Car Warranties ~ do you have, need or even want one

Car Warranties ~ do you have, need or even want one

How many of us actually know what is in a car’s warranty or the terms and conditions of what it  really covers?

Did you buy extra coverage or did it come with some kind of coverage already?

For starters if you bought a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle then you did and you probably have overlapping coverage and stuff you don’t need and you paid a pretty penny for it!

Want to find out if you paid for coverage you don’t need or already have…

  Let’s break it down.

  1. You purchased a Certified Pre- Owned vehicle
  2. You bought extra/extended/ a service contract at time of purchase
  3. Paid extra for a tiered product ie: platinum, silver, gold packages etc.

Did you do research on what was left on the vehicle’s warranty before you purchased the car, bought added coverage or added any extras?

Download Your Free Warranty Checklist Here

That is always something you should research before you decide on what car to purchase so you know what to expect, what to look for and what to properly set aside for maintenance and repairs.

*Research your picks and find out about safety, reviews and any specific issues, repairs or maintenance you may have to be prepared to pay for down the road.

A warranty is included in the price of a product and you can verify what Is left by looking at a vehicle history report as well as a google search of the year, make and model.

Extended warranties / service contracts cost extra and are sold separately.  Which means they also can be negotiated on price as well as seperated into individual coverages instead of a bundle or packaged product.

All vehicles come with a basic and powertrain coverage so you want to know both. Also if it is transferrable, some are not. Kia only transfers it’s 5 year/ 60,000 mile warranty not the 10 year/ 100,000 mile coverage.

So in this example it is 5 years old but the exact in-service date will be the cut off of the 5 years or if it’s over 60,000 miles whichever comes first.

You can find the specifics either by the vehicle’s mileage (if it’s over the basic / powertrain amount) or by the history report with the in-service date / warranty check section.

  

There is a Warranty Check on every carfax report to give you the exact information;)

Another avenue you should explore is your insurance company and check what coverage they provide and the deductibles, if any. They may also offer coverage at a lesser cost for certain items (gap insurance, etc.) so always verify before you purchase any extra coverage at a dealership.

Things your auto insurance company may include:

  •  Car rental reimbursement
  •  Detailing
  •  Lost wages
  •  Pedestrians
  •  Pets
  •  Travel expenses

You never know unless you ask so be sure to ASK first!

Back to the Kia example above. Kia is famous for its 10 year /100,000 mile powertrain warranty, however that is only for the original buyer and does not transfer to the next.

Unless…

You buy/bought a certified pre-owned Kia which means you basically bought back the original manufacturer’s warranty. The coverage is 10 years/100,000 miles, which ever comes first from the original in-sevice date, not your purchase date.

Plus you probably got a 1 year/ 12,000 mile platinum package they throw in with your CPO purchase, which most likely includes items already covered by your insurance policy.

Cost: $Thousands 

To find out if a Certified Pre-Owned is really worth your extra dollars read my blog post here.

I hope this will help you discover more about warranties, extended warranties and how to know  what coverage you have, need and may be overlapping with the added cost to you. 

The best way to protect yourself against all of the upsells and things you may or may not need is to be educated on exactly what you are getting into before you buy or sign anything.

A great resource are all of the worksheets I have created after serving in the automotive business for over 25 years. Find one for any and all car buying, budgeting and car selling goals to make you an expert on your next deal!

Want to be even more of a car buying master?! Be sure to jump in and get social for all kinds of topics, tips and car goodness!

Enjoy the Ride,
Lori
CEO & Founder
TitleKeyCash.com & Girls Guide to Car Buying
Become A Confident Car Buyer!

 

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