Car Warranties

Poulgorm

All the UK and European car makers give a 3 year, 100,000 Km warranty in the UK - and in Northern Ireland.

Here, they (generally) just give a 2 year warranty - for identical cars.

Why do we put up with it? Have we not got a semi-state consumer body (can't recall the title) who should be fighting that sort of thing?

Another useless quango, I assume.

Anan1

Warranties cost money. You can have longer, but you'll pay for it. It's a free market, if you're not happy with an offer then don't buy.

R.O.R

The standard warranty is 2 years for most manufacturer's across Europe. The 3rd year warranty is provided by the UK importer in the UK (BMW/Audi and a few others operate this).

This is due to local market conditions in the UK, but isn't standard throughout the rest of Europe.

Any idea what the situation is in the rest of Europe? Do Spain, France or Germany get 3 years, or are they being victimised as well?

Stevie Dakota

With warranties now available up to 7 years I would not even consider a car that only comes with a 2 year warranty. Car makers have to offer better.

Poulgorm

R.O.R wrote: »

The standard warranty is 2 years for most manufacturer's across Europe. The 3rd year warranty is provided by the UK importer in the UK (BMW/Audi and a few others operate this).

Not correct. Ford, Vauxhall/Opel, VW, Puegeot, Citroen etc etc all offer a 3 year warranty as standard in the UK and Northern Ireland.

Anan1

Poulgorm wrote: »

Not correct. Ford, Vauxhall/Opel, VW, Puegeot, Citroen etc etc all offer a 3 year warranty as standard in the UK and Northern Ireland.

You might want to read R.O.R's post again.

Poulgorm

Anan1 wrote: »

You might want to read R.O.R's post again.

I did, and I stand by my original post - pointing the discrepancy between the standard warranties offered by European manufacturers in the UK and here, for identical cars (3 years v 2 years).

If you are in doubt, check their UK websites.

I have no information the warranties which are offered in the rest of Europe.

Anan1

Poulgorm wrote: »

I did, and I stand by my original post - pointing the discrepancy between the standard warranties offered by European manufacturers in the UK and here, for identical cars (3 years v 2 years).

If you are in doubt, check their UK websites.

I have no information the warranties which are offered in the rest of Europe.

As R.O.R said, the third year of warranty is provided by the UK importers. Would you be prepared to pay extra for a longer warranty, as they do in the UK?

Poulgorm

Anan1 wrote: »

As R.O.R said, the third year of warranty is provided by the UK importers. Would you be prepared to pay extra for a longer warranty, as they do in the UK?

Are you implying that Ford, Vauxhall etc are sold in the UK by third party importers, rather than by the manufacturers themselves ?

Not so.

Anan1

Poulgorm wrote: »

Are you implying that Ford, Vauxhall etc are sold in the UK by third party importers, rather than by the manufacturers themselves ?

Not so.

TBH, i'm not sure exactly how the system works. What I do know is that UK buyers demand longer warranties, so they get them. We could have them too, if we demanded and were prepared to pay for them. Would you pay extra for a longer warranty?

Poulgorm

Anan1 wrote: »

TBH, i'm not sure exactly how the system works. What I do know is that UK buyers demand longer warranties, so they get them. We could have them too, if we demanded and were prepared to pay for them. Would you pay extra for a longer warranty?

You keep missing the point. If you buy a new Ford etc in the UK, a 3 year warranty comes as standard - there is no additional payment demanded from the customer for the 3rd year.

Buy the same car here and the same manufacturer only gives you a 2 year warranty.

That is blatant discrimination against their Irish customers.

The Asian car manufacturers do not discriminate in this way.

Kenny Logins

Poulgorm wrote: »

All the UK and European car makers give a 3 year, 100,000 Km warranty in the UK - and in Northern Ireland.

Here, they (generally) just give a 2 year warranty - for identical cars.

Not on identical roads though.

There's a pothole not far from here with Daihatsu Charade still struggling to get out since the early '90s.

djimi

Poulgorm wrote: »

You keep missing the point. If you buy a new Ford etc in the UK, a 3 year warranty comes as standard - there is no additional payment demanded from the customer for the 3rd year.

