Toyota extended warranty: cost, coverage and plans
A warranty might be a good choice if you’re in it for the long haul
Toyotas may be some of the most reliable cars on the road, but they only come with a middling factory warranty — just three years or 36,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage and five years or 60,000 miles of powertrain coverage.
That’s a big reason why you might consider protecting your Toyota with an extended warranty — maybe even one from Toyota itself.
But what are the pros and cons of Toyota’s in-house extended warranties? Find out what your options are, what they cover, what they cost and when it might make more sense to get a warranty elsewhere.
Toyota’s extended warranty program is called Toyota Extra Care. It has three plan options, with coverage lasting up to 10 years or 125,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Jump to insightThe quotes we received range from around $2,200 to $4,000, which puts them well below the industry average.
Jump to insightHowever, Extra Care plans still tended to be more expensive than paying to fix most Toyotas out of pocket.
Jump to insightThird-party options may be cheaper, and they can come with terms lasting up to 10 years or 300,000 miles.
Jump to insightToyota extended warranty coverage
Toyota’s official extended warranty program is called Toyota Extra Care, and it comes in three coverage levels (Platinum, Gold and Powertrain).
Like most car warranties, these plans help protect you from paying for repairs when something goes wrong with your car due to a manufacturing defect. That means they can be a big help in certain situations, but they won’t do much if you need a fix because you skipped maintenance or got in a wreck. (If you’re looking for collision coverage, you need car insurance.)
You can purchase a Toyota Extra Care plan from any certified Toyota dealer during your vehicle’s eligibility period, but this period varies based on the type of car you have:
- For “new” vehicles, you can purchase a Toyota Extra Care plan during your basic factory warranty period (i.e., before your vehicle hits three years or 36,000 miles).
- For used vehicles, you can only purchase a Toyota Extra Care plan when you purchase your vehicle from the dealership, and it must have fewer than 150,000 miles. Your available warranty coverage levels also depend on how old your car is. Powertrain protection plans are available for Toyotas up to 12 model years old (i.e., 2012s or newer as of 2024). Platinum and Gold protection plans are limited to vehicles under nine model years old.
Warranty terms are generally written as “X years/XX,XXX miles,” with coverage ending with whichever limit you reach first.
Warranty coverage terms range from three years/50,000 miles to 10 years/125,000 miles on new vehicles. For used vehicles, the coverage ranges from one year/12,000 miles to five years/60,000 miles.
When you consider that Toyota’s factory bumper-to-bumper warranty expires after just three years or 36,000 miles, and its powertrain warranty expires at five years or 60,000 miles, being able to extend your coverage to up to 125,000 miles is pretty impressive.
» LEARN: What is a vehicle service contract?
Toyota extended warranty benefits
All Toyota Extra Care plans include three benefits in addition to paying for covered repairs:
- 24/7 roadside assistance, including towing, jump-starts, fuel delivery and other Toyota services
- Rental car reimbursement, covering up to $50 per day for five days (per occurrence)
- Travel protection, which reimburses you for up to $100 worth of meals and lodging per day if your Toyota breaks down over 150 miles from home (with a maximum of five days per occurrence)
Toyota extended warranty plans
As we mentioned earlier, Toyota Extra Care comes in three levels of coverage — Platinum, Gold and Powertrain:
- Platinum covers roughly 85% of the parts and systems in your car.
- Gold covers roughly 55% of the parts and systems in your car.
- Powertrain only covers your engine, transmission, axle assembly and a select handful of hybrid- and alternative fuel-related parts.
Each plan builds on the coverage of the plan under it with Platinum being the highest level of coverage. For an exhaustive list of every part covered (and not covered) by each Toyota Extra Care plan, check out this official Toyota brochure.
| Platinum | Gold | Powertrain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air conditioning | |||
| Automatic transmission | |||
| Axle assembly | |||
| Brakes | |||
| Computer and electronics | |||
| Cooling system | |||
| Electrical | |||
| Engine | |||
| Fuel system | |||
| Hybrid/alternative fuel | |||
| Manual transmission | |||
| Steering | |||
| Suspension |
Keep in mind that almost no warranty — factory or extended — covers routine maintenance or wear-and-tear items.
Toyota Extra Care is a bit unique in that its Gold and Platinum protection plans are separated by part, not by system. In other words, they both cover the same basic systems (like your transmission, cooling system or electrical system), but Platinum covers more parts within those systems.
For example, both Toyota Extra Care Gold and Platinum cover your brakes, but only Platinum covers your brake pedal subassembly. And both warranty plans cover your electrical system, but only Platinum covers your door control relay.
It’s much more common for extended warranty providers to advertise that their premium plan adds coverage for electronics without splitting hairs between plans. However, the way Toyota divides its plans provides partial coverage at lower price points.
