KNOW YOUR car warranty

UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS AND ISN’T INCLUDED COULD AVOID COSTLY MISTAKES

GET THE BASICS

Understanding what a warranty is and how it covers you is an important part of the new car buying process. Warranties are a form of consumer guarantee usually imposed by the manufacturer itself, to cover you in the event of a fault within the defined warranty period.

That said, a warranty doesn’t protect you from every little thing that goes wrong. To make matters confusing, manufacturers often vary on what’s included within their warranty guarantees, too.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR

As a baseline, a warranty is designed to cover a car and its accessories with regard to safety, reliability and roadworthiness. Most notably, if it has anything to do with the drivetrain, fittings, paint, tech or functionality of the car, it’s likely to be fixed under a warranty scheme if it breaks – but for a limited time only. Most warranties sold with new cars cover you for at least three years and up to 100,000 kilometres, but the best deals can have your back for up to seven years and include unlimited kilometres.