What Isn’t Covered

The majority of basic warranties on the market exclude regular maintenance. That means oil changes, brake linings, windshield wipers, etc. Anything that counts as regular wear and tear is usually off the table, too. Keep in mind that you’re still covered in the event of manufacturer defects, like with these lemon law cases in California, though. 

Always check to see what a manufacturer’s warranty covers, too. Some brands include regular maintenance as a selling point. While these are primarily luxury brands, it never hurts to doublecheck just in case. 

Getting into an accident is also outside the realm of coverage. Warranties are designed to help you save money on service charges, providing coverage when things need tuning up or repaired. Damages from a wreck need to be covered by legal aid, like these car accident lawyers in Sacramento. Warranties won’t help if you’re at fault or not, but insurance can. 

What Is Covered

Basic warranties, also known as bumper-to-bumper, cover just about everything from your air conditioning to the audio system and (of course) the bumpers. Most stop their coverage at three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. 

The second part of these warranties is known as powertrain coverage. This includes your engine, transmission, and the other parts of your car that make it operate. Federal law requires a period of eight years or 80,000 miles for emissions control systems, as well, which includes your catalytic converter. 

Roadside assistance, usually for a set number of years or amount of times used, is also becoming a more regular feature. Not all brands offer this in their warranties, however. Most do include rust coverage, as well, even though rusting has become rarer in recent cars. 

What to Know

Before pulling the lever on your new purchase, speak with the seller in-depth about what a manufacturer’s warranty does and does not cover. Going over all of the fine details is in your best interest. Plus, it can help you decide which new car works best for you. 

As time goes by, you’ll probably forget what all is covered. When repairs do pop up, check your owner’s manual. This is especially true is a dealership says a specific part isn’t covered. When in doubt, consult the manual again and call the auto company number for verification. 

Hybrid Models

Finally, there are new hybrid warranties for gas/electric vehicles. The difference is in the battery-style engine, which comes with special coverage. Toyota and Ford offer an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty for their hybrid components, for instance. Each manufacturer offers something a little different for these, as well, so make sure to doublecheck what parts of your hybrid are covered. 

• 2,500 teens aged 13-19 were killed in auto accidents
• Another 285,000 were hospitalized
• Each day,seven teens die due to car crashes
• Medical costs resulting from teen accidents totaled $11.8 billion

To further illustrate the point that teen drivers are at risk, consider the fact that, on average, they’re three times as likely to be involved in a fatal accident than drivers aged 20 or older. This all begs the question: why? Today, we’ll be taking a look at the risk factors that put younger drivers at greater risk behind the wheel.

Why Driving As A Teenager Is Risky

The first factor affecting teen driving is one you likely already guessed — inexperience. Teens are just getting behind the wheel for the first time in their lives, and lack the judgement and knowledge of older drivers. As a result, they are more likely to misread situations, make mistakes, and drive in a reckless manner that increases the chances of them being involved in an accident.

This is evident with the dangerous behaviors teens are more likely to engage in on the road, such as distracted driving. A significant portion of high school teens who drive admit to using their phones to text or email while on the roads.

Teens are also more likely to speed and tailgate other vehicles. Though male teenagers are slightly more likely than their female counterparts to engage in such aggressive behavior on the roads, both male and female teens are more likely to speed and drive aggressively than other age groups.

Finally, teen drivers are more likely to drive while under the influence. Drug crime defense lawyers certainly see their fair share of teens who were intoxicated behind the wheel, and it’s estimated that drugs and alcohol are a factor in more than a sixth of all teen crashes. Combined with the fact that teens are also less likely to wear their seatbelts, it’s little wonder why they hire a DUI attorney at greater rates than other driving age groups.

Overall, being a teen driver is the most dangerous category of driver you can be. It’s important, if you have teenaged children, to impress the importance of safe driving behaviors upon them, and reinforce the potential dangers of driving recklessly, under the influence, or distracted.