When they’re in the market for a new car, most people don’t even stop to think what might happen if it breaks down. Luckily, every new car comes with a factory warranty, but what that warranty covers—and how long for—completely depends on your manufacturer.
For those of you wondering what the difference between a factory warranty and an extended warranty is, let us explain. A factory warranty comes bundled with the purchase of a brand–new vehicle and is often split into several parts, the two main ones being a basic (or bumper-to-bumper) warranty and a powertrain warranty.
The basic warranty is the more comprehensive of the two, but also usually the shortest. It covers almost everything between your bumpers against failure and manufacturing fault. The powertrain portion covers your engine, drivetrain, and transmission—generally lasting for at least a year or two longer.
An extended warranty, on the other hand, is designed to take over once your factory warranty expires, continuing the protection for as long as you’d like. Depending on your factory warranty, however, you may want to have an extended warranty running alongside it to plug any holes in the coverage. A lot of people do.
So, what car manufacturer has the best warranty? Let’s take a look at the top contenders.
There are plenty of car manufacturers out there, but very few offer factory warranties above the industry standard. There are some, however, that go the extra mile for their customers. Come with us on a search for the best car manufacturer warranty.
Basic warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles
Powertrain warranty: 6 years/70,000 miles
Toyota’s luxury division, it’s only to be expected that Lexus offers a great manufacturer warranty. As well as generous basic and powertrain coverage, they also include your first two scheduled maintenance intervals for free, and free roadside assistance for 4 years.
For hybrid vehicle owners, powertrain components (including battery pack and electronic control modules) get 8 years/100,000 miles of warranty coverage.
Basic warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles
Powertrain warranty: 6 years/70,000 miles
Another luxury vehicle manufacturer, Lincoln’s factory warranty is undeniably impressive. Basic warranty lasts a whole 4 years/50,000 miles, and powertrain covers you for 6 years/70,000 miles.
Amazingly, Lincoln gives all new owners free roadside assistance for as long as they own the vehicle. Servicing is also taken care of by the brand for 4 years/50,000 miles, who pick up the car from your doorstep and drop off a loaner in the meantime.
Basic warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles
Powertrain warranty: 6 years/70,000 miles
Cadillac offers basic and powertrain warranties for the exact same length of time as Lincoln, but their extras aren’t quite as good.
Go with them and your first service will be free of charge, but you’ll have to take the vehicle there yourself. Roadside assistance lasts for 6 years/70,000 miles (still a significant length of time!), and you’ll also get a free courtesy vehicle while yours is being repaired.
Basic warranty: 5 years/60,000 miles
Powertrain warranty: 10 years/100,000 miles
While they may not have the biggest footprint in the US, that hasn’t stopped Mitsubishi from offering one of the best manufacturer warranties around. Their 5–year/60,000–mile basic warranty sure is longer than the norm, but the 10–year/10,000–mile powertrain warranty is a thing of wonder. This might be necessary, though, as the majority of Mitsubishi vehicles have below-average predicted reliability scores.
Roadside assistance is offered for 5 years with no mileage limit.
Basic warranty: 5 years/60,000 miles
Powertrain warranty: 5 years/60,000 miles
Bringing us back down to earth is Jaguar’s manufacturer warranty, which gives owners identical coverage periods for both basic and powertrain warranties: 5 years/60,000 miles.
Quite uniquely, Jaguar offers 5 years/60,000 miles of roadside assistance and scheduled maintenance, although this doesn’t cover wear items like brake pads and wipers.
Basic warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles
Powertrain warranty: 8 years/100,000+ miles
The king of the electric scene, it’s no surprise that Tesla’s factory warranties are as forward-thinking as Elon Musk himself. While the basic warranty is standard across all vehicle types, the length of powertrain/battery warranty depends on the model.
If you choose a Tesla Model S or Tesla Model X, you’ll receive 8 years/150,000 miles of powertrain protection. Model 3 and Model Y Long Range/Performance models get a little less, with 8 years/120,000 miles. All include 4 years/50,000 miles of roadside assistance.
Basic warranty: 5 years/60,000 miles
Powertrain warranty: 10 years/100,000 miles
Another heavy hitter when it comes to powertrain warranties, Kia brings us back up to 10 years/100,000 miles, with the basic warranty coming in at a very respectable 5 years/60,000 miles. The basic warranty is also transferable, bumping up the value of your vehicle if you choose to sell it before the coverage expires.
For extra peace of mind, Kia not only provides roadside assistance for 5 years/60,000 miles, but they also cover trip-interruption too. Definitely better than your average!
Basic warranty: 5 years/60,000 miles
Powertrain warranty: 10 years/100,000 miles
It may only match Kia in terms of time covered, but the Hyundai factory warranty goes one better where extra benefits are concerned.
All new owners receive five years roadside assistance with no mileage limit, as well as 3 years/36,000 miles of maintenance coverage. Extending the reaches of their care beyond the usual warranty terms, they’ll even tow your car to the nearest garage if you’re in an accident.
Basic warranty: 5 years/60,000 miles
Powertrain warranty: 10 years/100,000 miles
Genesis, take a bow. Hyundai’s luxury offshoot has one of, if not the best, new car warranties around.
Not only are its basic and powertrain warranties super long-lasting, but they also include the Genesis Service Valet—a benefit very similar to that offered by Lincoln. Whenever your vehicle needs a service, just let the team know and someone will come to you and pick it up, leaving a loaner in its place so you can get on with your day. This comes as part of your ownership package for 3 years/36,000 miles.
While these factory warranties are certainly a cut above, the reality is that no manufacturer protection program covers absolutely everything. That’s where extended warranties can really come in handy.
Check over your factory warranty terms and find out what’s missing—it could be a series of components, or it could be a benefit like roadside assistance. Then chat with a third-party extended warranty provider to see how they can help. The additional coverage most likely won’t cost as much as you’d think, and it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
After all, you already spent thousands on your vehicle, why risk spending thousands on repairs?
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