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Auto repair is a lot like going to the dentist. No one really enjoys doing it and many put it off until the last possible moment. There are several reasons for this. The two primary ones are cost and inconvenience. Doing some research prior to authorizing a repair may save you one or both.

In the early automotive business manufacturers generally offered a bumper to bumper warranty for a limited amount of time and/or mileage, whichever came first. As competition heated up, warranties became another area in which the auto makers would try to one up each other to gain new customers. The past two years has seen this phenomenon taken to new levels. First Ford announced their 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty beginning with model year 2007. Not to be outdone, General Motors announced a 5 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty and anted up free roadside assistance and courtesy transportation (read: loaner). Like an overconfident poker player, Chrysler soon released a limited lifetime powertrain warranty.

Now this is where the research comes in. These three recently announced programs are all powertrain warranties which traditionally meant coverage for the engine and transmission only. However each manufacturer interprets this differently. For example, Ford and GM both consider the fuel pump a covered powertrain component while Chrysler does not. Chrysler will replace a water pump under powertrain while the others won't. All the manufacturers still offer bumper to bumper warranties which cover most parts of the vehicle but do limit coverage when it comes to wear items such as brakes, belts, and hoses. Additionally the federal government mandates that all vehicles sold in the U.S. warranty the catalytic converter and the vehicle's Powertrain Control Module (on-board computer) for 8 years/80,000 miles. As you can see, this can become complicated and many dealer service employees are still struggling to learn what is covered.

Something that happened to a friend of mine provides a helpful example. He owns a 2007 Ford Five Hundred that has approximately 40,000 miles on the clock. When it died on him recently, he had it towed to a local independent repair facility. They phoned him later in the day with an estimate to replace the fuel pump for $500 plus the tow. Fortunately for him, he called me before agreeing to the repair. I did some research and found that the pump was covered under the extended powertrain warranty. Additionally, Ford provided a tow from the repair facility to the nearest dealer. My friend had to pay for the initial tow and for the independent's diagnostic time, but he still saved about $300.

The moral of the story is that you should do a little research and maybe make a couple of phone calls before you make your next repair decision. All auto makers do things a little differently so some light reading or web surfing may be necessary. All that we have discussed here are domestic manufacturers. The foreign car makers have their differences as well. Another important point is that some of these warranty features may be transferable to different owners, but again some research may be necessary. Finally, common sense also applies. If you think Dodge will replace the engine in your Ram at 90,000 miles without some documentation that you have regularly changed the oil, then you are in for a great disappointment. So remember, a little homework could save you a lot of dollars and headaches.

Learn more about this author, Tim Howard.
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