By: Kelly | Last updated December 22, 2020 
Extended vehicle warranties are a valuable form of protection for any car owner and everyone should buy one. Their purpose is to cover you in case of any mechanical breakdowns, after your manufacturer’s warranty expires.
What is USAA?
USAA is short for United Service Automobile Association and it is a reputable financial services company based in the US. The company offers various services such as health insurance, life insurance, real estate, investments in stocks, mutual funds, loans and many more. USAA has been around since 1922.
Their extended car warranties used to be among the most popular on the market. Unfortunately though, starting 2018, they no longer offer extended car warranties, as they discontinued them. New customers can’t buy them, but those who are USAA customers and purchased one from them will still benefit from their services and assistance.
What were the eligibility criteria for USAA?
USAA offers a lot of benefits to its customers and they are more generous than its competitors in a lot of aspects. However, unfortunately, not everyone can become a USAA customer. USAA only serves military members and their families, such as: army, marines, navy, veterans, midshipmen, cadets, etc. As for their families, USAA also accepts their widows.
What plans did USAA offer?
USAA had two extended car warranty plans to offer: manufacturer wrap protection and comprehensive protection.
Manufacturer wrap protection - was suited for vehicles that are relatively new and still have their manufacturer’s warranty, at least 30 days left of it (or 1,000 miles, whichever comes first). USAA’s manufacturer’s plan would come to effect when the original warranty expires. The coverage of this plan is more basic and it resembles the powertrain warranty.
Comprehensive protection – This is a more complex plan and it is tailored for used and older cars as well, as long as they are up to 10 years old and have a max. of 115,000 miles. The type of coverage offered with this plan is more similar to bumper to bumper warranties offered by manufacturers.
Both plans included a 60-day money back guarantee.
What are the most important benefits of USAA extended car warranty?
As we’ve already mentioned it, USAA stands out through several features compared to major competitors. One of the benefits is the fact that USAA doesn’t charge a down payment or a deductible and the latter is quite popular with extended car warranty providers. The deductible varies from company to company, from $100 and up.
Another great feature of USAA is the fact that it offers unlimited rental reimbursement. That means that if your car breaks down and needs to go to the repair shop, you can rent a car to get around and USAA will reimburse you with up to $50 per day indefinitely (until you get your car back). Other companies have a limit of maximum 5 days or a week, but not USAA.
This company also offers roadside assistance and the option to pay for your policy in up to 18 monthly installments.
And if you are not home to benefit from your warranty, you can use their deployment deferment option to put it on hold until you get back.
