A vehicle warranty is a standard part of any new or certified pre-owned vehicle purchase and can present incredible opportunities for cost savings and preventative maintenance guidelines for your fleet. 

 

To ensure the safety and longevity of your fleet, our car care professionals share how to properly adhere to vehicle maintenance warranties:  

 

What is a Typical Warranty? 

 

In the most basic terms, a warranty is a commitment from the manufacturer of your fleet vehicles that they will make any necessary repairs or replacements up to a certain time limit or mileage under the terms outlined in the warranty.  

 

Each warranty illustrates the original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) recommendations for the maintenance and upkeep of your fleet vehicle. This is key to not only finding potential warranty claims but extending the life of your fleet assets.  

 

 

Generally, a fleet vehicle such as a Ford F-150 or Mercedes Benz Sprinter has a 3-year 36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year 100,000 powertrain warranty. Larger vehicles such as semi-trucks or large equipment may have different warranty limits. 

 

 

What’s In My Car’s Warranty? 

 

Knowing what warranty your vehicles have and how to enforce them can help save you significant money on unforeseen repairs on your fleet and any manufacturer defects that may occur.  

 

Most basic warranties will cover the big things, like engines, transmissions, and other high-priced parts and components. There are also small parts warranties that are available to help you save on smaller defects or breakdowns that can build up over time.  

 

If you don’t know the details of your current warranty, you can search from them in the car history reports online using your vehicle’s VIN or by contacting the dealership that you purchased your fleet vehicle from.  

 

 

Extended Warranties  

 

If you want to further cover your fleet vehicles outside of a standard warranty, you can purchase extended warranties through your dealership at the time of purchase, or through third-party insurers after the purchase.  

 

There are a few situations where it might be wise to purchase an extended warranty including: 

 

• Small Fleets: When you are managing a smaller fleet, keeping your vehicles up and running with the least financial risk is vital to staying efficient.  

 

• Extending Vehicle Lifespan: While standard warranties span about three years, you might want to purchase an extended warranty if you want to avoid replacement for a longer time span and extend the life of your fleet.  

 

• New and Unproven Technology: If your fleet is full of hybrid or all-electric vehicles, it’s always wise to have additional coverage for unknown or irregular repairs that aren’t always easy to estimate.  

 

 

Electric fleet? Check out this Electric Vehicle Maintenance Guide! 

 

 

Whether your fleet is big or small, BAM can develop a fleet management program to fit your needs and goals. Think of us as your strategic partner that is focused on helping you achieve higher profits and informed decisions about your fleet’s preventative maintenance! Call us today—813.850.0022! 

 

Why Are Warranties Important?  

 

Bottom line—warranties can save you money.  

 

When something breaks down or goes wrong with a vehicle that is considered warrantable, the repair or replacement is taken care of at the manufacturer’s expense, keeping more money in your business.  

 

Warranties can also bolster your preventative maintenance efforts for your fleet. OEM guidelines are structured to schedule maintenance in a way that best sustains and extends the lifespan of a vehicle. Using those guidelines to structure your maintenance timelines around gives each fleet vehicle exactly what it needs to keep running at peak efficiency.  

 

While inspections and fleet maintenance schedules are helpful, manufacturer defects and malfunctions happen regardless of your timeline or schedule. Warranties will cover these situations that even the best fleet management can’t prevent.  

 

Leverage OEM Fleet Maintenance Schedules 

 

It is crucial to remember that to capitalize on the protection of a warranty you must follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and maintenance recommendations to the letter.  

 

That means that details such as the mileage at the time of service, or the location that maintenance was performed at will make a huge difference in the vehicle manufacturer’s decision to honor the warranty.  

 

Keeping track of all the requirements and maintenance for each vehicle in your fleet can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be! Call on Butler Automotive Management to create a fleet management program that will take the guesswork out of fleet maintenance scheduling! 

 

Tampa Bay Fleet Management  

 

With a fleet management system in place, fleet managers can monitor each vehicle’s warranty requirements and automate preventative maintenance schedules based on OEM recommendations. Techs can be directly notified when service on a particular fleet vehicle is due, and maintenance can be scheduled around the availability of the vehicle to avoid excessive downtime.  

 

From preventative vehicle maintenance to driver analytics, and route tracking or trip logs, the right fleet management program will ensure the longevity of your fleet vehicles and get you back out on the road faster when maintenance is required. Contact Butler Automotive Management for a fleet management consultation today—813.850.0022!