Which Automaker Has the Best Warranty?

Which Company Covers You the Longest?

A brand-new car can cost 30 to 50 percent more than a gently used car. For some, it’s worth it to pay more for a new car because, with that new car comes a new car warranty. If you’re going to spend that much to get a comprehensive new-car warranty, it’s worth finding the best.

Warranties are a great tool to help you budget exactly how much it will cost to own your new car. Most new-car warranties today last three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. A few last four years or 50,000 miles. Usually, they come with an additional powertrain warranty on the expensive engine, transmission, and axle systems, which also include a lot of expensive computer control systems these days.

New cars that come with free maintenance are even better. Several automakers have begun including free scheduled service with their new cars to ensure that leased models get returned in top-notch condition. We think these programs are valuable, so we gave them extra credit in our list.

To find the best factory warranty, we scoured industry websites and downloaded car warranty booklets for every automotive brand sold in America. We ranked them according to the length of the bumper-to-bumper warranty, but we also favored those with long powertrain warranties, since powertrain problems are likely to cost much more to repair than most other problems.

We also checked out the fine print, as you should too. A couple of the longest warranties in the business come with fine print that limits the value of the car when you go to resell it. Our rankings duly penalized them.

After all that research, we feel confident in naming these top 10 new car warranties.

This article covers new car warranties. If you want to learn more about the best certified pre-owned warranties, click here.

10) BMW

Comprehensive: 4 years/50,000 mi | Powertrain: 4 years/50,000 mi | Free Maintenance: 3 years/36,000 mi

Until a car has been on the road for three years or 36,000 miles, BMW pays for all maintenance. After that, you’re on your own. BMW also has one of the longer comprehensive warranties on this list, though its powertrain coverage is a bit short.

Roadside assistance lasts four years with no mileage limit, and the corrosion warranty is a generous 12 years with unlimited mileage. The batteries in BMW’s plug-in hybrids and EVs are covered for eight years or 100,000 miles.

• Read the 2018 BMW 5-Series Full Review
• See 2018 BMW 5-Series Photos
• See Luxury Midsize Cars Rankings

9) Lexus

Comprehensive: 4 years/50,000 mi | Powertrain: 6 years/70,000 mi | Free Maintenance: 1 year/10,000 mi

Lexus falls in line with most of the other luxury carmakers on this list, with a four-year/50,000-mile comprehensive warranty and a six-year/70,000-mile powertrain warranty. Hybrid components in some models are covered for eight years or 100,000 miles.

All new vehicles sold by Lexus, like the RX 350, come with four years of roadside assistance with no mileage cap. They also receive their first two maintenance visits for free in the first year of ownership.

• Read the 2018 Lexus RX 350 Full Review
• See 2018 Lexus RX 350 Photos
• See Luxury Midsize SUVs Rankings

8) Buick

Comprehensive: 4 years/50,000 mi | Powertrain: 6 years/70,000 mi | Free Maintenance: 2 years/24,000 mi

Buick’s bumper-to-bumper coverage runs four years or 50,000 miles, and you get six years or 70,000 miles on their more expensive drivetrain components. Owners get two years of factory maintenance for free, and Buick offers free courtesy transportation for the life of the powertrain warranty.

Models with the eAssist mild hybrid system have coverage on their hybrid components for eight years or 100,000 miles. Buick offers its free roadside assistance for the length of the powertrain warranty – six years or 70,000 miles.

• Read the 2018 Buick Regal Full Review
• See 2018 Buick Regal Photos
• See Midsize Cars Rankings

7) Infiniti

Comprehensive: 4 years/60,000 mi | Powertrain: 6 years/70,000 mi | Free Maintenance: None

When you buy a new Infiniti, your vehicle will have comprehensive coverage for four years or 60,000 miles, and the powertrain will be covered for six years or 70,000 miles. This carmaker’s coverage terms are a bit unusual. For instance, Infiniti’s bumper-to-bumper warranty has the same mileage limit as Jaguar’s warranty, but it expires in four years instead of five.

Infiniti does not offer free maintenance, unlike many other brands in this list. New models from this brand, like the QX80, have seven years or 70,000 miles of rust coverage, along with four years of roadside assistance with no mileage limit.

• Read the 2018 Infiniti QX80 Full Review
• See 2018 Infiniti QX80 Photos
• See Luxury Large SUVs Rankings

6) Jaguar

Comprehensive: 5 years/60,000 mi | Powertrain: 5 years/60,000 mi | Free Maintenance: 5 years/60,000 mi

Jaguar’s powertrain coverage may not be quite as long as the brands listed on the following slides, but this British carmaker does stand out for offering more free maintenance than any other car company on this list. If you buy any new Jaguar, including the F-Type, you’ll get five years or 60,000 miles of free maintenance. That matches the lengths of the comprehensive and powertrain warranties. Jaguar offers roadside assistance for the same term.

Hybrid and electric components of applicable models are covered for eight years or 100,000 miles.

