What Is a Powertrain Plan and What Does It Cover?

Many car owners wonder what a powertrain plan covers on a new vehicle. The powertrain includes your car’s engine, transmission, and drivetrain, so you can expect a vehicle protection plan to cover the cost of repairing or replacing these parts for around five years or 60,000 miles.

In this article, we’ll give more details on what a powertrain plan covers and how you can keep these critical car parts safe after protection runs out.

Simply put, a powertrain plan covers the key components that move your car. Most powertrain plans last for around 60,000 miles but cover far fewer parts than an exclusionary plan. While the number of covered components is shorter, powertrain protection takes care of your car’s most important systems.

Below are the internal parts that a powertrain plan typically covers after your deductible:

You’ll receive coverage regardless of whether your car’s drivetrain is four-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, or rear-wheel drive. To learn the specific details of your car’s powertrain coverage, refer to the fine print in your sample contract from the dealership or third-party provider.

What’s Excluded From a Powertrain Plan?

In general, a powertrain plan covers the engine, transmission, transfer case, and drive axles on vehicles. However, it excludes damages caused by the following:

• Accidents or collisions
• Insufficient or improper maintenance
• Vehicle misuse
• Maintenance services like oil changes and tire rotations
• Contaminated or low-quality fuel
• Corrosion or rust
• Wear and tear parts like brake pads
• Environmental causes
• Aftermarket products
• Alterations you were warned against
• Systems like air conditioning and heating

What a powertrain plan covers may vary depending on your provider, as well as your car’s make and model. In general, powertrain plans exclude components in the following categories:

Note that your car’s exhaust system, which includes the catalytic converter, is covered by an emissions limited plan and not by your vehicle’s powertrain service contract.

Powertrain coverage typically lasts five years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. That number might differ slightly across automakers, so don’t expect Ford and Toyota to offer the same coverage. Heavy-duty pickup trucks, commercial vehicles, and government fleet cars often receive higher mileage as part of their powertrain coverage.

Kia, Hyundai, Genesis, and Mitsubishi offer some of the industry’s longest powertrain plans, reaching up to 10 years or 100,000 miles.

Should I Extend My Powertrain Coverage?

There are many coverage plans on the market, but two common ones are powertrain and exclusionary plans. Here are some differences between the two:

• A powertrain plan covers fewer car parts but lasts longer.
• Exclusionary coverage is a higher level coverage choice than powertrain protection.
• Powertrain plans usually last around five years or 60,000 miles, while exclusionary plans often last only three years or 36,000 miles.
• Both are free on new vehicles, but extended powertrain plans are cheaper.

While powertrain and exclusionary plans come standard with new cars, you can also find options for each one. While a powertrain plan covers significantly fewer parts, it’s generally more affordable.

Powertrain plans cover most critical car components, and they’re at their best when you pick Bronze coverage from CARCHEX. We also offer four other flexible plans that cover a larger number of car parts.

Getting a quote online from CARCHEX is free, fast, and easy. You can also call us at 866-261-3457 to speak with a specialist today about what a powertrain plan covers.