Edmunds Daily
Car Warranty
November 1, 2009
Honda's cars, such as the Fit, have short warranties because they have a reputation for reliability.
The strength of a new car warranty is something most shoppers don't think of until they are signing the sales contract. And they think of it then because the dealership's finance manager tries desperately to ram an extended warranty down their throat.
The time to think about the warranty is before you start car shopping. And the best way to do this is to review our warranty and roadside assistance chart . Take a moment to click the link and scan the chart. Then I have a quiz question for you.
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- Philip Reed November 1, 2009, 12:00 AM
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- Car Buying, Car Warranty
October 15, 2009
MINI Financial Services is now offering manufacturer-backed extended service contracts on MINI vehicles as part of its MINI Motoring Protection suite, which also includes gap insurance and tire/wheel protection.
MINI owners whose cars are still under standard factory warranty can purchase the extended warranty option, dubbed "Extended Motorer Protection," from a dealer. Available as of yesterday, the program has two tiers of coverage and a range of durations.
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- Joanne Helperin October 15, 2009, 9:00 AM
- Categories:
- Automotive Consumer News, Car Warranty, MINI
October 2, 2009
Our Forums discussion on extended warranties started in 2003 with the question, "Does anyone know of a "reputable" company that sells extended warranties, besides GM?"
Six years and almost 3,000 entries later, the discussion still rages. The most "reputable" extended warranty companies are, by and large, the automakers themselves. But there are many third-party extended warranty companies that are damaging the industry by roping consumers into bad deals or downright fraud.
Through clever language and misleading mailings, they fool many consumers into thinking they're buying an manufacturer-backed warranty. Many of their victims lose most or all of their money.
Our new article, Third-Party Extended Warranty Scams, comes hot on the heels of the new FTC ruling prohibiting robocalls, itself a result of the extended warranty scams that made national headlines this spring. It illustrates the nasty tricks these companies pull, and offers tips on what to look for in an extended warranty -- and when you should run in the other direction. Consider yourself warned.
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- Joanne Helperin October 2, 2009, 11:00 AM
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- Car Advice Articles, Car Warranty
September 14, 2009
After a weekend of hyping it's new 60-day, money back guarantee, the new GM program officially launches today. The no-questions-asked refund will run through November 30.
The guarantee, which is nearly unprecedented (Oldsmobile and Saturn tried similar return programs) applies to nearly all Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles. Clearly, this is GM's bid to demonstrate confidence in its product and also entice buyers who might be on the fence about making a big purchase in a down economy.
To qualify for the refund, a consumer has to return the car between 30 and 60 days after having driven it for less than 4,000 miles and must be up to date on the payments. Be sure to check the limitations before buying.
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- Philip Reed September 14, 2009, 12:00 PM
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- Car Buying, Car Warranty
September 10, 2009
In an attempt to ignite sales and instill confidence in the post-bankruptcy automaker, GM will begin a 60-day no-questions-asked money-back guarantee offer for all its new 2009 and 2010 vehicles. GM will begin the new program Monday, September 14 and extend it through November 30.
Offering new cars with a no-questions-asked money-back guarantee has not been attempted in the U.S. auto market before, GM said. Guarantees from Oldsmobile and Saturn offered return policies which were not as comprehensive. A similar program offered in the U.K. by GM's Vauxhall resulted in a 2-3% return. GM expects a comparable rate of return here in the U.S.
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- Philip Reed September 10, 2009, 12:05 PM
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- Car Buying, Car Negotiating, Car Warranty
July 23, 2009
The federal government's automotive task force has declared that the new General Motors and Chrysler, which have emerged from bankruptcy, are ready to stand on their own. Yesterday, new task force head Ron Bloom announced that the feds are withdrawing the government-backed warranty guarantees on new vehicles sold by GM and Chrysler. Those guarantees were designed to make potential buyers feel secure about pulling the trigger while the two companies reorganized.
"With the successful emergence of the new companies, consumers can now feel assured that the companies have the financial wherewithal to meet their warranty commitments on a continuing basis," Bloom told a House Judiciary subcommittee.
The Obama administration invested $641 million in the warranty program, all of which has been returned to the Treasury -- with interest. GM says it never actually needed to use that money, and Chrysler doesn't comment on warranty figures, according to Automotive News.
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- Joanne Helperin July 23, 2009, 12:13 PM
- Categories:
- Automotive Consumer News, Car Warranty, Chrysler, General Motors
- Technorati Tags:
- Automotive Task Force, Car Warranties, Chrysler Bankruptcy, General Motors, Ron Bloom
June 1, 2009
In a series of press conferences today, President Obama and GM's CEO Fritz Henderson released details on GM's earlier filing for Chapter 11
bankruptcy protection.
Saying, "give us another chance," Henderson promised that the bankruptcy filing would be "the start of a new and better GM." He predicted that the restructuring process would take from 60 to 90 days. GM has launched its own site to help keep the public informed of its latest efforts and promotions.
Henderson was preceded by President Barack Obama who essentially said that Chrysler's apparent reemergence from bankruptcy bodes well for GM's long term success. He noted that after entering Chapter 11, Chrysler sold more cars in May than in April. However, he didn't mention that most of those sales were at fire sale prices.
