Can a warranty be denied?

Warranty coverage is designed to protect you from the expensive costs associated with regular wear and tear on your appliances and systems. If your supplier determines that you have misused your device or system, your claim may be denied. Five days ago, federal law established warranty requirements and contains a number of provisions to prevent vehicle manufacturers, dealers and others from unfairly denying warranty coverage. With respect to spare parts, the spirit of the law is that warranty coverage cannot be denied simply because those parts are present in the vehicle or have been used (see Annex A).

Warranty coverage can only be denied if the replacement part caused the malfunction or damage for which warranty coverage is being sought. Disputes in this area generally boil down to discussions about facts and technical opinions, rather than discussions about interpretations of the law. The most common reason warranty claims are denied is that what is broken isn't covered. Each warranty includes a list of what it covers and what it doesn't, so it's important to understand what's happening before you file a claim.

Be sure to read your contract in its entirety. The manufacturer or dealer may void a warranty or deny warranty repairs. To do this, they must be able to demonstrate that inadequate repairs, inadequate maintenance, or inadequate upgrades caused damage to the component that is the subject of their warranty claim dispute. Much of this distress can be attributed to misunderstandings by consumers about what appliances and systems are covered and what are not covered by home warranties.

Vehicle repair coverage can be expensive, so not only are vehicle warranties beneficial, but also. These problems predate the purchase of your warranty policy and most home warranties only cover items purchased after the start of coverage. Federal law sets the requirements for warranties and contains a number of provisions to prevent vehicle manufacturers, dealers and others from unfairly denying warranty coverage. Like home warranties, auto warranties also have small print that requires diligent attention and, if not given enough attention, can leave vehicle owners with denied claims.

Many warranties have provisions that stipulate that only repairs that result from “normal”, “regular” or “expected” use will be covered. Dealers often offer warranties for new cars; however, some also offer them for newer, refurbished used cars (often referred to as certified used cars). However, the word “can” in the previous sentence is doing the heavy lifting, because not all guarantees are created equal and not all companies approve claims in the same way. The old saying that “you get what you pay for” applies to extended warranties, but reducing costs shouldn't be your primary focus for buying a warranty.

Most warranties have mileage limits, so if a mechanic suspects that the odometer has been tampered with, your claim could be denied.

Lynette Roen
Lynette Roen

Avid travel nerd. Award-winning tv practitioner. Hardcore music evangelist. Hipster-friendly web nerd. Incurable music advocate. General tv practitioner.

Leave Reply

Required fields are marked *