This corrosion warranty guide covers the basics on corrosion perforation warranties, including rust warranty coverage, corrosion warranty options and more.
What Does A Corrosion Warranty Cover?
No matter how best we try to protect our cars, certain elements are inevitable. Similarly, you may drive with utmost care and even service your vehicle to ensure the powertrain works as required. Still, there are some other things you won’t handle.
Rust or oxidization is on the list of such things. At times, most people find car wax not just sufficient enough to help keep corrosion at a minimum. That’s where a corrosion warranty comes in handy.
The big question is, what does a corrosion warranty cover? Well, this warranty caters to all the costs of repairing corrosion damage on your vehicle. The corrosion may be due to scratched paint, car damage after a collision, water, salt, and other environmental factors.
There are two options for corrosion warranty coverage:
Rust Perforation Coverage – This plan only covers car damage if the insured component has completely rusted through.
Surface corrosion coverage – This plan covers rust damages upon first visible signs. It addresses rust damages upon appearance to prevent further damage.
You probably have lots of questions like what is a corrosion warranty, what it does, and many other questions. Thankfully, this detailed guide is here to explain everything you should know about corrosion perforation warranty.
Meaning of Corrosion Warranty
So, what is a corrosion warranty? Typically, a vehicle warranty covers damages caused by rust or corrosion during a specific set duration.
A corrosion warranty often covers rust damage that can occur on a vehicle’s surface or paint. That’s after the paint, and protective layer gets damaged due to natural exposure or an accident.
Natural exposure tends to occur in the coastal environment or in the desert, where particulates exist in the air in plenty. If untreated on time, rust and corrosion can greatly damage your vehicle’s mechanical parts.
Therefore, it is essential to get your vehicle covered by a corrosion perforation warranty. You will find some manufacturers offering this warranty as an after-sales service. It may also be provided as an add-on or extended warranty by a local dealership.
Corrosion Warranty at A Glance
Here are the kinds of corrosion warranties you should expect:
OEM (Naturally-Occurring) Corrosion Warranty
Every new vehicle purchased bears a warranty that covers corrosion and rust. Such damage often occurs naturally without the driver’s fault. In other words, the car should be damaged by natural means.
A chipped o scratched paint results in rust and corrosion. And the corrosion warranty handles and covers the costs incurred on repairs. So, this warranty often boosts the vehicle’s lifespan for limited mileage and period.
However, this may vary depending on the vehicle brand. In most cases, the warranty lasts for either 12 years or a distance of 100,000 miles.
Add-on (Extended) Corrosion Warranty
Most dealerships tend to provide an extra or supplemental protection such as a corrosion warranty. The terms applied are similar to what other standard manufacturer warranties have. However, they may vary depending on the agency that offers the cover.
This is popular protection found primarily on new vehicles. And in some instances, the cover may extend to pre-owned cars depending on their make, condition, and model. The corrosion warranty may also extend to cover parts such as battery terminals which is a prevalent issue in cars.
Corrosion Warranty: Pros & Cons
Like any warranty, there are some pros and cons to expect. They are as follows:
Pros
• It restricts you from spending huge sums on aesthetic repairs.
• Addresses rust and corrosion promptly, preventing further spread of the damage.
• The warranty allows you to operate your car in multiple environments as the climate is a natural cause of rust.
Cons
• Most corrosion warranties cover damages caused by mileage limits, and rust may not often appear early.
• These covers primarily come with restrictions in time, limiting the usefulness of the warranty.
• They mainly provide aesthetic benefits rather than saving on a vehicle’s functional repairs.
Is rust covered under a car warranty?
Car warranties usually intend to offset the costs of replacing or repairing certain parts in a vehicle. So, is rust covered under car warranty? Since rust can damage the vehicle’s components, the answer is yes. It can be covered under a car warranty. But, that’s only found in the factory or extended warranties.
Corrosion Warranty in Detail
Usually, the corrosion warranty coverage terms vary about the vehicle type, dealership, and type of warranty. It is thus essential to understand precisely what is a corrosion warranty? That’s because it tells the kind of funding you’ll get upon damage by rust.
Rust is pretty common, especially if you drive your vehicle in extreme climates or over extended periods. But, for the protection to be efficient and worthy, it must cover rust damage that you’re more likely to face while using the car.
Below are the types of corrosion perforation warranty coverages you can expect to find:
Rust Perforation
It is a pretty less comprehensive type of coverage. You’ll need to confirm if the rust protection clause is meant to protect you only from corrosion perforation.
In short, for the coverage to take control, the corrosion must damage the vehicle’s entire metal parts. For this reason, a small visible portion of rust damage isn’t protected and will be ignored.
A rust protection coverage is an excellent option. But, it’s not a wise move to wait for holes to start developing on your vehicle for the warranty to take charge. As we know, even minor corrosion could cause severe functional problems in your car.
The cost of repairing rust damage is often low. Many people prefer to get rid of the issue upfront rather than depending on their corrosion warranty.
However, be sure that the deductible amount is reasonable and meets the warranty requirements to cushion the cost. In such a case, the service deems helpful to have.
Many corrosion coverages range from a minimum of 5 years and a maximum period of 12 years. But, the mileage will be restricted to 100,000 miles. You may find plans with highly advanced coverage offered at higher price tags. However, they’ll often include more insurance plans than just corrosion coverage.
Surface Corrosion
It is a more comprehensive type of corrosion protection. Surface corrosion involves any rust that’s visible on a car’s body. It covers any rust damages caused to the chassis and must be due to anything relating to road salt and scratches on the paint.
It would be best to remember that these causes might be influenced by other clauses the warranty comes with. Therefore, the rust damage’s size may be limited to about 4 inches.
Visible rust and corrosion usually extend to problems in the car’s interior parts. For this reason, the surface corrosion protection can be extended to cover issues relating to the battery terminal and the engine.
So, provided you see rust damage on your car, the coverage needs to cater for the rest upon paying your deductible.
This warranty may go up to 12 years with no limited mileage. Yet you can find some minor plans protecting for about 5 years and 100,000 miles.
The nature and type of corrosion warranty greatly depend on the respective vehicle’s model and make. Thus, it is wise to recall that extensive coverage comes with higher price tags.
Conclusion
The benefit of any car warranty is a matter of risk assessment. If your area of residence or where you use your vehicle is prone to heavy winters or humidity, adopting a comprehensive corrosion warranty can be a worthwhile investment.
That’s because, under such conditions, rust can easily cause significant damage if left unchecked. Besides, if your manufacturer warranty doesn’t offer protection on corrosion, getting a corrosion warranty can be a smart move.
