Autoblog

REPORT: Chrysler dropping lifetime powertrain warranty to five-year/100,000 miles

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST

Back in 2007, Chrysler sent something of a shockwave through the industry by announcing a new lifetime powertrain warranty program for nearly all of its cars and trucks. At the time, we wrote "the only fly in the ointment is that the new warranty applies to the original owner and is not transferable." Once the vehicle had been sold, the warranty reverted to a standard three-year/36,000 mile affair. According to the automaker, that minor nitpick caused a load of confusion amongst its buyers.

But there's new word from the Pentastar faithful over at Allpar that Chrysler is dropping its lifetime powertrain coverage in favor of a more conventional five-year/100,000 mile plan that's fully transferable from one owner to the next. The new warranty will reportedly cover all Chrysler, Dodge (minus the Sprinter van) and Jeep models and extends to the high-performance SRT models, fleet sales and police cruisers as well - vehicles the old lifetime program didn't cover.

Gallery: Chrysler "We Build" Campaign

[Source: Allpar]

REPORT: Chrysler dropping lifetime powertrain warranty to five-year/100,000 miles originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Government ends warranty programs for GM, Chrysler

Chris Shunk — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Chrysler

On March 30, President Obama announced that the federal government would back the warranties of General Motors and Chrysler in the event of bankruptcy. When the president says the word "backing," he means cold, hard cash, and in this case the total was $641 million. But with both companies out of bankruptcy court and flush with the government cash needed to run their businesses, it is apparently time to pay the money back.

Automotive News is reporting that new Auto Task Force head Ron Bloom informed a House Judiciary subcommittee that the government would no longer be backing the warranties of GM and Chrysler, adding "consumers can now feel assured that the companies have the financial wherewithal to meet their warranty commitments on a continuing basis."

GM and Chrysler have reportedly returned the $641 million, with interest. GM told Automotive News that it didn't use any of the funds, while Chrysler declined to comment on warranty matters as a matter of company policy.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req. | Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty]

REPORT: Government ends warranty programs for GM, Chrysler originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FOLLOWUP: Chrysler, Fiat reportedly agree to honor lemon law claims

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Maintenance, Government/Legal, Chrysler, Earnings/Financials, Fiat, Carsumer Advocacy

On a recent episode of The Chrysler Files, customers who purchased Chrysler vehicles that were later officially certified as lemons were being reimbursed by the company with checks... that bounced. The snafu stemmed from the fact that while said claims were made before Chrysler's bankruptcy, after the automaker's Chapter 11 filing, the judge had to clear the funds to be paid from Chrysler's account. Since the judge hadn't cleared the funds, the checks were worth precisely zero dollars.

Those owners will be happy to know that the judge has finally approved Fiat and Chyrsler honoring "all warranty and lemon law obligations" for cars purchased up to five years before April 30. With the ruling, those affected will also be eligible for additional costs and attorney's fees. Of course, that news still doesn't detail when you stranded motorists can expect a check to arrive -- or when they can cash the ones they already have -- but help is on the way.

[Source: Automotive News, sub req'd]

FOLLOWUP: Chrysler, Fiat reportedly agree to honor lemon law claims originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo's new Safe + Sound Coverage Plan covers everything but the kitchen sink

Chris Shunk — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Maintenance, Plants/Manufacturing, Volvo

Lost in the bevy of numbers that is the Autoblog monthly sales report is the fact that Volvo just isn't selling very many cars in the U.S. any more. The Swedish automaker only sold 5577 units in May, and the downward trend started way before the automotive market hit the crapper. Given the sad state of Volvo of late, it's little wonder that Ford is desperately trying to sell the once profitable automaker.

Just because times are tough at Volvo doesn't mean it's time to give up. Volvo's new marketing initiative for the month of June addresses cost of ownership head-on. The Safe + Sound coverage plan is one of the most comprehensive warranty programs ever offered by any automaker. It includes 5 year/60,000 mile warranty coverage plus 5/60,000 free scheduled maintenance, 24/7 roadside assistance, and - get this - wear and tear coverage that includes everything from wipers to brakes and rotors. Hit the jump to view the details on Volvo's Safe + Sound plan.

