Ford Warranty: Cost, Coverage, and Pricing

The Ford warranty that comes with all new vehicles covers repairs and replacements of parts that have defective materials or workmanship. Ford’s factory coverage includes several protections, including 3 years/36,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage and 5 years/60,000 miles of powertrain coverage.

The powertrain coverage is on par with other popular commuter brand protections, like the Toyota warranty, but below-average compared to the 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranties offered by Hyundai, Kia, Genesis and Mitsubishi.

Ford warranty details

Each Ford warranty covers different vehicle components for a specified amount of time, but the main protection hinges on the bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranties.

• Bumper-to-bumper: Protects almost all mechanical and electrical components, aside from a short list of exclusions

• Powertrain: Covers the vehicle’s most vital components, including the engine, transmission, axles and wheels

• Diesel engine coverage: Protects direct injection diesel engines, including the water pump, gaskets, seals and various sensors

• Corrosion: Protects body sheet metal panels and aluminum body panels against rust perforation

• Safety restraint: Covers your Ford’s Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) and safety belts

• Emissions: Covers passenger cars’ and light-duty trucks’ catalytic converters, electronic emissions control unit and onboard emissions diagnostic devices for 8 years/80,000 miles, while other components are only covered for 2 years/24,000 miles

• Hybrid and electric vehicle coverage: Protects electric drivetrain systems, including the battery

The Ford warranty also covers defective factory-supplied tires. If your vehicle is still covered under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty, Ford will cover all or part of faulty tire replacements according to the following schedule:

Additional benefits

All new Fords come with roadside assistance for 5 years/60,000 miles. This program covers towing to the nearest Ford dealer, winching, fuel deliveries, key lockouts, flat tire changes and battery jump-starts. Drivers can access their roadside assistance plan through the FordPass^TM mobile app or by calling 800-241-3673.

What’s not covered under the Ford warranty?

Like any warranty, Ford’s coverage comes with a few exclusions, such as:

• Damage caused by accidents, theft, vandalism, improper maintenance or improper fuel use
• Environmental damage
• Aftermarket modifications, alterations and any damage caused by aftermarket parts
• Wear-and-tear items like brake pads and windshield wiper blades
• Routine maintenance services like oil changes and tire rotations

Since car warranties only protect defective materials or workmanship, any component damaged through abnormal use will not be covered.

Certified pre-owned (CPO) Fords receive any remaining bumper-to-bumper coverage from the vehicle’s original warranty. The manufacturer also offers a 1-year/12,000-mile Comprehensive Limited Warranty that goes into effect after the original warranty expires or on the date of purchase if the original warranty period has already ended. 

However, the Comprehensive Limited Warranty does not cover as many parts and systems as the New Vehicle Limited Warranty, and you’ll need to pay a $100 deductible per repair visit. It comes with 24-hour roadside assistance offered by the Cross Country Motor Club. The CPO Ford warranty also includes powertrain protection for a total of 7 years/100,000 miles from the vehicle’s in-service date.

If you purchased your vehicle from an individual seller rather than the dealership, you may still have existing Ford warranty coverage. After you’ve tracked down your vehicle identification number (VIN), reach out to your local Ford dealership. A service representative can look up your vehicle’s warranty information using the VIN.

If you’re considering an extended Ford warranty, you should take your vehicle’s reliability and average repair costs into account. You may also want to take stock of your personal finances and how comfortable you’d feel footing a repair bill.

According to RepairPal, a cost-estimation site for vehicle repairs, Ford vehicles cost an average of $775 per year to repair and maintain. Below, we’ve outlined a few commonly reported Ford repairs and their respective costs, according to RepairPal.

An extended auto warranty foots the bill for repairs after your Ford factory warranty expires. The added coverage can provide peace of mind well into your vehicle’s golden years, but they’re not always worth the money. 

You’ll also need to decide between a Ford-backed extended warranty and independent coverage. Both options have pros and cons. 

Ford extended warranty

Ford offers four levels of extended coverage, formally called Ford Protect Extended Service Plans: PremiumCARE, ExtraCARE, BaseCARE and PowertrainCARE. These plans can extend up to 8 years/150,000 miles from your Ford’s in-service date.

• PremiumCARE: Comprehensive coverage that protects over 1,000 vehicle components, including the air conditioning, high-tech systems and audio system

• ExtraCARE: Protects 113 parts and is suited for vehicles with fewer high-tech components

• BaseCARE: Protects vital components like the engine and transmission, as well as the air conditioning and electrical systems

• PowertrainCARE: Basic powertrain protection for the engine, transmission, front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive

Each vehicle service contract comes with 24-hour roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement and full transferability to subsequent owners.

While the manufacturer-backed warranty guarantees that factory-trained technicians use genuine Ford parts during repairs, you’ll need to take your vehicle to a licensed Ford or Lincoln dealer for service. Drivers can also only purchase a Ford extended warranty before their 3-year/36,000-mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty expires.

Ford coverage from an independent warranty company

Manufacturer warranties are not the only option for long-term coverage. Ford owners can also purchase a vehicle protection plan from an independent warranty provider. Reputable third-party coverage may be a better choice for some drivers.

Here are a few benefits of opting for a third-party extended warranty for your Ford:

• Flexible repair facility options: Top-rated providers like Endurance and CARCHEX work with licensed repair facilities and dealerships nationwide. Drivers can have service performed at over 30,000 repair centers, rather than just Ford and Lincoln dealerships.

• Longer-lasting term limits: Some providers offer contract terms up to 250,000 miles, which almost doubles Ford’s maximum term length.

• Potentially lower-cost contracts: Some independent providers may offer lower-cost contracts compared to manufacturer-backed options.

• Flexible purchase dates: Unlike the Ford extended warranty, third-party contracts can be purchased at any time, regardless of vehicle age or mileage.

We’ve ranked and reviewed the best extended car warranty providers in the industry. It’s a good idea to get multiple quotes when shopping for extended warranty coverage so that you can choose the most affordable plan for you. Click below to start receiving free, no-obligation quotes from our top-rated picks.

Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best extended car warranty companies. We collected data on dozens of auto warranty providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the companies that scored the most points topping the list.

Here are the factors our ratings take into account:

• Reputation: Our research team considers availability, ratings from industry experts and years in business when conferring this score.
• Coverage: Companies that offer a variety of choices for warranty coverage, long contract terms and added benefits are more likely to meet consumer needs.
• Cost: Auto warranty companies with affordable rates and multiple deductibles scored highest in this category.
• Transparency: This score is based on contract transparency and the availability of a money-back guarantee.
• Customer experience: Based on customer satisfaction ratings and our extensive shopper analysis, we consider the responsiveness, friendliness and helpfulness of each warranty company’s customer service team.

Our credentials:

• 500+ hours researched
• 50 companies reviewed
• 2,000+ consumers surveyed

*Data accurate at time of publication.