Toyota Highlander Extended Warranty: Cost, Coverage and Plans

Toyota Highlander extended warranty coverage

An extended auto warranty is an optional, paid extension of the factory warranty your Highlander comes with. For context, Toyota Highlanders come with the following warranties from the factory:

• A three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty
• A five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty

Factory warranties follow the vehicle, not the owner. So if you buy a 2-year-old truck with 20,000 miles on it, you still have one year or 16,000 miles worth of factory bumper-to-bumper warranty remaining.

For an extended warranty on your Toyota Highlander, you have two options:

1. Buy the official Toyota extended warranty, called Toyota Extra Care.
2. Buy a plan from a third-party extended warranty company, which allows you to take your truck to any ASE-certified mechanic for repairs.

In either case, you’ll generally get the most value by purchasing whichever plan offers comprehensive, exclusionary protection (often called bumper-to-bumper or Platinum). These plans cover 90% or more of the parts on your vehicle. Less comprehensive Gold, Silver and powertrain plans may be cheaper, but they tend to 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:

Note that some extended auto warranty plans fall somewhere between bumper-to-bumper and powertrain coverage.

» LEARN: What to know about manufacturers’ extended warranties

A ConsumerAffairs investigation found most drivers couldn't afford to cover a $1,000 repair bill with cash, and 13% had no way to pay a bill that large, even with credit.

Toyota extended warranty plans for Highlander

Toyota offers three tiers of its extended warranty, known as Vehicle Service Agreements (VSAs). Each tier provides a different level of coverage, and plan costs increase with the number of components covered.

All three levels come with benefits including lockout protection, fuel delivery and battery jump starts.

Powertrain

The lowest-level VSA covers the mechanical failure of eligible engine, axle assembly and transfer case components, and other parts that make the car run.

This plan is available for new Toyotas that are under three years old and have less than 36,000 miles, and for used Toyotas within the current model year (and 12 years prior) with less than 150,000 total vehicle miles.

Gold

The Gold plan covers the same parts as the Powertrain plan, plus heating and air conditioning components, power steering, power windows and more.

To be eligible for Gold-level coverage, new Toyotas must be under three years and 36,000 miles. Used Toyotas must be from the current model year up to nine prior years and have no more than 150,000 total vehicle miles.

Platinum

Toyota’s most comprehensive VSA covers up to 1,100 parts, including computer and electronic components, door handles, seatbelts, and other parts not covered under the other two plans.

Platinum-level eligibility requirements are the same as for the Gold-level plan.

How much does a Toyota Highlander extended warranty cost?

We were quoted $648.85 a year from olive for three years of bumper-to-bumper coverage for a 2021 Toyota Highlander registered in Austin, Texas, with 40,000 miles. From Endurance, the quote for similar coverage was $1,028.16 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” Toyota extended warranty is called Toyota Extra Care, and it may cost less than a third-party option. Be sure to get a quote from your local Toyota dealer to compare your options.

In general, quotes for extended auto warranties vary based on coverage, vehicle, deductible, location and other factors. A 2022 Highlander with zero miles typically has cheaper extended warranty options than a 2020 model with 50,000 miles, for example.

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 Toyota Highlander were less expensive by comparison.

A nonexclusionary plan may be around 40% cheaper than a bumper-to-bumper plan, but it also covers significantly fewer parts. If you want to feel more secure that you're covered for any given repair, it's worth going for the more expensive comprehensive plan.

Shop around and get quotes from multiple warranty companies so you know you're getting the best deal.

Extended auto warranty providers may use varying language to describe plans. For example, Endurance provides 30 months and 40,000 miles of coverage with its plans — this is as of your vehicle's current age and mileage. Other providers may use the vehicle's original purchase date as the starting point for calculating coverage, so you'll have to subtract the age and mileage of your car (plus any remaining factory warranty) to determine the length of the coverage you're actually getting.

» LEARN: How to choose an extended car warranty

Toyota Highlander extended warranty pros and cons

Is a Toyota Highlander extended warranty worth it?

A Toyota Highlander extended warranty can certainly be 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.

Toyota as a brand has above average reliability. J.D. Power ranked Toyota fourth out of 30 car brands for overall dependability. And as for the Highlander specifically, RepairPal gave it a 4.0 out of 5..

Many ConsumerAffairs reviewers reported issues with their Toyota Highlanders.

Deborah from Texas noted engine issues at high mileage with her Highlander: “Our 2015 Highlander with 187,000 miles had a piston situation recently which has resulted in our need for a new engine.”

“Unfortunately a header cracked in our Highlanders engine and caused the entire engine to blow at less than 84,000 miles,” said Michael from Maryland.

These stories from real customers mentioning issues with Toyota Highlander maintenance suggest that an extended warranty is a good idea. The likelihood of needing repairs and the prices we found for Toyota Highlander extended warranties means you’re likely to come out ahead by purchasing a protection plan.

» LEARN: Pros and cons of extended auto warranties