Car manufacturers in India these days offer comprehensive warranties with each car they sell. Depending on the market, the coverage could range from anywhere between one to five years. While they are a wonderful confidence boosting measure, there still remains the undeniable fact that the new cars on sale today are far more complex than the ones sold even a decade ago.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the arguments in favour and against the protective nets for new cars:
Some people swap their cars out in three years while others prefer holding onto their wheels for five years and more. If you belong to the former group, then the standard mechanical breakdown protection conditions should offer you sufficient coverage.
No two brand of cars is the same and some do end up in multiple workshop visits while others offer no trouble at all. Most of the new cars today are relatively niggle-free for the first couple of years. It is only later on, as they age, do problems start to surface. So take a call as per your requirements.
For those of you who tend to switch cars every two-or-three years, a warranty that is transferrable to the new owner could get you a better resale value for your car. Besides, it also offers added peace of mind for the person purchasing your car.
Not all extended warranties are drawn up alike. Some require you to hire independent vehicle breakdown recovery services and have the stranded car towed back to the dealer’s workshop before it’ll be worked upon. Not only does this involve an additional cost, but it is also a needless hassle that’s best avoided.
Lastly, the extended warranty you get should be recognized across the company’s official dealer network. Some large dealers end up pushing their own policies to make a quick buck in favour of their own network, but this should be weighed in against the risks involved.
In the end one must bear in mind that the plug-and-play era is upon us. Today, most dealers would rather replace a part than allocate precious time and resources towards repairing stuff. Moreover, with the increased electronics and other tedious stuff, the reliability factor too casts a doubt over the quality of repairs. Given how present day repairs can blow a huge hole through the pockets, the case for mechanical breakdown protection such as that offered by an extended warranty cannot be denied. So consider all pros and cons wisely and decide as per your own, specific needs.
