Which cars have the best warranty?

By Stuart Johnston

A manufacturer’s warranty is a guarantee to the purchaser that any build defect detected within a certain period of time, or distance covered by the vehicle, will be repaired free of charge. But there are various terms and conditions that apply, as they often  say in the small print of all those enticing adverts.

Read the small print. This applies to any document of importance you are signing, and, let’s face it, a document binding you to the purchase of a motor vehicle is very important, given the price of new motorcars.

It is important to note that a manufacturer’s warranty requires you, the purchaser, to have that vehicle serviced at an authorised dealership appointed by the manufacturer, throughout the warranty period. If any non-franchised work is carried out on the car during this period, this will make the warranty null and void.

It is important to adhere strictly to the service intervals recommended by the manufacturer. And it should be noted that warranties don’t cover normal wear-and-tear items like tyres, brake pads, and (in most cases) batteries.

A warranty also doesn’t cover the cost of servicing a vehicle, but this will normally be covered in a new car by the service or maintenance contract, which is a separate contract from the warranty. This is why many cars only come with a two-year or three year warranty, with various maximum distances specified, and yet their maintenance or service contracts extend for much longer.

In all warranty contracts, the time period and the distance covered by the vehicle are linked, in such a way that the warranty expires at the point at which one is reached first. In other words, if your car has a two-year/100 000 km warranty, and you only cover 50 000 km in two years, your warranty will still expire after that two years is up.

On paper, at least,  the most impressive warranty package being offered today is that by Hyundai. All Hyundais sold here have a five-year/150 000 km warranty which is extended to seven years and 200 000 km on drive-train (mechanical) components.

Running Hyundai a close second is Nssan, which offers a six-year/150 000 km warranty. Surprisingly, some premium-level manufacturers offer warranties that are modest by comparison.

The following is a handy list of the more common manufacturers with a presence in South Africa, and the warranties they offer on their products. They are listed in alphabetical order.

Abarth:	3-years / 100 000 km
Alfa Romeo:	3-years / 100 000 km
Audi:	1-year / unlimited km
BMW:	2-years / unlimited km
Datsun:	3-years / 100 000 km
Fiat:	3-years / 100 000 km
Ford:	4-years / 120 000 km
GWM:	5-years / 100 000 km
Haval:	5-years / 100 000 km
Isuzu:	5-years / 120 000 km
Jaguar:	3-years / 100 000 km
Jeep:	3-years / 100 000 km
Kia:	5-years / unlimited km
Land Rover:	3-years / 100 000 km
Mercedes-Benz:	2-years / unlimited km
Mini:	2-years / unlimited km
Nissan:	6-years / 150 000 km
Opel:	5-years / 120 000 km
Peugeot:	3-years / 100 000 km
Porsche:	2-years / unlimited km
Renault:	5-years / 150 000 km
Subaru:	5-years / 150 000 km
Suzuki:	3-years / 100 000 km
Toyota:	3-years / 100 000 km
Volkswagen:	3-years / 120 000 km
Volvo:	5-years / 100 000 km