Called Toyota Relax, it was launched earlier this month and covers used Toyotas for 12 months or 16,000km every time the car comes in for a service at an authorised Toyota dealer.
According to Toyota, the vehicle – car, ute, van or 4×4 with any powertrain – must be more than two years old and above 85,000km; the remaining manufacturer’s warranty must be less than one year or less than 15,000km; and the vehicle must be less than 10 years old and below 160,000km.
That is where the restrictions end. The warranty covers Toyota and Lexus vehicles and they can be purchased as used cars – second, third or fourth-hand – through either private sales or from dealerships.
The brand also said there was no requirement for a vehicle to have a history of servicing at an official centre in order to qualify for the warranty; it will be applied from the date the vehicle is serviced at a Toyota or Lexus centre.
Toyota Australia told GoAutoNews Premium that Australians have a “strong and comprehensive warranty” of five years with unlimited kilometres, which extends to seven years for engine and driveline and up to 10 years on hybrid batteries, with unlimited kilometres.
A spokesman for Toyota Australia said it currently has no plans to change its comprehensive warranty coverage offered under its Toyota Warranty Advantage program.
However, they did say: “We are always open to considering additional offerings and will study the latest updates for suitability for our market.”
In the UK, Toyota Great Britain’s customer services director Rob Giles said: “This is a game-changing proposition that redefines the manufacturer warranty, giving our customers the reassurance and value of cover for up to a decade of motoring.
“There are compelling business benefits to be gained as well, with Relax connecting us with more owners, building loyalty and giving our network partners the opportunity to maximise value chain opportunities in both sales and after sales activities.”
All new Toyota vehicles in Europe carry a three-year/60,000-mile (100,000km) manufacturer’s warranty as standard with the Relax scheme set to be made available to all owners when they have their vehicle serviced at an official Toyota centre.
It will be automatically activated on the completion of a scheduled full or interim vehicle service at that centre.
The Relax warranty covers the same parts and labour as the three-year manufacturer’s warranty provided on new Toyota and Lexus vehicles and the one-year manufacturer warranty that’s standard with approved used vehicles.
It does not include wear and tear items, bodywork, paint, interior trims and maintenance parts.
A vehicle health check is part of the service package, which includes all mechanical and electronic parts, which helps potential problems to be detected at an early stage. Any existing defects present at the time of service are excluded from the warranty.
Toyota said that if owners are concerned about potentially having to pay for significant repairs when bringing their vehicle to a centre for service for the first time, Toyota’s Drive Now, Pay Later scheme is available to spread costs over a suitable period of time.
Customers can extend their Relax warranty by an extra 12 months/10,000 miles (16,000km), year after year, until the 10-year/100,000-mile (160,000km) limit is reached.
On vehicles that have service intervals every two years, the cover is for 24 months/20,000 miles (32,000km).
In Australia, Mitsubishi Motors offers the longest warranty period of 10 years with the last five years dependent on the car being serviced at an authorized Mitsubishi dealership. Kia offers seven years as does SsangYong, Haval, GWM and MG while Isuzu Ute offers six.
The rest are mostly five and three years.
By Neil Dowling
Read More: Related articles
