A van is an important purchase, particularly if you’re relying on it for your business. When it comes to buying a van, though, you take on the risk that it could have issues in the future.
This is when a warranty becomes important – not only can it offer you peace of mind, it can save you money and keep you on the road.
What is a warranty?
A warranty is a guarantee given to you by the seller that their product will meet certain specifications.
A van warranty will cover you for the costs of repairs – costs and labour – to fix faults with your van over an agreed period of time.
New vans usually come with a manufacturer’s warranty that lasts around three to five years.
However, there are other types of warranties – extended warranties or warranties issued by a dealership.
Why is a warranty important?
A warranty can protect you from unexpected and expensive repair costs. It gives you some peace of mind that for a certain amount of time, you’re covered and your van will run as promised.
It’s not like your insurance – that’ll cover incidents on the road, but doesn’t always cover the van’s moving parts. A warranty covers fixes and repairs outright. Plus most also cover parts and labour.
Do your vans come with a warranty?
All Hippo vans come with a warranty. If you buy or lease a new van, the manufacturer’s warranty is included.
If you lease or buy one of our Approved Used vans, we’ll always let you know upfront whether it’s still covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, and how long is left. And if it isn’t, you’ll get a complimentary three-month warranty from us.
What do warranties cover?
The majority of van warranties will cover the cost of repairs to parts or components of the vehicle that fail on their own.
Saying that, the exact level of protection you’ll get with a van warranty will differ depending on the warranty provider.
Generally, a good van warranty should cover:
- Engine
- Electrics
- Transmission
- Gearbox
- Fuel
- Cooling system
- Suspension
- Steering
- Brakes
- Battery
- Clutch
What is not covered by a warranty?
A van warranty doesn’t cover everything. Some common exclusions include:
Wear and tear
Most policies won’t cover damage caused by general wear and tear of parts to tyres and wheels, the exhaust, brakes and clutch, catalytic converters, glass and headlights or cosmetic damage to the body and paintwork.
While entertainment systems aren’t usually included, some will cover faults with the air conditioning system.
Oil leaks
While your van warranty will generally cover the cost of a leaking part, it may not cover the damage caused by the leak. This is one to check the small print for.
Neglect
Your warranty provider can refuse to cover the damage if you have neglected basic maintenance that lead to the fault.
Policy breaches
If you’ve made any modifications or used parts that aren’t approved, it could invalidate your warranty.
Warranties for new vans vs warranties for used vans
New vans typically come with a manufacturer’s warranty, although this isn’t a legal requirement.
In some instances, where policies cover a year, you have an option to renew it. There tends to be certain caveats too, in order to keep the warranty valid – such as keeping with annual mileage limits and getting the van regularly serviced.
For used vans, it’s slightly different. Depending on the age, it may still be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.
However, if it’s over a certain age, you may find it harder to get a warranty, as it’s more likely that parts will fail.
You may need to prove that your van is serviced and has a valid MOT to get cover. If you get a used van through Hippo, all our vehicles go through a stringent 130 point stringent check before going on sale.
You’ll also get a minimum of three months’ warranty as standard, which you can extend by adding a warranty to your agreement.
Manufacturer’s warranties
As we mentioned earlier, each van provider has its own warranty terms, conditions and lengths. Here are the most common.
Citroën
All new Citroën vans come with a three-year, 60,000 mile warranty.
Fiat
Fiat has recently launched a new five-year warranty and servicing package across its van range – but it only applies to higher specification models.
For entry-level variants, there’s standard cover for 24 months.
Ford
All new Ford vans come with a warranty of three years or 60,000 miles, whichever occurs first.
Isuzu
The Isuzu warranty covers you for five years or 120,000, whichever comes first.
Mercedes-Benz
All new Mercedes-Benz vans, if originally destined for the UK, benefit from three years unlimited mileage warranty as standard.
Nissan
Nissan offers a five-year or 100,000-mile warranty – whichever comes first.
