Warranty and Roadside Assistance Coverage: What You Need to Know

All new vehicles sold in the United States come with at least two auto warranties, and many include roadside assistance coverage. In the case of hybrid and electric cars, there is additional coverage for their batteries. Here are the major types of warranties and assistance programs that you'll receive with your new car.

Basic warranty:

A basic automobile warranty covers everything except items subject to wear and tear, such as oil filters and wiper blades. Tires and batteries often have their own warranty coverage, which will be outlined in your owner's manual. The federal government requires manufacturers to cover emissions equipment for two years or 24,000 miles and eight years or 80,000 miles on certain components.

Drivetrain warranty:

A drivetrain warranty takes care of most of the parts that make the car move, such as the engine, transmission, drive axles and driveshaft. Like the basic auto warranty, a drivetrain warranty does not cover certain parts that are subject to wear and tear, such as hoses and belts. But most of the internal parts of the engine, such as the pistons and bearings (even though they are also subject to wear and tear), are covered by the drivetrain warranty. See your owner's manual or local dealer for specific coverage.

Anti-perforation, corrosion or rust warranty:

An anti-perforation, corrosion or rust warranty protects you from rust-through problems with a vehicle's sheet metal. Some automakers offer different coverage — or no coverage at all — depending on whether the corrosion occurs on the body or if the rust causes a hole or perforation in the sheet metal. We've listed the longer of the two coverages in our chart below. If rust, corrosion or perforation is a concern for you, read the vehicle warranty carefully to know what is covered.

Roadside assistance:

Most manufacturers provide a service that will rescue you if your car leaves you stranded. You're covered if you lock yourself out of the car, get a flat tire or run out of gas. (You'll get enough fuel to make it to the nearest gas station.) See your owner's manual for details or ask your dealer.

Battery warranties for hybrid and electric vehicles:

Battery warranties for conventional hybrid cars, such as the Toyota Prius, and plug-in hybrids, such as the Chevrolet Volt, are straightforward: The primary purpose of a hybrid drive system is to reduce air pollution from the gasoline engine by cutting down on the amount of fuel the car burns. And so batteries and associated equipment are considered part of the overall emissions system. Under federal emissions rules, they must be warrantied for at least eight years or 100,000 miles.

California's zero-emission vehicle regulations require even more coverage: Hybrids sold in the states covered by California's mandate must carry a minimum 10-year/150,000-mile warranty on their battery systems. As of this date, the states are Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont, according to the California Air Resources Board.

In addition to the high-voltage battery packs themselves, the hybrid warranty also covers critical elements such as battery pack cooling system components, battery control modules, the hybrid car's continuously variable automatic transmission (if equipped with one) and any high-voltage current converters. The parts lists vary by model and manufacturer. Check the owner's manual for specifics.

For pure battery-electric vehicles, there are no underlying federal or state emissions regulations. But because battery life and reliability are essential to an electric car's operation, automakers have largely adopted the standard for hybrids: eight years or 100,000 miles on batteries and associated components.

Note:

The information in the chart below applies to the most recent model year. Coverage for prior model years may vary, as described in the footnotes. Please check the owners' sections of automakers' websites for more detailed information. A dealership's service department can also verify the exact date your new vehicle warranty became active. Check with the department and ask for the "in-service" date to determine if your vehicle still has coverage.

¹ Ford styles that are equipped with diesel engines have a five-year/100,000-mile engine warranty.

² Genesis powertrain warranty is 10 years/100,000 miles for the original owner and five years/60,000 miles for subsequent owners.

³ Hyundai and Kia's 10-year powertrain warranty applies to the first owner only. Subsequent owners get coverage for five years or 60,000 miles.

⁴ Lincoln's unlimited roadside assistance applies to the first owner only. Subsequent owners will get roadside assistance coverage for the term remaining on the six-year/70,000-mile powertrain warranty.