[Source: Volvo]

Continue reading Volvo's new Safe + Sound Coverage Plan covers everything but the kitchen sink

Volvo's new Safe + Sound Coverage Plan covers everything but the kitchen sink originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Judge disconnects alleged car-warranty "robo-callers"

Chris Tutor — Sat, 16 May 2009 10:47:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Carsumer Advocacy

It's official. The Feds are pissed, too. On Thursday, a federal judge did what many of us have wanted to do for a long time now. He handed out restraining orders to two companies the Federal Trade Commission says have been calling you, me, all your friends, your 90-year-old blind grandmother, and anyone else without enough sense to ignore unidentified phone calls.

"Today the FTC has disconnected the people responsible for so many of these annoying robocalls," said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz in a press release. "We expect to see a dramatic decrease in deceptive auto warranty calls, but we are still on high alert.

Voice Touch, Inc. and its partner Network Foundations LLC were ordered to immediately stop making phone calls that violate the Do Not Call Registry. The Feds also ordered the companies' assets frozen and appointed receivers over them to ensure all relevant documents are preserved for a May 29 hearing. Transcontinental Warranty, Inc., a client of Voice Touch, was also given a restraining order.

Does this mean those annoying calls will now stop? Most of them, probably. Does it mean your car's warranty really isn't about to expire? Judging by the number of new cars sold in the last two years, the end of your car's coverage is probably long gone or very near. Leave your number in the comments and someone will get with you soon to discuss your options. (We're kidding, obviously.)

[Source: The Associated Press]

Judge disconnects alleged car-warranty "robo-callers" originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 16 May 2009 10:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stand Up Move: Steve Saleen steps in to honor warranties from his former company

Drew Phillips — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Saleen

Just like the majority of the automotive industry, recent news about Saleen hasn't been great. After going broke and selling most of their assets, Saleen Inc. announced that they were ceasing operations and would not be honoring existing warranties on cars and parts. To make things worse, the new owner of the Saleen car and aftermarket lines, MJ Acquisitions, Inc., refused to take the responsibility as well, only honoring warranties on parts purchased after February 2, 2009. It appeared that Saleen owners were out of luck. Enter Steve Saleen, who, despite not being involved with the company since the middle of 2007, has just announced that his new company, SMS Supercars, will honor existing warranties on Saleen products.

It's a move that's classy, honorable, and in our opinion pure genius. We could be wrong, but we're guessing that any costs incurred by SMS will be offset by the flood of faithful customers that will gratefully switch their loyalty from the company to the man that bears the Saleen name. Judging from a handful of owners' reactions, the announcement has already had that effect. With an SMS version of the 2010 Mustang on the way, it will be interesting to see just how many Saleen owners return the favor. Check out the press release after the jump for more details on how current Saleen owners can receive warranty coverage from SMS. Thanks for the tip, Chris!

[Source: SMS Supercars, SOEC.org]

Gallery: SMS 25th Anniversary Mustang Concept

Continue reading Stand Up Move: Steve Saleen steps in to honor warranties from his former company

Stand Up Move: Steve Saleen steps in to honor warranties from his former company originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan drops Launch Control from 2010 GT-R

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:31:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Supercars, Nissan

It appears that GT-R owners won't have to worry about voiding their warranties if they use Launch Control -- for the 2010 model year, the car won't come with the feature. Inside Line is quoting a Nissan exec as saying "It's gone. We just don't want to deal with the warranty nightmare anymore. It'll make the 2009 GT-R really special. It'll be the only R35 with launch control."

We've previously reported cases where Nissan GT-R owners have brought their cars to the dealership with transmission trouble only to be told their warranties won't cover it. It turns out that disabling the car's VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) too often, in order to use the Launch Control function, meant Nissan wasn't covering the repairs. The cost to fix/replace the transmission is only $20,000, so you can imagine owners weren't too upset. Apparently the GT-R owner's manual states that damage to the transmission is not covered if it is proven to be the result of using Launch Control with the VDC turned off. In fact, the manual states that the only reason you should turn off VDC is to "rock" the vehicle when stuck in mud or snow. We await Nissan's revised performance numbers. Thanks for the tip, Mike!

