In-Depth Review of The Volvo Warranty (2020)

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It would be great if you could drive your Volvo and not have to worry about repairs. For the first four years, the Volvo warranty has you covered. But after that, you’re on your own for repair costs.

We’ve researched a number of the best extended car warranty companies on the market. In addition to going over Volvo’s warranty terms, we’ll compare the company’s extended coverage options with plans from third-party providers.

Table of Contents:

• Volvo Warranty Overview
• Certified Pre-Owned Volvo Warranty
• Why You Might Need a Volvo Extended Warranty
• Your Choices for Extending Coverage Through Volvo
• Volvo vs. Third-Party Extended Warranty Providers

Volvo Warranty Overview

Here’s everything included in the new 2020 Volvo warranty: 

Volvo Bumper-to-Bumper and Powertrain Warranties

The bumper-to-bumper warranty covers repairs to almost any mechanical or electrical part on the vehicle if the failure is because of a manufacturing defect. 

Bumper-to-bumper contracts cover thousands of parts, so they are written in exclusionary terms. That means the contract only lists exclusions to define coverage. If an item or circumstance is not listed, then it’s covered. 

Here are a few items Volvo’s warranty does not cover:

• Glass 
• Tires 
• Brake pads and rotors 
• Maintenance items like filters and wiper blades 
• Cosmetic items 
• Damage from misuse or lack of maintenance 
• Damage from operation after a warning light comes on

On the other side of the spectrum is the powertrain warranty. This car warranty covers critical components in the engine, transmission and drivetrain. Many companies offer longer coverage terms for the powertrain than the bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Volvo includes this coverage under its bumper-to-bumper warranty. While it might be easier to understand what’s covered and for how long, Volvo’s warranty isn’t as good as some other brands.

For example, Mitsubishi, Kia, Hyundai and Genesis all offer powertrain warranties that last 10 years/100,000 miles.

Volvo Corrosion Warranty

Volvo has a very long corrosion warranty, which lasts for 12 years regardless of mileage. This warranty will replace sheet metal that has rusted through with a hole. That is a fairly rare occurrence, thankfully. It’s important to realize that the warranty doesn’t cover surface corrosion from chips in the paint or similar circumstances.

Hybrid Coverage

Volvo offers a handful of hybrid vehicles in 2020. Looking at cost, hybrid vehicles might be more expensive upfront, but they make up for it in low maintenance costs. There are fewer moving parts in the engine, so there are fewer things that can go wrong.

A hybrid battery is built to last for a long time, and many last over 100,000 miles. Volvo protects the battery for 8 years/100,000 miles, which is a decent period of time. It will replace the battery if the charge is at 55% or below within that time frame. However, the company doesn’t offer extended coverage on other parts in the hybrid system, so it doesn’t have the best hybrid warranty out there.

Emissions and Adjustments

The main thing to know about the many emissions warranties is that Volvo covers particular parts according to federal and state laws. Crucial parts like the catalytic converter are covered for longer periods of time.

Volvo’s adjustment warranty lasts for 12 months/12,000 miles. Under this warranty, the alignment can be readjusted, and a dealer can perform other minor repairs if they don’t need to replace a part.

Also, shocks and brakes are covered under the Volvo warranty only for this adjustment period. Coverage extends to brake pads, brake rotors and shock absorbers. These parts may be replaced if they happen to wear out unexpectedly during the adjustment period.

Roadside Assistance

Volvo’s roadside assistance program lasts for four years regardless of mileage. It covers standard things like jump-starts, spare tire changes, fuel delivery, towing and lockout services. In fact, the program actually provides towing for life. Volvo will arrange a tow to the nearest dealership within 25 miles free of charge. Not many brands offer extended towing services like this.

Other perks include trip interruption benefits of up to $500 per breakdown. You also have the option to add Volvo Roadside Plus, which can last indefinitely. It costs $89.99 per year and includes:

• VIP towing
• 100-mile flatbed towing
• Tire changes
• Jump-starts
• Fuel delivery
• Lockout
• Winching
• Two covered vehicles
• $500 trip interruption
• Discount hotels and tickets

How Do You Use Volvo’s Warranty?

To get warranty coverage, you need to bring your car to an authorized Volvo dealer. There’s no deductible for covered repairs. But it’s possible that non-covered items may need to be replaced in conjunction with a covered repair at times.

