Car Warranties

Protecting your ride and your wallet

To protect your investment, new vehicle purchases include standard warranties. New vehicle warranties save you the cost of fixing any mechanical failures or breakdowns that happen within the first couple of years.

On average, a new vehicle warranty included with your purchase or lease will cover you for two to three years or for a specific number of miles, whichever is less.

Basic Coverage

The warranty included with your vehicle tends to cover these major parts:

• Engine
• Transmission
• Drive-train
• Brakes
• Heating and air conditioning
• Airbags
• Computer system

This coverage is typically enough when you're dealing with a new vehicle. For the most part, unless there's a major recall or you end up with a faulty vehicle, there's little outside the warranty that would cause you any worry.

Extended Warranty

If you drive a lot of miles, or you expect more from your vehicle than the average driver would (towing or off-roading can take a toll!), an extended warranty might be worth the additional cost.

Extended warranties expand the time frame or mileage allowance on the basic warranty that comes with your new car. Typically they're reasonably priced, but at the same time, they are wasted money if your needs do not demand it.

If you're leasing and the warranty doesn't cover the entire lease agreement, you may want to invest in the extended warranty. That way, it's guaranteed you'll be able to return the vehicle in the condition you received it, and save yourself the charges and fees involved with damage and wear.

Also, if you're purchasing the car and you're sure you want to keep it, the extended warranty can protect it like a new vehicle for a longer period of time. You may find, though, that an extended basic warranty doesn't cover the mechanical problems that generally arise after a vehicle has been used for a few years, such as wear.

Additional Warranties

You can also purchase an additional warranty, either from the dealer, the manufacturer or an outside broker.

Additional warranties may be valid for longer periods of time than the basic warranty; most people get them to cover options that aren't addressed in their manufacturer's warranty.

Additional warranties can cover options such as:

• Battery
• Power options (i.e. locks and windows)
• Parts
• Roadside assistance and towing
• Battery
• Lock-out service

Additional warranties provide peace of mind above and beyond the traditional basic warranty, and are great for new drivers or for people who travel alone.

It used to be we could depend on the reputation and reliability of North American cars to meet our standards - but could it be the times are changing? Here in the U.S., overseas models are continuing to rise in popularity. Find out why!

If you love your car, you’ve got treat it right – stock will never do for your hot wheels! Whether it’s for performance or just for the look, aftermarket parts can turn that car you just brought home into your own pimp ride.