Having a reliable vehicle is incredibly important, especially if you depend on your car to get you to and from work or drive your family around throughout the day. A breakdown can be frustrating and throw a wrench in your life, but the cost of repairs can be an even bigger problem.

That’s why you must have the protection you need for your vehicle so you can rest easy knowing that no matter what happens, you will be covered. An extended warranty, more accurately called a vehicle service contract (VSC), is a great way to have confidence that you won’t have to break the bank to get your car back out on the road.

When you buy a new car, the manufacturer provides a factory warranty. This warranty is designed to protect you from repairs due to issues at the factory or design flaws with the vehicle. Once the factory warranty is up, though, you will be responsible for any repairs that need to occur on your now used car. An extended car warranty can be purchased from a third-party provider and comes in a variety of forms and lengths.

Endurance and Allstate are two of the leading providers of auto protection, and knowing how they compare will help you make the right decision for yourself and your vehicle.

Understanding the Providers

Intro to Endurance Warranty Services

Endurance has been offering a wide range of high-quality auto protection plans since 2006. Based in Illinois, Endurance offers vehicle service contracts for cars and drivers of all kinds, covering everything from older, high-mileage cars to top-tier luxury vehicles. Endurance also covers vehicles that other VSC providers won’t, such as Canadian Gray Market vehicles, cars used for commercial purposes like delivery or rideshare, and vehicles with a rebuilt or salvage title.

One thing that sets Endurance apart is that the company also offers mechanical breakdown insurance (MBI) to California residents. Because of strict regulations in the state, extended warranties and vehicle service contracts are not available in California. With mechanical breakdown insurance, though, California drivers can get coverage for their vehicles and protect themselves from expensive repairs just like they would with an extended car warranty.

Allstate Vehicle Protection: An Overview

Allstate is one of the largest insurance product providers in the United States. Founded in 1931 by Sears, Roebuck and Co., Allstate has been helping protect property for a long time. The company is one of the largest corporations in the country and is a trusted name for protection. In addition to car insurance, Allstate also offers vehicle protection plans of all kinds and a range of products to help keep your vehicle in good shape and safe on the road.

Allstate’s Extended Vehicle Care is designed to extend your car’s manufacturer’s warranty and help you pay for repairs when they come up so you don’t get blindsided by high bills at the shop when an issue arises with your vehicle. If you are looking to work with a company that has been around for many years and has built a solid reputation, Allstate could be a good option.

Comparing Coverage Options

Endurance Warranty Plans Explained

Endurance offers a wide variety of vehicle service contract plans to help you get the best possible coverage for your car. While all of the plans are customizable, the options include:

• Supreme – Endurance’s Supreme plan is meant to be as close to your manufacturer’s warranty as possible. The covered parts include things like the cooling system, electrical components, seals, gaskets, and tech features that other providers don’t generally cover.
• Supreme for Highline Vehicles – If you own a Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Alfa Romeo, or other top-of-the-line luxury car, the Supreme for Highline plan is perfect for you. If your luxury car is less than eight years old and has fewer than 80,000 miles on the odometer, the Supreme for Highline plan is a great option. This plan also comes with a list of exclusions to make it easy to get the coverage you need.
• Superior – The Superior plan offers coverage for the parts of your car that are most likely to break down and the most expensive to fix as well as the most essential. These include things like the engine, transmission, A/C, and more.
• Select Premier – If you own a high-mileage vehicle, the Select Premier plan is designed to give you protection, even if other providers won’t.
• Secure Plus – The most important parts of a car, such as the engine, transmission, and drive axle, also tend to be the most expensive to repair. The Secure Plus plan offers affordable coverage for those components on older cars, which are even more likely to need protection.
• Secure – If you are working with a small budget but still want protection for your vehicle, the Secure plan is the one for you. This plan covers your vehicle’s powertrain to help you keep it running smoothly.
• Advantage – Advantage offers incredibly comprehensive coverage and up to $3,500 in annual or routine maintenance costs, such as oil changes and oil filter replacements. This can be helpful if you want to avoid having to get repairs in the first place and save money by keeping up with your regular maintenance.

Allstate Vehicle Protection Plans

While Allstate offers a few different automotive protection products, the main Extended Vehicle Care product is available with three different plans that you can mix and match according to your specific needs. These plans include:

• Powertrain – Allstate’s Powertrain protection plan covers some of your vehicle’s most important components like the engine, drive axle, and transmission. If you want the most basic protection for your car, this could be the best option for you.
• Comfort & Tech – The Comfort & Tech plan covers some of the safety equipment and comfort components in your vehicle. Things like the seats, seat belt systems, and air conditioning all need to be repaired from time to time and it is helpful to have coverage when that time comes.
• Core Systems – Aside from the powertrain components, there are other essential systems on your vehicle that need to be protected. The Core Systems plan covers the steering, exhaust, and suspension systems so you can be sure your vehicle is safe at all times.

