Consumer Advice: Which Car Manufacturer Has the Best Warranty?

Originally published on May 26, 2015 on autoTRADER.ca

Pop quiz: What’s the best car warranty? The one you never have to use, of course! Trick question aside, warranty coverage can vary greatly between manufacturers. Buying new? If you’re keeping your car for more than three years, this is information you’ll want to keep in mind when shopping the competition. If you’re buying used from an independent seller, make sure to get complete maintenance records from the seller as dealerships will request this data for any warranty repairs.

Basic Complete Vehicle

Most manufacturers offer a 3-year, 60,000 km warranty for when anything goes wrong with your new purchase (aside from cosmetic damage and regular wear-and-tear). Luxury marques (and Volkswagen) typically offer a 4-year, 80,000 km warranty. But who reigns supreme? Mazda offers a 3-year warranty, but does not impose a distance-based restriction, unique in this category (in fact, their warranties are unlimited distance across the board). Infiniti offers a 4-year, 100,000 km warranty, but it’s Hyundai, Kia, and Mitsubishi at the top, all with 5-year, 100,000 km warranties. Special mention goes to BMW, which offers no-cost maintenance for the duration of the basic warranty.

¹ i-MiEV, Lancer Evo, Lancer Ralliart
² all models except i-MiEV, Lancer Evo, Lancer Ralliart