What does ALA Silver Warranty cover?

After your manufacturer’s warranty expires, an unexpected repair cost can put you in a financial predicament, especially if you have an expensive vehicle. However, you might want to consider an extended warranty for used cars which could leave you with the peace of mind that the cost of repairs is covered should you experience a fault on the road.

It’s not always simple to choose the right used car warranty coverage. Like all insurance, you could pay an expensive premium for comprehensive coverage that you may never need to make a warranty claim on, or pay the lowest premium possible and risk it with limited component cover. To try to help you with this decision, we created affordable and generous warranty coverage that’s available for cars up to 16 years or 150,000 miles. Learn about our standard car warranty policy in our guide below.

What does a standard extended car warranty cover?

Vehicle warranties cover the repair cost (replacement parts and labour) of mechanical or electrical failures, usually with the exception of gradual wear & tear or lack of routine maintenance. Named component cover varies from provider to provider and will depend on the type of package you choose. Some comprehensive packages may offer diagnostics, wear & tear cover or emergency support for when you’re away from home.

The types of warranties you’ll encounter are manufacturer or factory warranties (covering a new car during the initial ownership period) and extended warranties (which cover your car after the factory warranty ends). Both types cover unexpected electrical and mechanical failures. Generally, car warranties cover the following components, depending on the cause of failure:

• Engine
• Drive system
• Transmission & gearbox
• Suspension & steering (sometimes covered)
• Electrics
• Brakes (excluding friction materials such as the pads)
• Clutch (excluding friction materials)
• Timing belts
• Suspension & steering
• Casings
• Cooling
• Turbo ( as long as it is factory fitted)
• Fuel system
• Front & rear-wheel drive
• ECU

Every policy will have its own list of excluded components, and warranty coverage will vary. Ensure you research what your policy covers and what it doesn’t, or you could be caught out with expensive repair and labour costs.

Find out what is included in our extended car warranty coverage here.

What do you get under a Silver car warranty from ALA?

We created ALA car warranty to provide exceptional value for money and generous electrical and major component cover. Our levels of cover are available for a wide range of drivers, so you shouldn’t have to worry about whether you can get extended warranty on your pre-loved motor.

Our silver extended car warranty policies can cover vehicles up to 16 years of age with a maximum of 150,000 miles on the clock. Electric vehicles are also covered under this policy, so if your manufacturer warranty has expired, you don’t need to worry.

Whilst our Silver package is our most basic level of cover, you still benefit from the following features by choosing ALA car warranty:

• Best-value car warranty on the market
• No service history or pre-inspection required
• Zero excess to pay
• Trusted Insurer: regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, rated 5 stars on Defaqto and 4.9 stars on Trustpilot
• Contribution towards roadside assistance, replacement vehicle hire costs and emergency accommodation or rail fare
• Continental cover (EU)
• Electric vehicle cover on all policies
• Van warranty available on all packages – excluding hire and reward

What components are covered under ALA Silver Warranty?

The following lists the mechanical and electrical components covered under Silver warranties. If you can’t find the cover you need, consult our extended car warranty coverage information page here.

