What Do You Get with a Ford Warranty? | Autance

What IS Included

Ford has a factory warranty that is made up of a bumper-to-bumper warranty, powertrain warranty, a few extra perks, and term lengths that match most other automakers today. 

Bumper-to-Bumper

The main portion of the Ford factory warranty comes in the form of its bumper-to-bumper, comprehensive coverage. This is a catch-almost-everything type of warranty, meaning it covers almost all of the parts on a vehicle. The only things left out are wear items (i.e. brake pads) that are designed or expected to degrade over time.

The warranty lasts a full three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. It’s the shortest warranty, but the coverage lasts long enough to address most factory issues that are likely to come up after the vehicle has been on the road. 

Powertrain

Ford includes a traditional powertrain warranty that lasts for five years or 60,000 miles, once again, whichever comes first. The idea of this warranty is to cover the most important components of a vehicle instead of almost everything. This means major parts and systems, like the engine, transmission, and drivetrain, are all covered.

Since this warranty lasts longer than the comprehensive warranty, all new Ford vehicles will reach a point where the powertrain warranty is the only coverage remaining. At this point, any factory defects can be expensive to address, meaning the powertrain warranty can save a lot of money during this time. 

Other

Ford offers a couple basic perks that match what other automakers tend to include in their factory coverage. For additional warranty coverages, for example, there’s an anti-perforation warranty that lasts for five years, unlimited miles. The company also has a five-year, 100,000-mile diesel engine warranty for its line of diesel trucks. 

There is a 5-year or 60,000-mile roadside assistance program that includes basic towing, battery jump start, flat tire change (spare tire), and fuel delivery services. This program is designed to get the vehicle and its owner off of the road and to a nearby Ford dealership or repair facility quickly when factory defects cause issues on the road. 

What’s NOT Included

As a standard factory warranty, the Ford dealer coverage has some standard limitations that will reduce the money-saving value you should expect. 

Incidental Damage

New vehicle limited warranties are meant to address factory-caused issues. If a vehicle, for example, has an issue caused by a factory defect, the warranty will most likely cover the costs of the necessary services and repairs. Anything else, however, falls outside of the warranty scope.

This excludes most common sources of damage. If the vehicle is damaged from an accident, bad weather, or vandalism, you’ll need auto repair insurance or a third-party warranty plan with extra coverage to get the repair costs covered. 

Maintenance Coverage

Maintenance costs are tricky to predict for any vehicle. On one hand, a common oil change or part replacement isn’t as expensive as extensive repairs or a restoration project. On the other hand, these small costs can quickly add up if you try to keep your vehicle on a factory-recommended maintenance schedule.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much help from the Ford factory warranty with these costs. Beyond basic adjustments, Ford doesn’t offer anything within the factory warranty that will reduce or eliminate these costs.

The Good

Although it’s a standard factory warranty, Ford’s coverage has a few standout benefits we like. The company has a good understanding of what its diverse model lineup may require from a factory warranty. For example, the inclusion of a diesel engine warranty demonstrates that the company knows the comprehensive and powertrain warranties alone may not be enough.

The basic three years or 36,000 miles of the comprehensive warranty is also long enough to address most factory defects. Such defects tend to come up during the first couple years of a vehicle operation. If anything lingers, the powertrain warranty may still catch the most important issues up to the five-year or 60,000-mile marks. 

The Bad

Unfortunately, Ford’s warranty is a basic one. It’s important to know this before buying a Ford vehicle if you are concerned about getting the most value or peace of mind from the factory coverage. There are no major extra perks or frills that make the warranty stand out. It’s just the same warranty you’d get with most other automakers. 

There are some odd points where Ford differs from the competition in negative ways. It’s safety system warranty, for example, is limited to five years or 60,000 miles instead of being unlimited in time and/or distance. This will limit the warranty’s effectiveness for older vehicles that may start to develop issues with the safety restraints after a lot of use. 

Takeaway Value

Ford does a good job of offering the most coverage out of a basic package, but it’s still just that: a basic factory warranty you can get almost everywhere else. So, buy a new vehicle accordingly. If you want a Ford and can live with the basic warranty coverage, this could be the right choice for you. Otherwise, check out the few automakers with longer or better warranties if you want the best coverage possible.