Cars Fail After Warranty Dips

The company analysed 50 000 live policies and found that the average failure rate on a car with 100 000km on the odometer was 50.7%.
According to the specialist, the average cost to repair faults on cars just above 100 000km is about R6500 but can run into thousands in parts and labour. It says axle and suspension issues are most common, responsible for almost a quarter of all issues, followed by electrical components and systems, which account for 19.6%.
WEAR AND TEAR
These days, automakers such as Hyundai, Kia and Isuzu have introduced longer warranties but most still provide a standard three year cover on new cars, while all manufacturer policies are subject to mileage limitations – typically 100 000km.
Duncan McClure Fisher, Warranty Direct MD said: “Even with the much-improved reliability of modern cars, mileage will take its toll on any vehicle and parts will naturally wear out.
“You shouldn’t expect a new car to break down in its first three years but there is a reason that manufacturers, for the most part, limit their warranties to three years or 100 000km.
“Even those manufacturers offering five or seven-year policies will include loopholes in the small print that mean your level of cover takes a dip once you hit a certain age or mileage.”
Warranty Direct says Chrysler owners pay the biggest maintenance bills and found the average repair cost for problems occurring from 100 000km was equivalent to Rs24700, compared with the average across all manufacturers of Rs20000. Fiat was the cheapest at about Rs11700 on average per repair in the UK.