Opuscula When is lifetime Warranty less Than a lifetime

WE HAVE A LOCAL KIA DEALER who advertises that his cars have a “lifetime warranty.”

We have another Kia dealer who “doubles the life of the warranty.”

Only one is telling the half-truth.

KIA, AS DOES HYUNDAI, comes from the factory to U.S. dealers with a five year bumper-to-bumper warranty and a 10 year power train warranty.

I have an 11-year-old Hyundai that, save for a thermostat, has been trouble free.

How long is a KIA “lifetime warranty”?

For the KIA dealer – also the mayor of my town – “lifetime” is 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Even that’s not 100 percent accurate.

The 10-years is on the power train – engine and transmission.

The vehicle’s body – the “bumper-to-bumper” part of the warranty -- is only five years.

My Hyundai’s interior is starting to show its age, but as far as the power train goes, it’s great.

The dealer who “doubles the factory warranty” of 10 years/100,000 miles doubles the power train warranty to 20 years/200,000 miles. The same dealer doubles the warranties on several other manufacturers’ products as well, but none come close to 20 years/200,000 miles.

If you challenge a sales person at the mayor’s dealership “How long is a ‘lifetime warranty’?” the sales person will answer honestly: “10 years or 100,000 miles.”

Never mind the huge bill board at the dealership that proclaims a “lifetime warranty.”

Makes you wonder about honesty in local politics.

The 20 year/200,000 mile (on the power train) dealer is “less dishonest.” While no one advertises “on the power train”, given the vehicles’ “from the factory to the U.S.” warranty makes the warranty’s limitations clear,

The problem with the 20 year/200,000 mile dealer is the service department. The mechanics often either do the wrong thing first (and have to redo the work) or they fail to check their work. The dealerships DO honor the warranty and they do correct their mechanics’ faux pas on the dealer’s tab.

The 20 year/200,000 mile dealer gives back to the community with several events throughout the year. I can’t think of the mayor’s dealership doing anything similar (but that is not to state his dealership does nothing – I just don’t recall anything.)

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