Fiat Chrysler just announced that, beginning with the 2016 model year, its 5-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty will become a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty in the U.S. market, Automotive News reports. The decision affects Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and RAM vehicles with gasoline engines, while the automaker’s 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage stays unchanged.
The decision follows a trend: Back in March, GM announced an identical powertrain warranty reduction on Chevrolet and GMC vehicles. GM’s semi-circuitous reasoning, as explained to Chevy and GMC dealers, was that warranty coverage just doesn’t matter as much to customers. And in this week’s announcement, Fiat Chrysler seems to be tagging along with GM’s justification. “Following changes already made by competitors, FCA US is adjusting powertrain warranty coverage for 2016 model year vehicles to be more consistent with industry practices,” FCA told Automotive News.
The decision does not affect FCA’s Fiat and Alfa Romeo offerings in the U.S., which still carry a 4-year/50,000-mile powertrain warranty. Diesel-powered FCA products also continue their 5-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, unchanged from the 2015 model year.
It wasn’t so long ago that Chrysler offered a much, much better drivetrain warranty: The automaker tried to lure customers with a “lifetime” powertrain warranty introduced in mid-2007. The warranty was only available to the first registered vehicle owner, required a dealership powertrain inspection once every 5 years, and wasn’t applicable to SRT, diesel, hybrid, or commercial vehicles; it was replaced by a 5-year/100,000-mile warranty after the company emerged from bankruptcy in 2009.
For comparison, here’s a breakdown of non-hybrid/non-EV powertrain warranty coverage among major automakers in the U.S. market:
- 4 years/50,000 miles: Audi, BMW, Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Mini,Porsche, Volvo
- 5 years/60,000 miles: Ford, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Ram, Volkswagen* (except Touareg)
- 5 years/70,000 miles: Infiniti
- 5 years/100,000 miles: Cadillac
- 6 years/60,000 miles: Toyota
- 6 years/70,000 miles: Acura, Lexus, Lincoln
- 10 years/100,000 miles: Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, Volkswagen Touareg
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