Carshield Reviews

Protect My Car vs. CarShield Extended Warranty

Affiliate Disclosure: Automoblog and its partners may earn a commission if you purchase coverage from the extended warranty providers outlined here. These commissions come to us at no additional cost to you. Our research team has carefully vetted dozens of extended warranty providers. See our Privacy Policy to learn more.  

Protect My Car has made the decision to stop selling vehicle service contracts to new customers. However, its commitment to existing customers remains unchanged, with continued support and claims processing. Feel free to review the details provided below for comparison, or consider exploring other warranty companies here.

  • Protect My Car and CarShield both ranked in the top five of our best extended car warranty roundup.
  • Protect My Car has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and a solid customer service reputation.
  • CarShield offers more plan options than Protect My Car, including vehicle service contracts for motorcycles and ATVs.

In our review of the best extended warranty companies, both Protect My Car and CarShield ranked in the top five. This Protect My Car vs. CarShield review compares details about these providers head-to-head to help you decide which is the best option for your vehicle and your budget.

We’ll compare plan details, cost, customer service, and more.

Endurance
4.6
Industry Standing: 4.4/5.0
Coverage: 4.9/5.0
Affordability: 4.5/5.0
Transparency: 5.0/5.0
Customer Service: 4.4/5.0
idée We recommend Endurance as the best warranty provider
  • Best Overall
  • Coverage Plans: 6 options plus maintenance plan
  • Odometer Limit: Up to 200,000 miles
  • Free Cancellation: 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Longest Term: 8 years of coverage
  • Discounts: $300 same-day signup discount, $250 shopping voucher, and others
Plan coverage includes Endurance Elite perks™
Factory-level bumper-to-bumper plan Free membership for first year
Multiple powertrain/mid-level choices $500 collision discount
Scheduled maintenance coverage Tire repair or replacement
24/7 emergency roadside assistance Total loss protection up to $1,000
Trip interruption reimbursement Key fob replacement and repair
Rental vehicle coverage Endurance mobile app
Towing allowance $250 credit with shopping or dining partners

Highlights

CarShield and Protect My Car were both founded in 2005. While we think CarShield offers slightly better coverage at a generally lower cost, Protect My Car has a better customer service reputation. Here are our ratings for each company:

Protect My Car CarShield
Industry Standing 4.4 3.8
Coverage 4.1 4.6
Affordability 4.1 4.5
Customer Service 4.5 3.6
Overall Rating 4.2 4.2

CarShield offers six plans, including a plan specifically for high-tech components and a plan for motorcycle and ATV coverage. The company’s average customer ratings exceed 4.0 out of 5.0 stars on both Google and Trustpilot. Contracts are available in every state except California.

Protect My Car has longer financing terms, which means a lower monthly payment. There are plans designed with older vehicles in mind, and warranty contracts include coverage for oil changes and tire rotations. Protect My Car has limited state availability and is not available in Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Missouri, Oklahoma, or Washington.

Protect My Car vs. CarShield Coverage

When you compare Protect My Car vs. CarShield in terms of coverage offerings, you’ll see that CarShield has more plans to choose from. Let’s take a look at both providers’ plan options.

Protect My Car offers only three warranty plans:

  • Supreme: The highest level of coverage, this plan is intended for newer vehicles. It has a $100 deductible and covers the majority of vehicle parts.
  • Select: Intended for used vehicles with more than 50,000 miles on the odometer, this plan covers most vehicle parts, except for the turbocharger. It also has a $200 deductible.
  • Driveline: Intended to cover older vehicles that already have more than 80,000 miles, this plan covers many vehicle components, minus the suspension, brake system parts, and turbocharger. It has a $200 deductible.

CarShield has more coverage levels to choose from, including a powertrain warranty plan, which Protect My Car does not offer. CarShield plans include:

  • Diamond: This is an exclusionary plan that covers all systems and components of your vehicle, except for a short list of non-covered parts.
  • Platinum: This plan covers certain parts of your vehicle’s engine, transmission, cooling system, air conditioning, steering, brakes, electrical components, fuel pump, and more. 
  • Gold: This enhanced powertrain coverage plan includes coverage for common powertrain components like your engine, transmission, and drivetrain, as well as electrical systems like the alternator, power window motors, and starter.
  • Silver: The Silver plan provides powertrain coverage for the engine, transmission, water pump, and drive axles.
  • Aluminum: This is a specialty plan for computer-related and electrical components, including the power seat control, sensors, cruise control, electronic gauges, and LCD screens.
  • Motorcycle & ATV: These specialty warranty contracts cover motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles.

