A vehicle service contract usually ends in one of three ways: at the end of a stated term, at a stated odometer reading, or at whichever of those comes first. The household's driving decides which limit will bind. A car that covers little ground may reach the end of its term with mileage to spare. A car that covers a lot may pass its mileage limit while the term still has years left. Before you compare any contract, find out which of these limits applies and how close the vehicle already is to it.
Start with the miles you actually drive
Build a short list for each vehicle in the household. Record the current odometer reading, the reading from the most recent service invoice or inspection record, and the approximate miles driven in a typical year. Include the regular commute, school and activity runs, errands, and any long trips that repeat each season. If a teenager or a second adult drives a car, count those miles too. Service invoices and inspection records are better evidence than memory, so pull them before you estimate.
Compare the yearly figure with the mileage limit in the contract. Ask the seller to show you the term and the limit in writing, not only in a summary. If the vehicle is already near the limit when you sign, the useful life of the contract may be much shorter than its stated term.
Ask how the contract counts miles
Mileage limits are measured in more than one way. Some contracts count from the date of sale. Others count from the vehicle's original in-service reading, which may be well below the reading on the day you buy. Ask which starting point the contract uses. Ask who records the odometer at the time of sale and whether that reading is written on the contract itself.
Ask what happens if the odometer is replaced, fails, or reads incorrectly. Ask whether the contract requires a reading at the time of a claim, how that reading is verified, and what paper the seller accepts as proof, such as a dated service record or a photo of the dash. A contract that depends on a reading you cannot prove is harder to rely on than one that names its evidence.
Check what happens at the limit
Read the clause that says what happens when the vehicle reaches the mileage limit. Some contracts end coverage on that day with no further notice. Others end coverage at the limit but leave a cancellation or refund calculation to be worked out later. Find out whether the contract says how any unused portion is figured, who calculates it, and what paper records the result. Do not assume the answer. Ask for the wording and keep a copy.
Match the contract to the household, not the brochure
A household with two vehicles may need two separate decisions. Check whether each contract attaches to one vehicle or to the buyer. Check whether a contract on one vehicle can be moved if that vehicle is sold, and whether the mileage limit moves with it. A contract that follows the buyer and not the car may not match a household that replaces vehicles often.
The state roster and rules on this site tell you what the state publishes and what rules have been read for that state. This guide does not read every state's roster or rules in full. The state page shows which parts were read and on what as-of date. Use it to check the rules that apply where the vehicle is registered, then read the contract itself for the mileage terms. A roster entry shows that a provider is listed, not how well its contracts perform.
Questions to ask before you sign
Ask which limit ends the contract first, the term or the mileage. Ask what the odometer reading was on the day of sale and where it is written. Ask how mileage is counted and who verifies it at a claim. Ask what happens at the limit and how any unused portion is calculated. Ask whether the contract follows the car or the buyer. Ask what paper controls if the sales summary and the contract disagree.
A simple way to compare
Write one line for each vehicle: current reading, typical yearly miles, the mileage limit, the term, and the year in which the lower of those two limits is likely to bind. Set the lines side by side. A contract that ends on mileage for a heavily driven car and a contract that ends on term for a lightly driven car are different products, even if their paperwork looks alike. Choose the one that fits the miles the household really drives.