If you bought a used Volvo, you can check its warranty status by creating a Volvo ID online and entering your car’s vehicle identification number (VIN) into the system.

Certified Pre-Owned Volvo Warranty

Volvo’s certified pre-owned (CPO) program puts eligible cars through a 170-point inspection. After that, the cars are given a CPO bumper-to-bumper warranty that lasts for 5 years/unlimited miles from the original in-service date. The warranty is fully transferable, and repairs do not require a deductible.

Drivers also have the option to purchase an extended CPO warranty to cover repairs up to 10 years from the in-service date.

Why You Might Need a Volvo Extended Warranty

As we mentioned in the beginning, it would be nice to not have to worry about repairs, but that isn’t the case with any car available today. Sometimes, just dealing with insurance and maintenance can seem like a lot to track. But adding an extended warranty is worth it to cover repairs far beyond Volvo’s factory warranty coverage.

Whether you go with Volvo or a third-party provider, you’ll find plans that include perks like roadside assistance, trip interruption and rental car coverage. These benefits can take some of the headache out of experiencing a breakdown.

Volvo isn’t generally one of the most reliable brands – RepairPal gives Volvo a 3.5-star reliability rating overall. According to the auto repair price estimator, Volvo drivers pay an average of $769 per year for repairs and maintenance. That’s a bit higher than the industry-wide average of $652.

Here are a few repairs you might encounter as a Volvo driver (from RepairPal data):

Of course, you won’t come across one of these repairs every day. But it’s still possible to experience costs like this as your mileage increases. An extended auto warranty can protect against high repair costs and help keep your budget consistent.

Your Choices for Extending Coverage Through Volvo

Unlike many other providers, Volvo allows drivers to purchase extended warranties even after their factory Volvo warranty has expired. Volvo’s extended warranty options are called Volvo Increased Protection (VIP) plans. There are four varieties to choose from:

• Platinum: The Platinum plan is an exclusionary contract similar to Volvo’s bumper-to-bumper warranty, but it has a few more exclusions.
• Gold: This plan includes everything from the Silver and Powertrain plans, plus additional components.
• Silver: This plan includes everything from the Powertrain plan, plus steering, electrical, brakes, suspension, air conditioning and additional hybrid components.
• Powertrain: This VIP plan provides basic coverage for the engine, transmission and drive axle, plus additional hybrid components.

Depending on the age and mileage of your Volvo, you can add an additional six years of coverage after the factory warranty or up to 120,000 miles from the in-service date.

These plans don’t come with full roadside assistance. They come with towing, rental car coverage and trip interruption. Deductibles range from $0 to $250.

How Much is the Volvo Extended Warranty?

Volvo doesn’t publish prices online, but we found the following prices on the Steingold Volvo dealership website:

• Volvo XC40 and S60 warranty prices range from $1,481 to $3,358.
• Prices for all other models range from $1,606 to $4,132.

According to this source, the most you’d pay for a 6-year/120,000-mile VIP Platinum warranty is $4,132. Be aware, these prices can change at any time, and not all dealers offer the same pricing.

The Volvo extended warranty could be worth it if you can find a good price, but we’d also recommend you check out third-party options.

Volvo vs. Third-Party Extended Warranty Providers

There are a few downsides to Volvo’s extended warranty program. For example, you have to go to a dealership to obtain service. That might not be the most convenient option depending on where you live. In contrast, a third-party provider will let you go to any certified mechanic for repairs – meaning you can choose from over 30,000 shops.

Also, Volvo’s extended coverage caps out at 120,000 miles. Third-party providers usually offer longer coverage terms. Endurance and CarShield cover up to 200,000, and CARCHEX covers up to 250,000. That means you can still keep driving your Volvo well into its later years without having to worry about repairs.

Volvo’s extended warranty doesn’t cover maintenance, and neither do plans from most third-party providers. However, Protect My Car’s Ambassador plans cover a mix of repairs and maintenance. They can be a good option for drivers who want one company to handle everything.

Finally, it’s a little out of the ordinary that Volvo’s extended warranties don’t come with a full roadside assistance plan. Most leading third-party providers include full roadside assistance, trip interruption and rental car coverage automatically.

There are certainly many plans to choose from. Compare coverage from different companies to narrow down your favorites, and then get at least three quotes to find the best price for an extended car warranty.

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