Olive is a relative newcomer to the extended car warranty market with a strong online presence. You’d be forgiven for not being familiar with the company, as it doesn’t produce TV ads featuring celebrities like CarShield and Endurance. However, we think Olive is well worth your attention if you’re in the market for long-term vehicle protection.
Our team reached out to Michael Chung, the senior director of market intelligence for the Auto Care Association, for his advice on comparing warranty providers. Along with checking a company’s reputation and looking into its claims process, Chung said consumers also need to know their approved repair shop options when their vehicle needs service.
In this article, we’ll outline Olive’s warranty plans, coverage terms, customer reviews and average costs. We’ll also compare the provider with some of the best extended warranty companies in the industry.
We recommend getting a quote from our #1 pick for best extended auto warranty below:
Our thoughts on Olive
Olive keeps things simple with three coverage plans that last a maximum of three years. The company makes it easy to buy and manage a vehicle service contract entirely online. This includes a simple claims process that lends extra peace of mind. All things considered, we rank Olive among our top 10 extended car warranty providers.
Category | Olive Rating | Industry Average |
---|---|---|
Overall rating | 4.1 | 4.1 |
Market standing | 4.2 | 4.0 |
Coverage | 4.1 | 4.2 |
Cost | 3.7 | 4.0 |
Trustworthiness | 5.0 | 4.0 |
Customer service | 4.3 | 4.0 |
What we like about Olive
Convenience is at the heart of the Olive warranty experience, and it’s tough not to like that. The company makes purchasing and navigating your auto coverage as hassle-free as possible, even when you need to file a claim. The fact that Olive doesn’t employ robocalls is another point in its favor.
We also like that the company features below-average warranty costs and requires no waiting period for coverage to take effect. Most extended car warranty companies have a 30-day waiting period.
What we don’t like about Olive
Olive offers quality coverage at low prices, but it comes at the cost of contract length. While many of our top-rated car warranty providers offer plans that last eight years or longer, Olive vehicle service contracts last a maximum of three years. The company also lacks the 24-hour roadside assistance that most other providers have. Olive also doesn’t provide a $0 deductible option.
Compare top auto warranty companies
Here’s how Olive stacks up against our top-ranked extended auto warranty providers, with ratings out of 5 stars:
Company | Our Overall Rating | Plan Options | Mileage Limits |
---|---|---|---|
Endurance | 4.7 | 6 | 200,000 |
Autopom | 4.6 | 3 | 150,000 |
Carchex | 4.5 | 5 | 250,000 |
CarShield | 4.4 | 6 | 300,000 |
Olive | 4.3 | 3 | 185,000 |
What does an Olive warranty cover?
Olive offers three levels of coverage: Complete Care, Powertrain Plus and Powertrain. Here’s a quick summary of what each of these coverage options protects:
- Complete Care: This is Olive’s most comprehensive warranty plan and is similar to a bumper-to-bumper warranty or factory warranty. All vehicle components outside of a short list of exclusions are covered.
- Powertrain Plus: The Powertrain Plus option takes the basic coverage of the Powertrain plan and adds components including front suspension, braking system, heating and air conditioning, instrumentation and various electrical parts.
- Powertrain: Olive’s basic powertrain warranty covers the engine, transmission and drive axles.
Olive extended warranty plans have a maximum term of three years and cover vehicles with up to 185,000 miles on the odometer. You’ll have to consider these coverage limitations and how they align with your vehicle protection needs. If you have an older, high-mileage vehicle you want to keep driving for many years, you might be better served by a provider such as Carchex with coverage for vehicles with up to 250,000 miles or CarShield with coverage up to 300,000 miles.
Note that Olive offers vehicle protection in all 50 states, but it takes a slightly different form in California. In The Golden State, Olive sells mechanical breakdown insurance rather than extended warranties. The main difference here is that mechanical breakdown coverage plans are regulated by state insurance commissions, while extended warranty plans are not. Coverage and benefits are similar.
You can take your car to any licensed repair shop for covered repairs with Olive. The company partners with RepairPal to make it easy to find certified mechanics in your area.
