle repairs, there is nothing enjoyable about the experience. Fortunately, with extended warranty coverage, you can alleviate the concerns surrounding repair costs.

With Endurance Warranty, you have a variety of auto protection plans to choose from depending on your vehicle’s needs. For example, those with older vehicles that may only benefit from protecting the most crucial components, such as the engine, transmission, air conditioning, and similar parts, will likely see the most use out of our Secure Plus plan.

On the other hand, those with a newer vehicle that needs more substantial protection will likely enjoy our Supreme plan, which offers near bumper-to-bumper coverage. With a myriad of coverage options to choose from, you can truly customize your warranty experience to cover the vehicle repairs you need.

In addition to the above, Endurance customers receive a host of standard benefits, including Asistencia en carretera 24 horas al día, 7 días a la semana, towing, rental car reimbursement, and trip interruption coverage. You can also choose to activate additional Beneficios de élite with your new contract. This offers bonus perks such as reimbursements for up to four tires per year due to road hazards, up to $1,000 in total loss protection, and more.*

To learn more, contact an Endurance plan advisor at (800) 253-8203 o Solicite una cotización GRATIS. Tú también puedes shop our eStore to see your plan recommendations and pricing right away.