On paper, choosing between Toyota Extra Care Gold and Platinum may seem difficult. Luckily, Toyota’s simple pricing structure makes the decision easier.
Toyota extended warranty cost
On average, Toyota Extra Care costs around $2,500 for newer cars with under 36,000 miles and closer to $3,000 for used vehicles that are already out of warranty, according to a local Toyota dealer. Some quotes were significantly higher, at roughly $4,000.
See extended warranty costs for specific Toyota models:
- Toyota 4Runner
- Toyota Camry
- Toyota Corolla
- Toyota Highlander
- Toyota Prius
- Toyota RAV4
- Toyota Sienna
- Toyota Tacoma
- Toyota Tundra
For perspective, that range is well below the average cost of an extended auto warranty. And considering that Toyota Extra Care warranties tend to run longer than average, they might be relative bargains.
You can see the quotes we received below, but expect your results to vary.
| Vehicle | Toyota warranty term | Platinum cost | Gold cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Camry with 500 miles | 6 years/100,000 miles | $2,362 | $2,262 |
| 2023 Camry with 500 miles | 8 years/100,000 miles | $2,406 | $2,306 |
| 2023 Camry with 500 miles | 10 years/150,000 miles | $2,812 | $2,712 |
| 2022 Prius with 10,000 miles | 6 years/100,000 miles | $2,274 | $2,174 |
| 2022 Prius with 10,000 miles | 8 years/100,000 miles | $2,338 | $2,238 |
| 2021 Supra with 35,000 miles | 4 years/48,000 miles | $2,560 | $2,460 |
| 2021 Supra with 35,000 miles | 6 years/60,000 miles | $2,822 | $2,722 |
| 2015 Tacoma with 100,000 miles | 3 years/36,000 miles | $3,398 | $3,298 |
| 2015 Tacoma with 100,000 miles | 4 years/48,000 miles | $4,056 | $3,956 |
The finance manager we spoke with also confirmed that Platinum plans are always $100 more than Gold protection plans, regardless of vehicle or mileage. Considering the wealth of additional parts covered by a Platinum protection plan, upgrading could be worth it for most people.
That finance manager also warned us that prices tend to change every six months, and even though Toyota Extra Care won’t kick in until the factory warranty expires, your quote at 500 miles and 35,500 miles will be very different. So, if you’re considering purchasing a Toyota Extra Care warranty, sooner means cheaper.
Toyota extended warranty terms and conditions
For the most part, Toyota Extra Care’s terms and conditions are pretty standard for an extended warranty. While we recommend carefully reading any warranty contract before signing, here are some of the highlights we saw:
- Maintenance: To keep your warranty coverage, you must follow the vehicle maintenance schedule in your Toyota owners manual and keep a record of receipts.
- Preexisting conditions: Any preexisting conditions won’t be covered by your warranty, which is why we strongly recommend getting a pre-purchase inspection before purchasing any used vehicle.
- Transferability: If you sell your car, you can transfer your Toyota Extra Care warranty to its new owner for free. However, this can only be done once, and it can only transfer to a private party — not a dealership.
» MORE: What voids a car warranty?
What’s not covered by a Toyota extended warranty?
Standard exclusions apply. Your Toyota extended warranty won’t cover:
- Preexisting issues
- Weather- or accident-related damage
- Abuse, neglect or damage resulting from aftermarket parts
- Racetrack use (some exceptions for track-ready models)
Toyota extended warranty alternatives
Toyota Extra Care’s chief drawbacks are its cost and lack of coverage for rust and hybrid/EV components. Also, even though eight years or 125,000 miles of coverage sounds like a lot, some Toyotas are known to last up to 250,000 miles without major issues.
“It’s a Toyota, you could put a quarter of a million miles on it and it will ask for more,” wrote Grant Lewis, co-host of Everything Auto, in an email to ConsumerAffairs.
If you’re concerned about these limitations of Toyota Extra Care, an extended warranty from a third-party warranty company might be a better fit. Some of these warranty companies offer flexible terms and coverage that lasts for up to 10 years or 300,000 miles.
They may be more affordable, too. To find out, we collected quotes from four warranty companies: olive, Endurance, Toco Warranty and Omega Auto Care. These quotes were for an eight-year/100,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty on a 2023 Toyota Camry. All warranties came with a $100 deductible (unless otherwise stated).
Here are the results:
| Warranty provider | Cost |
|---|---|
| Toyota Extra Care | $2,406 |
| olive | $1,249 |
| Endurance | $5,141 |
| Toco Warranty | $4,535 |
| Omega Auto Care | $8,399 ($200 deductible) |
This is a good example of why it often pays to shop around for extended warranty coverage. olive offered similar coverage for half as much as Toyota — and many times less than some competitors. Your best bet is to shop around to find a good deal and avoid overpaying.
