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New Car Warranties: What's Covered, What Isn't
A Summary of New Car Warranties and What is Covered
by Larry Carley copyright AA1Car.comA Summary of New Car Warranties and What is Covered
by Larry Carley copyright AA1Car.comA new car warranty is your guarantee of free repairs. Depending on the year and make of your vehicle, you may be eligible for FREE repairs if it is still under warranty. All new vehicles come with a basic bumper-to-bumper factory warranty as well as an emissions warranty, tire warranty, body rust and corrosion warranty, sometimes an extended powertrain warranty, and a roadside assistance warranty.
If your vehicle still has warranty coverage on a component that has failed and needs to be repaired, you should be able to take your vehicle to a new car dealer (which must be a dealer that sells and services your make of vehicle) for free repairs. There may be a small deductible to pay, but the parts and labor should be covered.
NOTE: You are NOT obligated to return to the same dealer where you bought your vehicle to have the repair work done (you can choose another dealer). You can also take your vehicle to an independent repair facility for repairs. But generally speaking, the vehicle manufacturer will NOT reimburse you for repairs performed at an independent repair facility unless you had no other option available (no dealer nearby, an emergency repair on a weekend or holiday, etc.). Even then, you may have a difficult time getting reimbursed for the repairs. Our advice, therefore, is to take the vehicle back to the dealer of your choice if you are seeking free repairs under warranty.
What is a new car warranty?
A warranty is a guarantee to repair or replace any defective parts for a given period of time or within a certain mileage limit. If the vehicle manufacturer offers a 3 year or 36,000 mile (3/36) warranty, it means they will honor their warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles from the date the vehicle was manufactured, which ever comes first.
IMPORTANT TO KNOW: Warranty coverage is always from the date the vehicle was built, not from the date it was sold. This is because the vehicle may have sit in the dealer's inventory for a number of months before you bought it. The date of manufacture (month and year) can be found on the build plate, which is usually located in the driver's door pillar. It can also be determined from the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) code.
Always refer to your Vehicle Owners Manual or Warranty Information Booklet for the specific details and description of your vehicle warranty coverage.
This is essentially a bumper-to-bumper warranty that covers most defects or repairs that may occur during the specified time/mileage period. Most new cars come with a 3 year/36,000 mile basic warranty, but some have a basic warranty of 4 years/50,000 miles, 5 years/60,000 miles.
Any covered component that is defective or fails during this period should be covered by the basic warranty. See your Owners Manual for specific details.
Generally speaking, everything from one end of the vehicle to the other is covered against defects in materials or workmanship or failure EXCEPT for wear and maintenance parts (see below). Anything that isn't right or fails within the covered warranty period should be replaced at the vehicle manufacturer's expense and at no cost to you (except possibly a small deductible).
See your Owners Manual for specific details.
Generally speaking, parts that are NOT covered under the basic warranty are wear and maintenance items such as filters (air, fuel, oil cabin air & transmission filter), fluids (oil, coolant, power steering fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid), brake linings (pads and shoes), brake rotors, brake drums, clutch linings, belts, hoses, wiper blades, and tires (which are covered under their own separate warranty). Glass windshields and side windows are also not covered for chipping, cracks or breakage unless there is a factory defect in materials or installation. Your Comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance policy will cover glass damage and replacement.
See your Owners Manual for specific details on what is covered and what is not.
This is a separate warranty that covers the engine, transmission, driveshaft and axles on your vehicle. The powertrain warranty generally covers mechanical and electronic failures, but does NOT cover items that may be considered wear or maintenance parts (see below). Powertrain warranties may be for 4 years/60,000 miles, 5 years/60,000 miles, 6 years/60,000 miles, 7 years/75,000 miles, or up to 10 years/100,000 miles (KIA and Hyundai), and in a few cases unlimited time/mileage for the original owner of the vehicle (excluding fleet and rental vehicles). See your Owners Manual for specific details.
