Skoda eyes standard five-year warranty

Speaking to WhichCar at the Australian launch of the Octavia RS230, Skoda executives hinted that talks regarding the adoption of a standard, range-wide five-year warranty are underway.

Skoda managing director, Michael Irmer, said of the brand’s warranty plans that “we are always thinking about these things.”

Mr Irmer doesn’t believe the real cost of a longer warranty would be significant, and felt that a standard five years of cover could create a positive perception around product confidence and reliability.

Skoda currently offers an optional two-year extended factory warranty on top of its standard three-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. It is offered alongside a Service Pack which brings pre-paid car servicing for three years and 45,000km, or five years and 75,000km. The brand’s Care Pack bundles the Service Pack and the extended warranty.

The brand also offers a program called Skoda Choice, which guarantees the future value of your car. It says nearly half of Skoda finance buyers year-to-date have taken up Skoda Choice.

Of the current optional extended warranty Mr Irmer said, “We like to give customers the choice. Some people will want [the five-year warranty] and some people won’t,” however he said that this approach could change in the future.

As a factory warranty (rather than a dealer warranty) the extra two years comes without the need to visit a Skoda service department for routine maintenance, and currently costs extra. It is priced from $999 to $1699 depending on the model – for the brand’s best-seller the Octavia it costs $1499. However, for buyers using Skoda finance, the warranty extension is free.

The extended warranty also brings two years’ Skoda Roadside Assistance and is transferrable to subsequent owners without cost.