Given the wide variance in prices, we recommend checking out both Toyota and third-party warranty companies to find the right warranty for your needs. Read reviews, get quotes and compare costs, coverages and contracts to ensure you’re making an educated decision based on your unique circumstances.
Is the Toyota extended warranty worth it?
A Toyota extended warranty is worth it if you can confidently relate to these three statements. Broadly speaking, you have a better chance of an extended warranty being worth the cost if:
1. You can’t afford a surprise repair out of pocket.
Consider your own financial situation before you buy a Toyota extended warranty.
A ConsumerAffairs survey found that almost 60% of drivers said they didn’t have enough savings to cover a $1,000 car repair bill. Most of those people said they’d have to borrow money to get their car fixed, but about 21% of them said they simply had no way to come up with the money.
A Toyota extended warranty may not be the best choice if you’re struggling to make ends meet (there’s risk involved), but it is worth having a plan for if you’re ever stuck with a repair bill that’s beyond your means.
2. You get a very good deal on your warranty.
At roughly $750 per year of added coverage, the cost of Toyota Extra Care plans falls well below the $1,000-per-year average cost of an exclusionary extended warranty.
3. You drive an unreliable car.
Toyota’s reputation for making extremely dependable vehicles still stands true. A study by RepairPal found that, in 2019, the average annual repair cost for all Toyota models was just $441 per year. Adjusted for inflation between 2019 and 2024, that’s still just $591 per year — way below the $857 per year average across brands and less than you’ll likely spend on an Extra Care warranty that only covers some of those expenses.
Toyota Extra Care plans tend to go longer than your average extended warranty, often stretching to 100,000 or even 125,000 miles. That means Toyota Extra Care plans really do help make up for Toyota’s lacking factory warranty period. Think of it this way: If you purchase an 8-year/125,000-mile Gold warranty, you’ll be extending your factory bumper-to-bumper warranty by a generous five years and a whopping 89,000 miles.
That said, Toyota Extra Care also leaves a few uncomfortable gaps, depending on what vehicle you drive. For one, it doesn’t cover rust or corrosion past the factory warranty period of five years. That may be an important consideration if you plan to drive an older Toyota over salty roads.
Toyota Extra Care also doesn’t cover battery packs or many hybrid- or electric vehicle (EV)-related systems beyond their factory warranty of eight years/100,000 miles. If these parts fail on your Prius or RAV4 Prime after 100,000 miles, you could be on the hook for an expensive repair. (A ConsumerAffairs reviewer from Florida discovered firsthand the pitfalls of owning a hybrid out of warranty, writing: “I just got the ‘check hybrid’ system light. … They are charging about $5,000.”)
» RELATED: Is car repair insurance worth it?
Extra Care plans tend to cost less than the average extended warranty, but they’re still more than Toyotas average in repair bills.
All things considered, a Toyota Extra Care warranty probably isn’t financially worth it unless you really want protection from a catastrophic repair bill. Toyota remains one of the most reliable car brands on the market, and the cost of fixing most Toyotas when they break down is generally going to be less than you spend on an Extra Care plan.
However, for some people, the peace of mind provided by years of additional warranty protection could still be worth the cost.
Consider this litmus test: If you purchased an eight-year/125,000-mile warranty on your Toyota and you never end up filing a claim, would you still be glad you purchased the extended warranty?
Toyota extended warranty FAQ
How much does a Toyota extended warranty cost?
A Toyota extended warranty costs around $2,500 for newer cars with under 36,000 miles and closer to $3,000 for used vehicles that are already out of warranty.
Can I purchase a Toyota extended warranty online?
Yes, you can purchase a Toyota extended warranty online or in person at the dealership.
How do you cancel a Toyota extended warranty?
To cancel your Toyota extended warranty you’ll need to contact the dealership. If you cancel within 30 days, you’ll receive a full refund minus a $50 processing fee. Cancellations made after 30 days will be prorated.
What happens if my Toyota extended warranty expires?
Once your warranty expires, you'll be responsible for any repairs that would have been covered under the warranty. You may want to consider other coverage options to avoid out-of-pocket expenses.
What happens if I sell my car before the extended warranty expires?
You can transfer the extended warranty to the new owner if you sell your car to a private party before the warranty has expired.
Can I use my Toyota extended warranty at any dealership?
Yes, you can use your Toyota extended warranty at any Toyota dealership in the United States.
Article sources
- J.D. Power, “Vehicle Dependability Improves Despite Continued Problems with Technology, J.D. Power Finds.” Accessed Feb. 20, 2023.
- RepairPal, “Toyota Reliability Rating.” Accessed Nov. 10, 2023.
- Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), “ Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair in U.S. City Average.” Accessed Nov. 8, 2023.
