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EXTENDED CAR WARRANTIES

A car warranty is a contract that says that your car’s manufacturer, or the aftermarket warranty company you bought an extended warranty from, will pay for some fixings to your car. Warranties cover problems the manufacturer considers defects and kick in when a component doesn’t live up to reasonable expectations. So, they don’t cover damage from accidents, or when using your car in a way the manufacturer didn’t intend for it to be used. They also don’t cover normal wear and tear.

Types of Car Warranties

There are several different types of car warranties. The two main categories are factory and extended warranties. Within those categories, you can find both bumper-to-bumper and powertrain coverage. Factory warranties also cover other things like corrosion and factory adjustments.

Factory Warranty vs. Extended Warranty

When you buy a car from a dealership, it’s likely you will also leave with a factory or manufacturer’s warranty. This type of warranty is usually offered for new vehicles and certified pre-owned cars, but the details may vary accordingly. It’s meant to cover any defective parts due to poor workmanship or a manufacturer error. The length of your factory warranty is based on a certain number of years or miles, whatever comes first. A factory warranty is generally transferable between owners if it hasn’t expired when you sell your car. Once your factory warranty expires, you have the option of purchasing an extended warranty. Coverage plan options for extended warranties may be different than your factory warranty. Also, you aren’t limited to buying an extended warranty from the manufacturer.

Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty

A bumper-to-bumper warranty is the most comprehensive coverage you can get for your vehicle. It’s also called an exclusionary warranty because it lists a short number of components that are not included in the coverage. This type of warranty is usually offered for both factory and extended warranties. The standard length of a bumper-to-bumper warranty is three years or 36,000 miles, but your specific warranty may last longer.

Powertrain Warranty

A powertrain warranty covers your vehicle’s powertrain, which includes:

• Engine
• Transmission
• Axles
• Driveshafts
• Seals
• Gaskets
• Transfer case

The coverage period of a powertrain warranty is usually longer than a bumper-to-bumper warranty—five years or 60,000 miles. Some last as long as 10 years or 100,000 miles. The cost to fixing parts of your powertrain doesn’t come cheap. According to Car Care Council, replacing the engine alone can cost several thousand dollars. That’s why many car owners chose to purchase powertrain warranties, even if it’s the lowest level of coverage. Factory and extended warranties both offer powertrain coverage.

Corrosion Warranty

This warranty is meant to cover the cost of fixing corrosion on your vehicle, such as rust. Corrosion can cause damage to the car’s exterior from environmental factors such as salty air or moisture. Corrosion coverage is typically only found from factory standard or extended warranties, not third-party warranties.

Car Warranty Coverage

A car warranty covers defects, or damage that occurs during normal use, and can’t be considered normal wear and tear. It pays to replace defective parts with new or reconditioned parts at the company’s discretion behind the warranty. It also covers labor. Should your air conditioning stop working while your bumper-to-bumper coverage is active, that warranty will cover the full cost of replacement. Should your transmission fail during normal driving while the powertrain warranty is active, that warranty will cover the full replacement cost. But many reasons you could end up in a fixing shop are not covered by the standard warranty.

Car Warranties Don’t Cover Normal Wear and Tear

Some parts of your car are expected to wear out regularly. Car warranties only pay to replace these parts if they wear out ahead of schedule. For example, depending on the model of the car, it’s normal to replace brake pads every 25,000 to 70,000 miles. A car warranty will generally not cover that cost. Since wear and tear isn’t covered by your warranty, the cost will be completely on you to pay. To avoid paying more than necessary, try our Auto fixing Estimate tool to help you determine the price range for your fixings. If, however, your car was to need brake pads after just 10,000 miles, the warranty would likely cover the cost of the new pads, and the cost of figuring out what part of the brake system is malfunctioning to wear them out so fast and fixing that as well.

Changing Your Car Parts Can Void Warranties

Manufacturers design all the parts of a car to work together properly, so changing those parts usually voids at least part of the warranty. This can work in both obvious and subtle ways. You might expect that adding a lift kit to your truck would void the warranty. But something as simple as adding run-flat tires to a car that didn’t come with them can also render parts of the warranty null. Parts? Under federal law, a dealership can deny a warranty claim if they can prove that an aftermarket part caused a defect. But this doesn’t mean that one aftermarket part voids your entire warranty. If a dealership claims your upgraded shocks nullify your suspension warranty, they may have a point, since shocks are part of the suspension. If they claim your coolant system failed because of those shocks, you can probably appeal and get them to cover the coolant fixing, since changing the shocks usually does not affect the engine.

Car Warranties Don’t Cover Abnormal Use

Car warranties generally don’t cover racing your car on (or off) a track, taking it off-road, or other non-standard uses. Hauling or towing more than your vehicle is designed for can also void the warranty. Even with some trucks and SUVs marketed for their off-road prowess, driving them off-road can void the warranty. If you buy a Jeep Wrangler, Ford Bronco, or another off-road-oriented vehicle that you plan to take to the trail, we recommend that you discuss the warranty terms with the dealer. Dealers that sell many off-road vehicles rarely find it profitable to reject warranty claims because they believe the car has left the road. But even they won’t cover actual damage caused on the trail.

Car Warranties are Not Insurance

Car warranties do not cover damage caused by accidents, theft, weather, or similar factors that have nothing to do with the quality of the car. For those, you’ll need car insurance.