VAUXHALL will no longer offer its vehicles with a lifetime/100,000 mile warranty. From January 2015 all new cars and vans will instead only be covered for 3 years or 60,000 miles.
The dramatic turnaround comes just four years after the brand launched the warranty scheme and follows the brands announcement, only days ago, that Corsa and Adam owners should not drive their cars due to a steering wheel fault.
Vauxhall’s chairman and managing director Tim Tozer has credited this to the changing ownership landscape and significant investment in new technology as key drivers for the change.
Tozer said: ‘In today’s market, 65 per cent of retail sales are supported by a finance package and within that, over 60 per cent are PCPs. This has dramatically changed ownership patterns resulting in fewer customers retaining their cars beyond three years.
‘Couple this with a €4 billion investment in high technology powertrains and state of the art new products and it no longer makes business sense to invest in 100,000 mile warranty cover. We will continue to focus our investment on providing our customers with a high quality and satisfying experience, both at dealer and company level, throughout their purchase and ownership period.’
Existing vehicles with a Lifetime Warranty will still be covered for up to 100,000 miles whilst the vehicle remains with the first owner, subject to annual validation.
Vauxhall has said that the new 3 year/60,000 mile warranty will be transferable though. They’ve sweetened the deal with AA roadside assistance in the first year and the warranty is available with cost effective extension options up to 4 and 5 years.
