The basics
When you buy a new vehicle, the manufacturer backs it with a factory warranty — a promise to repair certain defects in materials or workmanship for a set period of time or number of miles, whichever comes first. It's included in the purchase price; you don't pay extra for it, and you don't choose whether to have it.
Factory coverage is usually made up of more than one warranty running at the same time:
- Bumper-to-bumper (basic) coverage — the broadest coverage, applying to most components of the vehicle apart from normal wear items like tires, brake pads and wiper blades.
- Powertrain coverage — a longer, narrower warranty covering the engine, transmission and drivetrain, since those are the most expensive components to repair.
- Corrosion/rust-through coverage — often the longest-running coverage, covering body panels that rust through from the inside out.
- Emissions coverage — required by federal and state law, covering emissions-related components for a minimum period set by regulation.
Exact lengths and mileage limits vary by manufacturer and sometimes by model year, so always check the warranty booklet or manufacturer website for your specific vehicle rather than assuming a length.
What it doesn't cover
A factory warranty generally does not cover:
- Routine maintenance (oil changes, tire rotations, fluid top-offs)
- Normal wear and tear (tires, brake pads, wiper blades, batteries)
- Damage from accidents, misuse, or lack of maintenance
- Aftermarket parts themselves, and any damage they're shown to have caused
You don't have to use the dealer
A common misunderstanding: you generally don't have to get routine maintenance done at the dealer, or use the manufacturer's own parts, to keep your warranty. Under the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a manufacturer usually can't void your warranty or deny coverage simply because you used an independent shop or aftermarket parts — it has to show that the part or the work actually caused the problem. The FTC explains this here. What does matter is doing the maintenance on schedule and keeping the receipts.
The warranty clock
Coverage runs from the vehicle's in-service date — typically the day it was first sold or leased, not the model year printed on the window sticker. If you buy the vehicle used, ask the seller, a dealer for that brand, or the manufacturer's VIN lookup tool (where one exists) for the original in-service date, since that's what determines how much coverage time is actually left.
If you're not sure what's covered on your specific vehicle, our Factory Warranty Checker is a good place to start — it uses your VIN to identify the vehicle so you can look up its coverage.
Free. See its recalls, factory coverage and a Protection Check — no phone number needed.