Mazda announces five-year warranty

Mazda has today announced that its new-car warranty has been extended to five years and unlimited kilometres, effective immediately.

The change to warranty adds two years to the three years and unlimited-kilometre coverage that applied to the end of July. It applies to the Mazda BT-50 commercial range as well as Mazda's passenger cars and SUVs.

“The new warranty will give customers another reason to choose Mazda, bolstering confidence in our already solid reputation for quality, hard-wearing cars” Mazda Australia MD Vinesh Bhindi was quoted as saying in a press release.

Fending off concerns that cars bought prior to August 1 won't be covered by the five-year warranty, Mazda specifically mentions in its press release that all new cars sold through the importer's dealer network are subject to "consumer guarantees in the Australian Consumer Law". That covers vehicles sold last month with the three-year warranty, including the new Mazda CX-8, but the company can likely expect some complaints from Mazda owners who purchased prior to August 1.

The announcement places Mazda within Australia's best-selling car companies providing warranties exceeding three years. Of the top 10 companies selling cars on Australia, only Toyota, Australia's most popular brand, and two other brands – Nissan and Volkswagen – continue to offer warranty coverage limited to three years.

Volkswagen, which has attracted damaging press in the past for defective DSG transmissions, is understood to be considering migration to a five-year warranty.

Long-term warranty cover has become a new battleground for car companies in recent years, with Kia having lifted its brand profile by offering seven years of coverage – and now examining 10 years to stay on the front foot.

It begs the question: how long can Toyota rely on its own record of durability and longevity before it has to cave in and offer a warranty better than three years?