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Everything Breaks’ Critical Coverage: A Plan for Your Essential Needs
Published: June 23rd, 2023
You may want to be covered for some of your auto repair and emergency service needs but not have much money set aside for that in your budget. Everything Breaks is a budget-friendly company that provides warranties for a large number of products, including vehicles. They are a consumer-friendly option because they are affordable and do not tie you down to lengthy contracts. And while they have other plans, by far the most affordable but basic auto warranty option they have is the Critical Coverage plan.
This basic plan is not meant to be comprehensive, but it may fit your needs if you are looking for a low-cost plan that will help lessen the load of some of your essential auto needs. However, it offers a smaller number of service features, and much of its vehicle repair coverage operates via reimbursements. Read ahead to see if this suits your requirements.
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What is Everything Breaks' Critical Coverage Plan?
Everything Breaks offers their auto warranty options to all 50 states in the form of five different plans: Top-Line, Deluxe, Enhanced Powertrain, Standard Powertrain, and Critical Coverage. All of their plans can be purchased on a monthly basis, while most can be purchased for 1-year or 3-year terms. Their coverage levels vary based on the plan selected, with Top-Line being their most comprehensive coverage and Critical Coverage being their most basic and affordable auto warranty coverage.
Critical Coverage differs in many ways from the other plans at Everything Breaks. For one thing, it can only be purchased on a month-to-month basis or for 1-year terms, not for 3-year terms. The monthly cost is $29.88, and the 1-year cost is $329.88, which amounts to almost getting a month free.
Its main selling feature is that it will cover a guaranteed 50% of mechanical repairs, up to a certain amount. It also offers 24/7 roadside assistance that comes with some extra, limited perks, as well as additional benefits that you can unlock with the yearly term. Everything Breaks also promotes that you can cancel this plan easily at any time during the contract term. However, while other plans might be transferable to a new owner if you sell your vehicle, the Critical Coverage plan is not.
How Can it Protect Your Essential Needs?
This coverage option is not meant to cover all your possible needs, but to assist you with your auto expenses in some common ways. We spoke in general above about what that entails for you, but if you read through their sample contract, you will discover what we discuss below:
What’s included in the monthly term?
There are five key areas where the monthly term will aid you, as detailed in the contract. First, their roadside assistance will pay for up to $100 of the services per “occurrence”, while you are responsible for what’s left of the bill. The services included are towing to the nearest facility, battery jump-start, flat tire assistance, emergency fuel or fluid delivery, lock-out assistance, help getting your car out of a ditch or inaccessible area, and help getting you a rental vehicle.
The second way this plan has you covered is if your car gets stolen, as they offer a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the thief to make the chances of you getting your car back higher. Thirdly, they allow for up to $500 in emergency travel expense reimbursements, or $167/day for three days. This fund can only be claimed if you suffer an accident more than 100 miles away from home, and it can be used for rental car fees, local lodgings and meals, and commercial transportation to and from the repair facility.
Fourthly, this plan provides a vehicle maintenance package. That includes a headline 50% savings on the cost of necessary repairs, but that comes with caveats. There is a limit of $500 per repair occurrence, up to a total of $2000 per continuous 12-month period. This service also includes being able to call an ASE-certified repair technician from their team for “unbiased advice” on your vehicle, technical assistance, and a diagnosis of any issues you may be facing. Finally, they offer access to Saving Connection, which can save you up to 50% on hotel stays, car rentals, and entertainment options.
There are many exclusions to these features that you will find spelled out in the sample contract.
Extra features unlocked in the yearly term
If you opt for the 1-year term, you will benefit from some bonus maintenance features. All the offered services come with cost and occurrence coverage limits, so be aware of them before making your purchase decisions. That being said, the yearly term would cover you for oil changes, brake pads and shoes, vehicle batteries, cooling system maintenance and lube, hand-held computer engine diagnostic and alignment checks, safety inspections, and wiper blade replacement.
Keep in mind that these benefits only start sixty days after your coverage begins and that you must have official receipts for all covered expenses to get reimbursed.
How Does It Compare?
The Critical Coverage plan at Everything Breaks serves as a form of basic protection, and its affordable monthly or yearly costs reflect that. It does not function as a traditional extended auto warranty because there are very few items standardly covered in the plan and there are no deductibles. You get, instead, some reimbursements on some repairs, services, and emergency expenses, along with roadside assistance and related perks.
This may suit your needs if you only want to reduce the burden of these expenses on yourself by knowing you will have them partially reimbursed. However, if you prefer having more standard coverage for your car, you might want to upgrade to a powertrain warranty that covers repairs for the major parts and has more substantial features. Everything Breaks offers such warranties, like the Standard Powertrain plan that costs you $59.88 a month and has a low deductible of $100. You will find similar basic plans at other warranty providers, like the Silver plan at Carshield or Secure Plus at Endurance, although the costs may be higher there.
An Affordable Plan for Common Auto Costs
Everything Breaks' Critical Coverage plan offers a great entry point to warranty coverage because it is very affordable and partially protects you from some common costs. While it doesn’t offer the breadth of coverage that a traditional extended warranty provides, it might entice you to know that you will be covered for 50% of certain repairs while getting some assistance and savings for emergency, travel, and entertainment expenses, among the perks offered. There are exclusions and limitations to consider, of course, so we suggest you read the contract carefully before signing. It helps, however, that Everything Breaks allows you to cancel at any time if you decide the coverage doesn’t work for you.
If you want more full-featured coverage, we recommend looking at the other affordable plans at Everything Breaks and comparing them to other auto warranty providers.
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