A factory warranty is the manufacturer's pledge to absorb certain repair and replacement costs until a specified period of time elapses or the car has accumulated a stated number of miles--whichever comes first. The limitation is expressed as number of years/number of miles. The most common is 3 years/36,000 miles. Here's an overview of how manufacturers' warranties work and what they generally cover.
Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty
The Basic Warranty is "bumper-to-bumper" coverage for the
entire car. It generally excludes tires and the battery, which
are covered by their own manufacturers.
Warranties are generally described as "limited," which affirms that they don't cover everything that might go wrong with the vehicle. Most basic warranties exclude:
- Normal wear and maintenance items (oil, filters, brake linings).
- Damage from the environment (hail, floods, 'acts of God').
- Damage from improper maintenance.
- Damage caused by the owner or vehicle occupants.
Several manufacturers include free scheduled maintenance covering routine work such as oil changes, wiper-blade replacement, and other items. Some maintenance coverage lasts for the duration of the basic warranty; others are for a shorter period.
Extended Powertrain Warranty
A separate Extended Powertrain Warranty that extends beyond the
basic warranty is offered by quite a few manufacturers. This
applies to major components such as the engine, transmission, and
driveshafts. Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury have lengthened their
powertrain coverage for 2007.
Corrosion Warranty and Roadside Assistance
The Corrosion Warranty covers "perforation" rust
and extends beyond the basic warranty. Free Roadside
Assistance that offers on-the-road help is often included with
most new vehicles for a specified time period. Often,
Corrosion Warranties and some Roadside Assistance coverage is for a
stated number of years, but with no limit on mileage.
Government-mandated Warranties
The federal government requires two other warranties. The Exhaust
Emission Warranty covers corrosion-related parts for 2 years/24,000
miles, plus 8 years/80,000 miles on the catalytic converter and any
on-board diagnostic device. These warranties cover emissions
performance (whether or not the car is able to pass an emissions
test) as well as design and defect issues. The Passenger Restraint
Warranty covers seat belts and airbags for 5 years/50,000
miles.
If the original factory warranty has not expired when the vehicle is sold, the warranty may be transferred to the new owner, either at no charge or for a fee. Specific second-owner exclusions may apply to leased and fleet vehicles.
Model-Year 2007 Manufacturers'
Warranties
| Make | Bumper-to-Bumper | Free Maint. | Powertrain | Corrosion | Roadside Assist. |
| Acura | 4/50,000 | -- | 6/70,000 | 5/unlimited | 4/50,000 |
| Audi | 4/50,000 | 4/50,000 | -- | 12/unlimited | 4/50,000 |
| BMW | 4/50,000 | 4/50,000 | -- | 12/unlimited | 4/50,000 |
| Buick | 4/50,000 | -- | -- | 6/100,000 | 4/50,000 |
| Cadillac | 4/50,000 | -- | -- | 6/unlimited | 4/50,000 |
| Chevrolet | 3/36,000 | -- | [1] | 6/100,000 | 3/36,000 |
| Chrysler | 3/36,000[2] | -- | -- | 5/100,000 | 3/36,000 |
| Dodge | 3/36,000[2] | -- | -- | 5/100,000 | 3/36,000 |
| Ford | 3/36,000 | -- | 5/60,000[3] | 5/unlimited | 5/60,000 |
| GMC | 3/36,000 | -- | -- | 6/100,000 | 3/36,000 |
| Honda | 3/36,000 | -- | 5/60,000[4] | 5/unlimited | -- |
| Hummer | 4/50,000 | -- | -- | 6/100,000 | 4/50,000 |
| Hyundai | 5/60,000 | -- | 10/100,000 | 7/unlimited | 5/unlimited |
| Infiniti | 4/60,000 | -- | 6/70,000 | 7/unlimited | 4/unlimited |
| Isuzu | 3/50,000 | -- | 7/75,000 | 6/100,000 | 7/75,000 |
| Jaguar | 4/50,000 | -- | -- | 6/unlimited | 4/50,000 |
| Jeep | 3/36,000[2] | -- | -- | 5/100,000 | 3/36,000 |
| Kia | 5/60,000 | -- | 10/100,000 | 5/100,000 | 5/60,000 |
| Land Rover | 4/50,000 | 4/50,000 | -- | 6/unlimited | 4/50,000 |
| Lexus | 4/50,000 | -- | 6/70,000[5] | 6/unlimited | 4/unlimited |
| Lincoln | 4/50,000 | 1/12,000 | 6/70,000 | 5/unlimited | 6/70,000 |
| Mazda | 4/50,000 | -- | -- | 5/unlimited | 4/50,000 |
| Mercedes-Benz | 4/50,000 | -- | -- | unlimited | unlimited |
| Mercury | 3/36,000 | -- | 5/60,000[3] | 5/unlimited | 5/60,000 |
| Mini | 4/50,000 | 3/36,000 | -- | 12/unlimited | 4/50,000 |
| Mitsubishi | 5/60,000 | -- | 10/100,000 | 7/100,000 | 5/unlimited |
| Nissan | 3/36,000 | -- | 5/60,000 | 5/unlimited | 3/36,000 |
| Pontiac | 3/36,000 | -- | -- | 6/100,000 | 3/36,000 |
| Porsche | 4/50,000 | -- | -- | 10/unlimited | 4/50,000 |
| Saab | 4/50,000 | 3/36,000[6] | -- | 6/unlimited[7] | 4/50,000 |
| Saturn[8] | 3/36,000 | -- | -- | 6/100,000 | 5/60,000 |
| Scion | 3/36,000 | -- | 5/60,000 | 5/unlimited | -- |
| Subaru | 3/36,000 | -- | 5/60,000 | 5/unlimited | 3/36,000 |
| Suzuki | 3/36,000 | -- | 7/100,000 | 3/unlimited | 3/36,000 |
| Toyota | 3/36,000 | -- | 5/60,000[9] | 5/unlimited | [10] |
| Volkswagen | 4/50,000 | 2/24,000 | 5/60,000 | 12/unlimited | 4/50,000 |
| Volvo | 4/50,000 | 3/30,000 | -- | 8/unlimited | 4/unlimited |
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