This is a separate warranty that covers the body on your vehicle against paint peeling or flaking, body rust and rust holes. Some warranties have a certain limit for paint and surface rust, and a separate warranty for rust perforation. See your Owners Manual for specific details.
This is a separate warranty that provides towing and in some cases emergency roadside service (flat tire, stalling, out of gas, locked keys inside the car, etc.). Roadside warranties are typically for 3 years/36,000 miles, 4 years/50,000 miles, 5 years/50,000 miles, or 5 years/100,000 miles.
NOTE: If you have a new car Roadside Assistance Warranty, you don't need to pay for Emergency Roadside Assistance on your car insurance policy since you are already covered for such situations. Ditto for buying an AAA membership. The new car Roadside Assistance Warranty should cover your vehicle if you have a flat fire, run out of gas, a breakdown or your car won't start.
NOTE: Most tow truck operators demand CASH payment for making a service call, and may not accept your Roadside Assistance Warranty, auto insurance or AAA membership card. You may have to pay the tow truck operator cash, get a receipt and turn in a claim for reimbursement.
One way minimize Roadside Assistance hassles is to use the number provided by the vehicle manufacturer when you need help. They have a network of tow truck operators who are supposed to honor your Roadside Assistance Warranty and won't hold you up for cash like a roadside robber when you need help. The only caveat here is that in some situations (like a major snowstorm or similar natural disaster), the wait time for roadside assistance may be hours, or they may never show up!
See your Owners Manual for specific details.
This is a separate warranty that required vehicle manufacturers to cover all emissions-related components for a specific time and mileage. This warranty covers specific emissions-related components that may cause your Check Engine Light to come on and/or your vehicle to fail a government-mandated emissions test. The warranty states that such parts will be replaced FREE during the covered period to bring your vehicle back into emissions compliance. It does NOT covered emission components that have been tampered with or intentionally removed (such as exhaust aftertreatment systems on diesel pickup trucks, catalytic converters, EVAP components or lost gas caps.
For most emission controls, engine sensors, fuel injection and ignition components, the federally mandated warranty coverage is 2 years or 24,000 miles. For more expensive components such as the engine computer (PCM) and catalytic converters, the federally mandated coverage is 8 years or 80,000 miles.
NEW CAR WARRANTY RULES VARY FROM ONE STATE TO ANOTHER: Some states have their own emissions warranty requirements for vehicles that are sold within that state, including California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. There is a 3 year/50,000 miles emissions defect warranty, a 7 year/70,000 miles emissions defect warranty on the PCM and catalytic converters, and a 15 year/150,000 mile emissions warranty on vehicles that meet PZEV (Partial Zero Emission Vehicle) emission requirements. The specific requirements will vary somewhat depending on the year and make of the vehicle.
Specific warranty coverages will vary from by vehicle year, make and model. For current and past warranty coverage information, go to your vehicle manufacturer's website and find their warranty section. You can find a list of all the Vehicle Manufacturer Websites here.
To keep your warranty in effect for the duration of the warranty period, you are required to follow the vehicle manufacturer's scheduled maintenance recommendations. This includes things like having the oil and oil filter changed at the specified intervals for the type of driving you do, replacing a timing belt or other parts at the specified mileage and so on. See your Owners Manual or Maintenance Brochure for the items and time/mileage recommendations for service.
YOU CAN USE AFTERMARKET PARTS TO FIX YOUR CAR: You do NOT have to use OEM parts to service your vehicle. You also do NOT have to take your car back to the dealer for service. You can have your vehicle serviced ANYWHERE, and you can use aftermarket parts. Just be sure to keep your repair receipts to prove what was done and when. The receipt should show your vehicle make/model/year and VIN number, and describe the services performed and parts replaced. If you do your own oil changes, keep a receipt for the oil and filter you have purchased, and note the date and mileage of the oil change.
Dealers are always looking for excuses to void your warranty coverage so they can charge you for repairs (and possibly double bill the vehicle manufacturer, in some cases!). Obvious reasons for voiding a warranty include vehicle abuse (such as racing), vehicle modifications (such as replacing OEM parts with certain aftermarket performance parts or racing parts), tampering with the odometer, or failing to maintain your vehicle properly. If you do something to void the warranty, the dealer won't pay for the repairs.
