Hyundai Santa Fe extended warranty: cost, coverage and plans
Why an extended warranty could make sense
+2 more
Hyundai Santa Fes are known to have average reliability, meaning an extended warranty might be worthwhile for long-term ownership or high-mileage driving.
We’ll break down what a Hyundai Santa Fe warranty covers, how much it costs, what your options are and whether a warranty is worth it in the long run.
All new Hyundai Santa Fes come with a five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a ten-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty from the factory.
Jump to insightQuotes we received for an extended auto warranty on a 2021 Santa Fe ranged from $1,227.96 to $1,293.48 a year. That’s more expensive than the average cost of an extended warranty.
Jump to insightHyundai has average reliability compared with other vehicles.
Jump to insightGetting an extended warranty on a Santa Fe gives you peace of mind and protection against repair bills once the factory warranty expires.
Jump to insightHyundai Santa Fe extended warranty coverage
An extended auto warranty is an optional, paid extension of the factory warranty your Santa Fe comes with. For context, Hyundai Santa Fes come with the following warranties from the factory:
- A five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty
- A ten-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty
Factory warranties follow the vehicle, not the owner. So if you buy a 4-year-old SUV with 20,000 miles on it, you still have one year or 40,000 miles worth of factory bumper-to-bumper warranty remaining.
For an extended warranty on your Hyundai Santa Fe, you have two options:
- Buy the official Hyundai extended warranty, called Hyundai Protection Plan VSC.
- Buy a plan from a third-party extended warranty company, which allows you to take your vehicle to any ASE-certified mechanic for repairs.
Without significant savings, having to deal with a massive repair bill can be disastrous. A ConsumerAffairs investigation found that most drivers surveyed couldn't afford to pay cash for a $1,000 repair bill, and 13% of respondents had no way to deal with a bill that large — even with credit.
Whether you get a third-party plan or a warranty from a dealer, a plan that offers comprehensive, exclusionary protection (often called bumper-to-bumper or Platinum) will provide the most value. These plans cover almost all the parts on your vehicle. Less comprehensive plans (e.g., Gold, Silver, powertrain) may be cheaper, but they also cover fewer parts per dollar.
Auto warranties don't cover damage or accidents, and repairs generally aren't covered if you don't properly maintain the vehicle or you make aftermarket modifications. They only pay for repairs and replacements of specifically covered parts that fail from normal wear and tear.
In general, here are the differences between what a bumper-to-bumper warranty and a powertrain warranty cover:
| Warranty type | Typical coverage | Not covered |
|---|---|---|
| Bumper-to-bumper | ||
| Powertrain | Parts that create power and deliver it to the wheels | Parts not related to the engine, transmission or drive axle |
Note that some extended auto warranty plans fall somewhere between bumper-to-bumper and powertrain coverage.
» LEARN: What to know about manufacturers’ extended warranties
How much does a Hyundai Santa Fe extended warranty cost?
We were quoted $1,293.48 a year from olive for three years of bumper-to-bumper coverage for a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe registered in Austin, Texas, with 65,000 miles. From Endurance, the quote for similar coverage was $1,227.96 annually for 30 months of coverage for the same vehicle with the same mileage. Both quotes assumed a $100 deductible. Note that both of these are third-party extended auto warranty companies.
The “official” Hyundai extended warranty is called Hyundai Protection Plan VSC, and it may cost less than a third-party option. Be sure to get a quote from your local Hyundai dealer to compare your options.
In general, quotes for extended auto warranties vary based on coverage, vehicle, deductible, location and other factors. A 2022 Santa Fe with zero miles typically has cheaper extended warranty options than a 2020 model with 50,000 miles, for example.
It's worth it to get quotes from multiple providers so you get the best deal for an extended auto warranty.
For context, the average cost of an extended warranty is around $1,000 per year of coverage. The quotes we collected for our hypothetical 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe were more expensive by comparison.
Bumper-to-bumper plans cover around 90% of your car's parts. Lesser plans may only cover 20%, and powertrain plans cover even less (though the most expensive repairs are usually covered under powertrain plans). You might pay more for a comprehensive plan, but that comes with a lot more peace of mind.
Some third-party providers start counting the coverage at the time when you purchase the plan. For example, if you get a 36-month, 185,000-mile plan from olive, you're covered for three years after purchasing the plan, or when your vehicle hits 185,000 total miles. Other providers may start the timer from the original purchase date of the car. In that case, you'll have to subtract the car's current age and mileage (plus any remaining factory warranty) from the length of the plan to determine how long coverage will last.
Is a Hyundai Santa Fe extended warranty worth it?
Yes, a Hyundai Santa Fe extended warranty is worth it. In general, an extended auto warranty is worth it if any of the following are true:
- Your vehicle has a bad reputation for reliability.
- The warranty costs less than you expect to spend on repairs.
- A big repair bill could hurt you financially.
- You don’t mind paying for peace of mind.
Hyundai as a brand has average reliability, with J.D. Power ranking Hyundai 13th out of 29 car brands for overall dependability. As for the Santa Fe specifically, RepairPal gave it a 4.0 out of 5.
Still, Santa Fes from 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013 and 2017 have more issues than models from other years. Some of these issues are small, but others can lead to total failures of electrical systems, engines and transmissions. If you have a vehicle from one of these problem years, getting an extended warranty may make more sense.
Overall, Hyundai maintenance is less expensive than most makes. But the cost of an extended warranty on a Hyundai Santa Fe is also inexpensive, making it an attractive option if you value peace of mind.
Article Sources
ConsumerAffairs writers primarily rely on government data, industry experts and original research from other reputable publications to inform their work. Specific sources for this article include:
- J.D. Power, “Vehicle Dependability Slumps as Rate of Deterioration Increases, J.D. Power Finds.” Accessed Aug. 14, 2024.
- RepairPal, “Hyundai Santa Fe Reliability Rating.” Accessed Aug. 14, 2024.
