Before a contract can be sold, the car has to qualify. Most providers set limits on the age of the vehicle and the mileage on its odometer when coverage would begin, and some set separate limits on how long a contract can run. For a newer car these limits are rarely the deciding factor. For an older car, bought with a lot of miles already on it, they can decide the whole question. This guide explains how to check the limits against the car you have, and how to read them so the answer is not a surprise at the sales desk.
Measure the car against the entry limits on the sale date
Start with the entry rules, not the monthly pitch. Find the section that sets the maximum vehicle age and maximum mileage a car can have when the contract is sold or when coverage starts. Note whether each limit is measured at the time of sale, at enrollment, or on some later date. A car within the limit on the day you look at it may be outside it by the time the paperwork is complete, especially if the sale takes several days or the provider processes applications in batches. Write down the car's age and odometer reading on the day you check, and compare them to the exact wording of the limit.
Check the odometer reading the contract will use
Some providers take the odometer reading from the seller's listing, some from an inspection, and some from their own enrollment form. If the readings differ, ask which one governs. A reading taken from a photo, a listing, or an informal note may not be the reading the provider accepts. Ask what document the provider requires as proof of mileage, and whether that document has to be recent.
Notice the limit that ends coverage
Entry limits are only part of the picture. A contract may also set a maximum vehicle age or mileage at which coverage ends, even if the contract was validly sold. Read the two together. A car that qualifies on the day of sale may have a shorter useful coverage window than the term on the cover sheet suggests, so a contract that looks long may stop earlier for an older car. Ask the provider to explain the end-of-coverage rule in plain terms, and compare it with how many miles you drive in a typical year.
Use the published comparison as a first filter
Several providers publish their age and mileage limits. Our comparison of providers that take high-mileage cars, ordered by maximum vehicle age puts those limits side by side, which makes it a useful first filter. Then confirm each limit against the contract text you receive. Published summaries can lag behind a provider's current terms, and the contract is the document that governs.
Questions to ask before the car is written up
Ask the provider or seller to confirm the maximum age and mileage in writing, the date each limit is measured, and the document accepted as proof of mileage. Ask whether the contract has a separate end-of-coverage age or mileage, and what happens to a term that is partly used when that limit is reached. Ask what you would have to do to correct an odometer error after the paperwork is signed. If the answers are vague, hold off on the sale until they are in writing.