When you begin looking for your new car, you need to keep in mind the warranty offers available.  A car is a manufactured product and you as a consumer have a right to a reasonable assurance on the quality of workmanship.  Every car manufacturer gives you an initial warranty covering a given period of time or mileage.

New car warranty has two types of coverage. In bumper-to-bumper, all products that wear out on a consistant basis like the brakes or tires are ignored while the engine and drive train coverage is quite comprehensive.  In any case, you should balance cost as well as coverage.

Factory warranties are definitely more expensive but your car would get the professional attention from factory-trained technicians. That is a big plus for new cars.  But, the only catch here could be the low or limited coverage and extensive exclusion clauses.  Most manufacturers like to maintain exclusivity in handling warranty repairs in order to give good service.

Third-party warranties are cheaper but have a lot of procedural hassles. Moreover, many require you to pay upfront and claim reimbursement.  Also, you run the risk of losing coverage if the service provider goes out of business.

Therefore, it pays to read about the reliability of the insurance company before entering into a warranty agreement. Pay special attention to the exclusion clauses as well as the specific service requirements.

Sometimes “David” can win against a big automotive Goliath. And in this case , the little guy ought to have won. It involves a back lit console problem with a Honda. In the course of trying to get the console replaced, which had just gone past it’s new car warranty coverage, the consumer discovered that Honda had been aware of the problem but hadn’t issued a recall. Using the simple logic that a manufacturer ought to own up to known defects, our consumer made a couple of exasperating attempts to get his console before almost giving up. Then he gave it one last try, and lo and behold, Goliath extended his warranty.

“Last Sumer the backlight on the center console of my car went out…the unit was operational, you just couldn’t see anything unless you pointed a light to it. Now the car was just out of warranty, but this didn’t ( for many technical reasons) seem right…I’ve had minor issue before but to have only the backlight go out is a pushing it. .. So I started goggling the problem… turns out there was a mass occurrence of it in the US, but I couldn’t find any thing here in the true north. So I called my Dealer…eh my other dealer. He explained that they weren’t notified of a recall on the center console and the replacement would be 700+ and the labor & taxes…so 1300 total. Remember this is for a backlight… Now I decided to call Honda Canada to explain my case. What I heard next blew me away; the woman I spoke to said “Yes Sir we’re aware of the fault in the center consoles, however there is no plan to issue a recall”. She added that since My family and I have had a history with Honda she was willing to allow me to buy the unit at a reduced price of 200$…So I took a page from David’s book and resorted to using a sling shot. Mine was a simple argument that goes in a straight line….”My device is defective and Honda is aware of the fault and they should fix it….”… I also fired a shot at the Dealers in general…how they seem interested in only taking the shortest approach to fixing an issue and then if the issue crops up again out of warranty the customer is up a creek…Today after a hiatus on the issue I had decided to Call Honda Canada one last time, one last ditch effort to get them to reconsider…then I got a call From FB, “you’re not going to believe “ she said. “You got a letter from Honda Canada; your warranty on the center console has been extended”. Suddenly I heard a thunderous crash…that was the sound of Goliath crashing down.”
(Source)

If you are thinking new truck, Toyota is doing their best to make sure that you think Tundra.

“If it looks like the pickup truck wars are on, and one automaker from Japan is not declaring “Mission Accomplished”. Within the span of a couple months, the new “game-changing” Tundra was launched, Toyota then placed cash on the hood of the new truck, the guys and girls over at Nissan canceled their HD version of the Titan, and now more cash is needed to move Tundras.

The newest incentive calls for an additional $1,000 towards the trade-in of a regular or extended cab Tundra. The Crew Max still has zero incentives on it, but the base Tundra now carries up to $3,000 in cash on the hood, depending on the model and what region in which it’s purchased, which is very close to the $3,500 in incentives that you can get with a four year-old F-150. Special financing is also available on the Tundra for customers with Tier 1 or Tier 2 credit ratings.”
(Source)

Here is the basic 2007 Tundra new car warranty.

Basic: 3 yr. / 36,000 mi.

Drivetrain: 5 yr. / 60,000 mi.

Rust: 5 yr. / Unlimited mi.

Some things bear repeating. When examining various used car and new car warranties, check to see if the business soliciting your trade is listed with the Better Business Bureau.

A recent tactic employed by a warranty company involved soliciting business by incorrectly informing owners through the mail that their current factory warranty was about to expire and that the letter represented their “final” opportunity to renew.

The company has been the recipient of many complaints beside their use of scare tactics, apparently failing to provide refunds and poor service.

“The Bureau processed a total of 57 complaints about this company in the last 36 months. Of the total of 57 complaints closed during that period, 48 were closed in the last year.

