One hundred thousand miles on a car often means the factory promise has already ended, or ended for some parts and not others. Many owners assume the factory terms still cover everything, or that a service contract simply picks up where the factory left off. The two papers are separate, and the way to tell them apart is to read each one.
What a factory warranty usually is
A factory warranty is the manufacturer's written promise on the parts it names. It usually runs for a set period of time and a set number of miles, and the terms may differ by part. Read the booklet that came with the car, and note which limits are miles and which are time. The limit that is reached first is usually the one that ends that part of the promise.
What a service contract usually is
A service contract is a separate agreement, usually sold by a company that is not the carmaker. It has its own start, its own limits, its own list of parts, and its own exit terms. It does not automatically pick up where the factory warranty stops. Whether the two overlap depends on the wording of each. Ask whether the contract starts at the sale, at the end of the factory term, or at a reading on the odometer.
Find which terms you still hold
Make a short list. Write each factory term, its time limit, its mileage limit, and the reading your odometer shows now. Mark the terms that are still running. Then do the same for any service contract on the car. Compare the two lists. A gap may exist between the end of one and the start of the other. Ask the seller or the contract company to confirm in writing where that gap falls.
Ask who holds each term
Some terms are tied to the first owner. Others pass to later owners. Check whether the factory terms transfer with the car, and whether the service contract allows a new owner to take it on. The name on the paper decides who can claim. If the name on the paper is not yours, ask what that means.
What to bring to a quote
Bring the factory booklet, the service contract if you have one, and your odometer reading written on the day of the visit. Ask the company to name the point where its terms begin, and to say in writing what happens to any factory term still running when its own contract starts. Those written answers are the ones that count.
The threshold guide for one hundred thousand miles sets out the printed limits that often come into play at this point: One Hundred Thousand Miles: What Changes for Coverage.