Warranty

Hyundai has introduced a seven-year warranty across most of its model range – up from the industry-first five-year coverage it introduced 20 years ago. However, according to a confidential dealer bulletin obtained by CarAdvice, the factory-backed extended warranty only applies to certain Hyundai vehicles ordered and delivered from the beginning of October through to the end of December 2019 – with “no exceptions”.

French carmaker Peugeot claims to have made a dramatic improvement in the quality and reliability of its latest cars, revealing confidential figures that show its warranty costs are a fraction of what they were a decade ago. In a briefing with media during a recent visit to Australia the global boss of the Peugeot brand, Jean-Philippe Imparato, estimated warranty claims – and the cost of those repairs – had been slashed by two-thirds.

The top 10 manufacturers in Australia now all sport five year warranties, but Mercedes-Benz is no closer to increasing its warranty offering, instead focusing on reducing service pricing and the costs customers see most often during ownership.

And then there were two. Market leader Toyota and fellow Japanese brand Nissan are now the only two in the Top 10 with a below average three-year warranty after Subaru boosted its coverage to five years from January 1, 2019. Subaru introduced its five-year warranty on certain models in December – and had increased its standard three-year coverage during monthly sales promotions in recent years – but the new deal is permanent.

Volkswagen will offer a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty across its range until December 31. Michael Bartsch, Volkswagen Group Australia managing director, said customer reaction to the promotion will be "very informative". Led by Hyundai and Kia, there's been an industry-wide push toward longer warranty coverage over the last 12 months. Honda, Holden, Ford and Mazda have all announced five-year warranty periods, up from the traditional three.