Warranties

Used car warranties: what they cover and what they don't

A used car warranty can be genuine peace of mind or an expensive piece of paper — the difference is in the schedule, not the sales pitch. Dealer warranties on approved-used cars are usually the strongest; third-party policies vary enormously in what they'll actually pay for. Before you rely on any warranty, read what's excluded: wear-and-tear items, pre-existing faults, and consequential damage are the classic gaps, and they account for a large share of rejected claims.

The most common reason a legitimate claim fails is servicing. Nearly every policy requires the car to be serviced on schedule, at the specified intervals, with evidence. Miss a service — or lose the receipt — and the insurer may be entitled to refuse the claim even if the fault is unrelated. Keep every invoice from day one.

Remember too that a warranty sits on top of your legal rights, never instead of them. If you bought from a dealer, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 protects you against faults that were present at sale regardless of what any warranty says — a dealer who points you at the warranty company for a fault that appeared soon after purchase may be dodging their own legal obligation. The guides below cover claims, rejections and transfers in detail.