Can you get a warranty on a high-mileage car?
Yes. Plenty of UK cars are well past 100,000 miles and still have years of driving left in them, especially diesels and well-maintained petrol cars that have done a lot of motorway work. ClearPath gives an instant online quote for cars up to 15 years old and 150,000 miles, across petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric.
If your car is outside those limits, the online quote won't work, but that isn't always the end of the road. Call us on 020 4577 0371 and we'll check it against our eligibility rules.
Why mileage matters less than you might think
A high number on the odometer doesn't decide a claim on its own. What matters is why a part failed. A mechanical breakdown warranty pays for the sudden failure of a covered part. It doesn't pay for parts that have simply worn out through normal use, because that is maintenance rather than a breakdown.
That's true whether a car has done 30,000 miles or 130,000. The difference is that on a higher-mileage car, more parts are near the end of their natural life, so the line between "worn out" and "broke suddenly" comes up more often. A clutch that has slipped gradually over 90,000 miles is wear. A water pump that seizes without warning is the kind of sudden failure a warranty is for, provided the part is listed in your cover schedule.
Our guide to what wear and tear means explains where that line usually falls.
Where age and mileage do set limits
There are three limits worth knowing before you buy, and we'd rather you heard them from us now than at claim time:
- Eligibility: instant online quote for cars up to 15 years old and 150,000 miles.
- Turbocharger and supercharger: covered on cars up to 7 years old and 80,000 miles.
- Hybrid and EV high-voltage battery: covered on cars up to 9 years old and 70,000 miles. Battery-cell replacement is limited to £1,000 on hybrids and £1,500 on EVs.
So on a nine-year-old diesel with 110,000 miles, you can still get a quote and cover for the rest of the car, but the turbo sits outside that cover because the car is past 7 years and 80,000 miles. On a hybrid with 85,000 miles, the high-voltage battery is outside the cover, while the engine, gearbox and other covered parts are not. Being clear about this up front is how we avoid disappointment later.
Service history: why it matters on an older car
On a high-mileage car, a good service history is the best evidence you have that a failure was sudden rather than the result of neglect. A folder of invoices or a stamped service book showing regular oil changes makes a claim far easier to assess. The servicing conditions that apply to your cover are set out in your policy documents, so read them when your cover starts and keep every receipt from then on.
If you're buying a high-mileage car, ask the seller for the history before you hand over any money. Gaps aren't always a dealbreaker, but they are worth knowing about.
What tends to go wrong after 100,000 miles
Some faults come up again and again on older, higher-mileage cars. A few are sudden failures; others are wear, which a warranty doesn't pay for.
- Timing chains and tensioners — a rattle on a cold start is the classic warning. See timing chain replacement cost.
- Automatic gearboxes — slipping, harsh shifts or a delay engaging drive. See automatic gearbox replacement cost.
- Head gaskets and cooling systems — overheating, white smoke or coolant loss. See head gasket repair cost.
- Turbochargers — whining, smoke or a loss of power. See turbo replacement cost.
- Clutches — slipping or a high biting point is usually wear. See clutch replacement cost.
Diesel owners should also read our guide to common diesel problems, and anyone planning to keep a car for the long haul will find practical tips in how to make your car last.
What isn't covered
No honest warranty pays for everything, and ours doesn't either. The exclusions high-mileage drivers most often ask about are:
- Wear items — parts that wear out through normal use, such as brake pads and discs, tyres, wiper blades and clutch friction plates.
- Battery capacity loss on hybrids and electric cars.
- Routine servicing — a service is maintenance, not a repair.
The full exclusions are in your policy documents. For a plain-English run-through of the usual exclusions, read what isn't covered by a car warranty.
The limits, in plain numbers
| Eligibility | Instant online quote for cars up to 15 years old and 150,000 miles |
|---|---|
| Claim limit | £3,000 per authorised claim, including parts, labour and VAT |
| Number of claims | Unlimited eligible claims during your cover |
| Labour rate | Up to £100 per hour |
| Excess | £100 per authorised claim |
| Hire car | Up to £45 a day for up to 7 days, within the claim limit |
| Recovery | Up to £60 after a covered breakdown, within the claim limit |
| Turbo / supercharger | Cars up to 7 years old and 80,000 miles |
| High-voltage battery | Cars up to 9 years old and 70,000 miles (cells up to £1,000 hybrid / £1,500 EV) |
| Terms | 1, 2 or 3 years |
How a claim works
- Stop and get it checked. On an older car especially, driving on with a warning light or a new noise can turn one failed part into several.
- Choose your garage. We have UK-wide repair options.
- The garage contacts us before any work starts. We authorise the repair first. Work that begins before authorisation cannot be paid.
- The repair is paid within your limit. Up to £3,000 per claim including parts, labour and VAT. You pay the £100 excess.
The full walk-through is on our How to make a claim page.
Who ClearPath is
ClearPath Protection is a small team based in London. Our founder comes from car dealerships, so we know a well-kept high-mileage car can have plenty of life left, and we answer the phone ourselves. We are rated 4.8 (Excellent) on Trustpilot. Meet the team.
Want to know more first? Read can I get a warranty on a high-mileage car? and can I get a warranty on an older car? See also our used car warranty, diesel car warranty and hybrid car warranty pages.
