With much fanfare, Chrysler recently announced that it was the first automaker to offer a lifetime powertrain warranty on most of its vehicles starting July 27th.
Our trusty mouse wanted to see the fine print of the warranty, just to make sure they weren’t pulling any fast ones. A visit to the Chrysler website provided virtually no details about the warranty, let alone a copy of it. For that you are directed to your local dealer:
*MOUSE PRINT:
A visit to a local Chrysler dealer proved just as frustrating. They had no copy of the warranty. One salesman said it would be in the owner’s manual when you bought the car. Another salesman pointed to a few lines on a new car price sticker claiming that was the warranty. How cheesy.
Next, our trusty mouse called Chrysler’s customer service department to ask that a copy of the lifetime warranty be sent out. After much checking, the call center operator said that she was “not empowered to do that.” How about emailing it? The answer was no to that too. “How do I get a copy?” “Go to a dealer.” “The dealer doesn’t have it yet?” “Go to another dealer.”
A second dealer was contacted, and it had no copies of the warranty either.
Not yet giving up on the customer service department, we emailed an inquiry to them using their webform.
A senior staff representative responded:
Thank you for contacting the Chrysler Customer Assistance Center regarding the Lifetime Limited Powertrain Warranty.
Terms and conditions of the Lifetime Limited Powertrain Warranty should be available through any Chrysler, Dodge, or Jeep dealership to customers purchasing a vehicle with such a warranty. If your dealer is unable to provide this information, you may wish to seek the assistance of another authorized dealer. The information cannot be dispensed electronically.
As a last resort, we contacted the media folks at Chrysler, who were the only ones able to provide a copy of the Chrysler Lifetime Powertrain Warranty. [.pdf]
It is essentially the same as their previous “7/70” powertrain warranty but without the requirement of having to pay a $100 deductible for each repair. The new lifetime warranty picks up after their regular “3 year/36,000 mile” warranty expires.
*MOUSE PRINT:Â The only two restrictions are that the warranty is not transferable if you sell the car, and you must let Chrysler do a free inspection once every five years within 60 days of your anniversary date.
It is a shame that Chrysler is making it difficult for car shoppers to learn the terms of their new warranty before purchase particularly when they really have nothing to hide.
For years, Americans have been buying bottled water for convenience, improved taste, and its perceived health benefits compared to tap water. We spend more on bottled water per gallon than we do on gasoline.