If you want additional coverage for your vehicle beyond what the different plans offer, the warranty company provides some extra products that you can purchase. This includes Allstate Tire and Wheel, which provides wheel and tire repairs, maintenance, and replacements. You can also get Allstate Windshield and Dent Repair, which covers chips and cracks in your windshield, and paintless dent repairs for dents up to four inches.

Evaluating Customer Service

Endurance Customer Service

Endurance is well-known for having some of the best customer service in the industry. With an award-winning customer service team and a dedication to helping customers solve problems as they arise, Endurance is an excellent option for drivers who want to feel like their VSC provider has their best interest at heart. Plus, with the Endurance mobile app, you can access your plan 24 hours a day and get the roadside assistance or service you need whenever you are behind the wheel.

Allstate Customer Service

While Allstate has a good reputation for customer service, it is important to remember that it is an extremely large corporation. This means that you may not be able to get the kind of personalized service you are looking for in an extended warranty provider, especially when you need a question answered or service after business hours. If personalized service is not important to you, the company’s reputation and longevity could be enough to make it a good choice for your vehicle service contract.

Claims Processing

Endurance Claims

Endurance aims to make the claims process as simple as possible, no matter what the issue is with your vehicle. When your car breaks down or needs repair, all you have to do is take it to the certified shop of your choice. From there, you can present your Endurance contract to the service manager, and they will contact Endurance and take care of anything else.

All you have to do is pay your deductible if you have one and get the car repairs you need. If any issues arise or you have any questions, Endurance’s award-winning customer service team is on hand to help you get the information or answers you need.

Allstate Vehicle Protection Claims

Allstate’s claims process is fairly similar to Endurance’s and is also designed to be as straightforward as possible. When you need a repair for your vehicle, you can take it either to the dealership or a certified shop, and Allstate will be notified. If the repair is covered under your current plan, you will pay the deductible, and everything else will be taken care of.

Suppose the shop is unable to contact Allstate. In that case, you can also make a claim through the Allstate website and potentially get reimbursed for the repair after it has been made, but this carries an element of risk since not every repair will be covered under your plan, so it is best to make sure the procedure is covered before moving forward.

Additional Benefits and Perks

Endurance Plan Benefits

In addition to comprehensive repair coverage, every Endurance customer also gets access to an extensive collection of standard perks and benefits. These benefits include 24/7 roadside assistance and towing, rental car coverage, and trip interruption protection so you can be protected no matter what happens out on the road. For a small activation fee, Endurance customers can also get access to the Elite Benefits package, which includes tire repair or replacement, key fob replacement, $1,000 toward total loss protection, and more for extra coverage.

Allstate Vehicle Protection Benefits

Allstate also offers a few extra perks and benefits in addition to coverage plans. These benefits include roadside assistance, alternate transportation, and trip interruption coverage. The alternate transportation perk will help cover a rental car as well as rideshare costs if that is more convenient for the length of time that your vehicle will be in the shop. All of these perks have cost limits, though, so it is important to know what will and will not be covered when you are taking advantage of them.

Customer Reviews and Ratings

Endurance Customer Ratings

Endurance is rated high by customers on review sites across the Internet, with many clients feeling that the service and range of products are highlights of their experience. Customers specifically mention the customer service team and their willingness to help, as well as their overall knowledge of the company’s products. Endurance currently holds a high star rating on Trustpilot, with over 7,000 reviews in total and many reviewers commenting on the excellent service they have received. Other customers there reported that they felt that the claims process was easy and that there were no issues with getting the repairs they needed for their car.  The company also maintains an A- consumer rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website and over 4 stars on Google.

Allstate Vehicle Protection Ratings

Allstate is also favorably reviewed on sites like the Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot. Many customers have pointed out that the representatives they have dealt with were friendly and knowledgeable and that the claims process was relatively simple. One thing that is consistent throughout the many customer reviews, though, is a tendency for repairs not to be covered once the car gets to the shop. Because of this, it is important to know exactly what your plan covers and what is excluded.

Why Endurance Is the Best Choice for Your Vehicle

If you want peace of mind whenever you get behind the wheel of your car, having a high-quality vehicle service contract is key. With Endurance, you can be sure that you are getting the very best coverage as well as top-notch customer service every step of the way. No matter what your needs are, having the right VSC on your side will give you confidence when you are on the road.

Endurance offers a variety of customized plans, top-of-the-line protection for your vehicle, and an award-winning customer service team. With helpful benefits and extra perks to keep you and your vehicle safe, Endurance will help protect your car and keep it running smoothly.

Take advantage of our 30-day money-back guarantee and contact our award-winning customer service department at (800) 253-8203 for a FREE quote. You can also shop online to see your price right away.

The Endurance Warranty blog also features automotive information, including comparisons with other providers like CarShield and CARCHEX, repair facility reviews, mechanical breakdown insurance, FAQs, and more.