UPDATE: Nissan just contacted us to say, "No final decision has been made about the inclusion of launch control on the MY2010 GT-R." So, for now at least, Inside Line's report is just speculation.

[Source: Inside Line]

Nissan drops Launch Control from 2010 GT-R originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler planning stand-alone service centers

Michael Harley — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing

As Chrysler moves ahead with its "consolidation strategy" (a.k.a. Project Genesis), it's apparently had enough foresight to realize that shutting down dealerships seriously handicaps your ability to service your customers. According to Steven Landry, Chrysler executive vice president of North American sales, the company's solution will be "stand-alone service stores" -- it is easiest to think of them as dealerships that have closed, but the service department still remains open.

While the first stand-alone service store is still about two years from opening its doors, Chrysler is in active talks with a handful of other retailers about the strategy with customer service as their goal. "If we all of a sudden go from 80 stalls to 40 stalls we don't want to do our customers a disservice," says Landry. "You need to have the right number of stalls." Funny, any woman at a professional sporting event could have told you that.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

Chrysler planning stand-alone service centers originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW recalling all 410,000 Passats sold between 1999 and 2005

Michael Harley — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:02:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Volkswagen

If you are one of the nearly half-million Americans driving a 1999-2005 Volkswagen Passat, your dealer will be expecting a visit. Every gasoline-powered Passat (the list includes the 1.8-liter I4, 2.0-liter I4, 2.8-liter V6, and 4.0-liter W8) is being recalled for a heat shield issue. Apparently, the shield near the catalytic converter on some automatic-equipped cars may be damaged, so VW wants the dealers to check them out and add additional shielding if necessary.

While it has your attention, Volkswagen has also found some faulty fuel lines on cars with the 1.8-liter turbocharged engine, and some of the all-wheel-drive equipped cars may have damaged fuel tank ventilation valves. Thankfully, no accidents or injuries have been reported from any of the problems. VW will begin notifying owners on May 30.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

VW recalling all 410,000 Passats sold between 1999 and 2005 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari Approved program launches in UK

Noah Joseph — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 07:32:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Ferrari, UK, Celebrities

While repeatedly denying the existence of an upcoming entry-level Ferrari, company executives have stated that the real entry-level Ferrari is a used Ferrari. To back that up, the company's outfit in the UK has established the Ferrari Approved program to certify second-hand Prancing Horses.

The program covers the 360, 430, 465M, 612, 550, 575 and 599 models, in all their derivations, with the oldest stretching back no earlier than 1998. As part of the process, factory-trained technicians put the cars through a 190-point inspection, replacing or repairing defective parts; an independent investigation is conducted into the car's history ensuring there are no outstanding debts on the car; and the service record is verified. Only non-modified cars, dealer-serviced throughout, are eligible for the program, and once the cars come out, they're backed by a 12-month factory warranty and 12 months of roadside assistance.

Although Ferrari North America offers a pre-owned vehicle program, it does not appear to be nearly as extensive in its certification process as the one Ferrari GB Ltd has just launched. Maybe the British program will serve as a pilot before it comes stateside.

[Source: Ferrari GB]

Ferrari Approved program launches in UK originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 07:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: Chrysler announces lifetime powertrain warranty!

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 11:38:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep

Chrysler today leapfrogged every other car maker by extending its powertrain warranty on every new car and truck it sells to the life of the vehicle. The warranty will apply to the entire powertrain including the engine, transmission/transaxle, drive shafts, and axles. The new warranty goes into effect today, July 26, 2007 and applies to all new 2007s that are on the dealer lots as well as 2008 models.

The warranty covers all parts and labor as long as the owner brings the car in to a Chrysler dealer at least once every five years for a free powertrain inspection. Apparently, the only fly in the ointment is that the new warranty applies to the original owner and is not transferable. If the car is sold within the first three years, the warranty reverts to the previous 3 year/36,000 mile coverage for subsequent owners. The press release is after the jump.

[Source: Chrysler]

UPDATE: The new warranty's logo has been added above. What do you think - infinity symbol with wheels a clever logo or too confusing?

