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THIS WEEK, A reader asks

Which car manufacturers have the best warranties or are they all created equal?

The answer:

WARRANTIES CAN OFFER peace of mind to new car buyers. Cars are expensive to fix but knowing that if anything does go wrong you are covered is a great comfort. Not only that, most warranties are transferable so if you sell your car on before the end of its warranty the new owner will enjoy the remainder – this can add to the resale value.

Even if you are buying a used car it should come with some sort of warranty especially if you are buying from an approved authorised dealer. (You can also buy a third-party warranty if you are buying a used car privately or your warranty expires.)

Here are the warranties offered by big car brands in Ireland – from best to worst:

• Mitsubishi offers an eight-year/150,000km warranty with five years/100,000km of roadside assistance.
• Kia offers a seven-year/150,000km warranty with three years of roadside assistance.
• Hyundai offers a five-year/unlimited mileage warranty with five years of roadside assistance and a free vehicle health check for five years.
• SsangYong offers a five-year/unlimited mileage warranty with five years of roadside assistance.
• Renault offers a five-year/200,000km warranty with five years of roadside assistance.
• Subaru offers a five-year/160,000km warranty, which comprises a three-year/100,000km manufacturer warranty and a further two-year/60,000km limited warranty, with three years of roadside assistance.
• Citroen, DS and Peugeot offer a five-year warranty, which is composed of a three-year manufacturer warranty plus two years’ extended warranty or 100,000km (whichever comes first), with three years of roadside assistance.
• MINI offers a three-year/unlimited mileage warranty with five years of roadside assistance.
• Jaguar offers a three-year/unlimited mileage warranty with three years of roadside assistance and free servicing.
• Skoda offers a three-year/150,000km warranty with three years of roadside assistance.
• Alfa Romeo, Dacia, Fiat, Honda, Jeep, Land Rover, Lexus, Mazda, Nissan, Suzuki and Toyota offer a three-year/100,000km warranty with three years of roadside assistance.
• Volvo offers a three-year/100,000km warranty with two years of free roadside assistance, which extends for a further year after every Volvo Genuine Service.
• Opel offers a three-year warranty with unlimited mileage in the first two years and cover in the third year up to 100,000km with one year of roadside assistance.
• Volkswagen offers a three-year warranty with unlimited mileage in the first two years and cover in the third year up to 90,000km. There is also a LongLife Mobility Guarantee offer when you get your car serviced at an authorised Volkswagen dealer.
• Audi offers a three-year warranty with unlimited mileage in the first two years and cover in the third year up to 90,000km. There is also three years of free roadside assistance, which is extended by another year when you get your car serviced in an authorised Audi dealer.
• SEAT offers a three-year/90,000km warranty with three years of roadside assistance.
• Mercedes-Benz offers a two-year/unlimited mileage warranty with four years of roadside assistance which can be renewed every year for up to 30 years when your car is serviced by a Mercedes-Benz service partner.
• Ford offers a seven-year warranty with roadside assistance available until your first scheduled service. From then on, every time you get a routine service at a participating Ford dealer or authorised repairer you will automatically receive 12 months free roadside assistance.
• BMW offers a two-year/unlimited mileage warranty with two years of roadside assistance, which can be extended up to five years, every time the oil is changed or maintenance work is carried out by an authorised BMW Service partner.

But remember the T&Cs…

Remember, warranties do not affect your statutory rights as a consumer.

However, it is very important that you follow the terms of your warranty so that if anything does go wrong you can get it fixed at minimum expense to you.

To keep the warranty valid you usually have to have your vehicle serviced at the appropriate interval by an authorised dealer in the Republic of Ireland and when you do, be sure you get the car’s service book stamped.

Getting a service elsewhere, or fitting non-genuine parts or modifying your car can invalidate the warranty.

The exact terms and conditions can vary slightly between models and electric vehicles and commercial vehicles will have different warranties too. There are usually separate warranties for paintwork and rust and in some cases for audio systems and batteries. Genuine parts fitted by authorised dealers will also usually have separate warranties.

If you do a lot of mileage then look out for an ‘unlimited mileage’ warranty and one with life-long roadside assistance. Many manufacturers offer extended warranties at reduced rates which might be a good idea if you are on the road a lot.