Following Vauxhall, Opel too announced a lifetime warranty for all new passenger cars they sell from now on. Of course like Vauxhall’s program it’s not really unlimited, as Opel reveals the limitations of this plan more clearly! First of all, it applies for the first owner of the car, and the second one will only get coverage for six years, if the first owner has paid the annual activation fee and kept up the maintenance of the car as required. In any case, the warranty would be valid for 100,000 Km, so it’s more of a publicity stunt than a real valuable service.

Press Release:

The lifetime warranty covers all labor costs. Parts are completely covered in the first two years under the manufacturer’s warrantee or up to 50,000 km. After that, the owner is paid on a graduated scale for the fair value of parts according to the number of kilometers driven. The warranty is limited to the current value of the car at the time of a claim.

“Opel is taking off. With this lifetime warranty, we underscore the trust we have in the quality and intrinsic value of our products as well as the power of the Opel brand,” says Opel Chief Executive Nick Reilly. “The lifetime warranty is only possible because of the reliability of our new models.”

High product and manufacturing quality makes comprehensive warranty possible

Independent tests prove the high product and manufacturing quality of Opel vehicles.
This year DEKRA, the German consumer company, gave the Corsa the top rating of any auto it tested. With a score of 97.6 percent, the Corsa was crowned the overall winner in the Quality Report 2010. In addition, the cost of ownership for the Corsa has fallen 30 percent since 2006.

Research indicates the average car in Germany is driven around 11,000 kilometers a year, which means the average customer would drive 15-years worry-free before reaching the 160,000 kilometer limit on the warranty. This tops the average life of a first owned car of eight years, and covers the average lifetime for the vast majority of car owners.

Once the manufacturer’s warranty expires, the Opel “Lifetime Warranty” covers all major parts – from engines and transmissions via electrical and electronics to the cooling system and air conditioning. All parts and services are covered for the first 50,000 kilometers. After that, payment is graduated from 90 percent (50,000-60,000 km) to 40 percent (100,000 to 160.000 km. Excluded are the models Movano, Vivaro and Combo.

All purchasers of a new car receive a warranty certificate. Once the manufacturer’s warranty expires after two years and no later than 36 months after the vehicle’s initial registration, Opel customers must annually activate the lifetime warranty at their Opel dealer. This activation costs 11.90 euros per year.