Warranty Can be Key in New Car Purchase
6 October 1998
Warranty Can be Key in New Car Purchase
ORLANDO, Fla.--Oct. 5, 1998--Consumers in the market for a new car should know the warranty coverage of the vehicle they are considering before buying it, according to AAA.
"The typical owner's warranty book sits in the glove box until there is a problem with the car," said Dave Van Sickle, director of AAA Automotive and Consumer Information. "By then it may be too late to avoid some of the common warranty pitfalls."
The most important things to understand in a warranty are what is covered, for how long and what the owner's responsibilities are, Van Sickle pointed out. For example, some warranties have separate mileage and time requirements for certain parts of the vehicle.
The vehicle may have a "bumper-to-bumper" or full warranty for one time period, while the powertrain of the vehicle may be covered longer and the rust-through protection may extend even further.
If there is a problem with a vehicle that should be covered by warranty, it is important to have the work done by an authorized dealer. It is also important that scheduled maintenance, such as fluid and filter changes, is completed in a timely manner and that all records are kept. Failure to perform scheduled maintenance can void the warranty.
"Some manufacturers include free scheduled maintenance with the warranty, but in most cases it is the responsibility of the owner," said Van Sickle.
Those who are interested in longer warranty periods should shop the luxury car market. Cadillac and Lincoln, for example, have bumper to bumper warranties for 4 years/50,000 miles, compared to the standard 3 years/36,000 mile coverage.
Adding aftermarket products to a vehicle usually won't affect the warranty, but it is still important to check the warranty manual closely before making any changes to a vehicle. For example, purchasing additional rustproofing can void or limit the manufacturers' rust-through coverage.
"The key to a satisfactory relationship with a new vehicle is to avoid surprises," said Van Sickle. "Knowing all about your warranty before a problem occurs is a key part of this satisfaction."
AAA is a not-for-profit federation of 95 clubs with 1,100 offices providing more than 41 million members in the United States and Canada with travel, insurance, financial and auto-related services.
NOTE: Information on vehicle warranty by make follows this release.
NEW VEHICLE WARRANTIES
as of October 1998
Vehicle Make Bumper-to-Bumper Powertrain Rust-through
Years/Miles Years/Miles Years/Miles
Acura 4/50,000 4/50,000 5/Unlimited
Audi 3/50,000 3/50,000 10/Unlimited
BMW 4/50,000 4/50,000 6/Unlimited
Buick 3/36,000 3/36,000 6/100,000
Cadillac 4/50,000 4/50,000 6/100,000
Chevrolet 3/36,000 3/36,000 6/100,000
Chrysler 3/36,000 3/36,000 7/100,000
Dodge 3/36,000 3/36,000 7/100,000
Eagle 3/36,000 3/36,000 7/100,000
Ford 3/36,000 3/36,000 6/100,000
GMC 3/36,000 3/36,000 6/100,000
Honda 3/36,000 3/36,000 5/Unlimited
Hyundai 3/36,000 5/60,000 5/100,000
Infinity 4/60,000 6/70,000 7/Unlimited
Isuzu 3/50,000 5/60,000 6/100,000
Jaguar 4/50,000 4/50,000 6/Unlimited
Jeep 3/36,000 3/36,000 7/100,000
KIA 3/36,000 5/60,000 5/100,000
Land Rover 3/42,000 3/42,000 6/Unlimited
Lexus 4/50,000 6/70,000 6/Unlimited
Lincoln 4/50,000 4/50,000 6/100,000
Mazda 3/50,000 3/50,000 5/Unlimited
Mercedes-Benz 4/50,000 4/50,000 4/50,000
Mercury 3/36,000 3/36,000 6/100,000
Mitsubishi 3/36,000 5/60,000 7/100,000
Nissan 3/36,000 5/60,000 5/60,000
Oldsmobile 3/36,000 3/36,000 6/100,000
Plymouth 3/36,000 3/36,000 7/100,000
Pontiac 3/36,000 3/36,000 6/100,000
Porsche 2/Unlimited 2/Unlimited 10/Unlimited
Range Rover 3/42,000 3/42,000 6/Unlimited
Saab 4/50,000 4/50,000 6/Unlimited
Saturn 3/36,000 3/36,000 6/100,000
Subaru 3/36,000 3/36,000 5/Unlimited
Suzuki 3/36,000 3/36,000 3/Unlimited
Toyota 3/36,000 5/60,000 5/Unlimited
Volkswagen
Golf & Jetta 2/24,000 10/100,000 10/Unlimited
Passat 2/24,000 10/100,000 11/Unlimited
Beetle 2/24,000 10/100,000 12/Unlimited
Volvo 4/50,000 4/50,000 8/Unlimited
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