Manufacturer warranties are a key part of buying a new car. When you’re spending out on a brand-new vehicle, you want assurances that the vehicle is in good working order and that you are covered for any defects or quality concerns that arise in the next few years. Each manufacturer has their own warranty guidelines and timescales, with some better than others. If you’re looking for a new car, understanding which manufacturers can offer better warranty terms could help you decide which vehicle to choose next.
We use only manufacturer warranty-approved parts for our repairs, so rest assured that a warranty is unlikely to be affected and you can continue to use mechanics outside of your manufacturer for most repairs. You can usually find the terms and conditions for the warranty within your paperwork, so it’s important to check these. So, which manufacturers offer the best warranties? Read on to find out.
What Should A Good Car Warranty Include?
Any new car warranty needs to cover the essentials, but what does that mean, exactly? In simple terms, a warranty should and usually covers:
- Failure of the engine
- Failure of the gearbox
- Brakes
- Steering
- Suspension
- Fuelling
- Onboard Electrics
A good warranty will provide cover for these elements and sometimes more, for a fair amount of time and with clear terms. Some warranties work on a time basis, others have certain elements that might only be covered for a certain amount of miles. Whatever the case, providing the terms are clear, this can usually be considered to be a fairly good warranty.
An industry standard means that most manufacturers will offer you a minimum of three years, or 60,000 miles. In fact, there are 16 main manufacturers that offer this base standard, however, some go above and beyond this. Even within the standard, some manufacturers, such as Peugeot, adjust their warranty over the time period – for example, not having a mileage cap for the first two years of the three-year warranty, and only introducing it in the third year. Some vehicle manufacturers, however, have better terms and better durations:
Kia
Kia is a manufacturer well known for its extensive warranty, with most modern Kia’s having a very clear ‘7-year warranty’ sticker somewhere on the vehicle. This warranty is usually seen as being the industry leader and rightfully so. With a 7-year, 100,000-mile cap, this warranty is a no-brainer. The cap on mileage doesn’t kick in until year four, but even then, most drivers are unlikely to reach 100,000 miles at all let alone within four years. Kia’s warranty terms are clear and well laid out for the most part, ensuring that you understand if any parts have a shorter warranty period than others and what these periods are.
MG
Chinese car manufacturer MG is another brand offering a 7-year warranty, with a mileage cap on 80,000 miles. What sets it just below Kia in terms of the best warranty, however, is that the mileage cap sets in after just 12 months, from year 2 onwards. The terms are relatively clear and well-laid out and would still offer a reliable warranty situation for anyone looking to take advantage of MG’s growing line-up of vehicles.
Hyundai
Hyundai are another manufacturer offering an above-average warranty and they do it in style. While the warranty is 5 years and not 7, there is no cap on mileage at all, meaning you could drive thousands of miles and never reap a warranty cap. It’s fairly unlikely for the average driver to go over the 80-100,000 miles mark within five years, but this warranty definitely offers an assurance that many others don’t.
Renault
Another five-year warranty, but this one does have a mileage cap of 100,000 miles that kicks in during year three. Renault’s warranty is as straightforward as they come, with the terms clear and well lined out for owners so you can rest assured that there are no hidden fees or terms that you don’t know about or couldn’t read about in your paperwork.
When it comes to manufacturer warranties, making sure that you take care of your vehicle to keep them intact for the full duration is important. Some manufacturers may encourage you to use their dealerships for any warranty work, but here at Service4Service we do use manufacturer warranty-approved parts for all work to ensure that your vehicle will remain under warranty in most, if not all cases. For more information, simply get in touch with a member of our team for help, today.