There was once a time when manufacturers didn’t offer more than a couple of years of warranty coverage. Though the models available today are infinitely more sophisticated than they used to be, car brands have so much confidence in the quality of their engineering that some will offer coverage for more than the average driver will ever need.
It’s always useful to have a warranty covering your car – they ensure that unexpected failures don’t leave you out of pocket. Manufacturer warranties will cover the failure of components that don’t live as long as they should – with exceptions for consumables, such as tyres or clutches.
Provided you keep up with servicing, a good manufacturer warranty should ensure that even if your motoring isn’t trouble-free, it’s at least sorted for you without expensive repair bills. These are the manufacturers that offer the longest coverage…
SsangYong
Who? You may not have ever heard of this Korean brand – SsangYong’s been little more than a bit player in the UK car market for years. It produces a range of off-roaders and SUVs, and it’s so confident in their reliability that it offers them with the longest warranty currently available in the UK.
All of SsangYong’s models, including the hardworking Musso pickup, are guaranteed for a seven-year period – and best of all, there’s a sky-high 150,000 mile limit. Combined with strong value, it’s definitely a selling point – even if SsangYong’s models aren’t necessarily the best on the market.
Kia
When Kia introduced its then-industry leading seven-year, 100,000 mile warranty, its cars were fairly unimpressive machines. But the brand’s gone from strength to strength, and it’s now the equal of any European brand when it comes to its model line-up. The warranty is merely a deal-sweetener at this point.
Hyundai
Kia’s sister brand won’t warrant its cars for quite as long – Hyundai’s coverage stops at five years. It is, however, an unlimited mileage policy, so it could be the best choice for high-mileage drivers. Best of all, the brand will also cover its halo ‘N’ performance cars under this warranty – and it’s not invalidated if owners head out onto the track. That’s unique in this industry and a big pull for anybody considering a Hyundai hot hatchback.
Toyota
Japanese brand Toyota has such a strong reputation for reliability that it’s perhaps surprising that its warranty ‘only’ extends to five years and 100,000 miles. It does, however, cover all aspects of its cars hybrid systems on models such as the Prius and Yaris.
Subaru
Subaru offers a curious mix of rufty-tufty off-roaders and performance-orientated cars in its UK lineup, but despite the hard use these models are likely to get it matches Toyota with its five-year, 100,000 mile warranty coverage.
Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi matches Hyundai, Toyota and Subaru with a five-year warranty, though it’s not great for high mileage drivers with a low 62,500 mile limit.