Warranty periods may not have the sales and marketing power of a car design, image, or promotional price, but they are far from not being an advantage and a good argument to buy. In fact, they are the first thing we ask about when we want to purchase a new vehicle, be it straight from the factory or a second-hand one.
But what many fail to study in detail is what do we actually get with the warranty? To explain in short, the contractual and legal obligation that within the warranty period any defect on or defect in the car that is not caused by negligence or improper handling of the user will be eliminated at the expense of the manufacturer or seller in full.
The content, scope of the warranty, as well as exemptions vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, from one seller to another, and it is advisable to study them well before actually buying a car. But, as we said before, in practice, few do this because it is usually a long text, in places written in illegible letters and dry legal and technical language. Only a few are left with clarity.
Aside from this warranty, which at times we end up not using at all, there’s another type, for many, much more useful to have. It’s called the extended warranty, and according to https://selectautoprotect.com/ it is supposed to build on the existing one, making it more complete. Covering expenses that the main one doesn’t.
If you have never considered one, here are 5 reasons why you should.
1. Include parts that aren’t in the original warranty
One of the most common misconceptions when it comes to warranties is the parts it covers. In general, parts that break down due to natural wear and tear due to use are not covered by the warranty. What are these parts? Well, almost all. Does this mean that the manufacturer can challenge our warranty on virtually every part of the car?
No. The difference is that some are consumed faster and some more slowly. If after a year the power windows fail, it is clear that the cause is not natural wear and tear, but most likely a factory fault. On the other hand, brake discs, plates, clutch, wiper blades, or headlight bulbs are parts that are quickly consumed by the use of cars, and their warranty period is significantly shortened. And this is exactly where an extended warranty finds its purpose. With it, you will cover every single part of your car, and won’t need to worry about what to do if something breaks.
2. More options of repair garages
Performing regular maintenance and repair work on parts not covered by the warranty (regular change of oil, brakes, filters, etc.) in authorized services is almost an indispensable condition of any warranty contract. It’s an elegant way to secure a service job in the next few years.
The main argument of customers against such a provision is the price of the service in authorized services and the logical question is what is the cause-and-effect relationship of oil changes in unauthorized service and therefore rejected the complaint on the windshield? An extended warranty is one way to add another service place, as an option. This way you can choose where to do the service, and the best is that it can be a place with an ASE certificate. This is extremely important in cases of luxury cars, where the warranty service venues simply cannot answer the needs for maintaining your car, mostly because of their location (distance-wise).
3. Valuable extra services included
Aside from covering more parts, you may need to repair at one point, and service venues to perform the repairs in, there are some extra services extended warranty offer, like roadside assistance.
In case you are caught in a situation when you need some roadside help because you assess you cannot drive safely, you’ll become aware of how handy having an extended warranty really is. You can activate it when your tire goes flat, when you’re in need of towing, if you’ve run out of fuel, your lock got broken, your battery got drained, and many others.
4. Adding value to your car
An extended warranty may also last longer than the primary one, or you can purchase one after the factory warranty has ended. Why is this a good idea? Well, aside from what we have mentioned previously, in the above-stated points, it is an investment worth performing to increase the overall price\value of your car.
So, if you’re in need of selling it, you can expect to get some more money because of it. Even though it is in your name, for a small fee you can transfer it to the new owner. It’s an asset worth having which most buyers will find attractive, especially in a used vehicle.
5. Security
Making sure you’ve got most of the failures covered will simply give you peace of mind. You won’t be wondering about what if something happens when there’s an extended warranty involved. Most of them can also be customized according to your own terms, so you’ll be happy to know you’ve had an influence on what’s inside the warranty.
Warranties you get when purchasing a car are often the cause of misunderstandings. Until something breaks, you’ve no idea you didn’t understand what was written. Luckily for sellers, most customers do not know enough about their rights, so they do not even recognize the moment when they are denied. Also, it should be acknowledged that controversial situations do not arise only because of the seller’s desire to outwit the buyer.
Misunderstandings are often caused by unrealistic customer expectations and misunderstandings of warranty conditions. This is one of the reasons extended warranties are designed to, as we mentioned in the beginning, complete the existing one, or extend it. Now that you know all the perks of having one, think about purchasing it, to get that peace of mind you deserve.
