Looking to find out more about car warranties, what a manufacturer’s warranty is and how ‘wear and tear’ can have an impact on your policy? Then you’ve come to the right place.
What’s a car warranty?
If your car experiences a mechanical or electrical failure, then a car warranty protects you against the costs of parts and labour to put it right. Warranties are available from retailers, manufacturers, third-party providers and insurance companies. The level of protection that’s provided often varies depending on the terms of the agreement.
What’s a manufacturer’s warranty?
New cars always come with a manufacturer’s warranty to help to keep them on the roads and these will typically last for three years. While some manufacturers offer longer periods, the level of cover often diminishes as the car ages and mileage increases.
A manufacturer’s warranty will protect the majority of the parts in your car against failure and faults. If any problems do occur, they’ll be rectified by a dealer free of charge.
However, there are some specific parts that won’t be covered. These are usually known as ‘service’, ‘frictional’, ‘consumable’, ‘disposable’ or ‘wearing’ parts and include things like brake pads, clutch pads, wheels, tyres, exhausts, batteries and wiper blades. If any of these components fail, then you’ll need to cover the cost of repair or replacement yourself.
What happens when my manufacturer’s warranty ends?
When your three years are up, you can either choose to go it alone and shoulder the costs of any repairs or replacements, or you can choose to take out a car warranty of your own. While it might be tempting to assume that your car will never run into any problems, the truth is it’s impossible to know what the future might hold and we think it’s better to be safe than sorry (and to avoid a potentially huge bill).
We’ve teamed up with MotorEasy to provide a range of flexible car warranty plans to suit you and your car, which offer a winning combination of price and cover*. From as little as £16.50 per month for a hatchback, MotorEasy will take care of any repairs you might need and liaise directly with your local Halfords autocentre (including on the collection and return of your vehicle directly to your home or workplace). By taking out the MotorEasy car warranty, you’ll also receive preferential rates on Halfords servicing and MOTs, discounts on motoring-related products, along with a free vehicle health check at your local autocentre.
What’s ‘wear and tear’ and do car warranties cover it?
You’ve probably come across the phrase ‘wear and tear’ in relation to car warranties. In very basic terms, ‘wear and tear’ is when the mechanical components in your car wear down as a result of your car’s age and mileage.
It’s considered to be a natural part of long-term car use, and so many car warranties will include a clause in their terms and conditions that specifically excludes claims that are deemed to be caused by wear and tear. An estimated 70% of claims fall within this category, largely because ‘wear and tear’ can be applied to such a wide range of problems, and this allows many companies to avoid paying for repairs.
With MotorEasy, you don’t have to worry about whether a problem will be classed as ‘wear and tear’ or not. Our MotorEasy car warranties include wear and tear cover as standard from day one, as long as your vehicle passes a vehicle health check at the start of your policy. So, there’ll be no unexpected costs or wrangling over how to classify a fault or failure.
*Halfords Limited is an Introducer Appointed Representative of MotorEasy, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. In applying for a quote, you will be passing your data to MotorEasy.