Here’s a breakdown of what each Olive plan covers:
Vehicle Component | Complete Care | Powertrain Plus | Powertrain |
---|---|---|---|
Engine | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Transmission | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Drive axles | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Steering | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
Front suspension | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
Rear suspension | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
Brake system | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
Air conditioning | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
Electrical system | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
Instrumentation | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
High-tech parts | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
Olive added benefits
Olive doesn’t offer as many perks as our other top-ranked extended warranty providers. You do get towing benefits up to $100 per occurrence and rental car reimbursement for up to five days at $35 per day ($175 total). However, you won’t receive 24-hour roadside assistance with an Olive vehicle service contract. This is a perk that many of the company’s competitors offer.
Olive exclusions
The exclusions to Olive car warranty coverage are similar to those of other providers. Here are a few scenarios that don’t fall under any Olive extended protection plan:
- Wear-and-tear components such as brake pads, tires and wiper blades
- Preexisting damage or issues
- Routine maintenance such as oil changes and tire rotations
- Damage from accidents, theft, vandalism or environmental causes (this is where your full-coverage car insurance comes in)
Olive warranty terms and conditions
As mentioned earlier, Olive warranty plans max out at three years in length. Coverage is available for vehicles up to 10 years old with up to 140,000 miles. Olive warranty protection can last until a vehicle either reaches 12 model years old or 185,000 miles.
One good thing about Olive is that the company provides month-to-month pricing. That means you can cancel at any time with no hassle. Olive warranty plans are also fully transferable to a new vehicle owner.
How much does Olive warranty coverage cost?
We reached out to Olive for coverage quotes on various vehicles. Each of the cost estimates below are for warranty plans that last three years and have a deductible of $500. Note that Olive requires a down payment in the amount of the first monthly payment.
Olive Warranty Plan | Vehicle | Vehicle Mileage | Monthly Price | Total Price |
---|---|---|---|---|
Complete Care | 2020 Hyundai Elantra | 30,000 | $26 | $926 |
Complete Care | 2018 Toyota RAV4 | 50,000 | $42 | $1,494 |
Powertrain Plus | 2018 Toyota RAV4 | 50,000 | $29 | $1,046 |
Powertrain | 2018 Toyota RAV4 | 50,000 | $25 | $898 |
What affects car warranty costs?
The cost of an extended auto warranty comes down to a variety of key factors. Here are the variables at play in determining the price of a long-term vehicle protection plan:
- Vehicle make and model: Classic cars, luxury vehicles and other exotic automobiles have higher price tags and repair costs, so they cost more to cover with an extended warranty.
- Mileage: Higher-mileage vehicles are at the greatest risk of costly repairs, so warranty coverage for them is pricier.
- Deductible: The deductible you choose inversely affects your warranty cost. A higher deductible means lower monthly payments and vice versa.
- Coverage level: Basic powertrain protection costs less than comprehensive coverage.
- Provider: Extended warranty costs vary from one provider to another, which is why it’s so important to compare quotes before making a decision.
Customer thoughts on Olive extended warranties
Olive’s parent company, Repair Ventures, LLC, has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). This rating is basically a measure of how well the company responds to customer complaints and concerns.
There aren’t many reviews of Repair Ventures online. Complaints on BBB’s website often cite repairs that weren’t covered or issues that the company determined were preexisting. Positive reviews on BBB and Google Reviews typically mention the ease of purchasing coverage online and reasonable prices.
Final take: Olive warranty is an affordable choice for customers who want a fully online experience
If you’re looking for simple extended warranty coverage that’s easy to manage online, Olive is definitely worth exploring. The provider is known for its affordable pricing and fully online claims process. However, you don’t get as wide a variety of coverage options and added benefits with Olive as you do with many other car warranty companies.
Our rating methodology for auto warranty companies
At Homefront, we analyze, rate and rank top vehicle service contract providers to help you discover the right one for your needs. The best automotive service contract companies offer transparency, affordability and expansive coverage options, among other qualities.
We rate companies using our objective scoring methodology. We assess brands on factors that are important to consumers like you — including cost, coverage, market standing, trustworthiness and customer experience. After scoring companies on a 100-point scale, we simplify final scores into the 5-star ratings you see in our content.
BBB and Google Reviews ratings are accurate as of March 2024.
Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.
Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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