- Your new or Certified Pre-Owned Fiat comes with a manufacturer’s warranty to repair damages from defective parts.
- After the manufacturer’s warranty expires, you have to cover these repairs yourself.
- You can help protect your wallet from expensive repair bills with a Fiat extended warranty.
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New Fiat vehicles come with a basic limited warranty of four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. This warranty pays for unexpected repairs due to faulty parts or workmanship from the manufacturer. The warranty doesn’t cover everything, though. Not to mention, you’re on the hook for the full bill once the warranty expires.
You’ve got options when it comes to protecting your Fiat after the warranty expires. An extended warranty offsets repair costs if your car has mechanical issues. Learn more about the Fiat warranty and extended warranty options from Fiat and third-party providers like CARCHEX.
How Long Is Fiat’s Warranty?
Your basic limited Fiat warranty for a new vehicle covers you for four years or 50,000 miles. This is comprehensive, or bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage, meaning it includes almost every part and system on your vehicle at the time it left the manufacturing plant. Any excluded parts are listed in the warranty. For example, tires are excluded as most tire manufacturers offer a warranty instead.
The bumper-to-bumper protection isn’t the only Fiat warranty offered. Each new or certified pre-owned Fiat comes with several other types of warranties to protect you from manufacturer defects.
Fiat Warranty for New Cars
The Fiat warranty for new cars includes the bumper-to-bumper warranty, an anti-corrosion warranty, and an emissions warranty. Unlike most car manufacturers, new Fiat vehicles don’t list out a separate powertrain warranty for the engine and transmission. However, the powertrain is indeed covered by Mopar, which is the service, parts, and customer experience division of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) US LLC.
Most manufacturers extend powertrain coverage beyond the bumper-to-bumper warranty with a separate powertrain warranty. Fiat, however, has a slightly above average bumper-to-bumper warranty to cover your powertrain components.
| Warranty Type | Length of Warranty | Coverage |
| Basic Limited Warranty (Bumper-to-Bumper) | 4 years, 50,000 miles | Essentially all parts and systems of your vehicle that were on it the day it left the factory, minus the tires. |
| Anti-Corrosion Perforation Limited Warranty | All Panels: 3 years, unlimited miles. Outer Panels: 5 years, unlimited miles | Protects you from rust and corrosion that happen from the inside out. |
| Federal Emission Warranty | 4 years, 50,000 miles. Certain specified components: 8 years, 80,000 miles |
Covers parts of the emission control system (includes California Emissions Standard Warranty). |
The manufacturer, Mopar, also includes a limited warranty for their Genuine Parts & Accessories. The terms vary for each part, but some examples of covered items are:
- Mufflers
- Starters
- Batteries
- Alternators
- Powertrains
- Water pumps
- Corning Gorilla Glass
The Fiat warranty is transferable to a new owner if you decide to sell the car within the first years of ownership. New car warranties stay with the car. For example, you could sell the car after one year and 12,000 miles, leaving the new owner with a warranty of three years or 38,000 miles.
Fiat Warranty for Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles
Certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles are Fiat cars that have undergone a 125-point inspection by trained FCA technicians. To be eligible for the CPO Fiat program, vehicles must be newer than five model years and have less than 75,000 miles.
CPO Fiat vehicles come with a special warranty provided by FCA. The coverage includes:
| Warranty Type | Length of Warranty | Coverage |
| Powertrain Limited Warranty | 7 years or 100,000 miles from the original new car sale date. | Covers repair or replacement of most major powertrain components like transmission, engine, and driveline. |
| Maximum Care Warranty | 3 months, 3,000 miles, starting from the CPO sale date or the expiration date of any remaining Basic Limited Warranty coverage. | Covers most major components of the vehicle with over 5,000 parts covered. |
Unlike a new Fiat warranty, the CPO warranties require a deductible for each repair visit you make. A deductible is money you pay out of pocket for covered repairs before your warranty pays. For example, your car needs a repair that’s covered under the CPO warranty. The repairs cost $500 and you have a $100 deductible. You pay the first $100, and the Fiat CPO warranty pays the remaining $400.
