Auto warranty robocall
Prerecorded calls about your car's 'expiring warranty' push overpriced or worthless service contracts. The FCC has taken enforcement action against major auto-warranty robocall operations.
Auto-warranty robocalls were the single largest robocall category for years, until 2022 FCC enforcement against the Cox/Jones 'Sumco Panama' operation — billions of calls — ordered carriers to block its traffic outright. The surviving campaigns sell 'vehicle service contracts' that are not manufacturer warranties, riddled with exclusions that make claims practically unpayable. The recording's vagueness is diagnostic: it never names your car because it knows nothing about you beyond a dialing list.
How to recognize it
- Recording mentions 'your vehicle's extended warranty' without naming your car
- Pressure to 'press 1' to speak with a 'warranty specialist'
- Caller cannot say which vehicle or dealer the 'warranty' covers
What to do
- Hang up without pressing anything
- Do not give out vehicle or payment information
- Report the robocall to the FCC
Where to report
Sources
FAQ
What should I do first if I suspect a auto warranty robocall call?
Hang up without pressing anything or confirming any details. Hang up without pressing anything. Then report it through the channels listed below.
I already gave the caller money or information — now what?
Act on the money first: contact your bank or card issuer immediately, and if you paid by gift card, call the card company to try freezing the balance. Then file a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and, if identity data leaked, follow the recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov.
Does the number that called me identify the scammer?
Usually not — the display is routinely spoofed. Report the number anyway: combined with time and content, it still helps investigators map calling campaigns.