CarShield Silver Plan

The CarShield Silver extended auto warranty is the cheapest warranty the company offers, according to its website. It functions as a lower-tier powertrain plan, only covering your vehicle’s essential components.

The Silver plan is a slightly scaled-down version of the powertrain plus coverage provided by the Gold plan, which covers the bulk of mechanical parts that are difficult to fix if your vehicle has a mechanical breakdown. The Silver plan can be a good fit for those who drive used cars and want a basic form of coverage to protect against unexpected repairs.

What Does the CarShield Silver Plan Cover?

The Silver plan provides coverage for car repairs to a vehicle’s major systems. Of all six CarShield plans, this provides the most basic coverage. It covers components in the:

• Engine
• Transmission/transaxle
• Turbocharger/supercharger
• Cooling system
• Transfer unit
• Drive axle

Below, we outline which covered repairs are protected under warranty.

CarShield provides sample contracts online that clearly outline coverage and exclusions for all levels of coverage.

CarShield Silver

CarShield Silver Package Exclusions

Your CarShield Silver contract will explicitly detail what is and isn’t covered under warranty. For example, the Silver contract won’t cover auto repairs if you made modifications that could increase the risk of a mechanical breakdown, or if you misused the car for rougher activities like street racing.

The CarShield Silver plan excludes items that naturally wear out over time (like tires and brake pads). The plan also doesn’t cover damages caused by:

• A lack of maintenance (like not keeping up with oil changes and tire rotations)
• Pre-existing conditions
• Car repairs performed without prior authorization
• Odometer tamperings
• Severe weather or natural disasters
• Theft, vandalism or car accidents

Specific components that are excluded in the CarShield Silver plan but are covered in other CarShield plans include:

• Air conditioning system
• Fuel delivery system
• Fuel injector
• Fuel pump
• Steering
• Suspension
• Brake system
• Electrical system
• Instrument cluster
• GPS/navigation system
• Factory audio
• Starter
• Alternator
• Power windows
• Radiator
• Wiring harness

The Silver plan is described as the cheapest CarShield extended warranty. In our research, our editorial team reached out to CarShield for a free quote and found that the Silver plan tends to average around $90 per month, whether you’re making monthly payments or on a set period plan. See the quotes we received for Silver plan coverage in the table below.

You can expect to pay a deductible for car repairs with your Silver plan, along with a down payment when you purchase CarShield coverage. This usually equates to the first month of the plan.

CarShield Silver Quotes

There are two main ways to get a free quote from CarShield for the Silver plan. You can reach out to the company by phone or fill out the contact form on its website. You’ll need the following information to receive a quote:

• Your vehicle’s year, make and model
• Your car’s mileage
• Your name, email address, phone number and ZIP code

The CarShield representative will then use this information to give you a personalized extended warranty quote for the Silver plan or any other CarShield vehicle service contracts you’re interested in.

Along with the coverage and cost information provided above, the CarShield Silver plan also comes with several benefits. This section will provide additional information on perks, coverage transferability and the claims process.

CarShield Silver Package Benefits

As with other extended warranty providers, CarShield offers plan benefits with its Silver contract. You’d get the following additional benefits with the CarShield Silver plan:

• Trip interruption coverage: CarShield will reimburse you up to $125 per day for four days for lodging and food expenses if your vehicle is in the repair shop and you broke down more than 100 miles away from home.
• Rental car coverage: Your rental car expenses will be reimbursed if your car is in the repair shop for a covered mechanical breakdown.
• Roadside assistance: These services include towing, emergency tire services, lockout assistance, fuel deliveries, battery jump-starts and winchings.
• Repair shop choice: You can take your vehicle to any repair shop certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence®.
• Money-back guarantee: CarShield offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you decide you no longer want an extended car warranty.

CarShield Silver Coverage Transferability

In most cases, you can transfer your CarShield Silver plan to a new vehicle owner or new car. To transfer coverage, you’ll need to submit the following documentation to CarShield:

• Proof of the ownership change, such as vehicle registration or title
• An administrative processing fee of $50
• A complete transfer application
• An odometer reading at the time of ownership transfer
• Receipts demonstrating the last scheduled maintenance requirements

CarShield Silver Plan Waiting Period

With all CarShield coverage options, there’s a waiting period before your warranty goes into effect. This is because CarShield wants to ensure there are no pre-existing conditions that will be covered under warranty. For the Silver plan’s coverage to kick in, you must wait 30 days and 1,000 miles from the contract’s effective date.

CarShield Silver Claims Process

CarShield must approve any covered repairs before work can begin on your vehicle. Here are some steps to take into consideration if you file a claim with CarShield for your Silver plan:

1. Take your car to a certified mechanic within CarShield’s network.
2. Give the repair facility your Silver contract and allow one of the employees to call CarShield’s claims department.
3. A CarShield warranty claims adjuster will look at the repairs needed to see if they’re covered under the Silver plan.
4. Once your repairs are approved, the administrator (like American Auto Shield) will pay the mechanic directly, minus your deductible.

While today’s cars are built with durability in mind, mechanical breakdowns do happen. The CarShield Silver vehicle service contract is an affordable plan for those who want basic coverage for older vehicles. It covers all major vehicle components, like the engine and transmission, which can help keep you covered and keep your car on the road longer.

Below are frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the CarShield Silver plan:

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.