The Difference Between Comprehensive And Powertrain Warranty
What’s the difference between a comprehensive and powertrain warranty? First, if you’ve ever bought a brand-new vehicle, you may have noticed something about the warranty coverage. There are a bunch of different warranties!
Manufacturer warranty coverage varies from brand to brand and can include varied protection for specific parts like emissions, electronics, or corrosion. However, two important primary types of coverage come with each vehicle: comprehensive (or basic) and powertrain warranties. The phrase “bumper to bumper” is often used in place of comprehensive, but that is starting to change now because it is a misleading title.
So, what do these two main types of warranty cover, and how do they differ? Here’s what you need to know:
Comprehensive warranty
This is the highest level of coverage that automobile manufacturers offer. It begins the day the car is first sold (also known as the first-in-service date).
What does it include? This warranty protects the vast majority of a vehicle’s components, including the electrical systems, suspension, brakes, steering, and heating and cooling.
These warranties are always set up with exclusionary wording. What does that mean? If the manufacturer doesn’t list something as an excluded item, it’s covered if it breaks down.
Excluded components are primarily wearable parts. These parts are expected to degrade over time (e.g., tires, brake pads, shocks, and spark plugs) or break or become damaged only due to an accident or user error (e.g., glass or body panels).
Describing this coverage as “comprehensive” instead of “bumper to bumper” is better. That’s because there are always components between a car’s bumpers that aren’t covered. Or fall under different warranty terms, like emission systems. The bumpers themselves are never covered either!
Powertrain warranty
A powertrain warranty is a protection plan that covers the components that power the car. A vehicle’s powertrain coverage is almost always longer than its comprehensive coverage. Most manufacturers offer 5 years and 100,000 km or more.
What does a powertrain warranty include? It covers the parts of a car that provide power and make it move, including the engine, transmission, and drivetrain. Other components included are transfer cases, differentials, and engine internal workings. These can be some of the most expensive to repair, so it’s important to have them covered.
As you can see, powertrain warranties are more limited. They don’t include electronics, heating and cooling systems, and many other components. Powertrain components are still covered when the factory’s comprehensive coverage is active.
Comprehensive and powertrain extensions
Deciding what extended warranty protection to get on your vehicle can be challenging. Should you buy a powertrain-only warranty or something more robust?
Technology is revolutionizing vehicles, which now have up to 30,000 components. Many parts prone to breakdowns aren’t included in powertrain extensions. Depending on your vehicle’s age and mileage, you will need to decide which option provides the best coverage at the best price point.
An extended warranty needs to pay for unexpected breakdowns. The price point of powertrain-only coverage can be attractive. But you are more likely to experience many repairs outside what this offers. Parts not included in powertrain coverage, such as steering, electrical, and suspension components, tend to fail more often. These can be costly repairs that affect a vehicle’s safe operation.
Some warranty providers have extensive complaints and bad reviews. It isn’t always that they don’t want to pay claims, it’s because they have sold expensive policies with limited coverage and not explained to the customer what they are getting.
New vehicles are eligible for comprehensive extensions, and many out-of-warranty vehicles are too.
Visit our quote page to receive a free quote for your vehicle. Or get in touch with our licensed agents to answer any questions that you might have.
