Find the right
shop for your car.

In practice they are usually the same product: what is marketed as an “extended warranty” is normally a vehicle service contract rather than a warranty. A manufacturer's warranty comes with a new vehicle and is included in its price, while a service contract is a separate agreement, managed by a contract administrator, that pays for specific covered repairs. The terms of your own contract decide what it covers.

Often, but check your contract first. Many service contracts allow any licensed repair facility, while others require a network shop or a dealership. ServicedCar lists the administrators each shop says it accepts, so you can start with shops already familiar with your contract. If your administrator is not listed, call the claims number on your contract before choosing a shop.

Your contract administrator decides, not the repair shop and not ServicedCar. The shop diagnoses the problem and requests authorization, and the administrator approves or denies the claim under your contract. A shop accepting your administrator does not mean a particular repair will be covered.

Yes, for any work you want the contract to pay for. Most administrators require the shop to request authorization after diagnosis and before teardown or repair, and work started without it may not be paid. Ask the shop to confirm it has an authorization number before it proceeds.

Usually the administrator pays the shop directly for the approved repair, and you pay your deductible plus anything the contract does not cover. Some contracts reimburse you after you pay the shop instead. Confirm how payment will work when the claim is approved.

Diagnostic time is often paid only when it leads to a covered repair, so you may owe the diagnostic fee if the failure turns out not to be covered. Ask the shop what it charges for diagnosis before you approve the inspection, and ask your administrator whether that charge is reimbursable.

You may owe the difference. Many contracts pay labor only up to a set hourly rate. Every ServicedCar listing shows the shop's posted labor rate, and when you search with your administrator selected and that administrator has published a rate limit, shops above the limit are left out of the results.

Bring your contract or contract number, the administrator's claims phone number, and your vehicle's current mileage. Keep maintenance records within reach, because administrators may ask for them to confirm a failure was not caused by missed maintenance.

From the shops themselves. Each shop publishes and maintains its own labor rate, repair guarantees, capabilities, and the administrators it says it accepts. ServicedCar reviews each new business signup, which is not an evaluation of workmanship, and the shop keeps its listing current after that, so confirm anything important with the shop before you go.

Searching and comparing shops on ServicedCar is free and does not require an account. A free driver account, for people 18 or older, is optional and only useful if you want to keep your vehicle's service history in one place.

No, ServicedCar does not dispatch towing. Towing benefits, limits, providers, and prior authorization depend on your contract, so use the roadside contact shown in your contract and confirm before arranging a tow.

By registering the business, which is currently free. ServicedCar reviews each new account before it is published, and the business then maintains its own information.