Methodology · Auditable rubric
Vehicle Warranty methodology
Every vehicle service contract and warranty provider in our comparison stack is scored against the rubric below. Weights total 100% and apply equally to every provider we review.
Last reviewed:
The rubric — weighted
How we score and rank.
Each provider in our comparison stack is scored against the factors below. The factor weights sum to 100% and don't change based on which carrier or lender is being reviewed. Total weight: 100%.
Coverage breadth + exclusions
35%Number of named components covered, depth of the exclusion list, and whether wear-and-tear is included. Plans that disclose 'all-but-named' rather than 'named-component-only' coverage score higher.
Data source: Plan declaration pages + state-filed contract templates
Cost vs. expected repair-cost data
25%Plan price as a multiple of the mean 5-year out-of-warranty repair cost for the covered vehicle class. Plans priced above 2.0× score lower; plans below 1.2× score higher.
Data source: Consumer Reports vehicle reliability data, RepairPal cost benchmarks
Claims-payment record
20%BBB rating + complaint resolution rate + consumer report data on claim denials. Providers under 1-year-old or with a B- or lower BBB rating are flagged.
Data source: BBB, Trustpilot, state attorney general consumer complaint filings
Deductible flexibility
10%Number of deductible tiers offered + transferability. Higher-deductible options at meaningfully lower price-points score higher.
Cancel + refund policy
10%Refund window length, pro-rata structure, and whether cancellation fees apply. Plans with 30+ day full-refund windows score higher.
How we audit ourselves
Three guardrails on every methodology change.
Source verification
Every weight reflects a published consumer-finance data source (NAIC, III, Bankrate, Experian, NCUA, FTC) cited inline on the calculator or comparison surface.
Audited rubric
Rubric weights are reviewed by editorial leadership at least quarterly. Changes are logged below and version-tagged in the data registry.
Independence guard
Affiliate compensation never influences the rubric. Disclosed on every page where it applies.
Change log
What's changed.
Added the claims-payment record sub-weight for provider age (<1 year flag) following 2025 industry consolidation that produced several short-lived warranty brands.
Initial publication of the vehicle-warranty rubric.
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