A Detailed Look at the Dodge Warranty | Autance

What IS Included

The main Dodge warranty is a mix of bumper-to-bumper, powertrain, and roadside assistance warranty coverages that are meant to keep the vehicle protected as soon as it rolls off the dealership lot.

Bumper-to-Bumper

Also known as a comprehensive warranty, the bumper-to-bumper coverage under the Dodge warranty lasts three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. This warranty is the main portion of the whole Dodge coverage, meaning it covers the most parts. In fact, nearly everything on a new vehicle, from the navigation system to the water pumps, is included in one form or another.

The internal parts covered by this warranty can often be replaced by the Mopar vehicle protection that uses genuine Mopar part replacements. As a result, this is the warranty that will apply the most when it comes to saving money on potential costly repairs to address minor or major factory defects. 

Powertrain

The powertrain limited warranty is the additional component to Dodge’s coverage that includes drive-system-specific components. Ranging from the engine to the drivetrain, specific components include things like torque converters, seals, gaskets, and nearly anything else that may develop an issue if it wasn’t properly made or installed at the factory. 

The powertrain warranty lasts five years or 60,000 miles, meaning it will be around longer than the comprehensive warranty by a couple of years and a few thousand miles. The extra length is meant to offer some extra peace of mind before you need to start looking for an extended service contract since the most important components remain covered as the vehicle ages.

Extras

As a factory warranty, the Dodge coverage doesn’t offer too much in terms of extra perks. The main addition is the roadside assistance that lasts for five years or 60,000 miles, matching the powertrain coverage length. This is a limited program that offers basic towing and roadside assistance services, like jump-starts and flat tire changes (using the vehicle’s spare tire), to get you out of a bind while on the road. 

What’s NOT Included

The “limited” part of a limited factory warranty comes in the form of what the warranty does not cover. Here, the Dodge coverage has a few notable limitations you need to know about.

Maintenance Coverage

While most people assume that the warranty is a good way to save some money on basic maintenance services all Dodge vehicles require, this is an inaccurate assumption. In fact, the warranty offers almost nothing that can help with basic maintenance fees, leaving you to pay out-of-pocket or do some of the work yourself if you are inclined. 

Beyond this, the warranty also doesn’t include coverage for wear items, like brake pads, that will need to be replaced more frequently than other components. So, be prepared to pay to keep your vehicle running as it ages.

Incidental Damage

The Dodge warranty is helpful when issues are caused by factory defects, but there isn’t much help for incidental damage like accidents, vandalism, and normal wear and tear. Basically, the warranty is meant to protect you from the mistakes caused by the factory. If the issue is out of the automaker’s control, however, there isn’t much the warranty will cover to get your vehicle back on the road. 

The Good

Since the Dodge coverage is structured just like any other factory warranty, there isn’t a lot to like outside of the standard coverage it offers. So, the real benefits of the warranty come from the comprehensive and powertrain coverages. From the complex all-, rear-, and front-wheel-drive components to cracks in a cylinder block, the overall warranty will keep a vehicle running and costs down under the right conditions.

You may also get some use out of the roadside assistance as well. When your new Dodge vehicle starts to show some signs of a factory defect plaguing the exhaust manifolds or supercharger, or even just the basic rear-wheel drive of your new daily commuter, the assistance program will kick in and keep you out of a potential bind far from home. 

The Bad

The main complaint we have with the Dodge coverage is the one we have with any limited warranty coverage: the “limited” part. Factory warranties, because they apply only to factory defects, aren’t useful enough to really save a vehicle owner money. Between the lack of maintenance coverage and incidental damage, you will still be paying for the cost of all part replacements needed due to issues neither you nor the automaker can control.

Takeaway Value

The Dodge factory warranty is a basic factory warranty that gets the job done for as long as it lasts. Since it’s standard on all current model year Dodge vehicles, there isn’t much of a choice whether to have it or not. With that said, it still offers some potential money-saving value under the right conditions.