In addition to paying for car repairs after a mechanical breakdown, both providers offer additional benefits with every vehicle protection plan. Here are the perks offered by Protect My Car vs. CarShield:

Protect My Car CarShield
24-Hour Roadside Assistance
Courtesy Towing
Rental Car Reimbursement
Trip Interruption Allowance
Tire Rotations
Oil Changes

With both Protect My Car and CarShield, customers can find full-coverage, bumper-to-bumper warranty options. However, if you are looking for powertrain-only coverage, CarShield is the better choice. Protect My Car includes coverage for tire rotations and oil changes with all contracts, which is a nice perk but by itself is not enough to recommend one provider over the other.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9vdCDTY2ik

Protect My Car vs. CarShield Cost

Extended car warranty pricing varies based on a number of factors, including:

  • Deductible
  • Coverage level
  • Vehicle age and mileage
  • Vehicle make and model

To give you an idea of how much contracts from Protect My Car vs. CarShield can cost, we reached out for several quotes from each provider. The following table shows quotes for exclusionary contracts to cover a 2018 Toyota Camry with 28,000 miles. Each contract came with a $100 deductible.

Provider Plan Name Term Length Monthly Cost Down Payment Total Price
Protect My Car Supreme 4 years/
100,000 miles
$99.26 per month
for 42 months
$102 $4,270.92
CarShield Diamond 5 years/
100,000 miles
$83.28 per month
for 18 months
$295 $1,792.04

In this case, the CarShield offer was significantly cheaper than the Protect My Car quote. The next set of quotes were for enhanced powertrain protection for a 2013 Honda Accord with 90,000 miles. Again, each contract came with a $100 deductible.

Provider Plan Name Term Length Monthly Cost Down Payment Total Price
Protect My Car Driveline 4 years/
75,000 miles
$78.86 per month
for 42 months
$85 $3,397.12
CarShield Gold Unlimited $99.99 monthly First payment $4,799.52
(for 4 years
of coverage)

CarShield also offers fixed payment plans that are a little cheaper than the unlimited option. The cost of such a contract is likely to be lower than the Protect My Car quote listed above.

You can get your own free, personalized quote from each company by clicking below.

Endurance
4.6
Industry Standing: 4.4/5.0
Coverage: 4.9/5.0
Affordability: 4.5/5.0
Transparency: 5.0/5.0
Customer Service: 4.4/5.0
idée We recommend Endurance as the best warranty provider
  • Best Overall
  • Coverage Plans: 6 options plus maintenance plan
  • Odometer Limit: Up to 200,000 miles
  • Free Cancellation: 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Longest Term: 8 years of coverage
  • Discounts: $300 same-day signup discount, $250 shopping voucher, and others
Plan coverage includes Endurance Elite perks™
Factory-level bumper-to-bumper plan Free membership for first year
Multiple powertrain/mid-level choices $500 collision discount
Scheduled maintenance coverage Tire repair or replacement
24/7 emergency roadside assistance Total loss protection up to $1,000
Trip interruption reimbursement Key fob replacement and repair
Rental vehicle coverage Endurance mobile app
Towing allowance $250 credit with shopping or dining partners

Protect My Car vs. CarShield Customer Service

While neither Protect My Car nor CarShield is accredited by the BBB, Protect My Car has an A+ rating while CarShield has an F. Here’s how Protect My Car vs. CarShield compare in terms of other customer service scores:

Protect My Car CarShield
BBB Accreditation No No
BBB Rating A+ F
BBB Customer Rating 4.4 out of 5.0
based on over 600 reviews
1.4 out of 5.0
based on over 1,200 reviews
Number of BBB Complaints
in the Last Three Years

Over 160 Over 2,000
Trustpilot Rating 4.6 out of 5.0
based on more than 1,400 reviews
4.0 out of 5.0
based on more than 24,000 reviews

Protect My Car customer reviews mention helpful customer service reps and satisfaction with coverage. Here are a couple of examples:

“Great company. Took care of my issue very professionally and right away. Customer service rep Joshua P. was great and kept me posted with every move.”

– Kashif U. via BBB

“I left CarShield, and I do not regret it. So, far [Protect My Car] has not disappointed […] They do what they say they are going to do and they are reachable in every department. They work fast with my mechanic.”

