Which Extended Warranty Plan Should You Buy? PremiumCARE, ExtraCARE, BaseCARE, or PowertrainCARE?
This is going to be a quick post on protection and warranty coverage for the Ford Bronco. Not only is the platform new in terms of the Ford production line, but it’s also new for all current owners. We’ve all owned our Broncos for what, less than 2 years now? No one knows what’s in store for the Ford Bronco when it approaches the 100K+ mile range so there are many questions hovering around the warranty.
Already, we’ve seen many problems with the Bronco, both the full size and sport. Everything from engine valve failure (2.7L mainly) and transmission shifting delays, to the body and chassis shaking on the road, and even random complaints about the platform causing a burning smell coming from beneath the hood. In addition to the core problems, we’ve seen brake issues, random electrical system failures, windshield wiper problems, and powertrain issues as well. Finally, the Bronco hardtops have seen many complaints as well. The MIC hardtop is on its second version now with many mixed reviews and Ford has since promised that a third version will be out soon.
In any case, there are clearly some issues that Ford needs to work through in order to get this platform dialed in.
So what does the 3-yr/36k-mile basic, 5-yr/60k-mile powertrain warranty cover? Do you need an extended warranty now, or should you wait a few years? These are a few of the questions we hope to answer in this post.
“Buy the best service, warranty, and protection plan you can afford”… is what your sales guy will sell you on but is that really necessary? Should you buy an 8-year 175k-mile warranty off the lot? Well, the short answer is no, however, that will vary for everyone.
Find them online:
- Ford Protect Warranty Options: Check Care Options
- Ford Protect Number Sales: 1-800-521-4144
- Ford Protect Admin Cancellations: 1-800-321-7790
- Ford Protect Customer Retention: 1-800-392-3673
Don’t Buy Extended Coverage
The 3-year or 36k-mile BTB (bumper-to-bumper) warranty (whichever comes first) covers everything that the Ford PremiumCARE extended warranty package covers. If you don’t plan on keeping your Bronco for longer than three years or you don’t plan on putting 36k miles on your Bronco, you don’t need “extended coverage”.
Keep in mind, you can add extended coverage at any time. From the day you buy your Bronco to the last month of that 3rd year, you can still add this protection. The same applies to miles. You can add extended coverage as long as you’re under that 3yr and 36-mile mark.
The main thing to consider here is that the cost of coverage (down payment, deductible, and monthly if financed) does go up every year by about 10-20%.
If you want to pay the lowest price possible for an extended warranty, add your extended coverage now. Adding extended coverage early only means that you are potentially saving a little money down the road, paying down the warranty early, and saving yourself the headache of adding coverage later. In addition to those reasons, the Ford Protect extended warranty options come with some benefits that base warranties do not provide.
Benefits of Extended Warranty
Extended warranties will always cost more depending on miles and age. Just keep in mind the more miles you put on your rig and the older it gets, the more an extended warranty will cost.
Ford Protect Benefits (not included in 3-year/ 36k-mile):
- Rental Car ($60/day): Ford will provide a rental car valued at $60 per day for every day your Bronco is in the shop.
- Trip Interruption: If you’re 100+ miles from home and break down, Ford will reimburse you $1000 or up to $200/day for helping to cover lodging, meals, and transportation expenses.
- Free Keyfob Replacement: Ford will replace any lost, stolen, or broken keyfobs free of charge.
- HID/LED Lighting: Interior and exterior lighting will be replaced for free, if damaged, faulty or broken.
If you start your PremiumCARE, ExtraCARE, BaseCARE, or PowertrainCARE extended warranty early, these are the only additional items/benefits you will receive.
Ford Warranty Options Compared
PremiumCARE (1000+)
Covers the parts and labor to repair thousands of key components-engine, transmission, steering, brakes, front suspension, electrical, and 10 years or 175,000 miles. Failure of covered components due to defects in materials and workmanship and normal wear and tear are included. With Ford Protect PremiumCARE, it’s covered.
ExtraCARE (113)
Covers vehicle systems that impact drivability and your vehicle’s overall performance.
BaseCARE (84)
Covers vehicle systems that impact drivability and your vehicle’s overall performance.
PowertrainCARE (29)
Provides critical engine and transmission component coverage.
PremiumCARE Warranty (1000+)
So how much does this warranty cost?
Below is an overview of warranty costs I mocked up for you guys from Ford directly. This is an example quote of what you can expect to pay if you opted for Ford PremiumCARE.
Again, I opted for the best warranty package I could theoretically afford; PremiumCARE at 125,000 miles financed over 30 months for just about 7 years of coverage. The warranty plans offered by Ford are transferrable and this is a good value-add when you go to list your Bronco for sale. It shows that you cared about your vehicle… to some extent. After checking some boxes and getting to the checkout page, here is what Ford provided.
2022 FORD BRONCO 4-DOOR
- VIN: ———————
- My car is: Purchased
- Vehicle Zip Code: 95762
- Odometer: 650
- Avg. Miles Per Year: 12,000
- Snowplow: No
- Commercial: No
PREMIUM CARE
- Miles Expire: 125,000
- Plan Expires: 10/14/2030
- Deductible: $200.00
- Per Month Payment: $112.80
- Payment Duration: 30 Months
Total Amount: $3,760.00
PREMIUM MAINTENANCE PLAN
- Miles Expire: 125,000
- Plan Expires: 10/14/2030
- Number Of Services: 13
- Service Interval: 10,000 Miles
- Per Month Payment: $73.50
- Payment Duration: 30 Months
Total Amount: $2,450.00
Total Payment Information
- Payment Duration: 30 months
- Today’s Down Payment: $621.00
- Monthly Payment: $186.30
- First Monthly Payment: 01/27/2023
- Last Monthly Payment: 07/27/2025
Final Thoughts
Although the platform has issues, I am still very excited about the journey of owning, driving, and wheeling the living daylights out of this Bronco.
I am personally not going to buy an extended warranty unless I am certain that I will own the Bronco for more than 3 years. I average about 8000 miles per year so I doubt I will exceed the warranty on miles either.
If something does happen to our Bronco in the factory-provided warranty timeframe, I’d like Ford to address those issues first. If however, I reach the 30K mile mark and approach 2.5 years of ownership, I will opt for an extended PremiumCARE warranty straight through Ford Protect for a longer term.
Regardless of what you choose on your end, you can always add an extended warranty direct through Ford online or at your service center at any time. No harm in adding it now or later.
