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Auto Warranty Tips

Warranty and Roadside Assistance Coverage

All new vehicles sold in America come with at least two auto warranties, and many include roadside assistance coverage. Described below are the major types of warranties and assistance provided to consumers.

Basic: Your basic automobile warranty covers everything except items subject to wear and tear, such as oil filters, wiper blades, and the like. Tires and batteries often have their own warranty coverage, which will be outlined in your owner's manual. Emissions equipment is required to be covered for two years or 24,000 miles by the federal government and 8 years and 80,000 on certain components.

Drivetrain: Drivetrain warranties take care of most of the parts that make the car move, like the engine, transmission, drive axles and driveshaft. Like the basic auto warranty, parts subject to wear and tear like hoses and belts are not covered. However, most of the internal parts of the engine, such as the pistons and bearings, which are subject to wear and tear, are covered by the drivetrain warranty. See your owner's manual or local dealer for specific coverage.

Rust or Corrosion: A rust or corrosion warranty protects you from rust-through problems with the sheetmetal. Surface rust doesn't count. The rust must make a hole to be covered. Keep your car washed and waxed, and rust shouldn't be a problem.

Roadside Assistance: Most manufacturers provide a service that will rescue you if your car leaves you stranded, even if it's your fault. Lock yourself out of the car? Somebody will come and open it up. Run out of gas? Somebody will deliver some fuel. Flat tire? Somebody will change it for you. See your owner's manual for details, or ask the dealer about specifics.







Make    
    
Basic    
(yrs/mi)    
Drivetrain    
(yrs/mi)    
Rust/Corrosion    
(yrs/mi)    
Roadside Assistance    
(yrs/mi)    





Acura 4/50,000 6/70,000 5/Unlimited 4/50,000





Audi 4/50,000 4/50,000 12/Unlimited 4/Unlimited





BMW 4/50,000 4/50,000 12/Unlimited 4/Unlimited





Buick 4/50,000 5/100,000 6/Unlimited 5/100,000





Cadillac 4/50,000 5/100,000 6/Unlimited 5/100,000





Chevrolet 3/36,000 5/100,000 6/100,000 5/100,000





Chrysler 3/36,000 Unlimited1 5/100,000 3/36,000





Dodge 3/36,000 Unlimited2 5/100,000 3/36,000





Ford 3/36,000 5/60,0003 5/Unlimited 5/60,000





GMC 3/36,000 5/100,000 6/100,000 5/100,000





Honda 3/36,000 5/60,000 5/Unlimited None Available





HUMMER 4/50,000 5/100,000 6/100,000 5/100,000





Hyundai 5/60,000 10/100,000 7/Unlimited 5/Unlimited





Infiniti 4/60,000 6/70,000 7/Unlimited 4/60,000





Isuzu 3/50,000 7/75,000     6/100,000 7/75,000





Jaguar 4/50,000 4/50,000 6/Unlimited 4/50,000





Jeep 3/36,000 Unlimited4 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 6/Unlimited 4/Unlimited





Lincoln 4/50,000 6/70,000 5/Unlimited 6/70,000





Mazda 3/36,000 5/60,000 5/Unlimited 3/36,000





Mercedes-Benz 4/50,000 4/50,000 4/50,000 Unlimited





Mercury 3/36,000 5/60,000 5/Unlimited 5/60,000





MINI 4/50,000 4/50,000 12/Unlimited 4/50,000





Mitsubishi 5/60,000 10/100,000 (except Raider) 7/100,000 5/Unlimited





Nissan 3/36,000 5/60,000 5/Unlimited 3/36,0005





Pontiac 3/36,000 5/100,000 6/100,000 5/100,000





Porsche 4/50,000 4/50,000 10/Unlimited (except GT3) 4/50,000





Saab 4/50,000 5/100,000 6/Unlimited (except 9-3) 5/100,000





Saturn 3/36,000 5/100,000 6/100,000 5/100,000





Scion 3/36,000 5/60,000 5/Unlimited None Available





smart 2/24,000 2/24,0006 4/50,000 2/24,000





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 5/Unlimited None Available





Volkswagen     3/36,000 5/60,000 12/Unlimited 3/36,000





Volvo 4/50,0007 4/50,0007 12/Unlimited 4/Unlimited7





 
 1 See dealer for a copy of limited warranty and details. Non-Transferable. Not available on SRT and certain fleet vehicles. ON PURCHASES BEGINNING 7/26/07
 2 See dealer for a copy of limited warranty and details. Non-Transferable. Not available on SRT, Diesel vehicles, Sprinter, Ram Chassis Cab, and certain fleet vehicles. ON PURCHASES BEGINNING 7/26/07
 3 For styles that are equipped with the 6.0L Power Stroke Diesel V8 engine, there is a 5 year/100,000 mile warranty that applies to the engine.
 4 See dealer for a copy of limited warranty and details. Non-Transferable. Not available on SRT, Diesel vehicles and certain fleet vehicles. ON PURCHASES BEGINNING 7/26/07
 5 Towing service to the nearest authorized Nissan dealer is covered if your vehicle is inoperative due to the failure of a warranted part.
 6 Clutch covered for one year or 12,000 miles.
 7 Volvo's "Safe + Sound Coverage Plan" covers 2009 models sold from June 2, 2009 through January 4, 2010 and 2010 models sold from September 1, 2009 through January 4, 2010, and provides a basic and drivetrain warranty of 5 years/60,000 miles and a roadside assistance warranty of 5 years/unlimited miles.

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