You might have heard a lot about Ox Car Care from other people or seen their ads and thought: “Should I get a plan from them?” For many, the decision to buy a warranty from such a company comes down to financial considerations. Will this coverage save you money, and can you afford the monthly payments?
We think we can help you answer those questions.
Why Ox Car Care?
You might consider Ox Car Care because they bill themselves as an affordable choice that accepts almost any vehicle. They can cover your car against repairs for mechanical and electrical breakdowns and offer a good amount of added benefits, as well as a couple optional packages.
They advertise three plans on their website, each with different levels of car parts covered, and may offer additional plans if your requirements are more specialized. They want to ensure that they have the right coverage for you. However, while their basic coverage option might be quite budget-friendly, their prices may climb significantly with the higher-tier plans, especially if you choose to add optional extras.
Why Would You Need a Warranty?
You may not be sure if you even need to buy a car warranty. If you bought a new car from a dealership recently, aren’t you already covered under the manufacturer’s warranty? And, aside from that, if you drive carefully and save your money for repairs, aren’t you doing enough?
To be clear, you would not buy an extended auto warranty if you just bought your car. You’ll typically be covered for a certain mileage limit or period of time, whichever comes first, and buying overlapping coverage will not add value. However, before those term limits end, you might consider extending coverage from a third-party provider like Ox, especially if you want the peace of mind of not worrying about unexpected costs.
We do think that a warranty is a good idea. You might be able to pay for repairs out of pocket, but you may end up paying more that way than if you invested in a vehicle service contract (VSC) from a warranty provider. Car repairs could be very expensive, and they are only rising in price. You may pay between $2,000 and $10,000 for an engine repair or replacement, $1,000 and $5,000 for the suspension, and $1,800 and $3,400 for the transmission. Even smaller components, like your water pump or drive axles, can run you hundreds of dollars. Perhaps an Ox service contract can help mitigate those costs.
How Much Can an Ox Car Care Plan Cost?
Ox does not share their price on the website, because their quotes take into account a lot of factors. You would be quoted a monthly payment on an installment plan, and you would be expected to put a down-payment of $49-$75.
We understand that you can expect to pay between $60 and $250 a month, depending on your coverage level and your car’s make and model, age, and mileage. They take into account your budget, location, and special circumstances in order to get you the best deal. The overall contract costs for their plans fall within the same general range as other popular providers, but can be more affordable for their lower-end Gold plan, which protects the car’s powertrain.
How Much Would You Save?
With the Gold plan, the average contract price is around $2,800. If you only need to make repairs to your engine, this plan could save you a couple thousand dollars. But say you take their Diamond plan, which covers a lot more items, including high-tech electronics and hybrid parts: Would that save you anything?
Total term contract prices for the Diamond plan could run you between $3,200 and $5,000, but the parts the plan covers are much more complex and could be harder to get. Repairing just the hybrid components of your Prius can cost you over $4,000, on top of all the other electrical and mechanical failure costs that could pop up for such a vehicle. And that’s a relatively cheap hybrid to maintain!
Wouldn’t it be better if you had coverage that could reliably take care of those costs so you didn’t have to worry about them?
So, Should You Get an Ox Car Care Plan?
A plan from Ox Car Care could be a cost-effective solution to your car’s protection needs. While their higher-tier plans could get pricey, the sheer number of components they cover makes them an enticing choice. And because they are a reliable direct warranty provider that fulfills their claims in-house and has a high rate of claim approval, you would be right to consider them.
However, there are many other providers you might want to look at. Endurance is another direct extended warranty provider with nationwide coverage that gets high marks from industry critics and customers alike. There may be other warranty companies that serve your needs just as well or better, so make sure to consider all your options first!
