Mitsubishi set for 10-year warranty

Mitsubishi is preparing to introduce a 10-year factory warranty for all new vehicles it sells in Australia, doubling its current cover and taking the brand to the top of the industry for aftersales support.

A key tenet of the Japanese car-maker’s 40th anniversary celebrations in Australia this year, the warranty extension is still subject to approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

The ACCC today opened the proposal for public submissions because it contains one important condition – the deal only applies if the owner services his or her car with one of Mitsubishi’s franchised dealers.

The new warranty, which is limited to 200,000km across the 10-year period, extends the current five-year/100,000km coverage that up until now has placed Mitsubishi on an even keel with most other leading brands in terms of the time limit, although the vast majority do not have a restriction on kilometres travelled.

Which brands offer the best factory warranties?

Stand by for some quick responses from Mitsubishi’s major rivals, including Kia, which covers its entire range for seven years (and unlimited kilometres) and considers this a key reason behind its success in attracting many new customers in recent years.

As carsales has reported, Kia Motors Australia is ready to raise the bar as soon as another brand encroaches on its turf.

Other mainstream brands to offer a seven-year warranty include MG, Haval and SsangYong, while Hyundai boosts its full-electric and hybrid models up to eight years/160,000km.

Luxury marques such as Genesis, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo have also recently pushed up to five years to match the majority of mainstream brands.

EV brand Tesla has only a four-year/80,000km new-vehicle warranty, but will cover the battery and drive unit for up to eight years/192,000km, depending on the variant.

Lexus also remains at four years, while Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Land Rover cover their vehicles for only three.

Click here for our full list of factory warranties from the automotive brands in Australia.

Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited (MMAL) revealed last year that it was planning to extend its factory warranty to seven years on a permanent basis in a bid to reaffirm its market-leading aftersales provisions.

The company declined to comment today on the surprise move to 10 years while the offer remains subject to ACCC approval.

The ACCC said it intends to make a decision on the proposed change next month, following the October 2 deadline for submissions.

“This will either be a decision to issue a draft notice to revoke the notification, or a decision to take no further action and allow the notification to stand,” the ACCC said.

In MMAL’s notice to the ACCC detailing the warranty change, the car-maker makes it clear that buyers will continue to remain entitled to the current five-year/100,000km coverage regardless of whether they service their vehicle at a franchised dealer or an independent centre.

Stick with a Mitsubishi dealer, though, and the warranty extends to 10 years/200,000km providing the owner complies with MMAL’s service schedules and associated documentation.

“Where a purchaser chooses to service their new Mitsubishi vehicle with a non-MMAL dealer or service centre, they will lose the benefit of the 10-year warranty going forward, but will retain the benefit of the five-year warranty,” the ACCC said.

“Purchasers will remain able to obtain repairs (as distinct from servicing), including repairs undertaken pursuant to the consumer guarantees set out in the Australian Consumer Law, from an independent repairer or service centre without affecting the 10-year warranty.”

The ACCC says submissions are invited “on the likely public benefits and effect on competition, or any other public detriment, from the proposed arrangements”.