– Sugar via BBB

CarShield customer reviews are more mixed. While some customers are happy with their coverage, others feel like their contract did not pay out as promised.

“It went great. It’s amazing. If I had not had [a CarShield warranty], it would have cost me over $1,700 for my repair. I have it on my daughters’ vehicles as well.”

– Roosevelt via BBB

“We have had CarShield for over two years, and when the transmission went out in our truck, we tried very unsuccessfully to get in touch with them. [We were] told someone will call us back within [an] hour from claims. Never happened.”

– L.F. via BBB

Most extended warranties come with a long list of exclusions. It is not uncommon for customers to purchase contracts without fully understanding what is and is not covered. That’s why it’s important to carefully read any contract thoroughly before you sign it. When it comes to Protect My Car vs. CarShield, based on customer reviews, Protect My Car seems to do a better job handling claims.

Final Thoughts

Protect My Car and CarShield are both good options for extended auto warranty coverage. While Protect My Car has a stronger customer service reputation, CarShield offers more contracts and coverage at a lower cost. We think Protect My Car may offer greater peace of mind, but you’ll pay a premium for that.

Protect My Car CarShield
Coverage Levels 3 6
Sample Contracts Available
Deductible $0+ $0+
Coverage Waiting Period 30 days/1,000 miles 20 days/500 miles
Years in Business 16 16
Accepted Repair Sites Any repair facility certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE®) Any ASE-certified repair shop
Transferable Plan
Cancellable Plan
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Get Quote Get Quote Get Quote

Top Recommendations for Extended Car Warranties

If neither Protect My Car nor CarShield seems to fit the bill for your extended warranty needs, you might consider two of our other top-recommended providers: Endurance and CARCHEX. You can compare these providers head-to-head in our Endurance vs. CARCHEX review or read a little bit about them below.

Endurance
4.6
Industry Standing: 4.4/5.0
Coverage: 4.9/5.0
Affordability: 4.5/5.0
Transparency: 5.0/5.0
Customer Service: 4.4/5.0
idée We recommend Endurance as the best warranty provider
  • Best Overall
  • Coverage Plans: 6 options plus maintenance plan
  • Odometer Limit: Up to 200,000 miles
  • Free Cancellation: 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Longest Term: 8 years of coverage
  • Discounts: $300 same-day signup discount, $250 shopping voucher, and others
Plan coverage includes Endurance Elite perks™
Factory-level bumper-to-bumper plan Free membership for first year
Multiple powertrain/mid-level choices $500 collision discount
Scheduled maintenance coverage Tire repair or replacement
24/7 emergency roadside assistance Total loss protection up to $1,000
Trip interruption reimbursement Key fob replacement and repair
Rental vehicle coverage Endurance mobile app
Towing allowance $250 credit with shopping or dining partners

Endurance: Best Overall

Endurance is one of the few extended car warranty companies that administers its own contracts. Being a direct provider allows Endurance to keep rates low while giving drivers the most comprehensive warranty coverage in the industry.

Endurance can cover vehicles over 200,000 miles, and all contracts include one free year of Endurance Elite Benefits. Learn more by reading our complete Endurance warranty review.

CARCHEX: Best for Older Vehicles

CARCHEX has been around for over 20 years and is one of the first dedicated extended warranty providers. Like Protect My Car, it has an A+ rating from the BBB and a reputation for quality customer service.

We think CARCHEX is a good fit for drivers of older, high-mileage cars, as it offers low-cost contracts for vehicles up to 250,000 miles. Check out our full CARCHEX review for more.

Our Methodology

Our expert review team takes satisfaction in providing accurate and unbiased information. We identified the following rating categories based on consumer survey data and conducted extensive research to formulate rankings of the best extended auto warranty providers.

  • Affordability: A variety of factors influence cost, so it can be difficult to compare quotes between providers. Our team performs ongoing secret shopper analyses for different vehicles, mileages, warranty plans, and locations to give this rating.
  • Coverage: Because each consumer has unique needs, it’s essential that a car warranty company offers an array of coverage options. We take into account the number of plans offered by each provider, term limits, exclusions, and additional benefits.
  • Industry Standing: Our team considers Better Business Bureau (BBB) ratings, availability, and years in business when giving this score.
  • Customer Service: Reputable extended car warranty companies operate with a certain degree of care for consumers. We take into account customer reviews, BBB complaints, and the responsiveness of the customer service team.