What brands offer the best warranties?

For so many years, the best warranty you could get with a new car was pretty basic two-year cover and good luck with the mileage limits. Since when, car makers have worked out that offering car buyers warranties of significant length, and the peace of mind that brings, is an effective way to attract custom. So, here are the best new car warranties currently available in Ireland…

Toyota

Toyota’s warranty may not seem all that great at first. It’s a pretty bog-standard (in this day and age) three-year/100,000km (whichever comes up first) warranty. That’s fine, but it’s nothing special. Ah, but there’s a bonus level of Toyota warranty — called Toyota Relax — which will reward you, if you have your car serviced at a main Toyota dealer, with a new 12-month warranty after each service, up to either 185,000km or the car passing the ten-year mark. That’s a spectacular length of warranty. In addition, all Toyotas come with a three-year paint warranty, a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty and a five-year warranty for hybrid systems.

MG

MG, a brand which was once British and largely forgotten, and which is now Chinese and striding forward with success in the electric and hybrid car markets, offers a warranty that lasts for eight years. Now, it’s a little bit complicated, as the first year covers you for unlimited mileage, while years two to eight are restricted, but to a generous 185,000km. That eight-year warranty, if you’re buying an electric MG, also covers the battery from dropping below 70 per cent of its original charging capacity, the paint is covered for three years (up to 100,000km) and there’s a tyre guarantee too that covers damage from kerbing, vandalism or a sidewall puncture.

Kia

Kia’s warranty has become legendary in the car world, as it was the first car maker to not merely break the usual three-year warranty standard but blow it wide open with a seven-year warranty, albeit one limited to 150,000km. You do need to keep your Kia serviced with a main dealer to maintain that warranty, mind, although the warranty can be passed on to a second and even third owner, so there’s good financial reasons for keeping that servicing up. If it’s an electric Kia, the big battery is covered for eight years and 160,000km.

Suzuki

Suzuki matches Kia by offering a seven-year warranty, but it’s not quite as simple as the Kia version. With Suzuki, any new car comes automatically with a three-year warranty, but as long as you’re keeping your car serviced with a Suzuki main dealer, after that an automatic rolling warranty kicks in with each year’s service, out to a maximum of seven years, or 160,000km. Interestingly, if the car has been serviced outside of the Suzuki network in that time, it’s not automatically counted out of the warranty — the warranty can be reactivated by servicing at a Suzuki dealer, within certain terms and conditions.

BYD

The recently arrived Chinese car maker, which thus far sells only electric and plug-in hybrid models, offers a six-year warranty, but it’s a layered warranty. What does that mean? Basically, it means that the whole car is covered for six years or 150,000km. If it’s an EV, then the electric motor or motors are covered for eight years or 150,000km, while the battery is covered for the same eight years, but up to 200,000km, ensuring that it doesn’t fall below 70 per cent of its original charging capacity. Finally, there’s a 12-year, unlimited mileage anti-corrosion warranty.

Mazda

Mazda offers a six-year warranty too, and like the BYD warranty it’s limited to a relatively generous 150,000km.

Hyundai

Hyundai and Kia are, of course, closely related, but Hyundai chose to go a slightly different way with its warranty. At five years, it comes up a little short compared to Kia, but the mileage is unlimited, so for long-haul commuters it might work out better. There’s five-years’ roadside assistance thrown in too, and free annual vehicle health checks. Electric cars get an eight-year/160,000km warranty for the battery, while hybrid systems are covered for five years.

Peugeot

Peugeot also offers a five-year warranty, but it is capped at 100,000km. Peugeot’s paint is covered for three years, anti-corrosion is covered for 12 years, and electric car batteries are covered for eight years and 160,000km.

Citroen

Citroen, like its sibling brand Peugeot, offers a five-year warranty too, but it’s a slightly more complicated one. For the first three years, your new Citroen is covered by a manufacturer’s warranty, which is limited to 100,000km, but after that a two-year bonus warranty kicks in, which has unlimited mileage. There’s also three years of roadside assistance thrown in.

Renault

Renault, too, offers five years of cover for its new cars, but again it’s not an entirely simple warranty. For the first two years, the cover has unlimited mileage, but in years three, four and five a limit of 150,000km applies. That’s still pretty generous, mind. There’s also a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty, five years’ roadside assistance and three years’ of paint cover.