• Read the 2018 Jaguar F-Type Full Review
• See 2018 Jaguar F-Type Photos
• See Luxury Sports Cars Rankings

5) Kia

Comprehensive: 5 years/60,000 mi | Powertrain: 10 years/100,000 mi | Free Maintenance: None

Kia also offers a five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, with 10 years or 100,000 miles of powertrain coverage. It also restricts its powertrain warranty coverage to original owners only. The limited warranty is transferable to the new owner, however, and it includes coverage on the powertrain for the shorter warranty term.

Other parts of Kia’s warranty lag corporate sibling Hyundai’s slightly. Roadside assistance is limited to 60,000 miles, while Hyundai has no mileage cap on its roadside assistance plan. Kia’s hybrid warranty also falls short of the one offered by Hyundai. Kia limits its hybrid warranty to 10 years or 100,000 miles on all hybrid components. Hyundai has a lifetime warranty on the hybrid battery for the original owner.

• Read the 2018 Kia Rio Full Review
• See 2018 Kia Rio Photos
• See Subcompact Cars Rankings

4) Mitsubishi

Comprehensive: 5 years/60,000 mi  | Powertrain: 10 years/100,000 mi | Free Maintenance: None

Sure, Mitsubishi doesn’t make many cars anymore, and those that they do make haven’t set any ratings charts on fire. It can even be hard to find a Mitsubishi dealership these days.

The company tries to make up for all of that with the best warranty in the business. Like several other carmakers with especially lengthy powertrain coverage, only the first owner gets the benefit of the powertrain warranty. Subsequent owners get coverage only through the comprehensive warranty.

Mitsubishi also offers free roadside assistance for five years, no matter how many miles you’ve driven. The Outlander Plug-in Hybrid has an additional 10-year/100,000-mile warranty on certain hybrid system components.

• Read the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Full Review
• See 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Photos
• See Compact SUVs Rankings

3) Hyundai

Comprehensive: 5 years/60,000 mi | Powertrain: 10 years/100,000 mi | Free Maintenance: None

The company that popularized the five-year/60,000-mile warranty and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain coverage still ranks near the top. Hyundai restricts its powertrain coverage to the original purchaser. The comprehensive car warranty is transferable to a new owner and covers the powertrain for the new owner under its shorter term.

New Hyundai vehicles, like the Elantra GT, come with five years of roadside assistance, regardless of miles. Hyundai’s hybrid and plug-in hybrid models come with a lifetime battery warranty for the first owner. Other hybrid components are covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Because of the lifetime battery warranty, Hyundai comes out ahead of a few rivals that offer similar bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranty coverage.

• Read the 2018 Hyundai Elantra Full Review
• See 2018 Hyundai Elantra Photos
• See Compact Cars Rankings

2) Genesis

Comprehensive: 5 years/60,000 mi | Powertrain: 10 years/100,000 mi | Free Maintenance: 3 years/36,000 mi

Genesis, the luxury brand owned by Hyundai, offers another of the best warranties available. The up-market brand takes a spot just ahead of its parent company thanks to the inclusion of three-years/36,000-miles of free maintenance. Hyundai doesn’t include any free maintenance for its models. When you buy a new Genesis model, such as the G90 pictured above, you’ll also get roadside assistance for three years with no mileage limits.

Like many brands with 10-year powertrain warranties, this warranty is not transferable to a new owner. The comprehensive warranty, however, does transfer when you sell the car.

• Read the 2018 Genesis G90 Full Review
• See 2018 Genesis G90 Photos
• See Luxury Large Cars Rankings

1) Volkswagen

Comprehensive: 6 years/72,000 mi | Powertrain: 6 years/72,000 mi | Free Maintenance: None

In an effort to win back consumers who lost faith in the brand following the Dieselgate scandal, Volkswagen is now offering one of the best warranties in the business. Every VW model, including the all-new Atlas, comes with a six-year/72,000-mile comprehensive warranty, which is longer than the bumper-to-bumper warranties offered by every other carmaker. Volkswagen’s powertrain and corrosion warranties also have six-year/72,000-mile limits.

If you decide to sell your Volkswagen model before the end of the car warranty, it transfers to the new owner free of charge. Unlike some of the other carmakers on this list, VW does not offer free maintenance on new models, nor does it provide roadside assistance.

• Read the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas Full Review
• See 2018 Volkswagen Atlas Photos
• See Midsize SUVs Rankings

More Shopping Tools From U.S. News & World Report

If you want to learn more about the best certified pre-owned warranties, click here. If you’d like to learn more about an extended warranty, click here.

If one of these great warranties piques your interest, head on over to our best lease deals and financing deals pages. There, we’ve compiled a list of all the best incentives manufacturers are currently offering.

Once you’re ready to buy, be sure to use the U.S. News Best Price Program, where shoppers save an average of more than $3,000 off their new car purchase.

Which Automaker Has the Best Warranty?

• 10) BMW
• 9) Lexus
• 8) Buick
• 7) Infiniti
• 6) Jaguar
• 5) Kia
• 4) Mitsubishi
• 3) Hyundai
• 2) Genesis
• 1) Volkswagen