Continue reading BREAKING: Chrysler announces lifetime powertrain warranty!

BREAKING: Chrysler announces lifetime powertrain warranty! originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jul 2007 11:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #68

Dan Roth — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:07:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Chevrolet, Chrysler, GM, Hyundai, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn

Getting back in the groove, we bring you Autoblog Podcast #68. Starting us off is the battle of the inside sources, where we debate which GM mole is correct about the CTS-V. One rumor has the hottest little Caddy getting the Blue Devil's 600-horsepower 6.0L V8. The competing theory is that there'll be a 6.2L V8 with mid-500 horsepower, not the Blue Devil's mill. Either way, it will add up to M5 punch in an M3-sized wrapper. GM has more RWD goodies for us, as word of its Alpha platform replacing Epsilon cars like the G6, and Cadillac BLS replacement, which may come here, has us all atwitter. Our last bit of GM fodder is the passing of the Cobalt SS Supercharged. It was an entertaining car; but even though the supercharged Cobalt goes away, the un-muscled SS remains. We hope that GM's pledge to reinvigorate the SS badge so that it actually means something will get in gear soon.

We move on from GM to Chrysler and the Cerberus sale. Wolfgang Berhnardt is said to be an integral consultant to the deal, and he's looking for a homestead in the Detroit area as well as poking around the offices and design studio. Seems like Bernhardt is waiting for his noncompete with VW to expire while quietly orchestrating a turn of the Pentastar vessel. We detour into how fitting a Star Wars-themed Chrysler press conference would be (c'mon, you wouldn't really be surprised, would you?) before wrapping up with Hyundai's confidence-inspiring extension of its 10-year/100,000 mile warranty to Certified Pre Owned Vehicles up to five years old. They must feel pretty certain that their cars will hold up, as the warranty means they could possibly cover some powertrains for 15 years. That's it - 37 minutes of heaven!

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Autoblog Podcast #68 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyundai offers big warranty on certified pre-owned vehicles

John Neff — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 15:57:00 EST

Filed under: Maintenance, Hyundai

Hyundai has just announced a new Certified Pre-Owned Limited Warranty on used (sorry, "previously owned") vehicles that are up to five years old and have less than 60,000 miles. Known for being the first to offer a 10-year/100,00 mile powertrain warranty on its new cars, Hyundai will now be including that same lengthy coverage with the purchase of a CPOV.

Hyundai's original 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty really forced the automaker to improve the quality of the cars it builds, otherwise the cost of warranty repairs would have put it out of business. That warranty first began around Y2K, so any vehicle that qualifies for Hyundai's new Certified Pre-Owned Limited Warranty was originally sold with its new car warranty. The new 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty for pre-owned vehicles demonstrates that Hyundai is clearly confident in the cars it built back in 2002.

[Source: Hyundai]

Continue reading Hyundai offers big warranty on certified pre-owned vehicles

Hyundai offers big warranty on certified pre-owned vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Jun 2007 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota says it won't increase warranty coverage

John Neff — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Toyota

In the face of increasing quality problems, Jim Press, president of Toyota North America, revealed at the recent Chicago Auto Show that no discussions have taken place within Toyota about increasing its new or used vehicle warranty coverage. Speaking about the topic to Automotive News, Press said, "It's something you need as a solution to a problem." Hmm... a problem like this, this, or this? AN reports that the company has recalled 3.4 million vehicles since 2005, 2.2 million of which occurred in 2005 alone.

It's perfectly valid to wonder if Toyota should increase its warranty coverage and follow the lead of General Motors and Ford, both of which have increased their warranty coverage recently. We don't dispute Press's claim that such increases are meant to solve a problem, but in the case of these two domestics, it's not because of increasing recalls and rising warranty claims. Rather, the domestics are seeking a solution to their image problem. GM and Ford have both been dogged with poor reputations for quality despite steadily improving the durability and build quality of their cars. Neither is admitting they have quality problems by increasing their warranties, rather they're both showing customers that they're willing to put up or shut up about their increased quality. Frankly, if Press believes that his company doesn't have "reliability issues that go beyond our normal warranty," as he says, then what's the harm in extending the warranty to prove it?

