Understanding Your Car’s Warranty
Understanding Your Car’s Warranty
Have you gotten a call about your car’s extended warranty lately? While most of these calls are scams, they draw significant attention to something essential for your car’s longevity (and your wallet)–your car’s warranty!
Your car’s warranty is a promise from the manufacturer that your vehicle will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a certain amount of time. The length of this coverage varies by make, model, and year, so it’s essential to know precisely what you’re paying for when buying a new or used vehicle.
A warranty may not seem like an important topic to settle when buying a new car—but it should be. In fact, understanding the difference between an extended service plan (ESP) and a warranty could save you thousands of dollars down the line. So what’s the difference?
Extended Service Plan vs. Warranty
An extended service plan covers most repairs over time but does not cover wear-and-tear items like tires or brakes; these are covered under regular maintenance. The ESP can also include collision coverage, if applicable, based on where you live.
A warranty is much simpler: it provides coverage against defects while still under the manufacturer’s warranty but only within specific parameters determined by each manufacturer before the sale takes place.
Additionally, your auto mechanic may offer a warranty on your vehicle after repair. This is different from a warranty from the manufacturer–here at B&B auto repair in Bremerton, we are so confident in our services that we back all repairs with a 2-year/24,000-mile warranty.
Make sure you understand what YOUR warranty covers!
A car warranty is a written promise from the manufacturer or dealer that the vehicle will be free from defects for a specified period or miles.
There’s no “unlimited” warranty (though that language is often used). Still, different types of warranties cover different things. Some typical items covered by warranty include:
- powertrain components (engine and transmission)
- brake system
- electrical system
It depends on what you selected at the time of sale!
Types of Warranties
A warranty can be given in many forms, so it’s important to know what kind of warranty is offered when buying a car.
- Warranty for the parts, labor, and service: This type of warranty covers all costs related to repairing the vehicle if something goes wrong with the car’s mechanical parts. This type of warranty varies from brand to brand (from a few months to five years) and won’t cover damage caused by accidents or neglect.
- Warranty for the entire vehicle: This type of extended coverage provides protection against everything that could go wrong with your new ride—from minor issues like faulty brakes and tires all the way up to major problems like transmission failure—for up to 10 years after purchase.
Some manufacturers offer separate warranties on specific components such as engines or transmissions. In contrast, others include everything under one umbrella policy that covers significant repairs and more minor issues such as replacing tires and batteries due to their natural aging process over time (but not because they’ve been abused!).
Have Questions? We May Be Able To Help!
We definitely work with many warranties here at B&B Auto Repair, so we may be able to help you out if you have questions! Again, our services include a 2-year/24,000-mile warranty, which is different from what your manufacturer offers. See us here at B&B Auto Repair, where we’re happy to help prepare you for life’s surprises. Located at 299 S National Ave, Bremerton, WA 98312, we are open from 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday. For the best service, call us to schedule an appointment. You can always depend on the B&B Auto Repair team for top-notch service and repairs.
