The Difference Between A Powertrain Warranty And A Bumper-To-Bumper Warranty

When you take delivery of a new car, you’re protected by several standard warranties that protect your vehicle for a limited time or mileage period. At the time of purchase, or at any point until the powertrain or bumper-to-bumper warranties expire, you have the opportunity to extend the coverage those protection plans provide. The powertrain warranty and a bumper-to-bumper warranties are different, and it’s important to understand how your vehicle is protected, and for how long as you consider enhancing that coverage with an extended service contract.

Powertrain warranty

The powertrain warranty protects consumers against major issues related to the various components that make the vehicle move: the engine, the transmission or transaxle, the transfer case or center differential and the front and/or rear differentials, depending on whether your car is front-, rear- or all-wheel drive.

Powertrain warranties typically last longer — in both time and miles — than a bumper-to-bumper warranty. For example, the powertrain warranty on the 2019 Jeep Wrangler is five years or 60,000 miles. A bumper-to-bumper warranty on the same vehicle is three years or 36,000 miles.

The powertrain limited warranty that comes with Fiat Chrysler Automoiles (FCA) vehicles provides 5 years or 60,000 miles worth of coverage on all the parts of the engine itself, not including accessories like the starter and water pump; the transmission and all the internal parts that make it work; the transaxle, if so equipped; the all-wheel drive system; the rear axle assembly (rear and all-wheel drive); the transfer case (four-wheel drive).

An extended service contract lengthens both the time and the mileage limits of the original powertrain warranty, and provides the same factory protection with a much more affordable deductible than paying for the repair out-of-pocket.

Bumper-to-bumper warranty

The bumper-to-bumper warranty, or basic limited warranty, is more comprehensive than the powertrain warranty. For FCA vehicles, it covers “the cost of all parts and labor needed to repair any item on your vehicle when it left the manufacturing plant that is defective in material, workmanship or factory preparation.”

Extended service contracts pick up where your factory warranties leave off, protecting consumers from expensive repairs with affordable deductibles. An extended service contract backed by FCA provides the same peace of mind as a factory warranty for years beyond the initial warranty term.

Chrysler Warranty Direct was started to help current owners of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brand vehicles find the right extended, factory-backed service contracts at the absolute lowest cost without compromising quality.