Select Auto Protect vs. CarShield

Purchasing an extended warranty is a wise decision. When your original vehicle manufacturer’s warranty runs out, an extended warranty helps protect you from unexpected (and expensive) maintenance and repairs. With an extended warranty, you benefit from peace of mind in an emergency knowing you won’t be on the hook for costly bills at the auto body shop.

If you’re shopping for a new warranty, it’s important to consider all of the available options. Select Auto Protect is just one of many providers within the extended warranty marketplace. Here, we compare Select Auto Protect against one of our top competitors: CarShield. In this guide, you’ll learn about all of the features Select Auto Protect and CarShield have to offer customers.

Select Auto Protect vs. CarShield: Overview

Before we dive into the specific details of the Select Auto Protect and CarShield plans, here is a comparison chart summarizing each company:

	Select Auto Protect	CarShield
Trustpilot Rating	4.4	4.0
24/7 Claims	Yes	Yes
Unlimited Service Calls	Yes	Yes
Deductible	$100 per claim	Up to $500 per claim
Experience in the Industry	30+ years	20+ years
Money Back Guarantee	Yes (30-Day)	Yes (30-Day)
Cancellation Policy	Full refund if canceled within 30 days of purchase	After 30-days, pro rata refund provided plus cancellation fee
Roadside Assistance	Included in all plans	Included in all plans
Additional Benefits	Trip interruption benefits Towing coverage Gas refill services Payment plans	Towing services Flexible payment terms Rental car services
Sample Contract Available	Yes	Yes

Select Auto Protect Overview

Under each of Select Auto Protect’s three plans, you can bring your vehicle in for service at any ASE (National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence) location throughout the country. When you’re at the auto repair shop, customers are only responsible for their deductible. With a quick call to customer service, a Select Auto Protect representative will provide your chosen repair facility with payment information for the rest of the bill. 

Select Auto Protect aims to remove the stress accompanying unexpected auto repairs and maintenance. Unlike some other extended warranty providers, we don’t require an onsite inspection before taking your car to the mechanic. Simply give us a call and provide our customer service team with your VIN number and current odometer reading. Additionally, Select Auto Protect offers 24/7 claims processing for all customers as well as a 30-day money back guarantee. 

Select Auto Protect Warranty: Pros and Cons

Here are some of the main Pros and Cons for Select Auto Protect:

Pros	Cons
Seamless reimbursement and repair payment process	No mobile app
No onsite inspection required	Newer to the extended warranty industry
Coverage for vehicles of all ages
24/7 claims

CarShield Overview

Since CarShield was founded in 2005, the company has issued service contracts for over two million vehicles. With over 15 years of industry experience, CarShield offers several customized extended warranty plans to fit a wide range of budgets and needs. The company partners with reputable companies, like American Auto Shield for aftermarket products and PayLink Direct for payment processing to provide a world class customer experience..

CarShield Warranty: Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Coverage for vehicles with up to 300,000 miles	Some contracts are non transferable
Six comprehensive plan options available	Customer reviews mention misleading advertising and negative experiences
24/7 roadside assistance
Long Standing industry reputation

Select Auto Protect vs. CarShield Warranty: Coverage 

Here is a summary of the plans and coverage for Select Auto Protect and CarShield.

Select Auto Protect Coverage and Plan Summary

Select Auto Protect offers three extended warranty plans: Select Silver, Select Gold, and Select Platinum. The most basic plan is Select Silver, created with drivers on a budget in mind. Select Silver includes protection for your engine, transmission, and brakes, as well as electrical components and the cooling system. All Select Auto Protect plans also have access to our roadside assistance benefits, gas refill services, and rental car program. 

Select Gold is the middle-of-the-road plan option, which includes everything in Select Silver, plus lock out coverage and protection for your steering system. The Select Platinum plan includes the most features. This top tier plan includes coverage for your AC and cooling system, ABS brakes, suspension, plus all benefits from the Gold and Silver plans.

	Select Platinum	Select Gold	Select Silver
Engine	x	x	x
Transmission	x	x	x
Cooling System	x	x	x
Brake System	x	x	x
Electrical System	x	x	x
Drive Axle	x	x	x
Trip Interruption	x	x	x
Gas Refill	x	x	x
Roadside Assistance	x	x	x
Rental Car	x	x	x
Lock Out	x	x
Steering System	x	x
ABS Brakes	x
AC System	x
Heating System	x
Fuel System	x
Turbo/Supercharger	x
Hi-Tech	x
Front Suspension	x
Back Suspension	x

Select Auto Protect Cost

The actual cost of a warranty depends on several factors, including your vehicle’s age, mileage, and make and model. The average price for coverage with Select Auto Protect is between $1,300 and $2,000 in upfront costs, however this could vary depending on your own unique situation.

