Extended warranties signal vehicle quality. (Industry News).(Brief Article)

Quality, September, 2002

Buying a new car is no longer simply being loyal to a brand, going down to the nearest dealership and driving the car off the lot. Today's savvy car buyers must consider a widening array of incentives, ranging from special financing deals to extended vehicle warranties. Indeed, based on current trends, the days of the so-called standard warranty may be numbered. While a three-year, 36,000-mile, bumper-to-bumper warranty may still be most common, automakers today are offering a variety of warranties, some up to 10 years and 120,000 miles, as a way to convince buyers of the quality of their vehicles.

Brian Walters, director of product research at J.D. Power and Associates (Westlake Village, CA), says that while styling is the number one reason consumers buy a...

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