Ford boosts warranty to five-years
Unlimited-kilometre guarantee puts pressure on rivals.
Ford Australia customers will benefit from a new five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty offered on all new vehicles delivered after May 1, 2018.
The warranty replaces the brand’s previous three-year, 100,000 kilometre offering. It comes less than a month after Ford was fined $10 million for "unconscionable conduct" surrounding its treatment of customers with faulty dual-clutch automatic transmissions.
Every vehicle in the Ford range is covered by the deal, which extends beyond passenger cars such as the Focus and Mustang to include the Ranger ute and Transit van. The deal gives Ford an important advantage in the highly competitive ute segment, where key rivals such as Toyota and Nissan offer three-year, unlimited kilometre guarantees. Mitsubishi’s Triton and the Isuzu D-Max bring five-year coverage limited to 100,000 and 130,000 kilometres.
It also puts the Focus RS hot hatch on par with the Honda Civic Type R and Hyundai i30 N, giving it a leg up against rivals such as the VW Golf R and upcoming Megane RS, which are backed by three year warranties.
Graeme Whickman, president and chief executive of Ford of Australia, said the five-year warranty was “another step in our transformation plan”.
“We’re transforming our dealerships, our products, our customer service and ownership experience, and today we’re introducing a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty to offer even more value for our customers,” he said.
“Our Ranger and Transit owners rely on their vehicles and we want them to know Ford’s got them covered for five years and unlimited kilometres.
“At five years and unlimited kilometres, Ranger has the class leading standard warranty within the pick-up and cab chassis segment.
“This is not a special offer, it’s what customers have been asking for and it’s what we are delivering today. We will continue to innovate and find new ways to provide the best service and benefits we can for our customers.”
Ford already offers capped price servicing across its range along with free sat nav map updates, a loan car program and 12 months of roadside assistance through membership to automotive clubs such as the NRMA, RACV and RACQ.
The guarantee brings Ford into line with Hyundai’s five-year guarantee, putting pressure on rivals such as Toyota and Mazda which continue with three-year warranty programs.
How Ford’s warranty compares with key rivals:
Ford – Five years, unlimited kilometres
Holden – Three years, 100,000 kilometers (Special offers currently feature five and seven year, unlimited kilometre warranties)
Honda – Five years, unlimited kilometres
Hyundai – Five years, unlimited kilometres
Isuzu Ute – Five years, 130,000 kilometres
Jeep – Five years, 100,000 kilometres
Mazda – Three years, unlimited kilometres
Mitsubishi – Five years, 100,000 kilometres
Nissan – Three years, 100,000 kilometres
Peugeot – Five years, unlimited kilometres
Renault – Five years, unlimited kilometres (RS models: three years, unlimited kilometres. Commercial vehicles: three years, 200,000 kilometres)
Skoda – Five years, unlimited kilometres
Subaru - Three years, unlimited kilometres (2018 models currently receive a five year guarantee)
Suzuki – Three years, 100,000 kilometres
Toyota – Three years, 100,000 kilometres
Volkswagen – Three years, unlimited kilometres