Are car warranties worth it for used cars?
When you’re buying a used car, you may wonder if it is worth upgrading the dealer's cover to get an extended used car warranty. Some companies, including SPOTiCAR, provide a minimum 12-month warranty as standard. Other car retailers will charge customers for adding a car warranty to their vehicle. This article looks at if car warranties are worth it for used cars.
Standard warranties
If you purchase a car from a reputable dealer, they should offer a three-month warranty as standard. Any company that doesn’t provide a minimum warranty suggests that they’re not confident that the vehicle they’re selling won’t have significant issues in the coming months. This is a warning sign unless you're buying a car you know has faults and needs repairing before it can be driven on the road. If a dealer is unwilling to provide a short-term warranty, you should consider whether it's worth the risk purchasing a car that could have potential issues.
What do car warranties cover?
Car warranties can cover several different things depending on the company offering them. Most used car warranties cover the cost of replacing a car's major mechanical parts and systems, basically everything the vehicle needs to drive. Some car warranties cover other elements, such as ‘bumper to bumper’ cover, which accounts for everything from the front to the back bumper. This is a more comprehensive type of warranty than the basic one offered by many car dealers, and you can expect to pay a premium for this type of coverage. Before you commit to buying a used car warranty, you should check the fine print and make sure you understand exactly what the warranty covers. If a particular part is of concern, question the warranty and make sure that your apprehensions are covered in the warranty offered.
Manufacturers’ warranty
Some less reputable dealers will try to sell you a warranty even though your car is still within the manufacturer's warranty. Always check if the original manufacturer warranty covers your vehicle before paying for additional coverage. It might be that the warranty the dealer is trying to sell you offers more protection, but a large proportion of the time, the manufacturer warranty will be enough to cover the main things that could go wrong on your used vehicle. Many manufacturers cover new cars for a minimum of 3 years and up to 7 years in some cases. Kia has one of the best warranties, they provide a full seven years of warranty coverage on all of their vehicles.
Personal preference
The decision to purchase a car warranty or not is often a personal choice based on your knowledge of the used car you are buying. If, like most used car buyers, you have little knowledge of cars and what could go wrong, a used car warranty could put your mind at ease that if anything major happens, you can get it fixed by the dealership for free. If you have connections or a good working knowledge of the type of car you are buying, you might be happy to purchase the vehicle without a warranty in place.
SPOTiCAR used car warranty
At SPOTiCAR, we provide a minimum 12-month warranty on every one of our vehicles. This warranty is included in the car price and not an additional extra. Some of our car warranties even extend up to 24 months. You can see the warranty offered on each vehicle by looking at the individual listing. Suppose the car you are looking to purchase is still within the manufacturer warranty period. In that case, we will provide coverage so that you are covered for the full 12-months after purchase, or more, depending on the vehicle. We also offer a full 12 months of roadside assistance with each of our used cars as standard, so you are covered no matter what happens.
Each of our vehicles goes through a comprehensive check to ensure that any issues are fixed before the vehicle is sold. We never sell a car without thoroughly checking it first. All of our checks are completed by our trained technicians, so you can be assured that any vehicle you buy from SPOTiCAR is of a good standard.
