Options In Car Warranties

Answer 1

When you begin to think about Car Warranties, you may think that you have enough of a warranty since you just purchased your vehicle, or it is relatively new and is still under warranty. The factor that so many people fail to consider is that a new car warranty just does not last for very long: Three years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first) is the typical new car warranty. While this is a complete warranty in most cases and will cover nearly everything on the car, it will not normally cover mishaps with tires or other vehicle repairs that are deemed to be the fault of the customer. However, with mechanical failure the repair will be covered under a new car warranty. But what happens when that warranty runs out? The car owner will be left with no warranty, and all repairs will be entirely out of the car owner's pocket.

Some new car owners feel very secure knowing that they have purchased a car with a powertrain warranty. These powertrain warranties often last for 100,000 miles and are sometimes even called "lifetime" warranties although that term is misleading. A powertrain warranty is designed to keep the major systems in the car running, but nothing more. In most cases, a powertrain warranty will cover the car engine, the vehicle transmission, and the vehicle's differential. If the car has a major repair issues that falls into one of these categories in a powertrain warranty, the warranty will normally cover that repair. However, any other repair that is needed on the car will not be covered. Fuel system issues, brake issues, car alarm problems, or anything else will not be covered issues under a powertrain warranty. The powertrain warranty will run out at a certain designated point, which may be as much as 100,000 miles but is often a good deal lower depending on the car manufacturer.

Extended Car Warranties are another type of warranty that is an optional purchase. When you buy a new or used (usually a car less than three years old can buy an extended warranty also) car from a dealer, you will frequently be asked if you wish to purchase this type of added coverage. An extended warranty is there to pick up where the original car warranty leaves off, and will normally provide full warranty coverage. While it will incur an extra cost (often, this can be added to the monthly car payment for convenience) it is considered to be a wise investment in the life of your car.