The BBB has challenged some advertised claims with this company concerning the mail solicitation. The solicitation states that the consumer’s vehicle factory warranty had expired, that this was their final notice to renew their warranty coverage, and that if he or she would purchase warranty on their first call, they would receive a 20% discount.

The BBB brought to the firm’s attention that an ad as a whole may be misleading although every sentence separately considered is literally true, and that misrepresentation may result not only from direct statements but by omitting or obscuring a material fact. The firm failed to respond to the BBB’s request to modify, cease, or substantiate the advertisement.”
(Source)

It simply pays to do your home work,using the internet to comfortably shop for all available warranty options.

Hyundai faces grave challenges even as they seek to become the world’s fifth largest car maker. Their chairman, Chung Mong Koo, privy to every decision made at Hyundai, faces a year long appeal and possible jail time stemming from charges of embezzlement.

Chung was pivotal to bringing Hyundai from being the “butt of jokes” to standing as a viable competitor to Toyota, hoping to soon introduce  Hyundai’s  new mystery luxury brand, the BH, to challenge Toyota’s Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and Nissan Motor Co.’s Infiniti. Unfortunately Chou’s legal crisis has delayed that.

“Delays in such symbolic and significant projects as the BH are very negative for the company, especially when the head of company’s legal problems caused them,” says Hyun Hye Jung, an analyst at Woori Credit Suisse Asset Management Co. in Seoul, which manages $5.7 billion, including Hyundai Motor shares. “It’s such a critical period to become a real global player and further delays will hamper its growth.”

Chung, the son of Hyundai founder Chung Ju Yung, took office in December 1998 amid the Asian financial crisis. He immediately introduced a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty on vehicles sold in the U.S. to counter a sales slump.

Sales in the U.S. began rising the next year and increased fivefold from 1998 through 2005. The carmaker also improved the quality of its vehicles, ranking third among brands last year in J.D. Power & Associates’ annual study.”
(source)

Once you put a new battery in your car you generally are good to go for three to five years. Apparently, with all of the demands that consumers are now putting on their car batteries,they now are being replaced at a much faster rate.

‘A steady increase in the number of electrical accessories in the average car is shortening battery life. As vehicles are now being designed to operate more systems, they still use the same basic type of 12-volt battery that has been in use for decades.

In the past decade or so cars have evolved from basic transportation to something resembling dens, kitchens and offices on wheels, with everything from DVD screens, subwoofer sound systems and mood lighting to built-in refrigerators and cup holders that heat coffee and cool soft drinks. The automotive aftermarket also offers an ever-growing range of gadgets that help multitasking drivers and passengers talk, eat, find their way around and get their work done on the road.

For consumers, the proliferation of onboard electronics means increased comfort, convenience, efficiency and safety in the form of computerized engine controls, tire-pressure sensors, and powerful navigation and entertainment systems. The downside: All these power-sapping accessories — coupled with vehicles’ increasingly complex networks of electronic-ignition systems, pollution-control devices, security systems and display screens — could be helping to drive up the death rate for car batteries.

Even parked cars are using more juice than they used to. It isn’t that owners are simply forgetting to turn off the headlights, or leaving their cellphones charging overnight. There are many electronic devices in today’s vehicles that continue to draw power even after the ignition is turned off.”
(Source)

It’s a sad day to see a Viper in this condition, obviously well beyond the scope of any new car warranty. The story is told in a good auto blog you might like to bookmark for future reference, goes by the name Jalopnik.
Here the proprietor of Jalopnik ponders what could have caused this wreck,and no, a high rate of speed in not the reason.

“My uncle has been bugging the hell out of me to help him find a red Viper. We end up finding him a nice 04 with only 3K miles on it. Perfect shape and not a scratch or mark on it! He brought it by Friday afternoon to show it off to me. 24 hours later I’m having dinner with my wife and my cell phone keeps ringing. Pissed off, I finally pull it out of my pocket and it’s his boss/friend telling me that I needed to rush to the hospital and my uncle just flipped his new Viper. He’s going to be fine, but his passenger / brother in law got ejected (for some reason he didn’t put his seatbelt on and he’s got broken bones all over including his pelvis. Also, there’s tire marks all over his jacket as if the car ran over him after he got thrown out). Really odd accident!
Need help here for anyone with thoughts on what could have happened. My uncle told me he just pulled out of his neighborhood and knew the car was cold so he wasn’t getting on it at all. Plus, he lives right where it happened and knows there’s a stop sign just up the road. So, speed really didn’t have much to do with this. He says he just went into second, barely rolling along at about 30-40 mph and he hears a LOUD bang or pop! His first instinct was that he got rearended somehow, said that’s what it felt like. The next thing he knows, the steering is gone and the car veers off the road, across a driveway and then BAM, he’s upside down, stuck in the mud!”
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China will test America’s small car market with the introduction of it’s Chery A1 model, to be introduced via Chrysler Daimler. It sells at the equivalent of 5000 US in China.

