If you’re considering purchasing a new Toyota, or if you’ve heard anything about Dodge’s new lifetime warranty, you’re probably wondering how Toyota stacks up against the competition.

NOTE: We’ve heard lots of stories about Toyota and others stepping up and replacing parts out of warranty, but since these aren’t official policies they can’t be used as a basis for comparison.

Dodge Factory Warranty: Best Gimmick

In addition to the 3yr/36k mile standard new car warranty, most new Dodges now come with a “Lifetime” powertrain warranty. One reason “Lifetime” is in quote marks is because it’s limited to the first owner. The other reason that “Lifetime” is in quotations is that in order to maintain the warranty, you’re required to have your local Dodge dealership inspect your powertrain exactly every 5 years (at least within 60 days of the purchase date). As if these mandatory inspections weren’t cause for concern, in order to maintain your Dodge “Lifetime” powertrain warranty, quote “It is your responsibility to perform preventative maintenance on your vehicle. You’re strongly encouraged to follow the instructions contained in the Scheduled Maintenance Service guidelines in your Owner’s Manual.” Not just encouraged, but strongly encouraged. That means if your local Dodge dealer thinks you failed to perform the proper maintenance, you’re S.O.L.

Chevy/GMC Factory Warranty: Winner

The Chevy/GMC new vehicle warranty is easily the strongest of the bunch. In addition to the standard 3yr/36k mile coverage, they offer a 5yr/100k mile powertrain warranty. Unlike the Dodge, the coverage isn’t limited to the first owner. Finally, unlike anyone else, the Chevy/GMC 5yr/100k powertrain warranty comes with towing and guaranteed courtesy transportation. Because of the towing and the guaranteed courtesy transportation, this is the best factory warranty of all the manufacturers compared here. The only downside we see to the 5yr/100k mile warranty is that most people will run out of years before they run out of miles.

Ford Factory Warranty: Second Place

Ford’s warranty policy bears a striking similarity to the Toyota warranty that preceded it. Ford offers the standard 3yr/36 mile coverage plus a 5yr/60k mile powetrain warranty. Unlike Toyota, Ford’s coverage does include towing coverageroadside assistance. For their diesel trucks, Ford offers a 5yr/100k mile engine warranty.

Nissan Factory Warranty: Below Average

The warranty on a new Titan is very similar to both the Toyota and Ford warranties. Same coverage, except Nissan only offers towingroadside assistance for the first 3yr/36k miles.

Toyota Factory Warranty: Last Place

Toyota’s warranty is in last place only because they do not offer towingroadside assistance. It is comparable to the Nissan and Ford warranty in every other way. Toyota does have a courtesy car program, but it is limited to repairs that take one day or more to complete. Toyota doesn’t get any credit for this because most dealerships do this anyways.

Bottomline:

Chevy/GMC leads all manufacturers in terms of real warranty coverage. While we’re sure that some people will truly benefit from Dodge’s new “lifetime” warranty, for the most part Dodge seems to have structured the warranty so that they can weasel out at any time. As far as Toyota is concerned, we really don’t understand why a company that earned $13 BILLION dollars last year can’t afford to add freakin’ towing coverageroadside assistance and guaranteed courtesy transportation to their warranty. Even more so, why isn’t Toyota leading the pack here? They have the most profitable company, the best reputation for quality, and arguably the best product. Why not do more to stand behind it?

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