Every car dealership seems to offer some version of a warranty on brakes, outside of the manufacturer warranties, but do they really have a warranty? Along with looking at if brakes really do have a warranty, I researched just what is and isn’t covered by those warranties we often hear about from car dealerships and brake shops.
Do brakes come with a warranty? There are warranties that cover brakes or components of brakes; however, there are usually strict limitations of what is and isn’t covered. Common warranty types include:
- Limited warranties on the brake pads or shoes,
- Manufacturer warranties,
- Limited or lifetime warranties from dealerships purchasing a vehicle,
- Additional warranties covering other brake system components.
With any of the warranties listed above, it is important to understand exactly what is and isn’t covered, and what having the warranty will really guarantee you when it comes to a breakdown of one of the components of your car.
Understanding a Warranty and What They Cover
With any warranty, it is important to look at what the terms cover. Most manufacturer warranties are considered bumper-to-bumper warranties and will have a limit of time or mileage for how long they are in effect, and specifically what they won’t cover. This time tends to range from three to five years, depending on the manufacturer and the amount of mileage it covers also varies depending on the manufacturer.
Beyond just the time and length of when the warranty is in effect, there is the question of what it does and doesn’t cover. Most manufacturer warranties are made to guarantee their work. Things that they classify as normal wear and tear will not always be able to be covered under the warranty.
This exclusion usually includes brake pads and shoes, unfortunately. The only exception to this would be components of the brake system that were malfunctioning due to a manufacturer defect and could be clearly shown wasn’t wear and tear. For example, a problem with the brake line, or rotors could be argued as a manufacturer defect and not solely wear and tear if it is identified as such.
Sometimes dealerships or independent companies will offer their own extended warranties that can be purchased to help provide additional coverage. This additional coverage could be to help offset the length of time listed on the basic warranty and may often extend coverage to parts like your brakes. One thing to note is the warranty may only cover the actual part itself, and you may still be required to pay for the services and time spent by the shop repairing your vehicle.
Why Aren’t Brakes Covered Better Under Manufacturer Warranty
In considering a warranty that may cover brake systems on your vehicle, one of the keys to understanding where they are or aren’t covered in most manufacturer warranties can come down to understanding why it is they aren’t included most of the time.
The mechanics of slowing down a car is the main reason that brakes are often not included in warranties as the nature of brakes is that the brake pads will wear down over time due to this process. As you’re driving your vehicle and it picks up speed, kinetic energy is created by the vehicle. To slow the car down the brakes, apply friction to the wheels, transferring that energy to the brakes, and releasing it as heat.
Each wheel has a metal disk that is the brake rotor, and the brake pad applies pressure to this disk to slow the wheel to a stop. Some brake pads are made with resin, or glass that is resistant to the high heat and pressure that they will be encountering, as opposed to the older version of brake pads made out of other more hazardous materials.
Brake rotors malfunctioning would be something considered more of a manufacturer defect depending on time, however, even rotors will eventually undergo a certain amount of wear and tear that will require their replacement.
How Often to Brakes Need Service
In addition to knowing how the brakes wear down, understanding how frequently service is recommended on the brake pads and shoes is an important factor to consider if looking into options of warranties that cover brakes.
Individuals who are in a high traffic area where there is a lot of stop-and-go traffic or a lot of hard braking where high speeds are needing to be stopped rapidly will also add additional stress to your brakes and may increase the frequency brake services are needed.
Making sure you get your brakes checked at least every six months is a good baseline to make sure you are catching any possible issues with your brakes and or brake pads. For those who are in high traffic areas, this timeline may need to be shorter between inspections.
Some signs that you need to have your brakes checked sooner are:
- If it feels like it’s requiring more pressure to use your brakes, or like they’re taking longer to respond.
- If it feels like your vehicle is pulling to one side or the other specifically when you’re breaking.
- If it feels like your vehicle is vibrating when you’re driving downhill or braking from high speeds.
- Any loud grinding or crunching sounds when applying your brakes.
Any of the above can indicate an issue with your brake pads or with your rotors more concerningly,vwe and those instances it is always critical to get them checked as soon as possible for safety reasons, whether the work is within your warranty or not.
Brake Pad Specific Lifetime Warranty
There are some repair companies or automotive part stores that will offer a lifetime warranty on their brake pads, but typically with these warranties, there are a few limitations to what they will and won’t cover, and where you’re able to have the repairs completed.
Often with a lifetime warranty, the coverage extends solely to the part in question like the brake pad itself. Where this warranty can be less helpful for you in the long run as the consumer, is that you’re saving a small amount on the cost of the brake pad itself, but then are having to pay the entirety of the labor and any additional parts or components that are impacted.
Often with these types of warranties, you would receive a refund after returning the worn-out brake pads. If you’re capable of changing your own brake pads, an automotive part store that sells lifetime warranty brake pads can add up to significant savings over time; however, these brake pads often come with their own challenges. Often the brake pads included in these types of warranties do wear out more quickly over time.
Repair Shop Specific Limited Warranty
Several automotive repair shops will offer a limited warranty on their work for brakes after you have purchased brakes from them in the past. Choosing a repair shop that offers a limited warranty on their work can often give you something like a 2-year, 24,000-mile warranty on the work. Which at least guarantees you for that specific work.
One of the benefits of a smaller repair shop’s limited warranty is that they may also include not only the parts in their warranty but the labor as well that goes into the repair if something does go wrong with your brakes within the specified time frame or mileage.
A warranty provided by a smaller automotive repair shop for their brake work is often a great option for individuals who are not able to change their own brake pads but feel like they would need to offset the cost of frequent work to their brakes.
