CarShield Reviews
CarShield Review: Is it Worth Buying?
CarShield is a company offering a range of vehicle service protection plans, stating they are one of the most popular extended car warranty companies doing business since 2005.
The company claims to protect its customers from costly auto repairs, no matter how new or old the vehicle is. They have service plans designed for every stage of automobile ownership.
Below we take a look at their coverage options and help you answer some popular questions, most importantly whether this service is worth it or not.
How Does CarShield Work?
CarShield offers a simple and personalized experience to receive protection for your automobile.
First, potential customers request a free quote, personalizing the information to their vehicle. Doing so allows for an accurate quote.
Next you and CarShield will work on developing a personalized plan that will realistically fit your budget and lifestyle.
Once you're enrolled you can reach out to their claims department in case of any mechanical issues with your vehicle, including emergency breakdown.
If the issue is covered by your plan, CarShield will pay the mechanic directly and you’ll be responsible for the deductible and any overage charges.
This business model provides protection for customers when their vehicle is past the coverage terms of their existing warranty, or for those who've decided to prepare for worst case scenarios with an older high mileage vehicle.
This sounds simple enough, but potential customers should be aware that CarShield plans come with a variety of important caveats.
Almost all online complaints about CarShield come from customers who never fully read their service contracts and are disappointed to find that an expensive car repair bill is denied by CarShield.
CarShield Plans and Coverage
CarShield plans include a variety of services, including 24/7 roadside assistance, choice of mechanic for repairs, courtesy towing, and rental car eligibility.
Unlike a dealer purchased car warranty, CarShield offers you a vehicle service contract. The main difference being that a 3rd party (called an obligator), such American Auto Shield, administers your protection plan.
This allows CarShield to offer 6 different protection plans with a variety of options, and allows for repairs to be made at any dealership or repair facility certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).
If you want the highest level of coverage the Diamond Plan will cover the following items:
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The lower priced plans cover fewer items allowing you to select the level of coverage vs price you want.
In your contract you will also have a detailed breakdown of what CarShield does not cover.
This includes, but is not limited to:
- Sheet metal, Hoses, Trim, Weatherstripping, & Lighting
- Spark plugs and wires
- External nuts, bolts, or fasteners
- Parts that have been modified or altered
- Wear-and-tear components such as brake pads and air filters
- Damage caused by acts of nature, collision, vandalism, or lack of proper maintenance
- Auto repairs that have been made without pre-authorization from a CarShield claims representative
- Misuses such as racing or off-road driving
- Tampering with the odometer
- Pre-existing mechanical issues
- Damage from a non-covered part
It’s important to understand the potential implication of some of these exclusions.
For instance, one customer review that we found detailed a situation where coverage of the repair of a covered part was denied because it was deemed the part failed due to a fault in the external fasteners.
Extra Benefits:
If a qualified repair is quoted for more than 4 hours of labor, CarShield will offer up to $40 per day for a rental vehicle.
*Additional Notes of Importance*
If you’re thinking of signing up for CarShield to deal with impending repairs, be aware that the company has a 20-day/500-mile waiting period, along with the aforementioned clause against covering pre-existing issues.
When it comes to the actual repairs, they state that part replacement may include new, used or remanufactured parts of like kind and quality.
Customer Service
If you have a more general question or comment, you are able to leave a message on their website’s contact page. All you have to do is leave your email, phone number and name.
If you are ready to get a quote you can call 800-277-7170.
For more specific issues, questions or concerns relating to customer service, they have specific numbers for different services you may be needing.
1-800-380-2165 for United Car Care
1-800-531-1925 for American Auto Shield
1-800-492-6762 for INDS
1- 866-222-7869 for Roadside Assistance
Cost & Price Plans
To get the true cost of your plan you have to go through the full process of getting a quote.
However, on average, the cost of a plan is between $99.99 and $129.99 per month.
The obvious key variables will be the plan you choose, vehicle make and model, and mileage.
In general, Car Shield offers competitive prices when compared to other popular extended warranty companies on the market.
Customer Reviews & Complaints
Positive Reviews
We found a range of customer experiences with CarShield from online customer reviews.
There are many positive reviews with customers stating that the company is dependable and allows them to feel that their vehicle is being properly protected.
From needing towing to mechanical breakdowns, some people have found that CarShield is able to cover a variety of claims for them, ranging from serious to less serious.
Customers cite that CarShield offer plans that many other companies do not - from service plans on older cars, to extremely flexible price options.
They also get decent marks for customer service and people seem very pleased with the service when everything goes right.
Negative Reviews
On the other hand there are a lot of complaints and customer service horror stories detailed in many angry reviews.
In general most of the bad reviews come from instances where customers were unexpectedly denied coverage, were not happy with their reimbursement totals, or their mechanics had difficulties obtaining payment from CarShield.
The company has an F rating with the BBB and, on that platform, they have a rating of 1.4/5 stars from an average of 1,421 customer reviews.
From reading those negative reviews you can see instances where using CarShield can be frustrating and not seem worth it.
