GM's New 5 Year/100,000 Mile Warranty

[YSSMAN]

Good news folks!

General Motors today announced a 100,000 mile, five-year powertrain limited warranty beginning on all 2007 model year vehicles. This compares to Toyota's five-year, 60,000-mile offer. It is completely transferable and carries no deductible. GM also has expanded its 24/7 roadside assistance and courtesy transportation programs to 100,000 miles and five years. The new warrenty covers more than 900 components related to the engine, transmission, transfer case (if applicable) and final drive assemblies on all 2007 model-year Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Hummer, Saturn, Saab and Cadillac cars and light-duty trucks sold in the United States and Canada.

"We've been telling everyone how strong GM's cars and trucks are in terms of value, design, quality and durability. Now we're going to back it up," Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said. "This new warranty, combined with GM's outstanding quality, competitive pricing, relevant technologies and a strong new lineup of cars and trucks, provides motorists with an unprecedented level of value and peace of mind.

"This latest step in our North America turnaround plan reflects the confidence we have in the quality of our cars and trucks. It's the result of years of hard work by our employees, suppliers and dealers. It's something that motorists want and deserve. For those who haven't driven a GM car or truck in a while, this is our way of saying, ‘Come on back and see what we've done.'

"The bottom line is GM now has the best coverage in the industry," Wagoner said. "It includes the best warranty of any full-line automaker, equally compelling roadside assistance and courtesy transportation programs, unique safety and security technologies like OnStar and StabiliTrak, and the nation's largest network of outstanding dealers, with well-trained GM Goodwrench technicians who service GM cars and trucks better than anybody else."

GM will extend the existing roadside assistance plan to 100,000 miles or five years, and will provide courtesy transportation for a covered warranty repair.

The new warranty will apply retroactively to 2007 GM cars and trucks already sold.

For non-powertrain components, GM's Bumper-to-Bumper New Vehicle Limited Warranty remains in effect: four years or 50,000 miles for Buicks, Cadillacs, Hummers and Saabs, and three years or 36,000 miles for Chevrolets, GMCs, Pontiacs and Saturns.

I have to say that it is a good way to build more value into the North American product line against the foreign competition. I also thought I read that Ford was increasing their warranty length as well, but I can't remember the length overall.

It will be interesting to see what kind of effect this will have on GM sales, as they did post a sales increase last month.

 

[Pupik]

It will be interesting to see what kind of effect this will have on GM sales, as they did post a sales increase last month.

It can only help sales, really. Does it include the Corvette, I wonder? It's also a nice security blanket for those who don't drive that many miles (usually old people or those who live where there's adequate mass-transit) a year; 5 years for the real headache stuff must be quite a boon for owners, and shows confidence by the manufacturer to stand by their product.

According to their website, GM has the same basic 3 yr./36,000 mile warranty, athough...but underneath it also says 4 yrs./50,000 miles (with no corresponding footnote, oddly). So it's pretty much like every other warranty in that respect, although a bump to 4/50 is still better than most non-luxury marques.

Ford has a basic "bumper-to-bumper" 3 year/36,000 mile warranty. (I personally cringe at that misleading phrase, but that's what Ford says on thier website.) They offer 5yr./60K mile powertrain & restriant warranty on their cars; but thier Powerstoke Deisel drivetrains have a 5 year/100,000 mile warranty. I wonder how long until they follow suit, since you can get an optional (up-sell) 7yr/70K warranty with DCX products (which came in quite handy for the Neon).

Looking at therr table does put a lot of things into perspective though, it's so quite an improvement. Also, BMW has a 12-year, unlimited Corrosion warranty? (Damn!) And no wonder my customers don't like their Mercedes-Benzes anymore, they don't have a warranty for anything after 50,000 miles. Oh, I'd also like to point out that Lexus does not have an unlimited mileage (but it is for 4 years/50,000 miles on new cars) on roadside coverage warranty...Gee, I feel like Lionel Hutz by pointing that out, but this is what I do for a living.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Isn't it 5 years/100,000 miles ?

 

[Poverty]

brave move. 👍

 

[skip0110]

Yeah, I see 5 years in the quote, not 10...

 

[Omnis]

I wish our car had a 10/60 warranty. Times kills us more than distance.

 

[Dougboy]

Longer waranty does not necessarily boost sales. KIA is a perfect example. They got 10yr waranty too

 

[High-Test]

Great move! now people won't complain as much about gm being evil because their clumsy fingers broke an A/C knob.

¿Ford? ¿Warranty? ¿Que?

 

[Wolfe]

I'm with ROAD_DOGG33J and skip0110 -- the quote says 5 years and 100,000 miles...

Longer waranty does not necessarily boost sales. KIA is a perfect example. They got 10yr waranty too

From the way I see things, Kia is a perfect example against your point. I doubt they would be doing as good as they are today if it wasn't for the sales they garnered with their generous warranty. For the longest time, their warranty was the only thing they had going for them!

 

[YSSMAN]

Isn't it 5 years/100,000 miles ?

Ooops, I fixed it...