how to tell if a vehicle still has a balance of warranty

[r3ccOs]

dumb question...
looking at truck... truck has low KMs and within 5/100, but the auto-sales place doesn't have a service history on it...

they advertise there is a balance of factory warranty, but there is no where to reference service history, if there was a "factory claim" for anything drivetrain (well at least motor)... will it pretty much be a PFO?

[RickDaTuner]

Call the respective dealer, ask them to run the VIN, just make sure you tell them that you are verifying warranty on a used car that you would like to buy.

If one place says no, then try another, it is not unlawful to request warranty status on a vehicle.

[r3ccOs]

Originally posted by RickDaTuner
Call the respective dealer, ask them to run the VIN, just make sure you tell them that you are verifying warranty on a used car that you would like to buy.

If one place says no, then try another, it is not unlawful to request warranty status on a vehicle.

thanks Rick...

qq... you knowing how warranty coverages work.

Say something does happen with the engine, and I don't have documentation to prove it (i.e. no one kept 3rd party oil changes from mr. lube)

[RickDaTuner]

Originally posted by r3ccOs


thanks Rick...

qq... you knowing how warranty coverages work.

Say something does happen with the engine, and I don't have documentation to prove it (i.e. no one kept 3rd party oil changes from mr. lube)

If an engine failure has occurred, and there is a question of whether proper maintenance was done, then the dealer may ask for history of service in the form of receipts.
If you were doing the maintenance yourself, then oil, and filter receipts from your local parts store would work also.

It really comes down to what type of failure occurred; for instance, if an engine lost all coolant due to a fault water pump, or broken hose. then it would not be a question of maintenance, as the culprit can be easily identified.

If the engine in said car was taken apart, and it was discovered that a valve had dropped in the cylinder, then it would again not be a question of maintenance.

Issues will come to play when you have an engine that has spun a bearing, or one that has thrown a rod out the side of the block. These types of failures are a result due to lack of lubrication, or a complete loss of oil pressure.
Something that may be traced back to a faulty or incorrect oil filter, along with a general lack of maintenance. Its at this point that a dealer would deny warranty if a person could not prove a history of service.

Evan in those circumstances though, it is up to the dealer, and the manufacture whether they will provide coverage or not, and in my experience, they tend to favor putting through the work for the sake of keeping a customer.
When it comes to buying used vehicles with remaining warranty that have issues down the road, the dealer will typically be able to track the service history (if it was done at a dealer), and honor repairs.
It has also been in my experience that when a customer has an issue with a car bought outside of the dealer, they tend to be more flexible with warranty coverage, as they acknowledge that the fault of the car is not the new owners fault.
I will say that after buying a used car, its in the purchasers best interest to develop rapport with the dealer, and have service with the same location.

[88jbody]

I am a mechanic and have a car that the customer bought used with about 50,000 kms on it, it now has around 70,000kms. and it has a noise. the customer provided proof for 2 of the 3 oil changes that would have been done in that time.

we submitied the claim to the manufacturer before starting work. and they requested we remove the oil pan and valve cover gasket take a few pictures and send them in, they used these photos to see if it looks like oil changes had been done, the inside of the engine was pretty clean, no sludge and they authorized the repair.

the dealer also has a little input when submitting claims like this in a way they can say the car looks in good repair and looks well taken care of. there is no 100% that they will cover it if they have any doubt it was maintained.

At least whith what I have seen if it looks like the issue is not due to lack of maintenace then you are probably ok. but it can be denied if they think that it has not been

[r3ccOs]

thanks for the info everyone! this is great knowledge to have