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Toyota says it won't increase warranty coverage originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Feb 2007 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Odo Uh-Oh: Honda extending warranties on 6 million cars

John Neff — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 12:25:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Honda

Honda has decided to settle a class-action lawsuit that alleges its odometers were racking up miles too fast. The automaker says odometers on some 6 million Hondas affected by the suit were accurate to within 3.75% on the high side. The NHTSA doesn't regulate odometer accuracy, and the only industry standard is a voluntary one set by the Society of Automotive Engineers that says odos should be within +/-4%. While the car's affected by the suit fall within that range, Honda recognized that its customers expected their odometers "would be based on zero," and they weren't.

The settlement will lengthen the warranty mileage of affected vehicles by 5% and Honda will pay lease-mileage penalties incurred by owners, which is expected to cost the automaker around $6 million. If you own a 2002 to 2006 Honda or Acura bought between April 12, 2002 and November 7, 2006, then you're eligible for the benefits of the settlement.

The lawsuit also prompted lawyers to test the odometer accuracy of other vehicles. It was found that on average domestic vehicles were nearly perfect in their odo accuracy, while Toyotas actually racked up fewer miles on the clock than they did in reality. Nissans, however, didn't fare as well, and a new class-action suit has been filed on behalf of Altima owners who say their odometers are counting the miles 2.5% to 3% faster than they should.

[Source: USA Today]

Thanks for the tip, John!

Odo Uh-Oh: Honda extending warranties on 6 million cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Feb 2007 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New standards for heavy-duty diesels means more problems

Eric Bryant — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 08:04:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Truck, Government/Legal, Green, Technology, Work

Those looking for a glimpse into the future of light-duty diesel reliability may be interested in a new study by J.D. Power on customer satisfaction with modern heavy truck powertrains. The 2006 Heavy Duty Truck Engine/Transmission Study ranked engines from the 2004 model year by quality, performance, cost of ownership, and warranty, and revealed what one would reasonably expect from new technology.

An average of 74 problems per 100 vehicles was reported, which represents a 60% increase in trouble over the prior year. This was attributed directly to the emission control systems that were phased in during 2003 and 2004. Fuel economy also declined from 6.04 MPG in the 2004 study to 5.72 MPG - a drop of over 5%. Ranked highest in the study was Caterpillar, and the company's ACERT technology allowed the C12 and C15 (pictured above) to lead the ratings of individual engines. Unfortunately, unless you hold a CDL, it's highly unlikely that either one of them will find their way into your personal fleet.

So, what does this mean for consumers of passenger vehicles? Just as we've experienced the evolution of emission controls on gasoline engines, problems can be expected as manufacturers roll out clean diesel technology. How long it will take to sort out these issues is not yet clear, but we're guessing that things get sorted out rather quickly, and indeed some of the problems that are currently affecting heavy trucks may very well be eliminated before it trickles down to smaller oilburners.

[Source: J.D. Power; the complete press release is posted below the jump]

Continue reading New standards for heavy-duty diesels means more problems

New standards for heavy-duty diesels means more problems originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Oct 2006 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #40

John Neff — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 13:14:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts

We had a big news week to cover in the Autoblog Podcast, Episode #40. Damon and I kick off the show with a debate over Ford's chances for survival after its new CEO, Alan Mulally, settles in. Somehow we manage a smooth segway into talking about GM's new 5-year / 100,000-mile warranty and what it means for the General's longstanding problem with perceived quality. Finally, we round out our 40th episode with GM's sequel to its Sequel hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle and Audi's announcement that it's going to drop the LeMans-winning V12 TDI diesel engine into the Q7. Enjoy the show!

[MP3] Listen to the show now.
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Hosts
John Neff and Damon Lavrinc

Producer
John Neff

Length
37:14

Autoblog Podcast #40 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Sep 2006 13:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Industry-wide Warranty Round-Up

John Neff — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 10:44:00 EST

Filed under: Maintenance, Videos

General Motors dropped a bomb this week when it announced that it was upping its powertrain warranty coverage to 5 years/100,000 miles. That gives the General the best warranty coverage of any full-line automaker, but which company has the best overall warranty coverage and which the worst? Where does your favorite brand fall in the mix? Cars!Cars!Cars! did some digging and compiled a complete list of every automaker's warranty coverage. It's great to see this information compiled in one place, and a little telling, as well. Below are some highlights we found interesting.

