Chick’s Corner: What Does Nissan’s 5-Yr/100K Warranty Really Mean?

Any way you cut it, buying a new vehicle is a huge investment. You’re placing a lot of faith in the vehicle, in the brand, in the reviews, the brochures, and whatever else had an influence in your decision.

One factor that goes into the decision is the warranty. For a long time now, the standard warranty has been a three-year, 36,000-mile limited lifetime warranty. Yes, you could get it “extended” at the dealership, or see numerous asterisks talking about Safety Restraints and Corrosion Protection where it went past three years and 36,000 miles. But the bumper-to-bumper warranty – the one that covers the real nuts-and-bolts stuff that might actually break or wear down – is only covered for those 36 months or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first.

But that’s a pittance when you consider that the average car owner in the USA owns a vehicle for up to 11.5 years. Once the warranty is up, or loopholes are discovered, you find people getting the feeling that they’re being left “high and dry” by automakers: a problem with a make/model/year is discovered, the internet brings them together, and the hive mind can take on the notion that they were screwed by the manufacturer. Recalls and lawsuits come out, people feel justice is served (or not, in most cases), and life goes on.

Nissan recently made a point to put a kink in this cycle by offering a more generous warranty on its 2017 Titan and Titan XD. Touting it as “America’s Best Warranty,” the press release states that Nissan’s full-size trucks will now be covered for five years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. It’s essentially a carry-over from Nissan’s commercial vans, which have had the five-year/100K warranty since 2014.

Buying or leasing a brand new 2017 F-250 or 2500 Silverado probably doesn’t appeal as much when looking at the 2017 Titan XD, cloaked in its enticing warranty with another two years and 63,000 miles covered by the manufacturer.

This warranty would likely cover the electronics that have increasingly invaded all trucks, from daytime running lights to heated steering wheels. The last thing most of us want to do is rip apart dashboards and firewalls, looking for a burnt out wire or bad connector.

In all of this, we can also think of fleet managers, who have to keep their fleets healthy and rolling. A boosted warranty might be just thing that makes them switch from a brand they know and love, to one that’s a little bit outside their comfort zone.

Since the automotive industry is one that plays the game of catch-up once someone else makes a bold move, we’ll probably see the Big Three match this warranty soon enough. In the end, it can only make the experience of owning a brand new truck better, so I say:

Kick off the Warranty Wars!