Basics

What a vehicle service contract covers

One thing, precisely: the sudden mechanical failure of a component your contract lists. The rest of the document defines that sentence — and the exclusions define it better than the brochure does.

What “covered” means, mechanically

A vehicle service contract pays for a covered breakdown: a listed component stops working as it should, in normal use, during your term. A shop diagnoses what failed, the administrator checks it against your contract and authorizes the repair, and the covered amount goes to the shop directly while you pay your deductible — the full sequence is at how a claim actually works.

Notice what that definition is not: a subscription to free repairs. Three words carry the weight — failure, listed, authorized — and each one excludes something the brochure will not dwell on.

The two ways a contract describes coverage

A stated-component contract lists what IS covered: if the failed part is on the list, the claim is in play; if it is not, it is not. An exclusionary contract inverts the paper: it lists what is NOT covered, and everything mechanical outside that list is. Neither shape is a trick; each tells you which list to read before you sign.

In our lineup, USAP Choice and the lower USAP Drive tiers are stated-component plans; the top Drive tier is exclusionary. The coverage plans page publishes each list and the exclusions before anyone asks for your number.

What no contract covers

Ours or anyone's. Providers keep quiet here — which is exactly why reading this list means you cannot be surprised later.

  • Parts designed to wear outBrake pads, wiper blades, tires, belts, bulbs. When one of these reaches the end of its life, that is the part working as designed, not a breakdown — and no service contract from anyone treats it as one.
  • Routine maintenanceOil changes, filters, fluids, alignments, scheduled services. Maintenance is your side of the bargain — and because a contract can ask for evidence of it when a related part fails, keeping your receipts is part of protecting your own claim.
  • Cosmetic and body damagePaint, trim, upholstery, rust, dents. A service contract is mechanical coverage, not bodywork — that territory belongs to your insurance policy or your own wallet.
  • Pre-existing problemsA failure already underway before coverage began is not a risk the contract took on. This is why plans have eligibility rules, and why your contract defines exactly when its coverage starts — the document states the specifics.
  • Repairs nobody authorizedWork begun before the claims line approves it can be denied even when the failed part was plainly covered. It is the least intuitive rule on this list and the one that catches the most honest people.

A seller who implies any of these five is covered has told you about the seller, not the product. The precise boundary lives in your contract's exclusion section — the glossary explains how to read one.

How to read your own contract in ten minutes

You do not need every page. Four sections do the work, in this order.

  1. Start at the declarations pageUsually the first page. It names your plan, your term, your deductible, and the obligor — the party financially responsible for paying claims. This page tells you what you hold and who stands behind it.
  2. Read the coverage list — or the exclusion listThis section IS the product. On a stated-component contract, read the covered-component list and take it literally. On an exclusionary contract, read the exclusion list the same way. Either list is shorter than you expect.
  3. Read the general exclusionsEvery contract has a section that applies regardless of style: wear, maintenance, pre-existing conditions, environmental damage, commercial use. It is short, and it is the most honest part of the document.
  4. Find the claims procedure and the phone numberThe contract sets out the sequence a claim must follow — diagnosis, then authorization, then repair — and prints the number the shop must call before work starts. Know where that page is before you need it at a counter.

On our plans the claims line is 1-877-252-8036, and authorization comes before any teardown or repair begins. Deductible amounts, waiting periods and transfer rules are stated in the contract and vary by plan and state — the paper wins over any page of ours.

Want the lists for your vehicle, not the general version?

Tell us the year and mileage and we'll walk you through the exact lists for the plans your vehicle fits — exclusions first, if you like.

Call (877) 418-5062See what's covered
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