Holden moves to seven-year warranty

HOLDEN will extend its standard warranty period from three years to seven on all new models purchased from now until the end of the year, matching Kia’s industry-leading peace-of-mind program.

While Holden’s assurance program covers 175,000km over that time period, down from Kia’s unlimited kilometre offering, the Aussie brand easily outclasses Toyota’s three year/100,000km, Mazda’s three year/unlimited kilometre and Hyundai’s five year/unlimited-kilometre offerings.

In addition to the prolonged warranty period, Holden’s capped-price servicing, road-side assist and 24-hour take-your-time test drive programs remain in place, as well as special driveaway pricing on most of its vehicle range for October.

Speaking with GoAuto, Holden product communications manager Mark Flintoft said the extra assurance program has been implemented with the brand’s imminent Elizabeth factory closure in mind.

“We’re coming up to an interesting period for us,” he said. “We’ve got to close the plant down, so we just want to make sure we’re looking after customers during that period.

“Different manufacturers kind of go from three-, to five-, to seven-year warranties to test the market. We’re reminding customers that we’re still supporting them through what’s going to be a pretty difficult month.”

The new warranty program will cover all Holden products sold until December 31, 2017, including the last examples of the locally built Commodore and the yet-to-be-launched Equinox mid-size SUV due to land in showrooms by year’s end.

At this stage, it is expected that from 2018 onwards, Holden’s new-car warranties will revert back to the standard three year/100,000km program.

Holden’s new warranty program arrives two months after an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) probe prompted the car-maker to institute an industry-first 60-day guarantee for its new vehicles.

Under the new guarantee program, buyers are offered a refund, repair or replacement of the new vehicle if a defect renders the car inoperable during the first 60 days of ownership.