How Does GM’s Warranty Coverage Stack Up? | Autance

What IS Included

Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC all have bumper-to-bumper and powertrain coverage. Since Cadillac and Buick are luxury brands, their warranty coverage is slightly longer compared to Chevrolet and GMC. The factory warranty protects against most problems both inside and outside the vehicle.

Bumper-to-Bumper Coverage

When it comes to covering issues related to defects in material or workmanship, GM’s warranties are similar to those offered by other automakers. Buick and Cadillac’s bumper-to-bumper limited warranties cover repairs for up to four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. GMC and Chevy vehicles are warrantied for three years or 36,000 miles, which is the industry standard.

Repairs are carried out with either new, remanufactured, or refurbished parts. If a breakdown is related to a factory defect, the automaker covers the cost of towing to the nearest authorized dealership. In addition, warranty repairs have no deductible, and the warranty is automatically transferred to a new owner.

Powertrain Coverage

Buick and Cadillac’s powertrain warranty protects vehicles for six years or 70,000 miles, while Chevy and GMC’s powertrain coverage lasts five years or 60,000 miles. The exception is Chevy’s 2500 and 3500 series heavy-duty pickups with 6.6L Duramax turbo-diesel engines, which are covered for five years or 100,000 miles.

The powertrain warranties cover issues related to the engine, transmission, and drive system. This includes internal parts; oil pumps; the torque converter; sensors; and the front-, rear-, or all-wheel-drive system. GM’s powertrain warranties are a bit shorter compared to some automakers, who often provide as much as 10 years of coverage.

Extra Coverage

If you have a GM vehicle, you get 24-hour roadside assistance through the factory warranty. Again, because Cadillac and Buick are luxury brands, the coverage is slightly longer (six years/70,000 miles) compared to Chevy and GMC (five years/60,000 miles.) Roadside assistance includes towing and help with flat tires, jump starts, etc.

All four brands also have corrosion protection in case a vehicle’s body and sheet metal prematurely rust or corrode. Length of coverage varies between brands: Cadillac is four years/50,000 miles, while Buick, Chevy and GMC coverage is three years/36,000 miles. There are even longer coverage periods if a hole rusts through the metal.

All GM vehicle owners also have access to the automaker’s courtesy transportation program. Cadillac owners can take advantage of it for five years or 100,000 miles, while GMC owners have it for five years or 60,000 miles.

In addition, 2020 GM vehicles come with one free service visit, which includes an oil change, tire rotation, and vehicle inspection. It is only available within the first year of purchase or before 12,000 miles, whichever comes first.

What’s NOT Included

Damages caused to a vehicle by environmental factors, alterations/modifications, contaminated or poor-quality fuel, or improper use are not covered by GM. Also, the automaker will not cover damage caused by a Chevy or GMC truck’s bed liner, which can move and commonly mark up the finish of the truck bed. 

The Good

All four GM brands have limited warranties that are nearly all-inclusive, which provides peace of mind should an unexpected issue occur on a new vehicle. Cadillac and Buick’s factory warranties are slightly better than those offered by Chevrolet and GMC because they are longer in duration.

Another advantage is that all warranties are transferable to a new owner. This can increase the resale value of your vehicle should you sell it within a few years of purchase. In addition, all new Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC vehicles are protected with roadside assistance, and the vehicle’s first maintenance visit is covered.

The Bad

GM, like other automakers, has some restrictions when it comes to its factory warranties. Even though they are fairly comprehensive, they don’t cover certain scenarios, including damage from environmental factors, modifications, vehicle misuse, etc.

Even though Buick and Cadillac’s warranties have longer coverage periods than average, they’re not the best in the industry. As for GMC and Chevrolet, their coverage is among the shortest in duration compared to other automakers.

Takeaway Value

Buick and Cadillac’s factory warranties provide more protection than Chevrolet and GMC, which makes sense since they are more expensive luxury brands; you get what you pay for. Overall, most factory defects appear within the first few years of a vehicle’s service life, so all of GM’s warranties should provide adequate protection if your car, truck, or SUV experiences a problem.