ALL NEW CARS come with a manufacturer’s warranty that guarantees to cover the cost of fixing any design and manufacturing faults that might occur. That’s reassuring when you consider that many repairs are becoming more expensive because of the need to recalibrate the cameras and sensors that are being fitted to more new cars.
A three-year new car warranty is standard on four out of five new cars, and most brands also stipulate a mileage limit; usually it’s 60,000 miles, and if the car exceeds this within the warranty period, the cover expires.
While you might think that offering only three years’ cover is a bit stingy on vehicles that can cost £100,000 or more, it’s worth bearing in mind that warranties on other products, such as electrical goods, generally last for only 12 months, and John Lewis – one of the best companies for looking after customers – offers no more than two years’ cover on the items it sells, including many costly electrical goods such as computers and televisions.
That said, some car makers want to offer buyers more reassurance, so they provide longer cover. In 2021, Lexus and Toyota started offering owners an additional 12-month warranty every time they have their car serviced at one of the brands’ dealerships, as long as that car is no more than 10 years old and has covered less than 100,000 miles. Seven years’ cover is provided by Kia, MG, Ssangyong and Suzuki, and they don’t insist that you stick to the franchised network for servicing.
Some up-and-coming brands are also providing longer warranties, perhaps to give buyers reassurance about choosing a product from an unknown manufacturer. China’s BYD covers its cars for six years or 93,750 miles, while compatriot GWM Ora offers five years’ cover with an unlimited mileage, as does Korean brand Genesis.
Lexus and Genesis are brands that offer longerthan-average warranties