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- Paul Seredynski June 1, 2009, 12:00 PM
- Categories:
- Automotive Consumer News, Car Advice Articles, Car Buying, Car Loans and Financing, Car Maintenance, Car Warranty, Chevrolet, GMC, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vehicle Incentives and Rebates
- Technorati Tags:
- Chrysler, closing dealerships, Fritz Henderson, GM Bankruptcy, Hummer, parts and service, Pontiac, Saturn, warranties
General Motors followed Chrysler into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this morning in an effort to restructure and reinvent itself as a profitable company.
Since there is a lot of noise coming from the media and Washington, it creates the feeling that the product itself -- the car you are driving or are thinking of buying -- has somehow changed. It hasn't. Many GM cars are dependable, practical, even exciting vehicles that will provide years of service.
So we come back to the two most persistent questions: Should I consider buying a GM now that the shadow of bankruptcy has fallen on this company? Has anything changed for me, the GM owner?
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- Philip Reed June 1, 2009, 1:51 AM
- Categories:
- Car Buying, Car Loans and Financing, Car Maintenance, Car Negotiating, Car Warranty
- Technorati Tags:
- bankruptcy, bargains, Chrysler, GM, negotiating, parts and service, warranties
May 29, 2009
Right now there's a lot of car owners with a whole lotta questions. We know, because they email all of them here to us. (For the uninformed, Edmunds neither makes nor sell cars -- a really good thing right now.)
While many of these questions can be answered by going through our Tips and Advice section, detailed questions about specific vehicle warranties, problems with car dealerships, and so on, are best referred to the automakers themselves.
Sure, you could Google your automaker's name and try to find the Customer Service or Ownership pages. But that can be time-consuming and frustrating. Besides, we've got a handy list of links that'll take you directly to the correct page, right here:
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- Joanne Helperin May 29, 2009, 11:00 AM
- Categories:
- Car Warranty, FAQ Friday, Manufacturers
- Technorati Tags:
- Car Dealerships, Contact Car Manufacturer, Vehicle Warranties
May 26, 2009
You will be hearing a lot of rumors this week that General Motors is expected to declare bankruptcy soon even though the exact timing of it is still a matter of speculation. GM's bankruptcy has become increasingly likely as poor sales continue and debts mount. Declaring Chapter 11 will allow GM to keep most of its dealerships open (some closings have been announced that will take place in a year) and allow sales on remaining inventories.
Over the weekend, President Barack Obama commented that GM and Chrysler, which is already in bankruptcy, will have to emerge as "leaner, meaner" companies from their restructuring. If they do, he added, a substantial market will await them.
When bankruptcy arrives for GM it is expected to be one of the most complex legal restructurings of our time. Because of the vast reach of GM, and its multinational status, the situation is expected to require the work of legions of attorneys.
As bankruptcy looms, the deal making continues on GM car lots with high incentives and deep discounts. Meanwhile, consumers who own GM vehicles, who are worried about what this will mean for them, can read "What if My Carmaker, Dealer or Warranty Company Goes Under?"
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- Philip Reed May 26, 2009, 2:20 PM
- Categories:
- Car Buying, Car Negotiating, Car Warranty, Chrysler, General Motors
- Technorati Tags:
- bankruptcy, Barack Obama, Chapter 11, Chrysler, deals, GM, incentives, lawyers
May 15, 2009
Day two of the downsizing of the American auto industry brought GM's announcement that it would "wind down" its dealership group over the next year by eliminating 1,100 outlets.
Mark LaNeve, GM's vice president of vehicle sales, speaking from his car via OnStar, said that dealers would be receiving letters today notifying them that they would not have their contracts renewed next year. This will allow these dealers to make an "orderly transition" to another business or close their doors permanently.
The long time frame will also allow dealers to sell off their remaining inventory. LaNeve said that if the dealerships were simply to close, GM would have to take control of their unsold cars.
The dealerships receiving letters today were selected due to low sales levels or poor CSI (Customer Service Index) levels. These dealers only constituted about seven percent of the total sales for GM.
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- Philip Reed May 15, 2009, 9:01 AM
- Categories:
- Car Buying, Car Loans and Financing, Car Maintenance, Car Warranty, GMC
- Technorati Tags:
- consolidation, GM, Hummer, Mark LaNeve, Pontiac, Saab, wind down
May 14, 2009
After receiving thousands of complaints, today the Federal Trade Commision (FTC) filed two suits in federal court in an attempt to end a telemarketing campaign that has been blanketing the country with millions of (allegedly) deceptive "robocalls." The automated voice says, "Your car warranty has expired," warning the listener to "extend coverage before it is too late." If the listener then presses "1," they are connected with someone who tries to sell a vehicle service contract for thousands of dollars -- pretending it will extend the original vehicle warranty.
Don't fall for it.
"This is one of the most aggressive telemarketing schemes the FTC has ever encountered," said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz. "I'm not sure which is worse, the abusive telemarketing tactics of these companies, or the way they try to deceive people once they get them on the phone. Either way, we intend to shut them down."
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- Joanne Helperin May 14, 2009, 11:49 AM
- Categories:
- Automotive Consumer News, Car Warranty
- Technorati Tags:
- Car Warranty, Expired Warranty, FTC, Robo-Call
