When you buy a used car warranty, you’re actually buying peace of mind, as it allows you to feel safer in the knowledge that should the unexpected happen, you’ll be protected with a plan in place to cover your costs.

Being able to take the stress out of these adverse circumstances when they occur can be invaluable, as bills for car repairs can easily add up to hundreds if not thousands of pounds, depending on your vehicle’s make and model and exactly what’s gone wrong. Being protected against such unforeseeable expenses can be very liberating for car owners as there’s nothing worse than being hit with a big bill out of the blue when you’re not able to pay for it.

After all, if your car is out of action and you’re reliant upon it, this means you’re out of action too until you can get it fixed.

Is it worth buying a warranty on a used car?

Each year, more than a million vehicles are rendered unprotected when the warranty the manufacturer issues with them expires and becomes void. If your used car is three years old or more, your vehicle will most likely be outside of its original warranty, leaving you exposed to the possibility of repair bills with a high price tag attached.

While modern vehicles are considered more reliable than their predecessors, they can also be far more expensive to fix when parts of them fail. Labour charges alone can be extremely costly, with main dealers sometimes charging rates per hour of £200. For most of us, our car is typically our second biggest investment after a house, so making sure it’s protected against electric and mechanical failure with a warranty can be a practical choice.

If having peace of mind to handle unexpected expenses appeals to you, then a used car warranty is well worth the money you pay for it. Acquiring an extended warranty for a used car will offer you protection against those unpredictable repair costs, and there are a host of different warranties available in varying prices and for vehicles of different ages, so you should be able to find cover that’s ideal for you and your car.

The best warranties will also cover the knock-on costs of your used car’s mechanical problems, supplying invaluable roadside assistance and breakdown recovery right when you need it. If you break down far from home, hotel accommodation will be provided if needed. The use of a hire car while your own vehicle is out of action may also be provided to help you get around and to ensure your life isn’t disrupted by the unexpected inconvenience.

What does a used car warranty cover?

If you ensure that your used vehicle is correctly serviced and includes no faults that you or your repairers have knowledge of at the time you take out your cover, then you can get a warranty that will offer protection from any premature or unexpected failures to parts covered within your chosen warranty.

Used car warranties have been specifically designed to offer a comparable level of protection to a manufacturer warranty, and to cover the cost of your vehicle repairs.

They’re offered to negate the dread car owners can feel when something goes wrong and to help them cope with potentially large repair bills, which can range from hundreds to thousands of pounds.

Right from day one, a good quality warranty will offer you protection in the event that any listed part stops functioning and needs immediate replacement or repair before it can work again. You will also be covered if that individual part isn’t working how it should be (after a distance of 1,000 miles or a term of 30 days or 100,000 miles and up to 10 years of age) and is likely to fail before your warranty plan expires.

Reliable warranties will be well researched, ensuring that they cover the maximum number of parts possible to rival their competitors and be able to boast the best plans on the market.

Always check through your warranty plan for your used car and read the fine print. These plans will be made available through the warranty company’s website and show clearly what is covered by your chosen policy.

Depending on the plan you select, different levels of cover will be available, so it’ll be up to you to find the level of warranty that fits your budget and delivers a level of cover that can give you peace of mind.

You’ll also have the possibility of warranty additions. From airbag systems and air conditioning to emissions failures and problems with your on board multimedia, there are a host of options you can add to top up your cover with areas of particular concern.

Always remember, a car warranty can’t cover absolutely everything. As a general rule, wear and tear is not covered, although with some particular policies you can make an additional payment to protect against these eventualities too. Typical wear and tear parts could include tyres and wheels, batteries and brakes.

Can you buy an extended warranty on a used car?

Extended warranties can be purchased for used vehicles and are well designed for them. By the time a pre-owned car is being sold, it’s more often than not close to or outside of its manufacturer’s warranty.

As long as your car has been serviced and has no known faults or failures in either its electric or mechanical parts before taking out cover, an extended warranty can be taken out on a used car.

How much is a car warranty on a used car?

As with many forms of insurance, car owners buy extended warranties for used cars in the hope that they never need to use them, but having that peace of mind can be priceless. If something should go wrong with your used car, one single need for a big repair could make it well worth the entire premium paid.

The actual cost of a car warranty will vary greatly, depending on many different factors. These include model, make, mileage, the vehicle’s age and the details of the driver.

The cost will also vary depending on the level of cover you opt for. There is a popular misconception that all used car warranties are identical, so you may as well pick the cheapest one. This isn’t the case – warranties will be offered with a variety of levels of cover, with the very cheapest ones typically offering more limited cover.

Every quote will be different too, so it’s a wise idea when shopping for cover to get as many quotes as possible, and to compare and contrast all the deals on offer. You can get a quote for a car warranty right here.

How long does a used car warranty last?

How long a used car warranty lasts can vary depending on your needs. Individual warranties are known to run from as little as a single month to far longer terms such as five years. Many car owners will opt for a policy with a duration of 12 months. Handling a warranty this way allows car owners to renew their protection alongside their standard car insurance each year.

Where to buy a used car warranty

If you want to be sure you’re protected in the event of an unexpected mechanical or electrical failure within your vehicle, then a used car warranty is probably the right choice for you. After all, not all car buyers have enough disposable income to pay off massive repair bills at a moment’s notice and being covered for such costs can be convenient when things go wrong with your car.

Before you start looking for a warranty, get a clear idea of what kind of cover you require and just how much you can afford to pay per month. Gather together all the relevant information on your used car that you can – this includes make, model, mileage and age.

After you’ve got everything ready, the next step is to decide who to buy your used car warranty from. As with any form of cover, the best way to decide where to buy an extended warranty is by comparing and contrasting the available options.

There are a diverse range of warranties available on the market from specialist warranty companies, so you’ll have plenty to choose from. Always bear in mind what you want to cover your car for and how much you can afford, and stick to a budget you can manage, but don’t go for the token least expensive warranty if it doesn’t offer you a level of protection you’re satisfied with. One of the prime objectives of getting a used car warranty is to take away the worry and stress of something going wrong with your vehicle.

Always do your research and read up on exactly what is offered by individual plans. If you do this, you’ll notice that some warranties will cover more parts than others and some will consider far older used cars for warranties. At Car.co.uk, we are proud to be partnered with Warranty Wise to provide car warranty quotes.