Clark Howard: When should you trust an extended car warranty?

CHARLOTTE — If you buy a car, you may be thinking about getting an extended warranty service to protect against future maintenance costs.

But is it a waste of money? Consumer expert Clark Howard weighed in on them.

The pitches never stop, and it seems like everywhere you turn there’s an advertisement trying to get you to buy an extended service contract on your new or used car. They are pitched as absolute peace of mind.

The fact is one of the companies that advertises the most heavily has just reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission to pay $10 million in restitution.

The warranty companies say buy this warranty from us, pay the money every month, and we’re going to take care of you. But again and again, people weren’t taken care of.

Here’s what to know if you’re being pitched an extended service contract or warranty: the only kind that Howard found you can trust is one from the manufacturer of your vehicle itself.

No third-party extended warranty is going to give you real peace of mind, Clark says.

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