Which Cars Have the Longest Manufacturer Warranties?
A new car costs a lot, and the warranty is worth checking before you sign anything. If something big breaks in year six, a good warranty means you're not the one paying for it. Our team at Nalley Cars gets warranty questions pretty much every day, and a few of the brands we sell in Atlanta have some of the best coverage you can get.
Hyundai and Kia Have the Longest Coverage
Hyundai and Kia come out on top. Both give you a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty on a new car, which is about twice what most brands offer. You also get 5 years/60,000 miles of basic (bumper-to-bumper) coverage and 5 years of roadside assistance with no mileage limit. Hyundai's warranty also covers the battery systems in its hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EVs. The battery is guaranteed to keep at least 70% of its capacity for those same 10 years.
Coverage like that tells you the automaker expects the car to hold up. It's a big part of why Nalley Hyundai and Nalley Kia stay so busy with shoppers who want good long-term value without paying luxury prices.
One catch: the full 10-year powertrain warranty only applies to the original owner. If you sell the car, the next owner usually gets a shorter warranty. Ask us for the exact terms on any model you're considering.
How Other Brands Compare
Most mainstream brands offer:
- 3 years/36,000 miles of basic coverage
- 5 years/60,000 miles of powertrain coverage
Luxury brands usually give a bit more basic coverage, around 4 years/50,000 miles.
That puts Hyundai and Kia at about double the powertrain coverage of most competitors. It matters if you plan to keep your car for ten years or more, or if you're financing for 60 to 72 months. With either brand, the warranty is still running after the loan is paid off.
Luxury Brands
Lexus does well in dependability studies, and its warranty is solid too: 4 years/50,000 miles of basic coverage, plus 8 years/100,000 miles on hybrid parts like the battery, inverter, and control modules. If you're looking at luxury hybrids, that's one of the best packages out there.
Infiniti and Acura are also sold at our dealerships, and both are competitive. Basic coverage runs about 4 years/50,000 to 60,000 miles, and the powertrain is covered for 6 years/70,000 miles. Both include corrosion protection and roadside assistance.
Why the Warranty Should Factor Into Your Decision
Avoiding a repair bill is the obvious reason, but there are a few others:
- Resale value. A long factory warranty makes a used car easier to sell, even if the coverage is shorter for the second owner.
- Cost of ownership. You're less likely to pay for repairs out of pocket while you're still making loan payments.
- Build quality. A carmaker won't offer a long warranty on a car it expects to have problems.
- Budgeting. You know what's covered and for how long, so there are fewer surprises.
The average new car now costs close to $49,000, and the warranty is one of the cheapest ways to protect that money, since it's already included in the price.
Longest Warranties: Side by Side
| Brand | Basic Warranty | Powertrain Warranty | Notable Perk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai | 5 yrs/60,000 mi | 10 yrs/100,000 mi | Hybrid/EV battery coverage |
| Kia | 5 yrs/60,000 mi | 10 yrs/100,000 mi | 5 yrs unlimited-mile roadside assistance |
| Lexus | 4 yrs/50,000 mi | 6 yrs/70,000 mi | 8-yr/100,000-mi hybrid component coverage |
| Infiniti | 4 yrs/60,000 mi | 6 yrs/70,000 mi | 7-yr unlimited-mile rust protection |
| Acura | 4 yrs/50,000 mi | 6 yrs/70,000 mi | Extended Acura Care options available |