Engine

The engine is the most expensive system on most vehicles to repair, and engine coverage is the core of nearly every vehicle service contract. Plans usually cover the parts that move against each other inside the engine rather than every part attached to it.

What this covers on many plans

• Pistons, rings, connecting rods, crankshaft and bearings
• Camshafts, lifters, valves and valve springs
• Oil pump and timing components (timing belt or chain, gears, tensioner), where the plan lists them
• Engine block and cylinder heads when damaged by a covered failure
• Seals and gaskets, often only when a covered part fails

What usually causes these failures

• Oil starvation or sludge, often from missed or stretched oil changes
• Overheating after a cooling system failure
• Normal wear on a high-mileage engine
• Timing component failure

Often not covered

• Spark plugs, filters, belts, hoses and fluids, which are maintenance items
• Turbochargers and superchargers, unless the plan lists them
• Damage from continuing to drive after a warning light, depending on the contract
• Failures the contract attributes to missing maintenance
• Problems that existed before coverage began

Questions to ask before you buy

• Is the timing belt or chain covered, and are seals and gaskets covered on their own?
• Are turbo or supercharger parts covered?
• What oil-change interval and records does the contract require?
• Does the administrator need to approve an engine teardown before diagnostic work?

If something goes wrong

If an oil pressure or temperature warning comes on, stop driving as soon as it is safe. Driving on can turn a covered repair into a denied one. Call the claims number on your contract before the shop starts work.

Coverage depends on the plan you choose. The covered list, exclusions, limits and service fee in your contract decide what is paid. Ask for them in writing before you buy.