Consumer Affairs Programs and Services

Warranty Information Should Be Provided When Purchasing Used Cars

County Executive Mike Breslin and the Albany County Department of Consumer Affairs want to remind you that New York State law requires car dealers to provide warranty information when you purchase a "pre-owned" (used) car.

It's the Law

Car dealers must provide you with warranty information on or before the date you sign the sale agreement for a used car. New York State Law requires the following coverage at no additional charge to you:

• A vehicle with 18,001-36,000 miles must have a 90 day or 4,000 mile warranty.
• A vehicle with 36,001-79,999 miles must have a 60 day or 3,000 mile warranty.
• A vehicle with 80,000-100,000 miles must have a 30 day or 1,000 mile warranty.

While the warranty is in effect, the dealer will repair free of charge any part covered under the warranty. Alternatively, the dealer may choose to reimburse you for the reasonable cost of a repair.

Buyer Beware

“Often, the dealer will offer to sell the customer an additional warranty through an independent company,” said Tom Fitzpatrick, commissioner of Consumer Affairs. “However, you should make sure that the additional warranty does not coincide with the warranty required by law.”

Before purchasing an additional warranty, you should consider it carefully and ask these five questions:

1. Does the additional warranty cover the same period of time and/or mileage which already exists under the law?
2. Does the additional warranty cover the same parts and labor already covered by law?
3. Does the additional warranty require me to be responsible for any portion of the cost of repairs under the warranty?
4. Is the warranty company reputable and known by auto repair shops in the area? (You may need to do some research here.)
5. Is the cost of the additional warranty and deductibles, if any, really worth it?

Printer-friendly page