What is the offer of USAA?

Kurtis Avatar By: Kurtis | Last updated December 22, 2020

usaa extended car warranty typing on laptop red car on monitor


All vehicles break down at some point and they need constant maintenance in order to have a longer lifespan. Research shows that more than 90% of all cars on the road need repairs sooner or later. That is why extended car warranties/vehicle service contracts are valuable to all car owners. They are an additional form of protection for your car, when the manufacturer’s warranty expires.

USAA stands for United Services Automobile Association and it is one of the oldest companies in the United States to offer extended car warranties. USAA was founded in 1922 and it is a versatile company that offers a lot of services such as home mortgages, credit cards, personal loans, auto loans, auto insurance, home insurance, life insurance and many more.

However, there is a catch with USAA and that is the fact that is not available to just anyone. This company only serves military members and their family. They can be anything from cadets to active duty, guard, reserve, veterans, midshipmen. The families of these military members are also eligible for USAA services, including widows.

What kind of extended car warranties does USAA offer?

USAA offers two types of extended vehicle protection plans and they are manufacturer wrap protection and comprehensive protection.

Manufacturer wrap protection is tailored for people with newer cars that still have at least 30 days (or 1,000 miles) left from the manufacturer’s warranty. Even though you still have 30 days left from your original warranty, the USAA warranty only begins when the manufacturer’s one has expired.

Thus, the manufacturer’s wrap protection is not a good option if you have a used car, because they won’t be eligible for this type of warranty.

The manufacturer wrap warranty covers only the essential components of your vehicle. It is very similar to powertrain warranties, with a few more additions in terms of coverage. The powertrain warranty only covers the parts of the car that actually make the car move forward and backward (engine with seals and gaskets, fuel injectors, water and oil pumps, the transmission, the transfer case, differentials, drive systems, axle shafts, wheel bearings, hubs).

The comprehensive protection plan on the other hand is a more complex type of warranty and it is also suitable for older cars. You can opt for this plan if your vehicle has 10 years or less and no more than 115,000 miles on the meter.

The comprehensive protection is more similar to the bumper to bumper warranty, meaning it covers almost your entire vehicle, from bumper to bumper.

Both types of protection include USAA’s 60-day money back guarantee.

What are the benefits of USAA?

USAA may be strict when it comes to its eligibility requirements but it compensates through a lot of attractive benefits that are not found in other extended car warranty providers. For instance, there is no down payment with USAA and they don’t charge a deductible either, which is a rare thing. Most providers charge a deductible of at least $150, $200 or more in some cases.

Another benefit of the USAA service is its 24/7 roadside assistance, which is very useful if you have a flat tire, your car battery dies, you run out of gas, you need locksmith services and so on.

USAA also comes with rental vehicle reimbursement and it offers up to $50 per day. And that’s not all! Unlike most of its competitors, USAA doesn’t have a limit when it comes to how many days it will reimburse you for. With this service you get unlimited rental car reimbursement. So as long as your car is the shop for repairs, you can use a rental and you will get up to $50 per day back from USAA.

There is also a trip interruption reimbursement with a maximum allotted sum of $300, in case your car breaks down while you are on the road, far from home. The money is for expenses such as a hotel and your meals.

Not everyone can afford to pay for an extended car warranty upfront. That is why the possibility to pay in several installments (monthly, quarterly and so on) is an important feature to look for in an extended car warranty provider. USAA lets you pay for your warranty in up to 18 monthly installments.

If you have to serve your country, you can also put your warranty on hold with the deployment deferment feature offered by USAA.

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