GM Increases Warranty To 100,000 Miles

Sept. 1, 2006
General Motors on Sept. 6 announced that it has improved its warranty with coverage up to 100,000 miles or five years across its entire 2007 car and light-duty truck lineup in the United States and Canada. GM said its 100,000-mile warranty coverage is a fully transferable five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty with no deductible. GM further noted that it would expand its roadside assistance

General Motors on Sept. 6 announced that it has improved its warranty with coverage up to 100,000 miles or five years across its entire 2007 car and light-duty truck lineup in the United States and Canada.

GM said its 100,000-mile warranty coverage is a fully transferable five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty with no deductible. GM further noted that it would expand its roadside assistance and courtesy transportation programs to match the powertrain warranty term.

Owners of fleet and commercial vehicles should note some important points in the announcement, GM told CONTRACTOR. Because of the constant use of commercial vehicles, it is common for owners to exceed the warranty mileage limit on vehicles before the time limit. This new program extends the mileage limit to 100,000 miles.

In addition, light-duty vehicles sold to small businesses, commercial fleets and rental companies are included, with the exception of limousine, hearse and livery vehicles, which have warranties specific to these vehicles and their applications.

Medium-duty trucks are not included due to the variety of warranty options specific to engine, powertrain and chassis. These options are often customized to specific applications providing medium-duty buyers with a wide choice of coverage, GM said.

"We've been telling everyone how strong GM's cars and trucks are in terms of value, design, quality and durability. Now we're going to back it up," Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said in the announcement. "This new warranty, combined with GM's outstanding quality, competitive pricing, relevant technologies and a strong new lineup of cars and trucks, provides motorists with an unprecedented level of value and peace of mind.

"This latest step in our North America turnaround plan reflects the confidence we have in the quality of our cars and trucks. It's the result of years of hard work by our employees, suppliers and dealers. It's something that motorists want and deserve. For those who haven't driven a GM car or truck in a while, this is our way of saying, 'Come on back and see what we've done.'"

The no-deductible, fully transferable limited powertrain warranty covers more than 900 components related to the engine, transmission, transfer case and final drive assemblies on all 2007 model-year Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Hummer, Saturn, Saab and Cadillac cars and light-duty trucks sold in the United States and Canada. GM will extend the existing roadside assistance plan to 100,000 miles or five years and will provide courtesy transportation for a covered warranty repair. The new warranty will apply retroactively to 2007 GM cars and trucks already sold.

For non-powertrain components, GM's Bumper-to-Bumper New Vehicle Limited Warranty remains in effect: four years or 50,000 miles for Buicks, Cadillacs, Hummers and Saabs, and three years or 36,000 miles for Chevrolets, GMCs, Pontiacs and Saturns.

GM said that the new package is an important part of its sales and marketing strategy, which is focusing consumers on the inherent value of its cars and trucks. Higher quality vehicles, reduced incentives and lower daily rental fleet sales are helping increase the residual value of GM cars and trucks, GM said. GM added that its transaction prices have been rising, well above the industry average.

GM said it tracks vehicle quality several ways, including analyzing warranty visits and the results of 10 million customer surveys each year and studying the quality surveys of several independent organizations. GM began promoting the initiative during the NFL season opener between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Miami Dolphins. A dedicated Website (www.gm.com/warranty) provides customers with more details about the program.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Contractor, create an account today!