CarShield Warranty Coverage and Plan Summary

CarShield offers six unique extended warranty plans: Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Aluminum, and Motorcycle & ATV. Here is a summary of each plan and what it covers:

CarShield Plan	Coverage Summary
Diamond	Most similar to an original manufacturer’s warranty and the most popular CarShield plan. Comprehensive coverage for many standard features, including: engine and transmission failures, starter problems, and fuel pump breakdowns.
Platinum	Designed for high-mileage vehicles. Highest amount of coverage included. Coverage includes: engine, transmission, AC, electrical system, starter, water pump, fuel pump, and brakes.
Gold	Enhanced Powertrain coverage. Benefits include coverage for major and minor vehicle parts, including your engine, transmission, water pump, alternator, starter, air conditioning, and power windows.
Silver	CarShield’s most basic plan available. Coverage for essential vehicle components, including: all lubricated engine parts, transmission, and water pump.
Aluminum	Designed for luxury vehicles with modern components. Coverage includes: most electrical and computer related problems including Engine Control Module, Starter, Alternator, Navigation/GPS, and Electrical System.
Motorcycle & ATV	Four plans under this umbrella, two each for both motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles.

CarShield Warranty Cost

As mentioned above, the actual cost of your extended warranty depends on several factors. However, customers report the average total cost for a CarShield plan ranges from $1,500 to $3,400. Reported monthly costs are between $100 and $200.

Customer Reviews

In order to get a more accurate picture of what coverage with each company is like, here are several customer reviews for both Select Auto Protect and CarShield.

Select Auto Protect Reviews

On Trustpilot, Select Auto Protect has a 4.4 out of 5 star rating out of over 130 reviews. Here’s what real customers had to say about Select Auto Protect.

“David provided exceptional care throughout the process. From making himself available, talking me through the options and services, and following up to make sure everything went ok with the purchase. I hope the coverage and company provides a product as strong as their representatives, really appreciate his commitment in getting me set up during the holidays.” – Ryan

Adam was very patient and thorough throughout the lengthy process of about 2 weeks it took before I signed on the dotted line! He answered all questions and concerns I had and even went the extra step to match my budget and offer additional incentives that gave me no choice but to close the deal! If you ever need any extended warranty on your vehicle(s), make sure you ask for Adam! He’ll take care of you, for sure! – David

We received a call from Adam yesterday in response to our request for a quote online. Adam was very knowledgeable, he explained everything in great detail, and he answered all our questions. When I told him I needed to present everything to my Husband, and reconnect at 11:00am PDT, he said ok. I also requested both packages via email and what they covered, he was quick and had both quotes in my inbox before we ended our call. Adam kept his word, and called us at exactly 11:00am; I was truly impressed.

Thank you Adam! – Urania

Fantastic customer service! The coverage of my policy was very inclusive and the rate for such extensive coverage was incredible. Adam helped me and provided me with excellent customer service. I’m very happy that I found this service . – anonymous

CarShield Reviews

Here are severalTrustpilot customer reviews for CarShield. The company currently has a rating of 4.0 out 5 with over 35,000 customer reviews.

“Carshield did an awesome job with my auto repair, we have to be careful when finding a repair shop as specifically some of these dealerships will give you the wrong diagnoses and try to overcharge the warranty so I recommend a second diagnosis before finalizing your repair.” – James

“Car Shield has been a great benefit for me, and it does everything that it advertises! It gives me reassurance that my vehicles are covered, in case something happens. You live long enough, you know things happen. And it’s always at an unexpected time. It’s one less worry, knowing that I have the Car Shield protection.” – Derrick

“The person who helped me was fantastic. I was driving and did not have the ability to write down the repair facilities he referred me to. He sent me two emails with the information. Could not have asked for better service.” – John

While most of CarShield’s Trustpilot reviews were positive, some customers were unsatisfied and voiced their concerns:

“I starting paying for Car Shield years ago and after 1-1/2 years the mechanic called them about a repair and was told that they don’t pay for inspections. I paid the $300 bill and cancelled Car Shield as I wasn’t there for an inspection. Today, James called me about “the coverage I have with them” and to call them back. I don’t have coverage with them and I feel they are a scam.” – Cheryl

“I was quoted a new payment amount and was charged a higher rate it’s a shame that said they tried to contact me be did not. I’ve had to cancel my policy due to the fact I was mislead. I canceled on February the 10th and have been told I’m covered through March 8th 2023. I guess one customer means nothing to them but living up to what you said you were doing means alot to me. I held carsheild in high regard and now they have proven to me they just don’t care. Customers beware” – Wyatt

“Nothing was covered and I had to pay for diagnostics on my vehicle. I feel it’s a scam. The mechanic wanted more money to troubleshoot that was unbelievable because a few items was denied of coverage and I was to pay the car shop more money to diagnose another potential issue to get denied coverage. Complete waste of time and money.” – Christopher

It is worth noting that a CarShield customer service representative is active on Trustpilot and works to resolve negative feedback and issues.

Conclusion

When researching extended warranties, it’s important to review all of the information available before your final purchase. Based on in-depth research, both Select Auto Protect and CarShield are wise choices. Although CarShield has been in business longer than Select Auto Protect, our team has over 30 years of professional experience and is more than equipped to handle your extended warranty needs and concerns. 

CarShield is an industry leader when it comes to extended warranties. With six highly customized plans, customers have a wide range of options to choose from. Plans are comprehensive and relatively affordable. Although many of the customer reviews for CarShield are positive, several negative reviews mentioned feeling scammed. With CarShield and any extended warranty provider, be sure to read the fine print before signing your final contract.

After hearing what our customers have to say on review sites like Trustpilot, it’s easy to see why Select Auto Protect is a great choice for your extended warranty needs. If you’re looking for a dedicated customer service team, comprehensive coverage, and a fast and easy quote experience, contact the Select Auto Protect customer service team today.