• Electrics: Alternator, voltage regulator, starter motor (includes pre-engaged solenoid), starter solenoid (includes inertia drive starters), indicator relay, front & rear windscreen wiper motor, front & rear windscreen washer motor, ignition coil and horn unit.
• Engine: Cylinder block, cylinder bores and liners, cylinder head, crankshaft, crank bearings, big end bearings, oil pump, con-rods, gudgeon pins, small end bearings, pistons, piston rings, rocker shaft, rockers, hydraulic lifters, camshaft and cam followers, push rods, camshaft bearings, inlet and exhaust valves, valve springs, valve guides, cylinder head gasket, timing gears, timing chains, flywheel or flex plate and starter ring gear.
• Timing belts/chains: If you follow maintenance guidelines. Mileage restrictions apply for timing belts only.
• Gearbox:
• Manual: Gears and gear clusters, selectors and shafts, synchromesh assemblies, bushes, ball and roller bearings, needle bearings and transfer gears.
• Automatic: Governor, valve block, oil pump, gears, brake bands, servos, clutches, seals, shafts, bearings & bushes, modulator valve and transfer gears.
• Semi-automatic: Continuously Variable Transmission.
• Brakes: Brake master cylinder, callipers, wheel cylinders, and brake bias/restrictor valve.
• Clutch: (Component cover only, no labour time) Release thrust bearing, centre plate (in the case of oil contamination we only cover the centre plate), pressure plate, master and slave cylinder.
• Steering & Suspension: Steering rack and pinion, power steering rack, steering box, power steering box, idler box and coil springs.
• Drive System: Drive shafts, universal joints and couplings, constant velocity joints and half shafts & bearings.
• Front & rear-wheel drive: Drive shafts, universal joints and couplings and constant velocity joints.
• Turbo (factory fitted): Original factory fitted unit only
• Fuel system: Fuel lift pump (mechanical or electrical) and petrol injection pump. We don’t cover damage caused by fuel contamination or failure to meet current emission legislation.
• Prop shaft: Propshaft, universal joints & couplings, bearings & rubber couplings and front & rear transfer shafts.
• Differential: Front, rear & centre differentials, planetary gear assembly, crown wheel & pinion assembly, internal shafts, bearings & bushes, thrust washers, spacers, and bevel gears.
• Cooling system: Engine thermostat, water pump, thermostat housing, viscous fan coupling and engine temperature sensor.
• Torque converter
• Transfer box: Transfer gears, selectors, shafts, transfer shafts, needle and roller bearings, output shafts and bushes.
• Casings: We cover consequential damage of casings (resulting from the failure of another covered component) as part of this policy.
• Working materials: If the covered repair involves a top-up or replacement of consumables such as lubricants, oils & filters. These aren’t covered independently.

Which is the best car warranty provider and policy?

ALA Insurance comes out on top for value-for-money compared to Motoreasy, RAC Warranty, Warranty Direct, Dynamo and the AA. Your next decision is which package to choose. ALA offers three levels of car warranty, starting with our named component Silver policy. Find even more component coverage with our Gold Warranty and get comprehensive protection with our Platinum Warranty.

Although extended car warranty is not a legal requirement, it can still lower the average repair bill significantly, protecting you from unexpected costs during your warranty period. Compare ALA warranty coverage, or read about choosing the right level of extended warranty.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s excluded from Silver Car Warranty policies?

General exclusions include repair of cosmetic damage or a failure resulting from negligence, collision, weather & wear & tear. We can’t cover vehicles older than 16 years or 150,000 miles, or those used for hire or reward purposes. Read a full list of excluded components in the Silver warranty policy wording, or read more about what extended warranty doesn’t cover.

How much do Silver Warranties cost?

The make, model, age and mileage of your vehicle will affect your Warranty quote, however, policies are affordable. An average 12-month Silver policy can cost between £200 and £300 per year; 2 and 3-year policies are more cost-effective. Premiums can be paid in full or, with a small additional cost, you can split the cost into ten monthly payments if you prefer.

What problems can arise with extended vehicle warranty?

We’re proud to have a rating of 4.9 on Trustpilot which means our customers trust us to have their back. However, there are certain things to bear in mind to understand your cover and ensure it remains valid:

1. Don’t assume all failures are covered
2. Research your component cover and exclusions for every package carefully. If you’re looking for specific coverage, contact our impartial customer support team online or by phone, they’ll direct you to the right package.
3. Keep up with your vehicle’s routine maintenance
4. Failing to do so will not invalidate your coverage but warranty can’t cover the repair costs of unmaintained parts. Depending upon your car, a yearly vehicle service should keep you covered.
5. Contact us before arranging any vehicle repairs
6. After a breakdown, call our claims team to get the ball rolling. You can take your car to any VAT-registered garage, or they can recommend a local repairer. You may not be reimbursed if you repair the car before getting a claim authorised.