Best Overall Warranty Coverage

Hyundai (Basic - 5 yr. / 60,000 mi., Drivetrain - 10 yr. / 100,000 mi.)
Kia (Basic: 5 yr. / 60,000 mi., Drivetrain: 10 yr. / 100,000 mi.)
Mitsubishi (Basic: 5 yr. / 60,000 mi., Drivetrain: 10 yr. / 100,000 mi.)

Worst Overall Warranty Coverage

Chrysler (Basic: 3 yr. / 36,000 mi., Drivetrain: 3 yr. / 36,000 mi.)
Dodge (Basic: 3 yr. / 36,000 mi., Drivetrain: 3 yr. / 36,000 mi.)
Jeep (Basic: 3 yr. / 36,000 mi., Drivetrain: 3 yr. / 36,000 mi.)

Interesting Note: We noticed on a commercial for the Ford Focus that it was being offered with a 5-year / 100,000-mile warranty. Curious, we checked Ford's website and learned that the Focus has been offered with such extensive powertrain coverage since late 2003. It's identical to GM's new warranty save for a $100 deductible. We seem to remember other individual models being offered with extended warranties like this. Can anyone remember others?

Industry-wide Warranty Round-Up originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 09 Sep 2006 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM increases warranty to five years/100,000 miles

John Neff — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 13:46:00 EST

Filed under: Maintenance, GM

Billed as the best warranty of any full-lined automaker (sorry Hyundai/Kia), the new coverage for all General Motors vehicles is now a fully transferable five-year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty with no deductible. The new warranty will cover all 2007 model and beyond cars and light-duty trucks sold in the U.S. and Canada, and any 2007 model already sold will receive the new warranty retroactively. In addition, GM has expanded its roadside assistance and courtesy transportation programs to five years, as well. A website has been set up to provide further details to customers and GM will officially introduce the new warranty on NBC tomorrow night during the NFL season opener between the Steelers and Dolphins.

This a shrewd move on GM's part that has been years in the making. The automaker's quality levels have only recently improved to the point where a warranty extension wouldn't saddle the company with overwhelming warranty repair costs. At this point, however, many GM brands have risen to the top half of J.D. Power and Associates quality and dependability studies, and the company reports that warranty repairs are down 40 percent over the last five years.

Hyundai has used its industry leading warranty to great effect in changing public perception of its vehicles, and we see GM starting down that path with this new warranty. It's all fine and good that GM has begun producing better quality vehicles, but backing it up with a robust warranty is how the company will convert those quality gains into more sales.

Read what Bob Lutz has to say about the new warranty on the GM FastLane Blog.

(GM's full press release can be found after the jump)

[Source: GM]

Continue reading GM increases warranty to five years/100,000 miles

GM increases warranty to five years/100,000 miles originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Sep 2006 13:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Rumormill: GM to extend warranties

Damon Lavrinc — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 07:09:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Maintenance, GM

According to an article on Bloomberg's website, a number of sources inside GM are saying that in addition to nixing cash incentives, GM wants to extend warranties on new vehicles, across the board.

The rumored move is another step in winning the hearts, minds and cash of owners that have purchased competing brands, due to a perceived quality gap. Bloomberg cites Hyundai and Toyota as the biggest culprits of the General's market share, due to the formers lower pricing, coupled with a 10-year, 100,000 mile warranty and the latter's lower overall cost of ownership.

General Motors has already afforded Buick a one-year and 14,000-mile increase on GM's standard three-year, 36,000-mile warranty, which helped to bring the entry-luxury mark up to the standards of its Japanese rivals.

If such warranty extensions come to fruition, it will echo what Vice-Chair Lutz and others within GM have maintained for the past few years: they're confident that GM's products will hold up over the long-term. Hopefully the public will buy it, literally.

[Thanks for the tip, Invicta.]

[Source: Bloomberg News]

The Rumormill: GM to extend warranties originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Sep 2006 07:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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