What Cars Have the Longest Manufacturer’s Warranty?

One of the essential but often overlooked considerations when buying a car is the manufacturer’s warranty. While all automakers provide a warranty for each car they sell, the length of the warranty varies generally across different car brands.

The warranty is a guarantee from the manufacturer that the vehicle is free from defects in material or workmanship. If an issue is found in material or workmanship during the warranty period, the manufacturer will make necessary repairs using genuine manufacturer parts to correct any defects without charge to you.

If a car warranty is an important consideration for you when car shopping, here are the car brands that are worth checking out:

The Cars With the Longest Warranty: Kia and Ssangyong

South Korean economy car brands Kia and Ssangyong top the list of the vehicles with the longest warranty coverage, seemingly attesting to the generous spirit of the people from the Land of the Morning Calm. Not only are their vehicles affordable and practical they also provide an incredible seven long years of warranty coverage.

KIA: Australia’s First 7 Year Unlimited Kilometre Warranty

KIA released its 7-year warranty coverage on October 1, 2014, making it the first automaker in Australia to provide the longest car warranty. Applicable to all KIA cars that were sold from the same date that the new vehicle warranty was announced up to the present, the 7-year warranty comes with an unlimited-kilometre warranty for private or general fleet and government vehicles. It also warrants the vehicle against body corrosion issues and defects in paint and finish acquired during manufacturing.

Cars that have been used for commercial activities during the warranty period, including being used as those that were rented out or used as a school bus alternative, are not eligible for the unlimited-kilometre warranty. To establish the vehicle's warranty status and non-commercial use, KIA car owners are required to provide service records, evidence of usage history for the owner and previous owner/s, and other vehicle records.

Meanwhile, the 7-year warranty for commercial use vehicles come with a 150,000-kilometre warranty. A KIA business car is eligible for the same free repairs that a private KIA car enjoys as long as it doesn’t exceed 7 years or the 150,000-kilometre limit for the car, whichever comes first.

Ssangyong: 777 Care Cover

Ssangyong’s 7-year unlimited kilometre, bumper to bumper warranty is applicable for its new and demonstrator vehicles sold from September 1, 2018.

Ssangyong will also repair or replace any part of the vehicle which proves defective in material or workmanship free of any charge, including:

• Tyres - Original tyres are warranted by the tyre manufacturer
• Battery - 2 years or 30,000 km, whichever occurs first
• Accessory Drive Belts - 2 years or 40,000 km
• Adjustments, Rattles and Squeaks - 3 months or 3,000 km
• Air Conditioning Gas - Covered by warranty if it is associated with the replacement of an air conditioning item
• Brake Pads and Shoes - 6 month or 5,000 km if the fault is due to a manufacturing defect
• Brake rotors and drums - 20,000 km
• Glass - 6 months
• Oils, Coolant and other Fluids - Claimable when associated with a replacement of the component

Ssangyong’s 7-year warranty for its cars also comes with a 7-year Service Pricing Menu and 7-year roadside assistance. Hence, 777.

The Typical 5-Year Warranty

Before KIA and Ssangyong popularised the 7-year manufacturer’s warranty, automakers typically provided it for only 5 years.

These car brands include:

• Subaru
• Honda
• Mazda
• Renault
• Citroen
• Peugeot
• Skoda
• Hyundai
• Ford
• Holden
• Volkswagen

Isuzu limits their warranty for 5 years or up to 130 kilometres, while Haval, Jeep and Mitsubishi warrant their vehicles for 5 years or up to 100,000 kilometres.

Toyota introduced its Toyota Warranty Advantage last year, which provides a standard 5-year warranty with unlimited kilometres to all new Toyota vehicles first registered in Australia from 1 January 2019. Properly maintained vehicles can also avail the 7 Years Engine and Driveline service and up to 10 years Hybrid Battery with unlimited kilometres. The 2018 and older Toyota models have a 3-year service warranty.

Mercedes-Benz Australia is the latest automaker to offer a longer warranty for its cars. The German luxury brand has confirmed that beginning April 1, all Mercedes-Benz cars, vans and utes sold in the will be covered by a five-year unlimited-kilometre warranty. Passenger cars used for commercial applications, like cabs and rideshare cars, will also enjoy a warranty of 5 years or up to 200,000 kilometres warranty.

4-Year Warranty for Most Luxury Brands

While economical and mid-range carmakers are offering long warranties for their cars, luxury automakers are not too concerned about their models.

Tesla: Basic Vehicle Limited Warranty

Tesla cars come with a 4-year or 50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper Basic Vehicle Limited warranty, which covers most repairs. Being an electric carmaker, however, it is more concerned about the car’s batteries. Tesla’s Battery and Drive Unit are covered for 8 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first, with a minimum 70% retention of Battery capacity over the warranty period.

Lexus: Basic, Powertrain, and Hybrid Warranties

Under the Basic Warranty, Lexus guarantees free repair services for its vehicles for 4 years or up to 50,000 miles, whichever occurs first. It covers repairs and adjustments needed to correct defects in materials or workmanship of any part supplied by the company. Meanwhile, wheel alignment and balancing are covered for 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever occurs first. Meanwhile, the Powertrain Warranty runs 6 years or 70,000 miles, whichever occurs first. It covers repairs needed to fix defects in materials or workmanship of the engine, transmission and transaxle, front-wheel-drive system, and rear-wheel-drive system.

New Hybrid models come with the Lexus Hybrid Warranty coverage for eight years or 100,000 miles and covers the battery voltage sensor, power management control module, and Inverter with Converter. The 2020 and newer models also have a Lexus Hybrid Battery Warranty coverage for ten years or 150,000 miles.

Audi: New Vehicle Limited Warranty

Audi provides a 4-year or up to 50,000 miles warranty for its new vehicles. It also offers a 12-year limited warranty against corrosion perforation and 24-hour roadside assistance for 4 years. Cars made in 2017 to 2019 are also eligible for a free first scheduled maintenance service at 10,000 miles or 12 months.

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