Lincoln is a luxury carmaker owned by Ford Motor Company that has been selling cars for more than a century. For those buying a new or certified pre-owned vehicle from the dealer, you will be faced with an offer for a Lincoln extended warranty.
When it comes to protecting your vehicle with an extended warranty, it’s important to consider all of your options. Our expert review team has combed through Lincoln’s extended warranty offerings to help you understand what exactly you can get from a policy.
Even if Lincoln’s extended warranty seems like a good fit, don’t forget to compare quotes from third-party companies, too. The best extended car warranty for you will depend on the vehicle you buy, how you use it, and the coverage you really need.
To get a quote from Endurance, our top recommendation for third-party extended warranties, you can get started with the tool below.
In This Review:
- Lincoln Extended Warranty Overview
- Why Do You Need A Lincoln Extended Warranty?
- Benefits Of A Third-Party Extended Warranty
- The Bottom Line
Lincoln Extended Warranty Overview
There are four tiers of coverage for Lincoln extended warranties, which are called Lincoln Protect Extended Service Plans (ESPs). With a Lincoln extended warranty, you can get coverage for up to 8 years or 125,000 miles, whichever comes first.
You don’t have to purchase a Lincoln extended warranty at the time of buying your new vehicle, but there is still a deadline to get this additional coverage. Lincoln drivers have 4 years or 50,000 miles (whichever comes first) to purchase one of these protection plans. As an added bonus, all plans are fully transferable.
Choosing a Lincoln extended warranty comes with some restrictions. For one, you’ll only be able to service your vehicle at Lincoln and Ford dealerships. If you have a mechanic you really like at a private repair shop, this might be a deal breaker. The warranty also only covers genuine Lincoln parts and repairs made at the dealer, so it’s not great for the DIY crowd.
PremiumCARE
The PremiumCARE plan covers parts and labor for over 1,000 select components. This includes parts already covered by lower-tier plans, as well as select components in the following categories:
- Rear suspension
- Emissions
- Audio system
- Safety and restraint system
ExtraCARE
The ExtraCARE plan covers parts and labor for 113 select components. This includes additional parts in categories already covered by lower-tier plans, as well as select components of your vehicle’s high-tech parts.
BaseCARE
The BaseCARE plan covers parts and labor for 84 select components. This includes additional parts in systems already covered by the lowest tier PowertrainCARE plan, as well as select components in these areas:
- Steering
- Brakes (excluding wear and tear components)
- Front suspension
- Air conditioning and heating
- Electrical
PowertrainCARE
The PowertrainCARE plan covers parts and labor for 29 key components in these areas:
- Engine
- Transmission
- Rear-wheel drive
- Front-wheel drive
Other Lincoln Extended Warranty Benefits
All Lincoln Protect ESPs come with 24-hour roadside assistance, which includes towing to a dealership if you face mechanical problems on the road. It also offers flat tire assistance and lockout service.
If your car is in the repair shop overnight, Lincoln will reimburse you for up to 10 days of a rental car, which is twice as long as the offer from many other providers.
Other Plans
Lincoln has other protection plans to offset the cost of general maintenance or specific part repairs, such as:
- Premium Maintenance Plan: This plan covers routine maintenance, the replacement of wear and tear parts, and multipoint inspections.
- TireCARE: This plan covers the repair or replacement of tires damaged by road hazards and offers reimbursement for towing up to $100.
- DentCARE: This plan covers the cost of repairing dents and dings.
- WindshieldCARE: This plan covers repair costs for small chips and cracks in your windshield.
- TripleCARE: This plan combines coverage from TireCARE, DentCARE, and WindshieldCARE.
Why Do You Need A Lincoln Extended Warranty?
Lincoln extended warranties are only available for new or certified pre-owned Lincoln vehicles still within the limited warranty period. While you don’t have to buy it at the time of purchasing your Lincoln, you do have to purchase it before the vehicle is 4 years old or has 50,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Yet even without an extended warranty, Lincoln offers limited protection for its new and certified pre-owned vehicles. A new Lincoln comes with a manufacturer warranty that includes several types of coverage, each with their own expiration date:
- Limited bumper-to-bumper warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles
- Limited powertrain warranty: 6 years/70,000 miles
- Safety restraint system limited warranty: 5 years/60,000 miles
- Corrosion limited warranty (perforation only): 5 years/unlimited miles
Certified pre-owned Lincoln vehicles come with a slightly different limited warranty, which expires 6 years or 100,000 miles from the in-service date.
Lincoln cars have an above average reliability rating from RepairPal, which gives the brand 3.5 out of 5.0 stars. Annually, the average cost of repairs for Lincoln vehicles is $879, including both regularly scheduled maintenance and unscheduled repair service.
Benefits Of A Third-Party Extended Warranty
Buying a Lincoln from a dealer doesn’t mean your only extended warranty option is through the manufacturer.
Opting for a third-party vehicle service contract means you can purchase whenever the timing is right for you (and not necessarily before your manufacturer warranty expires). This gives you a shot at getting coverage for an older vehicle.
Those with a favorite mechanic should also consider a third-party extended warranty company. Usually, these providers allow you to work with any repair facilities certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE®). Having a Lincoln extended warranty gives you access to the company’s repair facilities and factory-trained technicians, but if the service center locations aren’t nearby, this can be a real inconvenience.
We’ve compared Lincoln’s extended warranty with a top third-party provider, Endurance, to give you an idea of what the differences in plan details could look like.
The Bottom Line
If you’re already purchasing a new or certified pre-owned Lincoln vehicle younger than four years old, it could be worth it to get a quote for the Lincoln extended warranty.
If longer plan terms and repair shop flexibility are important to you, third-party extended auto warranties can offer a good alternative to Lincoln’s offering. Plus, you have time to decide and do your research.
With the average annual repair costs for a Lincoln coming in at $879, it’s important to consider how you plan to pay for repairs, especially after the manufacturer warranty expires. We recommend shopping around to find the best way to protect your Lincoln and budget for as long as you own the car.
To go ahead and get a free quote from Endurance, check out the tool below.