What is a car warranty?

A car warranty is a kind of insurance that covers the cost of any parts or labour that may be required to fix particular mechanical or electrical faults with your car. Typically, when you purchase a new car, it’ll have a manufacturer’s warranty that lasts anywhere from three to seven years, depending on the car model.

Exactly what your warranty will cover depends on the provider, and there may be limits such as mileage that could invalidate your cover if unmet. Cars older than ten years old are typically more difficult to claim a warranty on.

Is it worth purchasing an extended car warranty on a used car?

If you’ve already got a used vehicle in mind, it’s worth checking the purchase documents. If it’s a relatively new model, the vehicle may still be within its manufacturer’s warranty – this will generally be around three years but can be anywhere up to seven (which is standard when it comes to all Kia models, making them excellent value for money). Otherwise, your dealership may offer you a used car warranty. These will usually promise financial peace of mind should your vehicle experience any mechanical or electrical failure.

However, research by Which found that many used car warranties will tend to have you spending more for the warranty than you would expect to pay on an average repair bill.

Many used car warranties also have significant exclusions for what you can expect to be covered by the warranty, so you’re essentially paying a significant premium for minimal cover.

You should take the time to carefully go through any terms and conditions of the warranty you agree to, and determine the exclusions written into the agreement. Similarly, if a deal seems too good to be true in terms of low cost, there’s probably a reason, and you may end up shelling out for even the most basic repairs as a result of innumerate policy exclusions.

Used car warranty: is it worth it?

The answer to this question really depends on whether or not you can afford the cost of any repairs as and when they arise.

It may be more strategic to budget a certain amount of money per month towards any repair fees, rather than paying out for a pricey warranty which may come with a high list of exclusions.

At the least, you should be shopping around and comparing as many quotes as possible for your warranty – don’t go jumping into the first deal offered – and ensure that you always read the fine print of any policy.

Financing your used car

If you’re buying a used car, warranties are just one of the considerations you’ll need to make. A much bigger one is how you plan to finance the purchase. My Car Credit can make it easy, providing a car loan quote from our extensive network of trusted lenders. Any questions? Contact us on enquiries@mycarcredit.co.uk.