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Member’s Choice Extended Warranty: Reviews And Cost

Our team rates Member’s Choice extended warranty 3.9 out of 4.0 and recognizes the plan for having good coverage options and added benefits.

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02/05/2024 05:07 PM

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The Gist:

  • The Member’s Choice extended warranty is available from participating credit unions.
  • Also called Member’s Choice Mechanical Repair Coverage, the plan comes with Platinum, Gold, and Silver coverage options.
  • We recommend comparing a Member’s Choice plan with other options as you shop around.
Endurance
4.5
Reputation: 4.5/5.0
Coverage: 5.0/5.0
Price: 4.5/5.0
Customer Experience: 4.5/5.0
idée Endurance is our first choice for extended warranties
  • Best Plan Offerings
  • Mileage Covered: 200,000 miles on the odometer
  • Free Cancellation: Full refund within 30 days
  • Plan Options: 6 different plans to choose from
  • Longest Plan Term: Up to 8 years
  • Discounts: $300 same-day signup discount, $250 shopping voucher, and others
Plan coverage includes Endurance Elite perks™
Exclusionary plan One-year membership for free
Powertrain plan Tire repair and replacement
Maintenance coverage with Endurance Advantage Key fob replacement
Roadside assistance Total loss protection
Towing Collision discount
Rental car $250 rewards voucher
Trip interruption coverage Endurance Protect app

Are you considering purchasing an extended car warranty from Member’s Choice®?

In this guide, we’ll make it easier for you to decide on Member’s Choice by reviewing the company, its coverage, and user reviews.

It’s wise to get at least two to three free quotes when comparing your options. Pricing varies based on location, vehicle, and more. To narrow down your options, we’ve compiled a list of the best car warranty providers.

Member’s Choice Extended Warranty Review

Overall, we give Member’s Choice extended warranty a 3.9 rating out of 5.0. The plan has good coverage options and a wide range of benefits, but it’s only available at certain credit unions and dealerships that work with them.

Rating CategoryOur Rating
Reputation3.9
Coverage4.6
Price3.8
Customer Experience3.4
Overall Score3.9

Member’s Choice Extended Warranty Pros And Cons

Pros Offers a variety of deductible options Pays repair facility directly Includes perks like roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, and trip interruption coverage, key fob replacement, and paintless dent repair Can cancel for a full refund within 60 days of purchase
Cons Sample contracts may or may not be available from your credit union No quotes available online–you must contact your CUNA member representative for more information

About Member’s Choice Extended Warranty

A Member’s Choice Mechanical Repair Coverage is an extended warranty created by the CUNA Mutual Group and administered by various warranty service companies. Three different warranty plans are available, with coverage of up to 15 years/150,000 miles for new and used vehicles.

A Madison, Wisconsin-based company, CUNA Mutual Group was founded in 1935 and employs over 3,700 people worldwide. It is an insurance company that provides financial services to credit unions, their members, and other customers worldwide. Today, the company is known as TruStage.


What Does A Member’s Choice Extended Warranty Cover?

There are three different types of Member’s Choice extended warranties: Platinum, Gold, and Silver. Below is a table that compares the provider’s three different plan coverages.

PartPlatinum
Plan
Gold
Plan
Silver
Plan
Engine
Transmission
Steering
Front Suspension
Brakes
Electrical
Air Conditioning
Hybrid/Electric Vehicle Components
Seals & Gaskets
Advanced Components
Advanced hybrid/electric vehicle components
Safety & Security Systems
Entertainment System
Convenience
High Tech Systems

Member’s Choice Extended Warranty Benefits

One thing that sets a Member’s Choice plan apart from many other options is its wide array of benefits. The plan comes with three standard benefits that are common to almost all extended warranties: 

  • Rental car coverage: This covers a rental for a qualified breakdown up to $50 per day and for a maximum of 10 days.
  • Roadside assistance: This reimburses $125 for towing, battery jump-start, lockout assistance, fuel delivery, spare tire change, and extraction assistance.
  • Trip interruption reimbursement: If your vehicle is held overnight at a repair facility for a breakdown over 100 miles from home, this reimburses up to $200 per day for five days.

Besides these benefits, Member’s Choice also offers perks you don’t often see from other providers:

  • Key replacement: This perk covers up to $800 for the repair and replacement of key fobs.
  • Paintless dent repair: This covers the repair of dents under 4 inches that don’t require paint touchup.
  • Commercial use: A Member’s Choice plan covers commercial-use vehicles while most other providers require a coverage upgrade.
  • Rideshare: The plan also covers rideshare drivers automatically while some competitors require an upgrade.
  • Lift kit: Member’s Choice will cover cars that have a lift, leveling, or lowering kit installed up to certain limits (the kit components aren’t covered).
  • Mobility equipment: Mobility equipment that is installed by a factory or licensed installer is covered.

What Does A Member’s Choice Extended Warranty Cost?

The cost of a Member’s Choice extended warranty depends on a variety of factors including your vehicle’s mileage, age, and model.

