How to Make Your Car Last Forever: Avoid Expensive Repairs, Improve Fuel Economy, Understand Your Warranty, Save Money

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Corrosion warranty covers rust-through perforation from the inside out on
sheet metal with actual holes. Surface corrosion from nicks, chips, and scratches
are not covered because it is not the fault of the manufacturer but rather the
driving environment. Corrosion coverage varies with each manufacturer, so read
your warranty information or check with your dealer for specific details.
Campaigns and safety recalls, when announced by a manufacturer, are
performed at no charge to any owner of an affected vehicle. Manufacturers may
elect to perform campaigns regardless of time or mileage. Most dealers
encourage owners to have them “run their VIN.” The dealer plugs the owner’s
vehicle identification number into their computer. The computer searches the
database (which is connected to the manufacturer’s data) to see if the vehicle is
covered under a campaign or any other actions the carmakers issued on that
particular year, make, and model vehicle.
Customized conversions pertain to some vans or limousines that are covered
under separate warranties for the add-ons not installed by the manufacturer. Be
sure to obtain a written warranty disclosure when purchasing these types of
vehicles. Also, make sure you (and your dealer) completely understand the ins
and outs of conversion vehicle warranties. Don’t wait until after you have taken
possession of the vehicle. At that point it’s too late.
Goodwill adjustments are when car manufacturers allow their dealers or field
reps to make “goodwill adjustments” for a customer once the vehicle is out of
warranty time or mileage. Decisions to do so are based on certain criteria such as
owner’s loyalty, time the vehicle has been in service, failure trends reported in
the field, maintenance records, vehicle history, mileage, and whether any service
contracts are in effect. Customers may be asked to share some of the cost of the
repair with the carmaker in a goodwill adjustment. Never be afraid to ask for
assistance from the manufacturer. You’ve got nothing to lose. I have been the
benefactor of a goodwill adjustment myself. The paint on my Plymouth minivan
had delaminated, and I asked for help. The van was out of warranty, but because
of my impeccable service history and customer loyalty, the field rep opted to pay
for most of the repair. A $400 job cost me $40.
Hidden warranty is not a goodwill adjustment. There is no such thing as a
hidden warranty. Dealerships make money performing warranty campaigns.
They get paid directly from the factory for any warranty work performed by
their service department. So don’t go beating up your local dealer because you
think a certain operation should be performed under a hidden warranty. They
would do the work if they could because it would be money in their pockets.
Emissions warranty is mandated by the federal government. Carmakers are

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