Peugeot
As standard, your Peugeot van’s warranty package is for three years with the option to extend if you’re under 60,000 miles.
Renault
Renault van warranty means you’re covered for up to four years. Unlimited mileage is given during the first two years, and the following two years is limited to a total mileage of 100,000.
Toyota
Toyota vans come with a five-year or 100,000-mile warranty – whichever comes first.
Vauxhall
Typically, Vauxhall’s new van warranty covers you for three years, however, it can be more depending on the model.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen offers a three-year comprehensive warranty on all its new vans.
What is van breakdown cover?
Van breakdown cover provides you with assurance that if your van unexpectedly breaks down, it’ll be fixed.
The purpose of van breakdown cover is to get you back on the road swiftly. If you do break down, the policy provider will send a trained mechanic to fix your van or tow it to the nearest garage if it needs further work.
Why is van breakdown cover important?
When you use a van for work, breakdown cover is even more important as it can minimise the disruption to your business by getting you back doing what you need to do quickly.
Financially, it’s also prudent, as paying a one-off fee to have your vehicle towed can be expensive.
Breakdown cover can see that your van is repaired swiftly so you don’t have to incur the cost of being without transport for a long period of time.
Do Hippo vans come with breakdown cover?
If you lease a van from Hippo, breakdown cover is usually included in your monthly payments.
What’s included in van breakdown cover?
There are various levels of breakdown cover available – from roadside recovery to full onward journey protection.
Each offers something different and, as you can imagine, will vary in price if it’s outside a warranty or lease agreement.
The basic cover is roadside van breakdown cover. This is where your van can be repaired at the side of the road or towed to the nearest garage, from which point you pay for the repairs.
Typically you’ll find the following issues covered:
- Flat or faulty batteries
- Damaged tyres or wheels
- Broken clutch cables
- Misfuelling
- Starter motor failure
The next level up from roadside cover is national cover. This allows you to be towed to a destination of choice, rather than the nearest garage.
After that is home start service, which covers you if your van won’t start when you set off from home.
The highest level of cover is called onward travel. This covers the basic roadside assistance, but will also cover you for any vehicle hire costs or even accommodation needs that result from the breakdown.
What does van breakdown cover not include?
Every breakdown policy is different, but generally most policies won’t cover:
- Any damage caused by neglect
- Non-breakdown faults
- Breaking down on private land (unless you have home start cover)
- Breaking down with animals or pets
- Parts or labour
- Unroadworthy vehicles
- Replacement wheels if you don’t have a spare
Other exclusions to watch out for include limits on callouts you can make within a year and exclusions if you leave your lights on or run out of fuel.
Manufacturer’s warranties that include breakdown cover
Citroën
Citroën offers 12 months of breakdown cover on all new petrol and diesel vans. Electric and plug-in hybrid vans are covered for eight years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Fiat
Fiat vans come with 12 months’ complimentary roadside assistance cover.
Ford
Every new Ford van comes with 12 months’ roadside assistance from the date it’s registered.
Isuzu
All new Isuzu D-Max vans come with full breakdown cover, including local recovery, roadside and home assistance. Plus European Breakdown cover is also included for five years.
Mercedes-Benz
All new Mercedes-Benz vans come with complimentary MobiloVan roadside assistance for three years.
Nissan
Nissan gives its new van owners five years of roadside assistance, also covering accidents and non-warrantable incidents, from flat tyres and lost keys to misfuelling.
Peugeot
When you purchase a new Peugeot van, you also get 12 months of free roadside assistance as standard.
Renault
Renault’s van warranty is inclusive of roadside assistance for up to three years.
Toyota
Toyota vans come with 12 months of free roadside assistance.
Vauxhall
Vauxhall’s new van warranty comes with 12 months of free roadside assistance. Their hybrid and electric models are covered for eight years of roadside assistance.
Volkswagen
New Volkswagen vans give you three years’ roadside assistance as included within their warranty.
