What a Lexus Warranty Actually Offers | Autance

What IS Included

The Lexus factory basic warranty is made up of several distinct coverages, including the primary bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranties. Making up the bulk of the coverage, these warranties include almost all the parts of a vehicle. 

Like some automakers that offer a longer powertrain warranty, Lexus offers some additional time and miles for the powertrain for a shorter inclusion list. 

Bumper-to-Bumper

The basic bumper-to-bumper warranty makes up the bulk of the Lexus factory coverage. Lasting for four years or 50,000 miles, this comprehensive warranty includes nearly everything between the bumpers of a vehicle. 

The length of the comprehensive warranty is slightly better than what most automakers offer. Since three years and 36,000 miles is the standard these days, Lexus effectively offers you an extra year and 14,000 miles to stay covered in case of any major issues.

Powertrain

The powertrain warranty is focused on the most important components of a vehicle, namely the drivetrain, engine, transmission, etc. Lasting for six years or 72,000 miles, the powertrain warranty lasts much longer than the bumper-to-bumper.

The main covered parts include things like cylinder blocks, timing belt, oil pan, water pump, fuel pump, engine mounts, and more. Beyond the engine, there’s also coverage for the transmission, transmission case, and transaxle components. Front-, rear-, and all-wheel-drive system components are also covered.

Hybrid

For the few hybrid models in the Lexus lineup, the company offers an eight-year/100,000-mile hybrid system warranty. Unlike the main warranties of the Lexus coverage, the hybrid warranty is focused on the unique parts that makeup the drivetrain. Things like the control module, battery, and inverter are all covered. 

Roadside Assistance

One of the few extras that Lexus offers is a roadside assistance program that lasts up to four years on a new vehicle purchase. Including things like free towing, fuel delivery, jump-starts, and tire changes, the service is designed to help Lexus owners when issues come up out on the road. 

Other

Beyond the main coverage, the Lexus factory warranty includes a few special (yet common) warranties like a six-year/unlimited-mile corrosion perforation warranty, a one-year/unlimited-mile service part warranty, and a four-year/50,000-mile accessory warranty for genuine parts (i.e. gaskets, seals, etc) and defects. 

What’s NOT Included

The Lexus factory warranty is fairly comprehensive between the bumper-to-bumper, powertrain, and other coverages, but it’s not completely inclusive. In fact, there are certain parts not covered directly. More importantly, the entire warranty is limited in the types of issues it covers.

Issue Exclusions

The main limitation of the Lexus factory warranty, like most other factory car warranties and protection plans, is when the coverage actually kicks in. Many vehicle owners assume their vehicle warranty will save them money on repairs for accidental damage or normal wear and tear, but this isn’t the case.

Instead, the factory warranty only covers defects related from poor materials or workmanship. In other words, the issue needs to be caused by the automaker itself. If it’s the automaker’s fault, the warranty is there to cover the costs. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay out-of-pocket for services and repairs. 

Wear Parts

Certain parts on a vehicle are expected or designed to wear over time. These are the parts that need to be replaced more frequently than the bulk of components in a vehicle, so the factory warranty typically excludes them from the coverage. These can include brake pads and tires, however tires are covered by a separate warranty offered by the tire manufacturer itself. 

The Good

The biggest draw towards the Lexus warranty is the longer coverage you get with the bumper-to-bumper and powertrain coverages compared to other automakers. The typical three years and 36,000 miles can be good enough to cover the time a vehicle is most likely to have issues with a defect, but a longer length is always nice. 

The fact that the company offers extra perks like roadside assistance and a hybrid basic warranty is also a plus. While these are common with most automakers that have hybrid or electric vehicles, the hybrid coverage, in particular, can save a lot of money if issues develop with expensive batteries, computers, and other specialized components.

The roadside assistance is also a nice inclusion for frequent travelers. It’s still limited in the sense that it won’t cover weather damage or wear and tear caused from frequent traveling, but it can save you money when you get in a jam on the road. 

The Bad

Given the longer bumper-to-bumper and powertrain lengths, there isn’t too much to dislike about the factory warranty. In fact, the only thing that really holds the factory coverage back is the thing that holds all factory warranties back: scope limitations. 

Since the warranty is only meant for factory defects, you won’t see much value from the coverage if you actually get a proper vehicle from Lexus. Real value from a factory or extended warranty comes when you can save on typical repair or routine maintenance costs. The Lexus factory warranty doesn’t offer much of this.

The other major knock is the shorter coverage of the roadside assistance program. It’s nice that it exists, but most automakers at least match the assistance length with the bumper-to-bumper warranty so both run out at the same time. 

Since Lexus gives you just three years instead of four with its program, you may find yourself in a bind as the vehicle hits the final quarter of the bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Takeaway Value

The Lexus factory warranty is competitive with other automaker coverages, meaning you will get the same, if not more, value than from other manufacturers. Since all factory warranties are limited by the scope of issues and lack of extra perks, Lexus isn’t held back too much by these drawbacks.

If you fancy a new Lexus and want some decent coverage, it’s hard to go wrong with the company’s factory warranty.