Many complaints pertaining to serious high dollar repairs described a difficult process full of bureaucratic pitfalls.
In some cases claims adjusters will require detailed maintenance records & receipts for your vehicle in an attempt to prove pre-existing conditions or blame the breakdown on a lack of routine maintenance.
Further some unhappy customers found that CarShield doesn’t distinguish the difference whether the lack of routine car maintenance comes from the vehicle's current owner or previous owner.
Other people had issues with the fact that the rental car they were getting was not covered for enough time.
One important detail to keep in mind is that the company relies on a “nationally recognized labor guide” to determine repair rates. If your mechanic’s rates and labor hours quoted are above that, you will have to pay the price difference yourself.
Another issue that customers raised is that some mechanics refuse to work with CarShield, precisely due to some of these additional issues they encounter when trying to collect payment.
On a positive note, it does appear that CarShield has an active customer service team that replies to online complaints, albeit not always with what customers want to hear.
CarShield Alternatives
While what CarShield is doing is different from many companies that protect vehicles, they do have competitors as well.
CarShield vs. Endurance Warranty
Endurance Warranty is another popular choice for vehicle protection by American citizens. It, for the most part, has very similar offers to CarShield.
However, it specifically specializes in extending warranties on cars, as the name suggests. When comparing CarShield vs Endurance Auto Warranty, the latter has been in business since 1988, making it more experienced than CarShield.
That being said, Endurance Warranty seems to offer less personalized or flexible plans. Another alternative that you may want to consider for vehicle protection is Toco Auto Warranty. It runs, again, pretty similarly to CarShield.
CarShield vs. Toco Warranty
Toco allows you to bring your vehicle to any repair shop of choice to fix it in case of mechanical issues and promises that you will not need to make any down payments.
It would seem the main difference is that Toco Warranty seems to offer more varying plans, which will cover less or more of your vehicle.
CarShield vs. Liberty Auto Warranty
This company has been protecting vehicles for over 40 years and offers extremely flexible prices, along with 6 months without payments.
However, their plans seem to be less personalized to your specific case and vehicle than CarShield’s.
All of these options run somewhat similarly, with minor differences here and there.
It would be best to request a free quote from the different companies and get a feel for their style of customer service before you choose one.
Is CarShield Worth It?
Buying a used car can be a risky endeavor and people want assurances that their investment will be protected.
CarShield provides those assurances, but keep in mind that they are a for-profit business.
Their service contract is designed in a way where they will put the burden of proof on the customer and their mechanic to show that costly repairs are due to mechanical failures and not due to neglect.
If you’re confident that you can clear those hurdles, then one of their extended warranties may be a good bet on a high mileage vehicle.
It will also help to thoroughly read the CarShield service contract and ask as many questions of the sales rep as possible to ensure that you understand all of the terms and conditions of the service.
If you have any experience with CarShield or their services, please leave your reviews below.
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CarShield Customer Reviews
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So annoying
Carshield is a big SCAM!
I have oil leak in my front cylinder cover and Carshield denied the repair on 3/19/25, stating that it's not big leak. They will cover only if its large leak. Minor leaks are classified as maintenance issue and therefore not covered. I asked for copy of the contract stating that and it's actually in their exclusions!!!
They have smart people wrote those exclusions and therefore protects them from paying anything for car repair. As said, you are buying yourself FALSE HOPE if you buy their service! DO NOT FALL FOR THEIR ADS! IT'S A SCAM!!!
This company is absolute shit they want your money every month but they don't cover nothing the wording in their contract sucks I caught them in a bold-faced lie about a timing belt on my car I hear nothing but bad things you can't take it to your mechanic the closest shop to me that takes car Shield is 54 miles away how convenient I'll be dropping my coverage
Horrible customer service
Deceptive practices and a waste of money!
A scam and I have 2 garages to prove it!
What a crock! First they lost MY paperwork. Then they lost the garage's after they verified the issue was, in fact, INTERNAL. 5 months later, second garage, second opinion, same conclusion but when the "adjuster" came out he said they wouldn't cover it because there was too much surface rust under the hood. Of course there was! It was left for 7 months undriven! Plus, it was surface rust. Could have been easily cleaned.
Every lawyer turned down my case. So, I hope your corporate offices all shut down! I'm STILL without my Jeep. I lost my job (as an on the road electrician) and lost my apt. Thanks to you!
Pushy and rude customer service
Rip off
The CarShield Email Scam
CARSHIELD is the biggest scam going and should be investigated by congress! I have been a diamond member for 1 year and put in my first claim. My heated seats stopped working. I called every dealer for 100-mile radius, and NO ONE WILL TAKE Carsheild. When I signed, they told me I could go to whoever I want. B!S! When I called them direct, they said they have a local mech in Harrisburg that might fix it. Harrisburg is almost 3 hours away. And how is a transmission shop going to repair my heated seats?!!!!!! Don't buy this!!!! I have contacted a lawyer who promised not only a full refund of over the thous. I spent but also car repairs and punitive damages.
