The easiest way to save on car repairs is by not paying for things that are covered under warranty. And when it comes to your vehicle, the warranty can be quite complicated.
Most of us are familiar with the typical bumper-to-bumper warranty, and the latest power train warranties that cover vehicles up to 10 years 100,000 miles. But do we actually know what is covered and what is not under these types of warranties. Your owner's manual will help you out on this subject.
I am here today to discuss a little known warranty that is designated as the federal emissions warranty. This is a government-mandated warranty that covers your vehicle's catalytic converter and engine control module for eight years or 80,000 miles whichever occurs first. This is completely separate from the base coverage and any after market policy you may have for car repairs.
This coverage was put in place by the federal government to protect vehicle owners and the environment. It also makes car manufacturers, economically responsible for the design of their emissions systems.
That's right, if your vehicle has a bad PCM or power train control module. This part is covered under the federal emissions warranty. Most automobile owners don't realize that after their 3year 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper coverage has expired that these two very expensive components are still covered under this warranty.
The reason I tell this story is because a friend of mine had a 2004 Dodge ram with a rattling sound at idle. The catalytic converter was broken up inside and causing this rattling condition. The vehicle owner received an estimate from an exhaust shop for over $1000, and contacted me to see if this was a fair price.
When I told him the repair was covered under warranty He was happy about the repair savings but also surprised. He took his vehicle to the Dodge dealer and had the catalytic converter replaced at no charge. But I wanted you to be aware that the dealership will have to verify that this failure is covered.
If the dealership has determined that the catalytic converter failure was due to another part of the vehicle, damage or lack of maintenance, then not only are the repairs not covered, but also you may have to pay for diagnosis.
Here is what my owner's manual says in reference to this coverage. The federal Emissions and performance warranty covers catalytic converter and the engine control module for 8 years or 80,000 miles. If the owner properly maintains the vehicle and it fails an emissions test the manufacturers dealer will repair those emissions related parts covered by the warranty free of charge.
Some states such as California are requiring the manufacturers to offer additional or extended warranties on these emissions related car parts. Note that all of the warranty information for your specific vehicle can be found in your owner's manual.
Whenever there are questions about the warranties carefully read this section several times if necessary. If you're going to cut vehicle related expenditures knowing what should be fixed for free is very important.
Mark has an online auto repair website that provides lots of helpful information for car owners. If your check engine light is on right now mark can walk you through the check engine light reset procedure.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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