So you've purchased a new car, leased a new vehicle or brought a used car from a dealer or garage, and you've been given a warranty. But all too often it is not explained in any detail what this actually covers. It can be hard to know what you will or won’t be covered, and it can be even harder with pre-owned vehicles, so here is some information to help you understand how your warranty is worth more than the paper it is written on.
An Insurance Policy
Basically, you can think of a warranty as a form of insurance policy that is designed to protect you from issues that may arise with your vehicle. The standard caveat on a warranty is that ‘wear and tear’ is excluded, but it can still be tricky to work out what this means.
Up to Five Years
Typically your warranty will be anything from one to five years and is either supplied directly from the manufacturer or from a third party. If you suffer a covered issue, then the warranty covers some or all of the cost needed to get you back on the road. Exactly how much this is will vary in the small print and the terms of the policy. Sometimes you will find that the replacement parts are covered, but the labour isn’t while others will cover both. What is included depends again on the fine print, and there may well be exclusions so check before committing.
New Cars
New vehicles should automatically come with a warranty, to be honest, nothing should break in the first year so if it does you have a faulty component and it should be immediately rectified. Different manufacturers offer different lengths of policy. This should also work with all cars if you are purchasing them from a manufacturer’s approved program, not just the primary dealer. If you are buying a secondhand older car that is not within the initial coverage period and not from a franchised main dealer having a warranty can offer peace of mind if you do not want to risk having to pay for the costs associated with any significant repairs. Many dealers and garages will offer a warranty with an older vehicle, but if they do not, you can buy one for yourself. If you are purchasing a warranty to protect yourself, you shouldn’t need to spend any more than a few hundred a year, which when compared to the cost of thousands when it comes to repairing is undoubtedly worth the outlay.
So What is Covered?
In general, the sorts of things that will be covered are gearbox and engine issues, electrical problems, or failure of the suspension. That should apply to used cars from franchised dealers as well however smaller garages may differ. They are liberty to cover what they like, so asked to see the details. It is common for things like the tyres, wheels, battery and exhaust to be excluded as these are forms of wear and tear.
If you are ever unsure don't be afraid to ask at the time of purchasing the car. Any good car salesman or garage should be able to explain in more detail or simpler terms exactly what is and isn't covered in your warranty before you hit the road!
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**This is a collaborative post in which I received a fee.**
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