Julie Kamada

How Do I Get a Warranty on My Car? A Practical Step-by-Step Guide

January 21, 2026

Read time: 8 minutes

How Do I Get a Warranty on My Car

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If you’re searching “how do I get a warranty on my car”, you’re probably in one of a few spots:

You bought a used car with no coverage. Your factory warranty is almost over. Or you’re just tired of rolling the dice on big repair bills.

Good news: getting a warranty for your car (more accurately, a vehicle service contract, or VSC) isn’t complicated once you understand your options and the timing.

In this guide, we’ll walk through:

What kinds of “warranties” you can actually get
How to check what you already have
The step-by-step process to add coverage
Special situations (used cars, lease buyouts, paid-off cars, refinance)
How to avoid overpaying or getting stuck with thin coverage

If you want a solid foundation while you read, keep these open for later:

A silver toy car on a desk with a large yellow question mark in front of it — Wondering how to get a warranty on your car? Learn what you already have, how to add extended coverage, and how to avoid overpaying for weak plans

1. First: What Kind of “Warranty” Are You Trying to Get?

When people ask “how do I get a warranty on my car,” they usually mean one of three things:

Factory warranty on a brand-new car
Certified pre-owned (CPO) warranty from a manufacturer program
Extended warranty / VSC you add later to cover repairs

Quick breakdown:

Factory warranty Comes automatically with a new car from the manufacturer. You “get” it by buying a new vehicle; you don’t purchase it separately.
CPO warranty Extra coverage that comes with certain manufacturer-backed certified used cars. You get it by choosing a CPO vehicle instead of a standard used one.
Extended warranty / vehicle service contract (VSC) A contract that helps pay for covered repairs after factory coverage ends (or on used cars with no remaining factory warranty).

When most drivers ask how to get a warranty on a car they already own, they’re really asking:

How do I get an extended warranty / vehicle service contract?

For that, these deep dives are helpful:

2. Step 1: Figure Out What Coverage You Already Have

Before you try to get a warranty, make sure you’re not already covered.

Check your factory warranty status

If you bought the car new (or nearly new):

Look at your in-service date (when it was first sold)
Check the years/miles limits in the warranty booklet
Compare to your current mileage and today’s date

If you’re getting close to the limits, read:

Check for any existing extended coverage

You might already have:

A dealer-sold service contract
A third-party vehicle service contract
A CPO warranty from the manufacturer

Pull your paperwork or log into your provider’s portal and check:

What’s covered
When it expires (years and miles)
Whether it’s transferable if you sell the car

If you bought the car used, this guide is especially relevant:

Service contract for used cars: smart protection for every mile

If you confirm you don’t have coverage—or it’s about to end—then it’s time to look at getting a new warranty/contract in place.

3. Step 2: Decide What You Actually Want to Protect

A big part of getting the right warranty on your car is deciding what you care about most:

Just the big stuff (engine, transmission, drivetrain)?
Or also electronics, A/C, steering, suspension, and modern tech?

You’ll see coverage broken into tiers:

Powertrain – Engine, transmission, and drivetrain (budget option)
Mid-level / inclusionary – Named parts and systems beyond powertrain
Exclusionary (near bumper-to-bumper) – Covers almost everything except a short exclusion list

To compare coverage levels, read:

You don’t have to cover every possible component, but you don’t want to be surprised by a long exclusion list either.

4. Step 3: Understand What You’ll Pay (and What’s Fair)

Before you sign anything, it helps to know what’s normal for your type of car.

Warranty pricing depends on:

Year, make, and model
Mileage and condition
Coverage level and term (years/miles)
Deductible
Where you buy the plan (dealer vs independent vs platforms like Cuvrd partners)

Cuvrd’s cost resources are designed exactly for this step:

If you want to keep payments flexible, check out:

5. Step 4: Choose Where You’ll Get Your Warranty

You have three main paths:

1. Through the dealership

Pros: Convenient, everything done at time of sale or lease buyout
Cons: Limited providers

If you’re at lease end and thinking about keeping the car, this is a must-read:

Lease buyout extended warranty: how to add coverage when you keep the car

2. Directly from third-party providers

Pros: More options, often better pricing
Cons: Quality varies; you have to research reputation and contract details

To avoid the worst offers and gimmicks:

3. Through an education-first platform like Cuvrd (via partners)

Cuvrd’s approach is to:

Explain how coverage works at About Warranties, Why Cuvrd, and the FAQ
Give you tools and guides on the Cuvrd blog
Connect you with trusted partners who can offer extended coverage on fair, transparent terms

You still choose the plan—but you’re not walking in blind.

6. Step 5: Read the Fine Print Before You Commit

Once you’ve picked a provider and a plan, slow down for 10–15 minutes and actually read:

What’s covered
What’s excluded
Deductible and claim process
Maintenance requirements (oil changes, fluid intervals, etc.)
Limits on:
- Rental car
- Towing
- Roadside assistance

This is where questions like “what voids a warranty?” matter:

If something doesn’t make sense, ask before you sign. A good provider will happily explain the details.

7. Getting a Warranty on a Used, Paid-Off, or High-Mileage Car

A huge number of people asking “how do I get a warranty on my car” are driving older or paid-off vehicles.

The playbook is a little different, but the goal is the same: protect yourself from big, unpredictable repair bills.

Helpful guides:

The main difference is that:

You’ll have fewer coverage options at very high mileage
Pricing will be higher than for a low-mile car—but still often cheaper than replacing the vehicle
You’ll want to be extra careful about what’s excluded and how pre-existing conditions are handled

8. Special Case: Refinance + Extended Warranty

Sometimes the question isn’t just “how do I get a warranty on my car,” but:

How do I make this car more affordable and less stressful overall?

If you’re planning to refinance your auto loan, that’s actually a great time to think about coverage:

You can:

Lower or reshape your monthly payment
Add a VSC so big repairs don’t wreck your new budget
Treat payment + protection as one predictable “car number” each month

For more on the refinance side, explore:

9. Turn “How Do I Get a Warranty?” Into a Clear Action Plan

By now, the path to getting a warranty on your car should look more like a checklist than a mystery:

Check what coverage you already have

Decide what systems you actually want to protect

Learn what a fair price looks like for your car

Choose where you’ll get coverage (dealer, direct, or Cuvrd partners)

Read the contract, not just the brochure

Match coverage to how long you’ll keep the car and how you drive

To keep learning and comparing options, use:

About Warranties
Why Cuvrd
FAQ
Extended warranty how-to
Extended warranty cost and price
The full Cuvrd blog and main site at cuvrd.com

However you choose to protect your car, the goal is simple: fewer surprises, more control, and a car you can afford to keep driving.

Drive smart. Stay protected. Stay Cuvrd.

TL;DR: Searching “how do I get a warranty on my car” because you’re done gambling on big repair bills? This article walks you through what coverage you might already have, how to add an extended warranty (vehicle service contract) to a car you own, and smart ways to avoid overpaying or getting stuck with weak protection.

— Julie Kamada