Where Should I Service My Vehicle?

Where to get service in Johnson City TN

Do you think it’s mandatory to take your car to the dealership for service to keep the manufacturer warranty intact? If you have confusion about this, we have the right answer for you. Read on to learn more.

There are many myths surrounding service and the manufacturer’s warranty. One of them is if you take your car for service to a third party service provider, the warranty becomes void. The fact is, there is no relation between the auto service provider and the manufacturer warranty. However, regular maintenance is an important aspect to keep it intact.

Where to Take Your Car for Service?

If you read the manufacturer’s warranty, you can see there are no conditions for where to service your car. The only guideline mentioned is that you need to get the maintenance from a qualified technician. You are free to take your car for service to a garage you trust but only after you have ensured that maintenance work is done by qualified technicians. Thus, it is clear that you don’t need to take your car to the dealership to keep your warranty intact.

What Does the Manufacturer Warranty Cover?

The basic manufacturer’s warranty is for a period of three years but there is a distance-based restriction as well. For example, Ford provides a basic complete warranty for a period of three years or 60,000 miles, whichever is earlier. If anything goes wrong with your car within the warranty period, the company will pay for repairs and replacements to make your car roadworthy again. Besides the basic complete vehicle warranty, there are other warranties like the powertrain warranty, rust-through warranty and roadside assistance.

The powertrain warranty provided by the Ford company is for five years or 100,000 miles, whichever is earlier. During this period, if any fault develops in the powertrain components, the company not only pays for the repairs but also for the replacements. You need to read the manufacturer’s warranty provided with your vehicle to know which parts are covered and which are not covered.

Are Maintenance and the Manufacturer Warranty Related?

Yes, the manufacturer warranty clearly mentions it is the car owner’s duty to perform regular maintenance in order to keep the car in good condition. If a company finds that the faults developed in the warranty-covered parts were due to negligence towards maintenance, they can deny the warranty coverage. To avoid such a thing from happening, you need to document all maintenance records along with receipts that can serve as proof that you have performed maintenance as per manufacturer’s specification.

What Does General Maintenance Include?

General maintenance includes fluid checks such as power transmission fluid, brake oil and coolant in the radiator. You need to ensure that all fluids are at recommended levels. An oil change after every three months or 3,000 miles is recommended. If the oil has turned black, you need to get the oil changed. Also, you need to check that the engine oil level does not fall below the recommended level.

All these maintenance tasks keep the car in good condition and decrease the chances of any fault developing in your car.

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