Limits of The Fiat Warranty
The biggest limitation of factory warranties is the types of breakdowns covered. Having bumper-to-bumper comprehensive coverage may seem like your Fiat is covered if anything mechanical goes wrong. Unfortunately, factory warranties only cover manufacturer defects and faulty parts.
That means if the engine in your Fiat stops working due to a part that was installed incorrectly, the repairs are probably covered under the warranty. If the engine breaks down due to normal wear and tear from driving, the factory warranty doesn’t cover it.
Other exclusions are maintenance and damage from racing, unapproved modifications, environmental factors, and accidents. See your Fiat Warranty Information documents for a full list.
What Can You Do When Your Fiat Warranty Expires?
If your Fiat warranty is set to expire soon but you are planning on keeping it, you have a few options to consider:
- Save for repairs
- Let coverage expire
- Get an extended warranty
Saving up for car repairs is a good idea. Doing so can help minimize the impacts of a large and unforeseen repair bill in the future. The biggest problem with trying to save for car repairs is knowing what to expect.
For example, let’s say you save $50 a month for car repairs for a year. You’d have $600 in the bank to put toward any repairs. Your car starts stalling, so you take it to a trusted mechanic. The cost to fix the issues is $1,200. Even though you planned ahead to save for repair costs, you’ll only be able to cover half the bill with savings. There’s no way to know how much you’d need to save each month to pay for any unexpected repairs.
Another option is to let your coverage expire and take the chance you won’t have car trouble. This is a big risk. You’re more likely to need repairs the longer you drive. Initially, you might be on alert for breakdowns during the winter, but springtime actually sees the most repairs.
Your third option is to get a Fiat extended warranty, or vehicle service contract. Extended warranties are a type of vehicle protection plan that offset the costs of repairs for mechanical breakdowns. You’ll pay the service contract administrator a one-time or monthly fee for the contract. When you need a repair that occurs from a covered part, your service contract picks up part of the repair bill. You’ll usually only have to pay a deductible if the repair is covered.
Fiat Reliability
Fiats are known for their unique styling that combines sporty with elegant but not necessarily reliability. In the 2019 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study, Fiat ranked last among the 31 brands in the study.
Despite the poor performance in reliability showdowns, if you have a Fiat, you probably love the brand’s history and design. Since you know your vehicle might be more prone to a breakdown, you can prepare for repair costs. We pulled a few common repairs from RepairPal.
| Model | Repair Type | Average Cost Range |
| 2018 Fiat 500 | AC Compressor Replacement | $1,026–$1,268 |
| 2017 Fiat 500X | Water Pump Replacement | $734–$874 |
| 2015 Fiat 500L | Transmission Replacement | $3,862–$4,001 |
Is a Fiat Extended Warranty Right for You?
An extended warranty allows you to save money for car repairs and plan for the unexpected. You can save a couple of hundred dollars to cover car maintenance and your deductible in case you have a breakdown. However, you won’t need to try and estimate exactly how much you need for any given repair. Your extended warranty will cover most major repair costs.
Fiat Extended Warranty: Dealership or Third-Party?
Let’s say you’ve decided an extended warranty is a good fit for your Fiat. Now, you need to decide who should provide it. You’ve got two options: choose a protection plan from the dealership or a third-party warranty company.
If you’re getting ready to purchase a new Fiat from a dealership, you can expect to hear about extended warranties provided by Mopar from the salesperson.
Do your research and decide if you want a dealership extended warranty or a third-party warranty, so you can either haggle with the salesperson or turn down the Fiat brand service contract.
Below, we’ll help you compare the pros and cons of choosing a dealership extended warranty or a third-party warranty from a trustworthy company. We’ll use CARCHEX for our example since it’s a leader in the extended warranty industry.