If you think you are entitled to free repairs under warranty, make sure your vehicle within the time/mileage limits of the warranty period. If you don't know, write down your year/make/model info and the VIN number from your vehicle (which is located at the base of the windshield on the driver's side), and call a dealer. Their service department should be able to tell you if your vehicle is still eligible for free repairs under warranty.
Maybe, maybe not. Suppose your vehicle has a 5 year/50,000 mile powertrain warranty and it is only a few months out of warranty but has low miles on the engine (say 35,000), but the engine just failed. If you maintained your engine according to the recommended service intervals (and have the receipts to prove it), and you have not abused or modified the engine, you may be able to negotiate with the dealer on the cost to replace the engine.
In some cases, a vehicle manufacturer will issue a "secret" or "dealer only" extended warranty on a component that has had an usually high incidence of failure. The vehicle manufacturer does not want to issue a recall because of the huge expense. But they will take care of customers on an individual basis as the need arises. They may offer to pay for the part if you pay for the labor to replace it, or they may cover the entire repair. It is more of a goodwill gesture toward the customer than an actual extension of the original warranty.
If you are not satisfied what how the dealer treats a warranty issue, you can ask for the vehicle manufacturer's district office or consumer affairs number and plead your case with them. Or, if you are facing a high dollar repair (like replacing a bad engine or transmission) on a vehicle that should still be under warranty or may just be out of warranty, you can always hire a lawyer and take the dealer or manufacturer to court. Litigation can be VERY expensive, and may end up costing you a lot more than the original repair if you lose and have to pay attorney fees and court costs out of your own pocket. In some instances, lawyers will file a class action lawsuit if there are multiple vehicle owners who have the same issue. But in most of these cases, the only ones who come out ahead are the lawyers who get a multi-million dollar settlement while the motorists get a coupon good for $25 off their next oil change. I'm exaggerating, but class action lawsuits are usually a joke for those who are actually seeking to have an issue or problem resolved.
The following pdf files list by model year the basic warranty coverage provided by vehicle manufacturers. This is a sample summary only, so always refer to your Owners Manual or Warranty Brochure for specific details.
For added protection and peace of mind, you can purchase an extended warranty from a new or used car dealer, or from an independent aftermarket company that offers various types of extended car warranties. Some of these warranties cover things that are not covered by the standard new car warranty, such as brakes, tires, batteries and similar components. Most extended warranties come into effect when the original new car warranty expires.
Although you do NOT need the new car warranty and an extended warranty in effect at the same time (double coverage is unnecessary), there is often a limited time during which you can buy an extended warranty when making a new car purchase. The car dealer wants to make the add-on sale now and may tell you the extended warranty won't be available later. That's only partially true because there are many independent companies that will be happy to sell you an extended car warranty if your original new car warranty has expired due to the age or mileage of your vehicle.
The typical extended warranty is essentially insurance that provides continued coverage when your new car warranty runs out. Most extended warranties provide similar coverage on major components (except wear items) for a specified time period or until a certain mileage is reached.
WARNING:Be sure to read the fine print in any extended warranty contract because there may be items that are NOT covered (wear items such as brake pads, tires, shocks and struts, belts, filters, fluids, wipers, etc.).
Also most extended warranty contracts have various loopholes that may allow the warranty provider to deny your coverage in the event of a claim. If a vehicle has been abused, not maintained according to the OEM service recommendations (you may be required to provide service records and receipts), has been modified, used for racing, or you misrepresented the vehicle's mileage and/or condition when you took out the extended warranty.
We also recommend researching the reputation of the warranty BEFORE you sign their contract. Some of these outfits are fly-by-night scams that will take your money but deny your claims when your vehicle needs an expensive repair. Or they simply go out of business leaving you with a worthless warranty contract.
Beware of telemarketers and unsolicited text and email messages offering you an extended car warranty. Many of these are scams.
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