Consumer protection already in place serves as better assurance than a longer warranty, according to Toyota Australia.
While other brands like Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and MG have moved to longer than five-year warranties, Toyota – the biggest brand in the market – does not see it necessary to move beyond the industry standard.
And that is because of Australia Consumer Law (ACL), according to Toyota Australia Sales and Marketing boss Sean Hanley, which already exists to cover buyers.
“No [Toyota Australia does not need to extend its warranty offering], because Australian consumer law in itself protects consumers,” Hanley told Drive.
“We have a very strong warranty position now, and we also have on top of that Toyota Service Warranty Advantage, which extend the life of hybrids and other vehicle warranties.
“But in reality, Australian consumers are protected by Australian Consumer Law.
“And when you look at all the warranty offerings, you know they’re all conditional.
Toyota Australia’s warranty covers new-car purchases for five years/unlimited kilometres, or five years/160,000km for commercial purchases.
However, owners that service their vehicles to the schedule, that assurance period is extended another two years covering the engine, electric motor, and driveline.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are also covered for battery capacity degradation for eight years/160,000km to a minimum of 70 per cent.
While Toyota’s warranty matches the industry standard also offered by Mazda, Ford, and others, Hyundai and Kia have seven-year assurance periods, while Mitsubishi, MG, and Nissan have extended their cover to 10 years.
The 10-year warranty from all three however, is conditional on completing servicing on time, and the maintenance carried out at approved outlets.
Hanley said he believes ACL, which outlines that a manufacturer must provide a car of “acceptable quality” and that a consumer has recourse even “if a major failure occurs outside of warranty period”.
“The reality is, the ACL is the best warranty Australia offers, you can’t beat it,” Hanley said.
“I don’t actually think [a longer warranty equates to more sales], brand trust gets people through the door, not warranty.”
Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.