“China’s Chery Automobile Co. Ltd will present its “Chery A1” model, the first collaboration with Chrysler Group under the U.S.-German carmaker DaimlerChrysler, in April at the auto exhibition in Shanghai, according to an announcement of Chery.

The “Chery A1” will be the first of at least six small vehicle models to be manufactured by Chery with the cooperation of Chrysler under their collaborative production plan for small vehicles.

The Chery A1 is an updated subcompact model of the Chery QQ, known as the “Chinese Beetle”, with a 1.3-litre petrol engine designed to run at a top speed of 156 km/h. The new car, aimed at younger customers, is expected to sell for 40,000 to 65,000 yuan (5,000 to 8,125 U.S. dollars) on the Chinese market.

The Chrysler Group previously reached an agreement with Chery to distribute Chery-made small vehicles internationally to tap the small vehicle sector in the U.S. more quickly with less capital spending.

The new model will probably be sold under the Chrysler brand, Dodge, in the North America market, Shanghai Securities News reported.

Established in east China’s Anhui Province in 1997, Chery is one of the few Chinese companies that successfully produce their own models rather than manufacturing foreign brands under licence.

The company was the country’s seventh largest auto maker and fourth largest producer of sedans in 2006. It exported over 50,000 vehicles last year, up 178 percent over the pervious year.”
(source)

You have always wanted a Jeep. You have investigated new car warranties and Jeep satisfies your requirements there. But you are not quite sure which style or model Jeep to choose.
MSN/ Autos offers the following Consumer Report’s review of the 2007 Wrangler Sahara

Highs: Off-road ability.
Lows: Ride, handling, braking, noise, fuel economy, fit and finish, visibility, front-seat comfort, access.

“The redesigned Wrangler is more civilized but makes many compromises for its off-road capability. The ride, handling, and powertrain are all improved, but the Wrangler still falls short when driven on-road. Handling is compromised by vague steering and low cornering limits. The ride is steady but stiff. The 3.8-liter V6 engine lacks punch and delivers dismal fuel economy. Improvements like the available four-door body style, five-passenger capacity, up-to-date safety features, and more creature comforts make living with this Wrangler more palatable than ever. Off-road capability remains extremely impressive.”

Consumer Reports Bottom Line Price
The Consumer Reports Bottom Line Price is the dealer invoice minus any holdbacks, national dealer incentives, and customer rebates.
Bottom Line Price Range: $16,866 – $25,438

You have car insurance, your Volvo is protected by an excellent new car warranty, and if a group of male activists have anything to do with it, your male image as a Volvo driver will be protected too.

“In what appears to be a first, a male activist group is petitioning Volvo not to choose Arnold Worldwide of Boston as its new global agency of record, claiming that the shop has created ads for other clients that denigrate fathers.

National newspaper columnist and talk-show host Glenn Sacks is behind the push that started Tuesday, Feb. 27. His Web site, glennsacks.com, has a form letter to Volvo urging the Ford Motor Co.-owned brand “not to award the contract to Arnold Worldwide and instead award it to one of the other agencies, preferably Euro RSCG.”

The Web site lists names and contact information for Volvo officials in the United States and Sweden.

Sacks told Advertising Age on Wednesday, Feb. 28, tha 1,000-plus e-mails and faxes on the matter were sent to Volvo in the previous 24 hours. Other male groups, including HusbandsandFathers.org and Fathers and Families, are supporting the effort.

Sacks said “a lot of us in the fathers’ movement are upset” that dads are portrayed in advertising as “idiots, clowns,” while “the wife is always right.”

His site criticizes Arnold’s purported anti-father work for Fidelity — for example, a spot showing a man going to great lengths to parallel park in an empty parking lot — while praising a TV ad that Euro RSCG did for Volvo.

Sacks discusses his 2004 blitz against Verizon on the site, claiming success for getting the telecom giant to pull a TV commercial showing a bumbling father trying to help his daughter with her homework.

Richard Smaglick, co-founder of HusbandsandFathers.com, said Verizon pulled the commercial, although he added the advertiser explained at the time the campaign had run its course.

A spokesman for Volvo Cars of North America confirmed the arrival of an undisclosed number of e-mails, faxes and a “handful of voice mails” on the matter. “All were very polite,” he said.”
continue reading at Automotive News.com