Buy the same car here and the same manufacturer only gives you a 2 year warranty.

That is blatant discrimination against their Irish customers.

The Asian car manufacturers do not discriminate in this way.

I think what they is getting at is that the price of the 3rd year is automatically built into the cost of the car; its not an optional extra.

Poulgorm

Kenny Logins wrote: »

Not on identical roads though.

There might be some validity to your post, if the Japanese and Korean car makers discriminated in this way also.

The warranty situation is just another example of how we are ripped off in this country.

Anan1

Poulgorm wrote: »

You keep missing the point. If you buy a new Ford etc in the UK, a 3 year warranty comes as standard - there is no additional payment demanded from the customer for the 3rd year.

Don't you think the UK car would be cheaper if it only had a 2 year warranty? You seem to me to be confusing 'standard' with 'free'.

bazz26

Manufacturers like Ford, Vauxhall, BMW, etc give a basic 2 year warranty in the UK the same as here. It is the UK distributors for Ford, Vauxhall and BMW who buy the cars from the manufacturer and sell them to the dealers, give the 3rd year of the warranty.

If warranty work is carried out in the first 2 years then the dealer will claim the expensive back from the distributor who will in turn claim it back from the manufacturer. If warranty work is carried out in the 3rd year then the dealer will claim the expense back from the distributor and buck stops there.

If people are not happy with the lenght of warranty then they need to vote with their wallets and stop buying cars with short warranties. A slump in sales and customer feedback will wake car distributors and manufacturers up.

Drummerboy08

Poulgorm wrote: »

Are you implying that Ford, Vauxhall etc are sold in the UK by third party importers, rather than by the manufacturers themselves ?

Not so.

Actually, for all your confidence, your wrong.

The manufacturer legally only has to offer 2 years warranty - it the distributor who offers the 3rd year.

I get the feeling that Audi and possibly other VAG brands will be offering a 3rd year in Eire shortly.

PattheMetaller

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

Actually, for all your confidence, your wrong.

The manufacturer legally only has to offer 2 years warranty - it the distributor who offers the 3rd year.

I get the feeling that Audi and possibly other VAG brands will be offering a 3rd year in Eire shortly.

I was chatting to a VW salesman recently that said VW (and Audi) are offering a 70% warrenty for the 3rd year for 2011 models. He stated that of the total costs of any warrenty repair in the third year, the customer would have to pay 30%

bladebrew

PattheMetaller wrote: »

I was chatting to a VW salesman recently that said VW (and Audi) are offering a 70% warrenty for the 3rd year for 2011 models. He stated that of the total costs of any warrenty repair in the third year, the customer would have to pay 30%

what i dont understand how kia can offer a 7 year warranty but more "reliable" cars like golfs get 2 years, is that right??

it could be like sony, release the ps3 at over €600 offer a 1year warranty and then a mysterious amount of them die just after the warranty expires,

or am i being paranoid:)

Drummerboy08

PattheMetaller wrote: »

I was chatting to a VW salesman recently that said VW (and Audi) are offering a 70% warrenty for the 3rd year for 2011 models. He stated that of the total costs of any warrenty repair in the third year, the customer would have to pay 30%

I think it will be a 100% warranty (if it happens ). If they do it they might as well do it right.

bladebrew wrote: »

what i dont understand how kia can offer a 7 year warranty but more "reliable" cars like golfs get 2 years, is that right??

it could be like sony, release the ps3 at over €600 offer a 1year warranty and then a mysterious amount of them die just after the warranty expires,

or am i being paranoid:)

Its all about perception. You've just stated that a Golf is supposedly reliable (supposedly), so people will be saying "ah sure she wont break down on me" whereas the Kia is percieved as being an unreliable Korean, so it needs the extra warranty to get people to buy it.

I know which one is more reliable though.

bladebrew

hmmm good point,
i didnt really think about it that way,
i had always heard vw and in particular the golf was a reliable car, until i started reading some threads on here!!

edit: i have no idea if kia`s are reliable!