Having a warranty ensures that at least some of the components of your vehicle are covered when it comes to repairs. You have to make a lot of decisions when buying a vehicle and can feel overwhelming, but it’s important to spend time thinking about the car warranty. For best results when choosing a warranty, check out these six tips.
1. What’s Covered?
Of course, a bumper-to-bumper warranty is the pinnacle, but it’s also the most expensive. It makes sense with a new vehicle, but with a previously owned vehicle, it might be more than you need, especially if your vehicle has a wonderful reliability record. Of course, you don’t want minimum coverage, either, if you can at all help it, so choosing something in the middle is usually the best course of action. Just make sure that you know what’s what regarding what’s covered.
2. How Long Does It Last?
Warranties come in many durations. Some could last up to 10 years. Again, the longer it lasts, the more expensive the warranty will be. Be sure you speak with the company providing the warranty to see both how long it lasts and if it’s renewable or not.
3. What About Hybrids and EVs?
These vehicles usually require special warranties because there isn’t a traditional power train to cover. There are also components that you won’t find in internal combustion vehicles. Again, take care to ask the company providing the warranty how best to cover your hybrid or EV.
4. Does it Cover Wear and Tear?
The trust is that almost no warranties at all cover wear and tear on replaceable parts. They cover the major systems themselves. As an example, tires and wheels aren’t covered under a regular warranty. Rather, the components onto which the wheels fit are what’s covered. However, some companies do offer warranties on these parts, but they’re even more expensive than the general comprehensive warranty. That makes them of dubious value at best.
5. Will DIY Repairs Void the Warranty?
Sometimes, they will, and sometimes they won’t. This is something you must discuss with the company that’s providing your warranty. Anymore, you have to be an expert computer technician and a first-rate mechanic to do most repairs, and warranty companies don’t want to cover things that a DIYer breaks because of not knowing how to do the repairs properly.
6. Is My Warranty Transferrable?
Most warranties can be transferred to the new owner if you sell your vehicle. The new owner will get what’s left of what you bought, and many dealerships and/or vehicle manufacturers will let new owners add years of coverage to what remains or choose a new warranty that better fits their needs. In cases where a car gets wrecked, however, the warranty on your wrecked car won’t transfer to a vehicle that you get.
You can get a vehicle warranty from your local dealership or from a third-party company that sells warranty coverage. As with anything of this sort, being vigilant, reading everything thoroughly, and asking questions are all wise courses of action before proceeding to buy the warranty.
