When purchasing a car, whether new or used, the original warranty will eventually expire, leaving you wondering when the best time is to buy an extended warranty. This guide addresses the common concerns around extended warranties and helps clarify when and how you can secure the right protection for your vehicle.
We’ll explore how long after purchasing a car you can still buy an extended warranty, what coverage options are available based on your car’s age and mileage, and the advantages of ensuring continuous vehicle coverage. By understanding the timing and benefits of extended warranties, you can avoid unexpected repair costs and keep your vehicle in top condition. Whether you’re nearing the end of your manufacturer warranty or have recently bought a used car, this guide will help you make an informed decision on the best time to secure extended coverage.
Car warranty covers the cost of repair work after an unexpected mechanical or electrical fault for the initial period of ownership of a brand-new car. However, when you buy a used car, you may not have a warranty policy in place or it’s shorter than expected. Even brand new car owners may keep their vehicle for much longer than their original warranty lasts. You may want to know whether there’s a time limit on buying extended warranty.
With ALA, you can buy extended warranty at any time after purchasing a car as long as your vehicle meets the eligibility requirements. This means you can buy extended warranty on a car bought new after the existing warranty ends. We cover cars up to 16 years and 150,00 miles.
If you bought a used car within its original warranty, you can wait until the original policy ends before buying extended warranty. New cars just out of their manufacturer warranty policy should still be eligible for our most comprehensive policy – Platinum Warranty
If you bought an older car from a private seller, or used car dealership, and your car hasn’t got a valid manufacturer warranty, we advise you buy a warranty policy as soon as you can to ensure it meets the eligibility requirements of an extended warranty policy. We cover cars up to 16 years and 150,000 miles but more comprehensive component cover is only available for newer cars
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Silver Warranty Requirements |
Gold Warranty Requirements |
Platinum Warranty Requirements |
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Cars up to 16 years & |
Cars up to 12 years & |
Cars up to 8 years & |
Like car insurance, if you drive without warranty cover and something happens, then you’ll have to face an expensive repair that a warranty policy could have covered. So, we recommend that, for the best peace of mind, you have a warranty policy in place for as long as possible with no gaps in between policies.
Buy extended warranty as soon as your original warranty ends so that firstly, you can get the best and most comprehensive cover available, such as a Platinum or Gold Warranty. Secondly, so that you don’t risk encountering expensive repair costs that aren’t covered by a warranty provider.
If you’re new to extended warranty and you’ve been without it for a while, you can still buy a policy if your car is eligible. Used cars are still prone to unexpected faults so it can be helpful to get cover for the most crucial parts. ALA covers cars up to 16 years and 150,000 miles so it may not be too late to buy cover. Get it as soon as you learn about extended warranty and benefit from more comprehensive cover, if available to you. Avoid an unfortunate mechanical or electrical failure and the subsequent repair bill.
If you have bought a used car and the original warranty has expired, you’ll want to take out extended warranty as soon as you drive away with your latest motor. This way, if something does go wrong, you may be able to cover the cost of repairs – especially helpful considering the value of a your vehicle.
Recap of the best time to buy extended warranty
The best approach is to cover your car as soon as you drive away. If your car still has its manufacturer warranty or another policy in place, you should get cover to start on the last day your original policy relates to so there’s no gap where you aren’t covered. There’s always a chance of breaking down in the period of time between policies.
If you’ve had no warranty policy in place for a while, buy cover to start immediately to get the maximum benefits.
Manufacturer warranties last 3-5 years on a new car but once this ends, you have the option to buy third-party extended warranty to cover your for longer.
There are various policy options for car warranty, ALA offer policies up to four years and if your car is still eligible, you can renew your cover. You’ll typically pay the annual total in a lump sum or in monthly instalments (with 0% finance). Longer policy terms will save you money in the long run and you can get the same cover for longer, so its a win-win.
If your vehicle is coming up to the eligibility limit for the policy you want, the best option is to take out the longest policy available to ensure you get that level of cover for longer. One of the benefits of warranty is that the eligibility requirements only apply at the start of the policy, so longer policies can be favourable. Also, the cover is continuous so you can make an unlimited number of claims.
Recapping warranty policy lengths
Used car owners without a factory warranty are vulnerable to an expensive repair if the unexpected happens and your car suddenly breaks down. Extended warranty covers repairs of crucial car parts if they fail unexpectedly. Platinum policies cover wear and tear which can offer greater peace of mind.
Moreover, older or used cars can be more prone to sudden failures. If this wasn’t the case then manufacturers would offer indefinite warranty coverage but they don’t – it only lasts three to five years. Extended car warranties that cover used and older cars (extended policies) are available to buy because there is a heightened risk of a sudden component failure. Read about buying extended warranty for used cars.
Deciding whether extended warranty is worth it for a used car comes down to judging your risk. Hundreds of breakdowns occur every hour and 43% have experienced a sudden vehicle failure before (ALA, 2024). With the right cover in place, you could avoid a significant repair bill. Including Breakdown Cover onto your policy can give you additional peace of mind about getting back on the road. Breakdown cover can help you with car hire, onward travel, breakdown service costs and more.
Yes, all extended warranty providers will include mileage restrictions. This usually helps guide you to the most suitable policy. You’ll probably understand that the more mileage a car gets, the more damage it accumulates, so it can encounter more frequent issues. If premium warranty cover was available for cars of all use levels, it would cost a fortune to insure an older car. Explore the generous mileage restrictions on ALA policies below:
It’s usually worth buying an extended warranty policy to avoid an expensive repair. However, there are some things you need to do to keep your policy valid. We can’t cover your repair if you haven’t serviced your car within 12 months.
Secondly, many people want warranty to cover wear & tear and if your car is too old or with too high a mileage for Platinum Warranty you won’t benefit from this cover.
Also, you may not want to buy extended warranty if the value of your car is low. In this case it could simply not be worth repairing or insuring at all if something were to go wrong.
Finally, if you’re looking for specific covered part, not listed under coverage for your available tiers of warranty, it may not be a good idea to purchase a policy.
Car Excess Insurance
Short Term Motor Insurance
Scratch and Dent Insurance
Tyre & Alloy Wheel Insurance
Cycle Insurance
Breakdown Cover
