By now, most hear the words “extended warranty” and our minds go straight to the robocall that targets some of us on a weekly — or even daily — basis. That particular scam has been going on for a long time, yet most people don’t know how to handle it. Hang up, and they’ll call again. Press a number and they’ll know they’ve got a “live” one: a phone number with a living person attached. Not only will they call more often, but they’ll also sell that information to other scammer databases. The best thing to do? Block the number or set up a filter to silence all unrecognized numbers. If it’s important, they can leave a voicemail, right? Ironically, some of these scammers will!

All of that is to say that extended warranties on vehicles do exist, and you can benefit from such a policy — just not the kind those calls are selling. In some ways, they’re more robust than an insurance policy and, in other ways, more comprehensive. If you have a vehicle about to age out of its warranty period with no plans to stop using it in sight, an extended warranty is a good idea.

For this and other vehicle protection plans, we have chosen to partner with CARCHEX — whose other partners include Carfax. As an AFEUSA member, you can enjoy many benefits — including an unbelievable $200 off each of your purchases.