Car warranties. Car warranty repair period

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

Any motorist, purchasing a vehicle from an authorized dealer or in a specialized salon, in the event of a malfunction, expects to be repaired under warranty. This will save your budget and save you from unplanned expenses. After all, even a new car, like any technology, can break down.

In the process of work, several forces begin to act on the parts and mechanisms of the vehicle at once - gravity, friction, pressure, the temperature regime changes dramatically. And it doesn’t matter which country the manufacturer produced this car (Japan, China, Russia, Germany), any car can break down, even in the first month of operation. The most common cause is a factory defect in component parts.

Is all vehicles covered by warranty?

When purchasing a vehicle, it is worth considering the warranty conditions under which it is sold. Car warranties are provided by law. But not all vehicles can be equally repaired at the expense of the dealer ormanufacturer. But each of the cases of vehicle breakdown must be considered individually. Therefore, motorists should conscientiously study the basic legal aspects of using a vehicle warranty, especially if it is a new car purchased from an authorized dealer.

Guarantee concept

This is a set of obligations that the manufacturer (represented by official offices) or the seller (dealership) of the car has undertaken to carry out the necessary repairs or replace individual parts and mechanisms of the car free of charge. But it should be understood that the presence of a guarantee is not a reason for the car owner to demand repairs from the dealer for every little thing. Otherwise, the official representatives of the manufacturers would go bankrupt because of the service centers that would make free repairs to vehicles that were serviced for free. To regulate such situations, restrictions and certain conditions are introduced, only in the presence of which the car is accepted for free repairs. All of them must be specified in the contract when buying.

How long can I expect free repairs?

The warranty period can be of two types:

1. European version. In this case, the warranty period for cars is two years (without limitation in vehicle mileage).
2. Asian version. In this case, the period of free car service is threeyear (limited vehicle mileage per 100,000 km).

If we talk about Russian representative offices of foreign manufacturers and warranty conditions in our country, then the Asian version proved to be the best. Therefore, a popular type is for three years or 100,000 kilometers.

What about dealers who promise a five-year warranty on cars?

In all other moments and conditions - this is just an advertising move of the company. Such marketing techniques are used to attract more customers. For example, the well-known five-year warranty or 150,000 km from Kia and Hyundai. Yes, it is, but with significant limitations. First of all, this is the Asian version of the guarantee for cars, and the car owner should expect only 3 years of free service or up to 100,000 km of run from the manufacturer. The remaining 2 years and 50,000 km of run are taken over by the official representative offices of these companies in our country. Naturally, getting free car service during this period will be much more difficult.

For example, even if we consider the general warranty period for mechanisms subject to natural wear and tear, there are also some limitations. The main systems of the vehicle in the form of brake discs, shock absorbers, drums, oil seals, seals, batteries, gaskets, clutches, bushings of the stabilizers of the rear and front of the suspension pretty soon become unusable. Their warranty is one year or 20-50 thousand km.run. And if during the period of the main warranty for cars you can get a free replacement of these parts, then during the additional period (2 years or 50 thousand kilometers) free replacement of attachments of the machine is not performed.

But when it comes to vehicle parts in the form of drive belts, brake pads, spark plugs, light bulbs, fluid and fuses, they are not eligible for free replacement at all.

What else do you need to know about long warranties?

The above marketing moves also apply to the seven-year service, which in promotional presentations is given as the main one, but in fact it only covers paintwork or body corrosion.

But not everything is so simple here either. The warranty conditions will only apply in the presence of through corrosion. Here you need to understand what is meant by corrosion - this is when the body of a vehicle can be pierced through with a finger. If just rust appears on this element, then this is not a basis for attracting free service. Here we must pay tribute to European manufacturers who make a special anti-corrosion treatment of the car, which is valid for up to 12 years. For Japanese cars, this period is 7 years.

Warranty for a car at the LPK is valid when the vehicle has no mechanical damage. If the body coating changes its color under the sun's rays or as a result of lowtemperatures, this can also be attributed to external influences, refusing a warranty case. Therefore, when the paint peels off the main parts and mechanisms of the vehicle after the winter season, claims should be made not to the dealer, but to public utilities. It is they who cover the roadway with special chemicals so that they corrode the formed ice.

Guaranteed by law

The owner of the vehicle must remember that, if necessary, he can use several guarantees (car dealership, law). Both cases have a significant difference. The law cannot oblige the dealer to establish a specific warranty period. It is usually specified in the contract for the purchase of a car. The car warranty is legally equal to two years and is valid regardless of the signed contract.

If the owner during this period reveals a malfunction in the purchased car, then he has the right to demand its overhaul. Even if the car dealership canceled the right to free service. In this case, repairs under the car warranty are still carried out at the expense of the seller or manufacturer, only in accordance with the terms of the law. Disposition Art. 477 Civil Code protects a potential car owner.

Legally, it is impossible to simply remove warranty obligations from a car. This would violate the disposition of Art. 6 of the law, which protects the rights of consumers.

Return the car under warranty

After purchasing a vehicle, after a while, the driver canidentify significant shortcomings in his work. Therefore, the law provides for a period of 15 days from the date of conclusion of the contract of sale, when the buyer can demand to change the car, even in the case of minor damage found on the body of the vehicle. But often the breakdown of the vehicle is detected later. In this case, a replacement car under warranty can be made:

1. If the vehicle is found to have a serious malfunction that is technically unrecoverable. This fact is confirmed by the examination.
2. Warranty repair was not completed within the stipulated time frame. It should be noted that the lack of necessary components cannot be a valid reason for delay. The period of car repair under warranty is established by the contract, but cannot exceed 45 days.
3. In the case when the vehicle was under repair for a total of more than 30 days. We are talking about warranty repairs within a year.
4. The same failure occurs repeatedly during the warranty period.

The owner of a defective vehicle should know that the seller has no legal basis to demand material compensation for the reduced cost of the car.

How to avoid problems with vehicle warranty service?

To create the maximum level of safety, the manufacturer has the right to require certain obligations from the car owner during the operation of the vehicle:

1. Carrying out maintenance only at technical stations from the manufacturer and using original spare parts. Therefore, repairs and maintenance are carried out onlyat specialized dealer service centers. The latter must be sure that the car cannot be damaged by unqualified specialists or the owner of the car.



2. Mandatory study of the operating instructions of the purchased vehicle and its features.
3. Proper use of the vehicle to ensure free repair by the manufacturer.

Conclusion

In order for a new car to be repaired free of charge in the event of a malfunction, its owner must comply with the rules for operating the vehicle. The warranty on the car is legally 2 years, under an agreement with the dealer can be three years. Beyond this period, additional conditions apply. They are not covered by the general warranty.

Within 15 days, the buyer can exchange the vehicle for a new one, if there are good reasons for this. The period during which the warranty repair is carried out cannot exceed 45 days. If the contract specifies other terms exceeding this period, these provisions can be safely appealed, referring to the Federal Law "On Protection of Consumer Rights".