What is a car warranty?

When you have to take your car to the garage, you will often leave with a large dent in your wallet; getting your car fixed doesn’t come cheap. This is where car warranty can help. Car Warranty is added protection for yourself when you’ve bought a car. It isn’t compulsory like car insurance or car tax, but it is added cover if you have any mechanical faults that arise due to issues with the car rather than from a collision or wear and tear. If your car breaks down within your warranty period then it is the manufacturer that is liable to pay rather than yourself or your insurer, which can save you a lot of money.

 

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What does car warranty cover?

 

Cars aren’t indestructible and some are more reliable than others. It doesn’t matter how well you maintain your car, sometimes they do suffer a mechanical issue even when they are new through no fault of your own. Having vehicle warranty will give you peace of mind if the day comes when your car does break down.

Car warranty can cover a variety of things depending on your policy and your car's value, but in general, they tend to cover mechanical faults. If your car suffers any technical issues with, for example, the engine, the suspension or the electrical system, then your warranty should cover the labour to get it fixed and any parts that need to be purchased.

The length of time your car warranty is valid for can vary, anything from one year to seven years. Sometimes it is calculated by mileage. If you purchase a new car, your warranty can run out as soon as you hit the capped mileage, usually, this is 10,000 miles.

  • Manufacturer’s warranty

    You are entitled to a manufacturer’s car warranty when you buy a brand-new car. It is often included in the price of the vehicle and will have you instantly covered should you need to fix any problems. Each manufacturer will offer different policies with their warranty, including what they cover and how long for. You should check the details of the policy so you know exactly what you are covered for. If you decide to sell your car within its warranty period then the new owner will gain from the remaining cover at no extra cost.

  • Used-car warranty

    If you buy a second-hand car, either from a private seller or dealer, whether you buy outright or on PCP, car warranty is an optional add-on. If the cars original warranty has run out then you can choose to purchase this extra cover, also known as dealer or after-market warranty. When purchasing car warranty by choice, you have more freedom with how extensive you want your cover to be. Obviously, the more cover you want, the more expensive it will be, or you can opt for a more basic cover to get a cheap car warranty.

    See for more information: Used car warranty: Should I get one?

 

How can I protect my car warranty?

 

To ensure your warranty remains intact, you must adhere to the manufacturers rules. Failure to abide by these guidelines will make your warranty void and you could end up paying for any faults yourself. Rules to often abide by include:

  • Maintain your vehicle

  • Do not modify your car

  • Service your car during the time scale selected by the provider

  • Service your car with an approved garage

  • Do not use parts that are not approved by the manufacturer – if any faults occur from unapproved parts, your warranty will be invalid

 

Do I need to purchase car warranty?

 

If you’ve purchased a used car that doesn’t come with car warranty as part of the sale, you may ask yourself, do I really need car warranty? Especially if you’ve got a decent insurance policy that includes breakdown cover, the added cover may not seem worth it to you.

However, if your car breaks down due to a mechanical fault rather than another drivers fault, do you really want to claim on your insurance and risk increasing your premium the following year? Claiming back through your car warranty will protect your no claims bonus on your insurance. If your car is fairly new and in good condition, you may also be hopeful that the chance of your car breaking down is slim, but do you really want to take the chance?

Cars are increasingly more reliable these days and shouldn’t have many issues. However, they are also more technical than they used to be, which consequently means more could go wrong with your car and the cost of fixing any issues tend to be more expensive.

Purchasing car warranty is a personal choice, but it could save you more money in the long run. There are plenty of companies out there that offer warranties for you to compare so you can find the best one that suits you.

 

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