Subaru steps up to five year new car warranty

Subaru has announced that it will give all new car buyers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty from January 1, 2019, joining the likes of Volkswagen, Hyundai, Mazda, Holden and Ford. Tesla (eight years/160,000km) and Kia (seven years/unlimited km) still offer the longest new car warranties, though.

The change, which applies only to cars sold from January 1, 2019, also applies to Subaru’s fixed price servicing regimen, which also extends to five years.

However, it’s worth noting that Subaru – thanks in part to its use of the relatively unusual flat-four cylinder layout, which requires a more disciplined approach to engine oil changes – stipulates service intervals of six months or 12,5000km, versus the generally more cost-effective 12-month intervals for the majority of its competitors.

The Japanese company is one of the last to switch to a longer warranty period, with Nissan and Toyota, as well as premium European brands like Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW, still holding onto three-year warranty offers.

“This latest move to five year warranty and Capped Price Servicing offers yet more peace-of-mind for our customers, who are among the most loyal in the Australian automotive industry,” said Subaru Australia managing director Colin Christie in a statement.

Previously, Subaru offered an additional two years on top of its standard three-year warranty period as a promotional tool at various times in 2017 and 2018.