It is no secret that every car requires regular maintenance and prompt repair to ensure safe and comfortable travel, but also to maintain its value and ensure its longevity. To help protect yourself when certain problems arise with your car, it is always a good idea to ensure the vehicle is warrantied. If you're planning to purchase a car for the first time, it is important to point out that not all car warranties are the same.
Continue reading on below to make sense of four common types of car warranties available on the auto market and how each works.
New Car Warranty
This warranty comes with a new car and is commonly referred to as the manufacturer's warranty because it is provided by the vehicle manufacturer. It can be valid for a specified number of kilometres or years, depending on whether the car maker uses distance covered by the vehicle or time elapsed to determine the warranty period. The manufacturer's warranty specifies which type of defects the car maker will fix and under what conditions.
For the most part, this warranty doesn't cover repair issues arising out of misuse of the car, poor car maintenance, regular wear and tear of parts, as well as accidental damage to the vehicle. If you own a new car, you will have to pay for these repairs out-of-pocket even if your manufacturer's warranty hasn't expired yet.
Dealership Warranty
If you got your car from a dealership and not directly from the vehicle maker, then what you may get is a dealership warranty and not the manufacturer's warranty. Unlike the manufacturer's warranty, the car warranty sold to you at the dealership may come with specific requirements that must be fulfilled before your car can be repaired.
For instance, you may be required to take your car to the dealership's designated car repair shops to have the vehicle fixed. This can be a challenge if your car breaks down at a location that it far away from the dealership's nearest car repair shop.
Statutory Warranty
In Australia, you automatically qualify for a statutory warranty when you purchase a used car from a licensed car dealer. Keep in mind that you won't get this type of car warranty if you haggle for the vehicle with a private seller. For a statutory warranty to be valid, state requirements on repair of certain car defects or problems must be adhered to.
Aftermarket Warranty
As indicated earlier, the manufacturer's warranty expires after a certain length of time or when the vehicle has covered a specified number of kilometres. This is where an aftermarket warranty comes in. Commonly known as an extended warranty, this type of car warranty is meant to prolong the coverage on the vehicle upon expiration of the manufacturer's warranty.
Keep in mind that an extended warranty may not cover all the defects or problems that the manufacturer's warranty covered initially.
Understanding how the various car warranties available to you work will go a long way in giving you peace of mind knowing you're protected from the expenses that may arise from fixing certain car defects or problems.
Share12 February 2018
My name is Donna, and I love my toys! I have an ATV, a caravan, a boat and a range of other "toys". I find that there is a lot of information online about auto service but not that much about servicing fun types of vehicles. Inspired by the phrase "be the change you want to see in the world", I decided to start a blog full of information that is usually hard to find online. I will write about servicing toys, vintage cars, sports cars and a range of other topics. I hope that you like these posts and that you learn from them. Thanks for reading and enjoy your toys.