Car Warranty

Sim was seen penning the following ode to ... whatever:

Check the small print very, very carefully to see what is and what isn't covered. The last thing you'd want is splashing out cash on a warranty that has more holes in it than a rabbit's warren.

That said, I'd figure why and what for you'd want the warranty in the first place. Does it offer the peace of mind that you're after, or is it a rather expensive piece of paper you're purchasing?

They normally have a limit per claim and only cover certain items. They also normally only cover sudden and unexpected breakdowns. Which would not cover a bearing noise that started or general wear and tear.

Don't forget the garage has an obligation, how long depending on how much you paid for the car.

Hello,

If the car is in good condition you shouldn't need a warranty, insurance, extended guarantee etc. The dealer is making a lot of money out of selling such items. I bought a car years ago with a warranty and it turned out I needed it. There were so many faults that suddenly developed within a few weeks I had them all fixed under warranty. So a bit of a con between the garage and warranty company in my view. The car passed an MOT with hardly any brake pads, they went metal to metal within two weeks, unless the garage fitted new ones for the MOT. The MOT garage couldn't actually find the certificate when i asked about a duplicate.

It depends on the dealer i suppose. I got one from a well known dealer and it was complete with a 12 month warranty at no extra cost.

All the brakes have to do is pass the efficiency test on the day of the MOT.

I had on and tried to claim for wishbone bushes. Guess what, the wishbones are covered but the bushes are not. Anyone ever seen a faulty wishbone. If you have it probably results in an insurance claim and not a warranty claim.

They have a habit of excluding as many things as possible that are likely to go wrong. They'll often have a 'house' limit on a claim which is less than you'll get the job done properly anywhere. And it will near always exclude any subsequent work found needed while doing the main repair.

I once had a steering rack replaced under one of these warranties. They insisted I used their 'specialist' miles away - which involved me paying for a transporter truck. They then reckoned it needed a new pump and hoses. Which I had to pay for. Including that and the extortionate price they charged for the fluid, I could have had the car repaired locally using just my own money and ended up better off.

Avoid.

Checkout prices for servicing and the intervals - I once lost out on a warranty when I missed a 15 day deadline.

Bill