If you get a new vehicle, they always come with a car warranty. Did you know that having your car serviced at Kwik Kar Marsh maintains your new car warranty? Many consumers think they have to go back to the dealership for an oil change or service to maintain their car’s warranty, but this is not true. Here’s a great article that will help you with your car warranty.
A good car warranty can take a lot of the stress out of auto repair. Whether you purchased a new car, a certified pre-owned one, or sprung for an extended warranty, many of the problems that can crop up with your car will be covered by these policies.
But there are different warranties, they do not cover everything, and in most cases they eventually expire.
New Car Warranty
The bumper-to-bumper warranty is also known as a comprehensive warranty. It covers most of the vehicle against manufacturing or functional defects. Depending on the car maker, the bumper-to-bumper warranty will usually have a term between three years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first) and six years or 72,000 miles.
Keep in mind that the bumper-to-bumper warranty does not cover wear items, or normal wear-and-tear from your use of the vehicle. Items like brake pads, windshield wipers, body damage, broken glass, and fabric wear are not covered by this warranty, unless they’re found to be the result of a manufacturing defect.
Other items in your vehicle can have warranties of different types and lengths. Stereos, navigation systems and touchscreens may have shorter warranties, and tires usually come with their own manufacturer’s warranties.
Your powertrain warranty is separate from your bumper-to-bumper warranty. It covers most items involved in the propulsion of the vehicle. This usually includes:
- Engine
- Transmission
- Axles
- Differential
There are related items that won’t be included in the powertrain warranty, such as fluids, belts and electrical and electronic components, which may be covered under your bumper-to-bumper warranty.
The powertrain warranty usually lasts longer than the bumper-to-bumper warranty, with the exception of most European luxury brands.
New Car Warranty by Manufacturer
| Manufacturer | Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty | Powertrain Warranty |
| Acura | 4 years / 50,000 miles | 6 years / 70,000 miles |
| Audi | 4 years / 50,000 miles | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
| BMW | 4 years / 50,000 miles | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
| Buick | 4 years / 50,000 miles | 6 years / 70,000 miles |
| Cadillac | 4 years / 50,000 miles | 6 years / 70,000 miles |
| Chevrolet | 3 years / 36,000 miles | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Chrysler | 3 years / 36,000 miles | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Dodge | 3 years / 36,000 miles | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Fiat | 4 years / 50,000 miles | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
| Ford | 3 years / 36,000 miles | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| GMC | 3 years / 36,000 miles | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Honda | 3 years / 36,000 miles | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Hyundai | 5 years / 60,000 miles | 10 years / 100,000 miles |
| Infiniti | 4 years / 60,000 miles | 6 years / 70,000 miles |
| Jaguar | 5 years / 60,000 miles | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Jeep | 3 years / 36,000 miles | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Kia | 5 years / 60,000 miles | 10 years / 100,000 miles |
| Land Rover | 4 years / 50,000 miles | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
| Lexus | 4 years / 50,000 miles | 6 years / 70,000 miles |
| Lincoln | 4 years / 50,000 miles | 6 years / 70,000 miles |
| Mazda | 3 years / 36,000 miles | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Mercedes-Benz | 4 years / 50,000 miles | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
| Mini | 4 years / 50,000 miles | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
| Mitsubishi | 5 years / 60,000 miles | 10 years / 100,000 miles |
| Nissan | 3 years / 36,000 miles | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Porsche | 4 years / 50,000 miles | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
| Smart | 4 years / 50,000 miles | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
| Subaru | 3 years / 36,000 miles | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Toyota | 3 years / 36,000 miles | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| VW | 6 years / 72,000 miles | 6 years / 72,000 miles |
| Volvo | 4 years / 50,000 miles | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
How to Use Your Warranty
Having a warranty is easy. Keeping and using one requires more thought and commitment. Here’s how to keep from voiding your coverage.
Understand and Read Your Warranty
Get the warranty booklet out and read it thoroughly. Understand what is covered and what isn’t, and for how long. Understand the exclusions, and read all the fine print. By knowing what’s what, you can avoid surprises at the dealership or missing out on a free repair.
Service Your Vehicle at Recommended Intervals
Your new vehicle comes with a service guide. This booklet lists the recommended maintenance procedures and intervals, in time or mileage. Don’t ignore them — they’re important for the health of your car and the life of your warranty.
You are required to have these specified maintenance services done to keep your warranties in effect. They don’t have to be done by a dealer, but you must have them done, and you must retain your service records. Otherwise, you risk having a warranty claim denied simply because you couldn’t prove that the necessary maintenance was done.
When in Doubt, Notify Dealer
If your car starts showing symptoms of a problem, your first reaction might be to ignore it and hope it gets better. But it pretty much never does.
If your car is under warranty, call the dealer right away and have it properly diagnosed. If the issue is covered, then the repair should cost you nothing. But if you keep driving with the problem, it could cause damage to other components, which may not be covered. Delaying the repair could cost you a lot.
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