Since CUNA Mutual’s website does not offer the opportunity to receive a free quote, it is not clear how the cost of a Member’s Choice extended warranty compares to other leading providers.

That said, our quote data shows extended warranties cost about $795 per year of coverage. You can use this as a guide if you get quotes for a Member’s Choice vehicle service contract.


Member’s Choice Extended Warranty Customer Reviews

Since Member’s Choice service plans are sold through a variety of credit unions, it doesn’t have a central location for reviews. The parent company CUNA Mutual Group does have an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

We found a few customer reviews scattered across vehicle forums and Reddit, but most were 10 years or older. One more recent reviewer on a BMW forum said they received a quote for a 4-year/48,000-mile exclusionary plan of $2,760. Dividing that price by four years gives a rate of $690, which is cheaper than the industry average cost per year. The forum contributor was looking for advice and hadn’t used the coverage.

Downsides Of A Member’s Choice Extended Warranty

While a Member’s Choice extended warranty might be a good option for some prospective customers, our review team cannot recommend this warranty to our readers for these reasons:

  • No free quote online: An online free quote allows prospective customers to see what the cost of their extended warranty would be before talking to a sales representative.
  • No sample contract available online: Prospective customers want to know exactly what their extended warranty would and wouldn’t cover, and sample contracts give the detailed information needed to make a wise decision.
  • Not available to all customers: A Member’s Choice extended warranty is only available to members of credit unions. Many of our readers are not members of credit unions, and this warranty would not be an option for them.

Member’s Choice Extended Warranty: Our Take

At the end of the day, a Member’s Choice extended warranty offers a good range of coverage options plus some unique benefits in the industry. But you won’t know what one costs without getting a quote from a credit union or through a dealership. We recommend taking your time to compare Member’s Choice with other options you have available.

Endurance
4.5
Reputation: 4.5/5.0
Coverage: 5.0/5.0
Price: 4.5/5.0
Customer Experience: 4.5/5.0
idée Endurance is our first choice for extended warranties
  • Best Plan Offerings
  • Mileage Covered: 200,000 miles on the odometer
  • Free Cancellation: Full refund within 30 days
  • Plan Options: 6 different plans to choose from
  • Longest Plan Term: Up to 8 years
  • Discounts: $300 same-day signup discount, $250 shopping voucher, and others
Plan coverage includes Endurance Elite perks™
Exclusionary plan One-year membership for free
Powertrain plan Tire repair and replacement
Maintenance coverage with Endurance Advantage Key fob replacement
Roadside assistance Total loss protection
Towing Collision discount
Rental car $250 rewards voucher
Trip interruption coverage Endurance Protect app

Our Recommendations For Extended Car Warranties

Carchex and Endurance come out ahead of Member’s Choice extended warranty for the following reasons:

  • Available to all customers: Carchex and Endurance are available to all prospective customers, not just members of credit unions.
  • Free quote and sample contracts online: Carchex and Endurance offer free quotes and sample contracts online so that prospective customers have everything they need to make a decision before talking to a sales representative.
  • Industry partnerships: Carchex partners with major players in the industry, including Kelley Blue Book, Carfax, and Edmunds.com.
  • Reputation: Carchex holds an A+ rating with accreditation from the BBB. Endurance has a 3.65-star rating from customers on the BBB.

Read our Carchex review and Endurance review for more information on each.


Member’s Choice Extended Warranty: FAQ

Below are a few frequently asked questions on Member’s Choice Extended Warranty.

What is not covered under an extended warranty?

An extended warranty doesn’t cover damage from accidents, lack of maintenance, misuse, or normal wear and tear. It also excludes items like cosmetic components and trim.

Is it worth taking out an extended warranty?

An extended warranty can be worth it if you can’t afford unexpected and expensive repairs on your vehicle. A warranty is usually a better idea for vehicles that are known to have higher repair costs. So, consult industry resources like RepairPal and Edmunds to look at average expected repair costs.

How much should an extended warranty cost?

Our data shows extended warranties cost an average of $795 per year of coverage. So, a three-year plan should cost about $2,400 or under for it to be a good deal.


How We Rate Warranty Providers

Our review process aims to deliver consistent and unbiased assessments of extended auto warranty providers. While there are multiple qualities that make a warranty company successful, our review team focuses on those we believe are the most important for consumers:

  • Reputation: It’s important that an extended car warranty company is able to meet its claims obligations. Companies with a strong rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and a long history of reliable service score well in this category. We also evaluate the availability and transparency of each company’s contracts, as well as whether each provider offers a money-back guarantee.
  • Coverage: Our team of experts looks at the number of extended warranty plans available, as well as term limits, exclusions, and added benefits like roadside assistance. Ratings also take into account the availability of maintenance coverage.
  • Price: Cost can be difficult to compare between providers because so many factors impact vehicle service contract pricing. To determine our cost score, we perform a secret shopper analysis for a variety of vehicles and plans and consider available deductibles.
  • Customer Experience: We listen to real customer sales calls and comb through reviews on sites like the BBB to learn about customer experiences. Warranty companies with a low volume of complaints score well in this area. We also consider the availability of mobile apps and chat features.