3 month warranty the norm?

sheepondrugs

hi been looking at cars (used car) most if all garages I've been too in Dublin area seem to be offering 3 month warranty only.

Is this the norm now for used cars? (Haven't changed cars in over 5 years)

PsychoPete

It varies and depends on the year of car, type of car, dealer etc. Some main dealer brands have "approved" used cars that come with a 2 year warranty. Most independent dealers will give 3 months or maybe 6 that only covers engine and gearbox

User1998

15 year old+ Usually no warranty or maybe 1 to 3 months

10 year old+ Usually 3 months and sometimes with the option of extending to 6 months

5 year old+ Usually 3 to 6 months sometimes 12 months is standard, usually there is an option to extend up to 24 months

0 year old+ Depends on the manufacturer

coylemj

You need to ask who is providing the warranty. If you're being offered three month warranties then I suspect you're talking to independent dealers and their warranties are typically based on goodwill i.e. the dealer has to foot the bill if there's a fault that needs fixing. In that case, the warranty may not be worth the paper it's written on. That's if they even bother to hand you a piece of paper telling you what is and is not covered.

Some dealers at the last minute hand the customer a receipt which says 'sold as seen' which (illegally) implies that there is no warranty at all.

Whatever you do, do not buy on the basis that some fault you're aware of (e.g. fault light on the dashboard, strange noise from the engine) will be fixed afterwards by the dealer under his 'warranty'. The same applies to an expired NCT. Get the car thoroughly checked out and only buy on the basis that you will not be darkening his door for a long time.