Quick Verdict: Which Is Better in 2026?

Empire Auto Protect is the better choice for most Jeep, Ram, Dodge, and Chrysler owners in 2026 because it offers broader plan selection, any-shop repairs, and coverage beyond Maximum Care’s eligibility caps, while Mopar Maximum Care makes sense mainly for newer vehicles whose owners insist on dealer-only service.

What Is Empire Auto Protect?

Empire Auto Protect is a vehicle service contract broker that matches drivers to coverage from multiple established administrators instead of selling one rigid product. Because it is a broker, a licensed agent can design a plan around your exact vehicle — a 30,000-mile Grand Cherokee still under factory warranty, a 140,000-mile Ram 1500 work truck, or a lifted Wrangler that other providers decline — rather than forcing every vehicle into the same contract. The administrators in Empire’s network have together paid out $100M+ in claims across 400,000+ covered vehicles. Every plan includes 24/7 roadside assistance and a 30-day money-back guarantee with pro-rated refunds after the window, coverage is accepted at any ASE-licensed shop or dealership nationwide, and Empire holds a 5.0-star Google rating across 3,600+ reviews. Plans start at $69 per month with deductibles from $0 to $200.

What Is Mopar Maximum Care?

Mopar Maximum Care is the factory-backed vehicle service contract sold by Mopar, the parts and service arm of Stellantis, through Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Fiat dealerships. It is the top tier of the Mopar Vehicle Protection lineup — an exclusionary plan, meaning it covers thousands of components and lists only what is excluded rather than what is included. Covered repairs are performed at Stellantis-brand dealerships by factory-trained technicians using Mopar parts, and plans include benefits like roadside assistance and rental allowance. The factory backing is real. Its limits are structural: it covers only Stellantis-brand vehicles, pricing is set at the dealership and often rolled into the loan, the plan must be purchased while the vehicle is still inside its eligibility window, and once your Jeep or Ram passes the age or mileage ceiling, it is no longer an option at any price.

Coverage Differences: Breadth vs Factory Pedigree

The coverage difference between Empire Auto Protect and Mopar Maximum Care is about who can be covered and where repairs happen, more than what components are listed. Both offer exclusionary-style protection on major mechanical and electrical systems at their top tiers.

• Shop freedom: Empire coverage works at any ASE-licensed shop or dealership — including your Jeep or Ram dealer if you prefer it. Maximum Care routes repairs through the Stellantis dealer network, which can mean towing past several qualified independent shops in a rural area.
• Vehicle age and mileage: Empire regularly writes coverage for vehicles past the point where Maximum Care has expired or can no longer be purchased. High-mileage Ram 1500s, Wranglers, and Grand Caravans are exactly the vehicles Empire’s administrator network was built for.
• 4×4 and heavy-use components: Transfer cases, differentials, and cooling systems take a beating on trucks that tow and Jeeps that leave pavement. Empire’s agents can match a plan whose covered-component list fits how the vehicle is actually used.
• Multi-brand households: Empire can cover the family’s Ram and its Toyota or Ford stablemate under one relationship; Maximum Care covers only Stellantis brands.
• Mopar’s edge: Factory-trained technicians and Mopar parts on every covered repair, exclusionary coverage, and the factory’s own backing. If that guarantee matters more to you than price or flexibility, Maximum Care delivers it — though any CDJR dealer will also perform Empire-covered repairs.

Claims Process: How Do Repairs Get Paid?

The claims process for both providers follows the standard vehicle service contract model: diagnose, authorize, repair, pay. With Empire, you take the vehicle to any ASE-licensed shop, the shop calls the administrator for authorization, and the administrator pays the shop directly — you owe only your deductible, and 24/7 live phone support walks you through it. With Maximum Care, you bring the vehicle to a Stellantis-brand dealership, which handles authorization internally. The dealer-internal flow is smooth when a dealer is nearby and has service capacity; Empire’s any-shop flow is faster when dealer service departments are booked out for weeks, a common complaint in busy metros and rural counties alike. Empire also assigns licensed agents rather than a dealership finance office, so plan questions get answered by the people who designed the coverage.

Pricing: What Will You Actually Pay?

Empire Auto Protect plans start at $69 per month, while Mopar Maximum Care pricing is set at the dealership and varies by vehicle, term, and negotiation. Stellantis does not publish one fixed retail price for Maximum Care — the same contract can cost different amounts at different dealers, and it is frequently rolled into the vehicle loan, which adds interest to the real cost. Empire quotes are itemized, negotiation-free, and payable monthly without financing them into an auto loan. Empire also lets you choose a $0, $100, or $200 deductible to pull the monthly price up or down, and backs every contract with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Whichever provider you choose, get the total cost in writing before signing — consumer guidance from the Federal Trade Commission recommends comparing the contract document itself, not the sales pitch.

Who Is Each One Best For?

Empire Auto Protect is the better fit for the broad majority of Stellantis-brand owners: anyone whose Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, Ram 1500, Durango, or Pacifica is approaching or past 100,000 miles, anyone who wants repairs at a trusted local shop, households with more than one vehicle brand, buyers of used vehicles outside the factory-plan eligibility window, and drivers who want a monthly price matched to their budget with a 30-day exit. Mopar Maximum Care is the better fit for one narrower group: owners of newer, lower-mileage vehicles who service exclusively at the dealership and plan to sell before the plan’s term runs out. If you fall in the first group — and most owners searching for coverage do — start with our rankings of the best extended car warranty companies, read our Jeep extended warranty guide or Ram extended warranty guide, and get an Empire quote for your exact vehicle.

The Bottom Line

Mopar Maximum Care is a solid factory-backed product with real limits: one corporate family of brands, dealer-network repairs, dealer-set pricing, and a purchase window that closes as your vehicle ages. Empire Auto Protect gives Jeep, Ram, Dodge, and Chrysler owners the same class of exclusionary-style protection with more plan options, any-shop freedom, coverage that continues where Mopar’s ends, and clear monthly pricing from $69. Our recommendation for 2026: get an Empire quote for your vehicle before you commit to the dealership plan — it costs nothing to compare.