The Perks of the Jeep Warranty | Autance

What IS Included

New vehicles from Jeep come with a fairly standard factory warranty that is common with a lot of top automakers today. You don’t get much in terms of coverage length, but the warranty does a good job of addressing issues for the amount of time it lasts. 

Bumper-to-Bumper

The primary coverage in the Jeep basic limited warranty is the bumper-to-bumper coverage that applies to almost all parts on a vehicle. This coverage is specifically meant to address most of the typical issues that can come up when a car is still new. As a result, it applies to factory defects more than other issues.

The comprehensive coverage lasts for three years or 36,000 miles. Parts included in the warranty include almost everything on a vehicle that isn’t expected to wear or degrade (not including things like tires and brake pads) over time with use.

Powertrain

The powertrain warranty is the main mechanical coverage of the factory warranty. Unlike the bumper-to-bumper warranty, the powertrain coverage doesn’t apply to everything on a vehicle. Instead, it covers the basic components and systems that keep a car running, namely the engine, transmission, drivetrain, etc.

The length of this coverage is five years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. Since the warranty lasts longer than the comprehensive coverage, this is usually the only remaining warranty left on slightly used Jeep models that are a few years past their model year.

Other

There isn’t much that Jeep includes as extras in addition to the bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranties, but a few additions are present. For example, there is a basic corrosion/perforation warranty for rust and an emission warranty to keep the vehicle within federal emission regulations.

Beyond these coverages, each Jeep vehicle is covered by a basic roadside assistance program that can pay for towing (to the nearest dealership), jump-starts, and other roadside services as well.

What’s NOT Included

As a straightforward, basic factory warranty, Jeep’s coverage leaves a lot out of the coverage that third-party extended service contracts tend to include.

Incidental Issues

There is a lot that can cause issues with a vehicle. Unfortunately, the Jeep factory warranty only covers factory defects, meaning the issue has to be caused by poor workmanship or materials for the warranty coverage to actually kick in. Essentially, the factory warranty covers mistakes made by the factory.

This excludes major issues caused by accidents and incidents like bad weather or vandalism. In these cases, the repairs needed to restore the vehicle’s operation will cost you out-of-pocket unless you have an additional extended warranty or an auto repair insurance policy that covers these types of issues.

Regular Maintenance

General wear and tear can start to plague any vehicle, even rugged Jeep models. Since regular maintenance can get expensive, many vehicle owners look to warranties to reduce or eliminate these costs. Unfortunately, the factory warranty Jeep offers doesn’t address routine maintenance, even when it’s factory-recommended.

There is a small adjustment period where basic services like wheel alignments are covered, but there’s nothing that covers the more routine services to keep a vehicle running. That means that you’ll be paying out-of-pocket for periodic services, like oil changes, unless you do them yourself.

The Good

The best thing about Jeep’s factory warranty is that it doesn’t stand out in any negative ways. This doesn’t seem like a big appeal at first, but the lack of unexpected differences is important when comparing a factory warranty to other automakers’ offerings. 

Jeep has a standard factory warranty that matches most other competitors in terms of scope and length. The three-year term length is short, but it isn’t shorter than the industry standard, keeping the company competitive with other automakers. This means you can look at Jeep models without sacrificing the coverage you’d get from the competition as well.

The other big draw to the Jeep warranty is the amount of modification the company allows vehicle owners to make. The company limits the number of things that can void the warranty. So, you can use non-Chrysler parts and other accessories made by Jeep, Dodge, Ram, or Fiat Chrysler without affecting the warranty coverage for extra peace of mind, especially while going off-road.

The Bad

Unfortunately, Jeep’s standard approach to its factory warranty doesn’t offer much compared to a few automakers that actually offer longer or more expansive warranties. The three-year length is too short to last the entire time most vehicles experience a factory defect. Four or five years is generally required to get adequate coverage.

There are also some differences in the specific coverage individual parts get from the Mopar vehicle protection that will affect the cost of all part replacements. Powertrain components, like gaskets/seals and front/rear-wheel-drive components, for example, have a different product warranty from the comprehensive coverage. Any replacement, however, should use genuine Mopar parts.

Takeaway Value

You don’t get much in terms of long terms or extra perks with the Jeep warranty, but it does include enough of the basics to get some value if you want to own a new Jeep vehicle. You just may find that you’re more likely to need or want an extended warranty once the short factory warranty expires.