Vauxhall introduces 100,000 mile warranty

Vauxhall has joined the trend towards more generous car warranties in the UK market with a new form of cover, the Vauxhall Lifetime Warranty, that has no time limit but is restricted to 100,000 miles. Until Vauxhall introduced the Lifetime Warranty, the most generous cover was provided by the Korean manufacturers Kia (seven years) and Hyundai (five years), as well as Vauxhall's GM stablemate Chevrolet which introduced a strong combined warranty and servicing package a few weeks ago.

Full details of Vauxhall Lifetime Warranty have not yet been released, but the company says it covers the powertrain, steering system, brake system and electrical equipment throughout the life of the vehicle. Among the potential snags are the need to have the car inspected annually by a Vauxhall dealer and the question of transferability to subsequent owners; the company says that "details of a further programme enabling second owners to purchase the Lifetime Warranty". Most other long warranties can be transferred automatically to second and later owners. So Vauxhall may be the new leader in the warranty stakes – but a final judgement won't be possible until the small-print can be inspected in full