Aloha, Can anyone tell me if a Power Train Plus Warranty should cover a Drive Train?
I have had a few mechanics tell me yes, however the extended warranty that cost too
much money tells me the Power Train and Drive Train are different. I was told my
warranty was bumper to bumper…however, it appears to be bumper to bumper
minus the drive train. Any feedback will help. Unfortunately this is a 3rd party
warranty company.
You need to carefully look at what you were sold as a warranty. This is a legal document and lists a bunch of fine print. If you know an attorney they might look it over for you. This is why these third party companies are sometimes a waste of money.
Yeah you just have to read it carefully with an eye toward loop holes for them to wiggle through. 3rd party agreements are notorious for not paying or going bankrupt. That’s why if buying an extended warranty, it should be through the manufacturer.
One thing it may say is that it excludes items covered by other warranties. The GM 100K covers the drive train which includes engine and transmission and axles. Essentially anything that touches oil or trans fluid. Normally the power train covers both but it just depends what your document says. You might want to visit with your state AG to get a legal opinion of the document and see if it is a deceptive practice or not. Sometimes they can be helpful by writing a letter to the company but everyone is strained right now.
The words drivetrain and powertrain have been muddied a bit over the years and I agree that you need to sort through the fine print to determine how they’re using those words in this case.
To me, powertrain denotes engine only and drivetrain denotes transmission, rear axle (if applicable) halfshafts, driveshafts, axles, and wheel bearings.
In some cases powertrain is used to mean everything from the harmonic balancer to the wheel bearings. It all depends on the fine print and how any loopholes are phrased.
The best thing to do here is to forget about an extended warranty. If it’s a “third party” warranty then all the more so.
Agree; third party warranties are a waste of money. By definiton, power train includes alll those items that TRANSMIT power. Years ago, on my Dodge dart, at 49,945 miles, a universal joint on the driveshaft failed. This car had the Chrysler 5 year , 50,000 miles power train warranty. The dealer replaced the joint without asking any questions.
Powertrain warranties often exclude the starter, alternator since they do not transmit power.
Third party warranties will have enough weasel words to make sure you are not covered.
Any Warranty Of Worth Includes A Very Specific List Of What Is Covered And What Is Not. The Seller Should Have Forwarded That And You Should Have Required It.
Look at the original warranty information that is included with the car manufacturer’s Owner’s Manual and you’ll see what that looks like. My cars’ warranties cover several pages and leave little to the imagination.
You need a copy of said specifics, either from the seller or underwriter, in person or online. That will help settle the debate.
From my experience many most after-market warranty policies are carefully crafted to be profit enhancers rather than insurance. Whereas, most manufacturer’s warranty policies actually provide insurance, albeit at a substantial cost.
CSA
The term “power train” will be defined in your warranty document. It will also define what “plus” means.