Mopar’s Extended Fiat Warranty
Like we mentioned, the Fiat dealership extended warranty is administered through Mopar. You can choose a vehicle protection plan for your new or pre-owned Fiat. Mopar Protection Plan options include:
| Plan Name | Coverage For | Coverage Options | What’s Covered? |
| MVP Maximum Care Plus | New Fiat models | Up to 8 years or 150,000 miles | Comprehensive, bumper-to-bumper coverage that’s similar to the new car limited factory warranty. |
| Added Care Plus | New Fiat models | Up to 8 years or 150,000 miles | Over 800 components listed, including your engine, transmission, steering, and more. |
| Maximum Care | Pre-owned Fiat vehicles | Up to 5 years or unlimited miles | Bumper-to-bumper coverage for over 5,000 parts in your car. |
| Added Care Plus for Pre-Owned Vehicles | Pre-owned Fiat vehicles | Up to 5 years or unlimited miles | Coverage for over 800 named parts in your vehicle. |
Advantages of Mopar Protection Plans
In today’s busy world, few things beat the convenience of a one-stop shop. Mopar Protection Plans let you purchase a vehicle and protect it for years to come in one visit to the dealership.
Other advantages of a Mopar Protection Plan include:
- Roadside assistance benefits.
- Repairs made with Genuine Mopar parts.
- Transferable (with a $50 fee) if you sell your car.
Disadvantages of Mopar Protection Plans
One of the biggest drawbacks of a Mopar plan from your Fiat dealer is the cost. Not only will your dealer markup the price, they may ask you roll the cost into your vehicle financing. While this makes your payments more convenient, it means you’ll be paying interest on your extended warranty. Over the course of your loan, that amount can add up. However, rolling the cost is optional, so you can pass.
Other reasons you may want to skip the dealership extended warranty:
- Only a few plan options.
- No plans for older or high-mileage cars.
- All repairs must be completed at an approved dealership.
Third-Party Extended Warranty from CARCHEX
Unlike a Mopar extended warranty, service plans from third-party companies like CARCHEX offer a lot more flexibility. Most providers have at least three coverage levels.
We particularly like the coverage options from CARCHEX. There are five tiers with multiple plans at each level.
| Coverage Level | Maximum Term | Best For | Details |
| Titanium | Up to 10 years | New Fiat vehicles | Bumper-to-bumper protection with few exclusions. |
| Platinum | Up to 10 years | Long-term coverage | Affordable coverage of stated components. |
| Gold | Up to 10 years | Cars with 60,000 or more miles | Covers most of your car’s major systems. |
| Silver | Up to 7 years | High-mileage vehicles | Protection for the essential systems in your vehicle. |
| Bronze | Up to 6 years | Older vehicles or basic protection | Protects your vehicle from the most expensive powertrain repairs. |
Advantages of CARCHEX Extended Vehicle Protection Plans
The flexibility from CARCHEX is a great advantage over a dealership extended warranty. You can customize your protection to fit your vehicle and budget. CARCHEX also offers other benefits over a dealer protection plan, including:
- Flexible payment options.
- Choose your favorite repair shop.
- Coverage options for almost any vehicle.
- CARCHEX pays your repair shop directly.
- All plans include 24/7 roadside assistance.
- A+ rating and accreditation by the Better Business Bureau.
Disadvantages of CARCHEX Extended Vehicle Protection Plans
One of the advantages of CARCHEX is also a disadvantage. The number of contracts can make it difficult to know which one to choose. Sample contracts are listed online – and we recommend you read one – but it’s most helpful to call CARCHEX and talk to one of their representatives. They’ll ask you about your Fiat and your preferences, then suggest the plan they think is the best fit.
Protect Your Fiat with An Extended Warranty
Purchasing extended coverage after your Fiat warranty expires can put your mind at ease when you’re surprised with a mechanical breakdown. If you’d like to get a free quote from CARCHEX, call 866-254-0205 or fill out the online form.
from Automoblog https://www.automoblog.net/2019/12/09/fiat-warranty/
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