Every car, new or used, sold in Australia is covered by a warranty and it’s important to know what is covered and what is not.
New cars can have warranties that extend up to 10 years and cover the repair or replacement of any inbuilt defects. For a warranty claim to be honoured, the defect must happen in the normal operation of a vehicle, that would be seen as reasonable to a third person.
Read on to find out what are the most common aspects not covered in your warranty.
Normal wear items
Consumable items are not covered by the warranty and include things like brake pads and tyres.
It also includes petrol, oil, transmission fluid, coolant, and wiper blades – or anything that would be used by the vehicle over time and through normal use.
Anything that has a visible manufacturer defect or isn’t working as it should, would be covered by warranty. If visible signs of wear and tear are evident, then they won’t be covered.
A bubble in the sidewall of a tyre is likely to be covered by warranty, whereas worn tread is not.
Ignoring a fault
Ignoring a lit warning symbol or a strange noise for too long can also be cause for denial of your warranty claim, particularly if the resulting damage could have been avoided by bringing the car in sooner to be assessed.
If anything stands out to you, contact your dealership to discuss a plan of action as soon as it has been identified.
Not adhering to the service schedule
According to Australian Consumer Law, you are not required to have your car serviced at the dealership of purchase, or a neighbouring dealership. You can have it serviced through a trusted local service centre and maintain your warranty, provided your car is regularly serviced in-line with manufacturer requirements.
Any do-it-yourself repairs or maintenance carried out on a vehicle might lead to an issue or part fault. If this is the case, the car company will exclude any claims citing servicing is “not in accordance with manufacturer recommendations”.
Accidents or damage
A car warranty does not cover damage caused as a result of an accident or misuse of the car.
A new car warranty is designed to run in tandem with your car insurance and depending on your level of insurance, any accidental damage to the vehicle (or other vehicles or property involved in an accident) would be an insurance claim.
Modifications
Car companies will deny warranty claims that involve modifications to a vehicle that have not been approved by the manufacturer.
Any aftermarket parts that have been added would not be covered but these additions could change the function of other parts, resulting in a fault. If this is identified, then the warranty for those standard parts would be denied.
Motorsport and overloading
A warranty claim can be denied if a vehicle is known to have been willingly taken onto a racing track or is intentionally overloaded.
If you plan to use your car on a racetrack and want to know whether the warranty will cover that use, then ask the service adviser at your dealership.
Accommodation and rental vehicles
If your new car breaks down when you are travelling away from home, likely, most warranties will likely not cover any resulting accommodation or rental car costs.
For all the mentioned aspects that are not covered in this article, some warranties may have special clauses and allowances, so always check with your car company dealership to be sure.
Your new car warranty responsibilities:
Don’t ignore an obvious problem
Keep to the regular service schedule
Don’t DIY unless you are a qualified vehicle service and repairer
Don’t unnecessarily modify the vehicle
Don’t compete in any form of competitive motorsport
If you’re looking for a mechanic, think of Gino’s for your next premium mechanical, tyre-fitting or air-conditioning service. We service all makes and models and only use quality products from respected brands. Contact us today to book your next premium service with Gino’s.