With the government advice that we should not be undertaking any non-essential driving during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, lots of garages have temporarily shut-up shop.
Many car owners have services due in the coming weeks, and are worried that their manufacturer warranties won’t be honoured because of late or missed services. In response to the sheer number of questions from you, we’ve put together a list of what the car manufacturers are telling us about car warranties during the crisis.
If I’m late for my service, will my warranty still stand?
In a nutshell, every car manufacturer we’ve spoken to so far has confirmed that their warranties still stand if servicing is delayed because of the pandemic. But (and this is important), this is not a justification for you to miss a service, just making provision for those who are caught up in this and end up delayed.
So, the advice is simple:
If you’ve booked a service and it’s been cancelled
Your warranty will be honoured, as the car manufacturer has a record of your request to service, and this will be taken into account. Our advice is: continue to use your car but only if absolutely necessary and as soon as a servicing slot becomes available, you’ll be contacted so you can book it in.
If your service is due and you need to book it in
Try and get in touch with your dealer and get it booked in, even if they can’t supply a date. This means the car manufacturer will have you on their system, and you can pick it up as soon as you can. Your warranty will be honoured in this situation.
Below is a list of the car manufacturers who have responded so far, explaining their position to us.
BMW
‘Customers requiring a vehicle service during the delays caused by coronavirus can rest assured that the warranty will be unaffected by this disruption. All cars serviced within three months or 2,000 miles (whichever is earlier) of the service indicator will be protected in full by any applicable warranty.
‘For customers with a warranty expiry during the coronavirus restrictions (from 14 March 2020 onwards), we will extend your warranty coverage until 30 June 2020. End of warranty checks due during this period will also be fulfilled. Customers in self-isolation beyond 30 June will be asked to contact you to arrange for vehicle collection and delivery.’
Citroen
‘If a vehicle is serviced late it will not invalidate the warranty at this time. Warranty and service interval, will be increased during the period affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, so it will be possible to postpone the service interval up to 1,800 miles or three months after the recommended maintenance plan period.’
Fiat
‘If a car is due a service the customers should use the FCA online booking facility to make a booking for a future time that is suitable or contact our Customer Services Centre who will register the concern and provide them with a case number which can be referred to once the workshop reopens. This will protect their warranty.’
Honda
‘Late servicing during the pandemic will not affect the warranty.’
Hyundai
‘We are providing an automatic service extension of 1,500 miles.’
Mazda
‘This will not impact warranty if scheduled maintenance is completed when the country is back to normal, but additional mileage must not exceed 1,800 miles over normal scheduled servicing.’
Mercedes-Benz
‘If you’re unable to attend a service appointment when your car’s service is due, we’ve implemented a temporary revised limit for overdue services. For Mercedes-Benz cars, the limit has increased to the sooner of 180 days past the current due date for a service to be completed or the vehicle reaching the 3,728 mileage interval for a service to be completed (previously 90 days/1,864 mileage interval).’
MG
MG owners who took delivery of a new MG model between 23 March 2019 and 30 April 2019 will qualify for a free extension to their warranty and breakdown cover. The marque will also lengthen service parameters for customers unable to service their car at a franchised dealer until the end of May, to account for the government’s strict guidelines on personal movement and dealership trading. Vehicle warranties will also not be affected by the restrictions on servicing.’
MINI
‘Customers requiring a vehicle service during the delays caused by coronavirus can rest assured that the warranty will be unaffected by this disruption. All cars serviced within three months or 2,000 miles (whichever is earlier) of the service indicator will be protected in full by any applicable warranty.
‘For customers with a warranty expiry during the coronavirus restrictions (from 14 March 2020 onwards), we will extend your warranty coverage until 30 June 2020. End of warranty checks due during this period will also be fulfilled. Customers in self-isolation beyond 30 June will be asked to contact you to arrange for vehicle collection and delivery.’
Peugeot
‘In light of the current situation we have extended our warranties by one month and our service intervals by three months/1,800 miles.’
Renault
‘Any service delayed as result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crises where the customer has been asked to self-isolate or dealer activity has been restricted, will not affect the warranty.’
Skoda
‘If you are unable to visit the retailer please contact them directly to discuss alternative options, such as collection and delivery. Servicing a vehicle correctly is important but if the service is late it will not invalidate the warranty automatically. If you are unsure whether outstanding work is essential, please contact your local retailer to discuss this.’
Smart
‘If you’re unable to attend a service appointment when your car’s service is due, we’ve implemented a temporary revised limit for overdue services. For Smart vehicles, the limit has increased to the sooner of 180 days past the current due date for a service to be completed or the vehicle reaching an excess of 20% of the current mileage interval for a service to be completed (previously 90 days/mileage interval exceeded by 10%).’
Suzuki
‘We are of course supporting all of our customers at this difficult time. Where a scheduled service has to be delayed, we are asking that our customers and dealers make a note to reschedule this as soon as is possible. In light of current circumstances, Suzuki will support delays in servicing and warranty matters to ensure our customers are treated as fairly as possible. We strongly advise that engine oil level, coolant, screen wash and tyre pressures are regularly checked though for safety and peace of mind.’
Toyota
‘If you are concerned about your vehicle’s routine servicing, please do not worry. Toyota GB would like to reassure you that for the foreseeable future we intend to take a flexible and sympathetic approach to any service schedule or warranty issues.’
Vauxhall
‘Customers can continue to use their vehicles providing that the required maintenance is performed within three months or 1,800 miles of the specified service intervals.’
Volvo
‘Until 30 April, Volvo Car UK is extending the warranty on all applicable cars from 36 months/60,000 miles to 37 months/61,000 miles. This should help any customers whose warranty would have expired during this period of lockdown. We are constantly reviewing the situation and will take action as required to support all our customers.’
