What is USAA?

 Extended vehicle protection refers to an extended warranty you can purchase for your car, although the proper name for this type of warranty is vehicle service contract. A vehicle service contract is a written agreement between a car owner and the provider of the contract, that helps you in case of any car breakdowns or car issues. The company that sells the extended vehicle protection contracts will pay for the repairs of the car, if the parts/components that need to be repaired/replaced are covered in your policy.

Coverage varies from company to company and extended car warranties can cover from only the essential parts of your vehicle, to all the components and systems in your car. The most comprehensive (and usually most expensive, too) contracts are really similar to your original manufacturer's warranty.

The most common manufacturer's warranty is the bumper to bumper warranty. It covers everything in your vehicle from bumper to bumper and it usually lasts for 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. Some car makers offer a lengthier bumper to bumper warranty: Volkswagen (6 years/72,000 miles) Jaguar, KIA, Mitsubishi, Hyundai (5 years). After this warranty expires, your car is left exposed and unless you buy another type of warranty/insurance for it, you'll have to pay for any problems/repairs that occur out of your own pocket.

Extended car warranties are a good investment especially for people who have used cars, because they are more prone to breakdowns. These warranties can also be purchased by owners of new cars, as well. You can buy them when you buy the car or anytime before your manufacturer's warranty expires. The important thing is not to purchase it after your vehicle breaks down.

Extended car warranties have a waiting period that is usually around 30 days, which is a form of insurance for the company that you're not buying the warranty just because your car is already broken.

What is USAA?

USAA is a financial company from United States that exclusively serves military members and their families. The company is very old and has been around since 1922. It is based in San Antonio and USAA stands for United Services Automobile Association.

USAA offers several financial services, from extended car warranties, to loans, investments (stocks and options, mutual funds, etc.) and a wide variety of insurance services: life insurance, health, rental property insurance, car insurance, RV, boat insurance and others.

Eligibility

As we've already mentioned it, USAA only serves military members and their families. These include:

• individuals who serve in the US Air Force, Army, Marines, Coast Guard, Navy, National Guard, Reserves

• veterans

• family members of the above, including widows, widowers, unremarried former spouses of USAA members who joined while they were still married

• cadets and midshipmen at US service academies

What are the extended car warranty plans offered by USAA?

USAA offers 2 plans: manufacturer wrap protection and comprehensive protection.

Manufacturer wrap protection is more basic and resembles manufacturers' powertrain warranties.

This plan only covers the major parts of your car, a bit more components than standard powertrain warranties.

The manufacturer wrap protection plan addresses car owners who still have 30 days or more left from their original warranty (or 1,000 miles). When that original warranty ends, the USAA warranty comes to effect.

The comprehensive protection is suitable for people who own used cars. This plan covers vehicles that are up to 10 years old and have up to 115,000 miles on the meter.

As its name suggests it, this is a more comprehensive plan and covers almost your entire car. This plan is very similar to manufacturers' bumper to bumper warranty.

Both plans offered by USAA include the company's 60-day money back guarantee.

What are the benefits of USAA extended vehicle protection?

USAA has several benefits that make it a very competitive service. One of these benefits is the fact that this company doesn't charge a deductible, as it is the case with most competitors. There is no down payment required either.

In addition to the standard free roadside assistance and rental car reimbursement, USAA also offers UNLIMITED car reimbursement, as supposed to only 3 or 5 days reimbursement, as it is the case with other companies. This means they'll pay for your rental for as long as your car is in the repair shop.

Another benefit of USAA is the fact that you can pay for your extended vehicle protection contract in up to 18 monthly installments.

If you need to, you can also put your extended warranty on hold until you return home, thanks to the deployment deferment option included.