Car aftersales plans: what you need to know

Woman picking up new car from lot

Woman picking up new car from lot

Published Jan 7, 2016

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Johannesburg - According to a recent survey, most South African drivers have little to no understanding of what service, maintenance and warranty plans their cars have, and also what the differences are between the three.

The poll, conducted by MotorHappy, a provider of aftermarket motoring plans owned by the Imperial Group, revealed that 85 percent of the 900 motorists surveyed rate their understanding of plans as two out of ten, and 38 percent know nothing at all about which plan they have. Around half don’t know what their plans include, 62 percent are unsure of the start and end dates of plans, and 4 percent admitted to having zero understanding of any of it.

While there are major differences between service, maintenance and warranty plans, almost every new car sold in our market comes with some sort of aftersales backup. The durations and coverage of these plans can differ greatly between brands, so it’s impossible to give every car owner a detailed explanation of exactly what’s covered and what’s not, but here is a simple breakdown of the three types of common aftersales plans.

 

SERVICE PLAN

This looks after the day-to-day running of your car, and service procedures which must be performed to keep mechanical components running properly. Most cover basic service items like oil, air and fuel filters, as well as spark plugs and fluid top ups. Some service plans also cover cam belt replacements. Vehicle services are scheduled over regular time (or distance) increments, and while some dealerships will inform owners of upcoming windows, it’s ultimately up to you to make the scheduled workshop visit on time. Missing a scheduled service will likely void the plan.

 

MAINTENANCE PLAN

This is a more comprehensive version of a service plan which covers additional wear and tear items such as brake pads, wiper blades, shock absorbers and sometimes clutches on manual gearbox vehicles. Maintenance plans also work on time and distance intervals, and can also be voided if owners miss scheduled services. Both service and maintenance plans require work to be performed by approved dealerships or workshops only, so even if your car is serviced on time by a private mechanic the vehicle manufacturer can still choose to void the plan.

 

WARRANTY

All new cars come with a warranty that covers unexpected mechanical or electrical failures. In theory, a car which is serviced or maintained within specific requirements shouldn’t suffer any mechanical failures, but if items like gearboxes, wheel bearings or water pumps break inside warranty periods they’ll be covered free of charge. Warranties do not cover abuse, so torn upholstery, body damage and obvious evidence of misuse will be refused.

 

Stick to the required service schedules and your car should live a long and happy life. And, if you want to keep the benefits offered by service, maintenance and warranty plans alive after the factory arrangements have expired, there are several aftermarket providers available.

Some trusted companies include MotorHappy, Motorite, Hollard and Liquidcapital.

Star Motoring

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