Beware if you purchase a used car
I was not aware, and was not informed, that if your vehicle has preexisting conditions when you purchase it, Car Shield will not pay to fix it. When I purchased my used vehicle I was not aware things wrong with the engine. After about a year and a half, after driving it all over, the engine let go. I had it pulled to my mechanic and they did whatever they do and called Car Shield. I also did not have records where I had changed the oil. They wanted those records.
However, since my vehicle had problems I was not aware of when I purchased it, and I could not show them records where I changed the oil myself, they denied my claim. I never had a chance
Car Shield does not tell you this in any of the advertisements. I immediately cancelled my 3 policies I had with them. I never had a chance to talk to the person who made the decision, and they didn't want to hear what I had to say.
Don't get scammed
Car Shield is garbage, I called customer service before taking my Toyota Tundra to the dealership and told them I needed an alternator, they advised me to call the company I wanted to take it to and have them call car Shield which is what I did and told the Dealer I had a warranty with Car Shield, she said she would order the alternator and it would take a week, so I said okay.
So on Tuesday morning I take my truck in and they put the alternator on, after which she said that would be around $900 that I needed to pay and I told her again when I called in I told them I had CarShield, she says to me she didn't know the number...really?..Of course CarShield said they weren't going to pay it because the Dealer did not call before hand...after going back and forth with the dealer and car shield I ended up with $390, which was ridiculous thinking I had coverage.
CarShield said they could have sent dealer an alternator costing $167, but the dealership alternator was around 400, Carshield said they use refurbished or used parts. To make a long story short it's unbelievable they can scam people the way they do....I canceled them immediately...the Dealership (McDonough Toyota)..the woman grabbed my keys thinking I was leaving when I wanted to go to my truck to get my purse...Terrible place to do business. I should have read your reviews prior.
Don't Waste Your Money!
Buyer beware of companies like this.
You have to very careful with your contract because the contract is written for their benefit. They denied my claim. The have loopholes for them to get out. The best thing to do is try to care of your with regular maintenance.
harassing phone calls
Dissatisfied Former Customer
What a scam and a rip-off. Before the recent holiday, I took my vehicle in for an oil change and tire rotation at my Nissan dealership.
While at the dealership, I noticed a sign stating that as of September 2023, the dealership will no longer accept CarShield. I inquired as to why since CarShield covered me. I was informed that CarShield has a practice of paying out claims late, that they send inferior parts, and that it sometimes takes 3-4 months to receive parts.
So, since I only take my vehicle into Nissan dealerships, I decided to cancel my plan with CarShield. When I initially called in on November 17, 2023, to cancel, I was informed to call back on November 27, 2023 (please note that I was not given a time, only a date), When I called back on the 27th, I did inquire if payment would be taken out of my account since I was calling in on the day that payment was automatically withdrawn. I was assured that it would not. While balancing my account today, I noticed that automatic payment had been taken out of my account.
I immediately called this error into the company, only to be given the run-around. I was informed that I would not receive a refund since I canceled the policy too late and that payment was taken out at 6:00 a.m. on the 27th. I was told that I should have called in before the due date.
Well, I did. My initial call was on the 17th to cancel this policy, only to be given misinformation. And now I'm being told that I cannot receive a refund. To this, I say BULL! I believe that your company is in the habit of deceptive practices, I am a VERY dissatisfied former customer, and I will share my experience with others.
Mrs. Jacqueline Burden
Fairburn, GA 30213
Very much so. The contract is written in their favor not consumer. They have loopholes that benefit scam.
You are correct. Getting reimbursement out of them is like getting "blood out of a rock." PLEASE LISTEN TO ME - GO WITH ANOTHER CAR WARRANTY COMPANY.
Claim denied.
CA not covered, NO false advertisements
Why do California get CarShield commercial ads when IT DOES NOT cover Californians vehicles? This is annoying and doesn't make sense.
Don't fall for the crooked sales pitch
Customer Service
Very disappointed with this Car Shield company. After a cancellation of my policy they kept withdrawing payments from my bank and I couldn't get a refund back. I asked for the recording of the call and they denied showing it to me.
Worse ever
I've had to use Car Shields service 3 times for my F250, this was at a FORD dealer. The first time it was for front end work, they paid for labor and only 30% for part which I had to dig in my pocket. The second and third time they would not cover. I have my F250 in a shop now for a fuel return and of course they won't cover. Their claim is it's not a covered part, so here is another $800.00 repair that I have to pay for. So what are they good for If you have to pay for yourself. Take the money that you would pay them and save it and you will be ahead of the game.
Run From CarShield
Zero stars if I could, The worst service I ever had in my life, the worst warranty service I ever had in my life.
These people are sending me around and around, even the repair shop was concerned about the treatment that I was receiving from them because normally a claim doesn’t take that long and he can’t understand why they put me through a lot for something they take money out of my account for every month.
I’m a gold star member and this is the first time I’ve used this service, and they put me through hell and back, also referring to the repair shop speaking about this is unusual. I would never refer anyone to them, the minute they approve my claim I’m canceling them...