Engine management faults head list of used car warranty claims

ENGINE management faults head up the list of claims made against used car warranties in the last eighteen months, according to new information released by epyx.

The remainder of the five most common issues recorded by the company are, in order, air conditioning systems, oxygen sensors, battery charging circuits and water pumps. The analysis uses data drawn from almost 418,000 policies.

epyx’s 1link Service Network e-commerce platform is used by several leading warranty companies to process repairs, linking them to a national network of franchise and independent dealers.

Tim Meadows, chief commercial officer at epyx, said: “Because we work with a range of warranty providers, we’re probably in a unique position when it comes to looking at the claims that are being made against used car warranties in the UK.

“From our point of view, the most striking finding here is that all of these five repairs are potentially quite expensive, typically running into hundreds of pounds on the average vehicle and even, in some instances, into four figures.

“While modern cars are clearly much more reliable than in the past, they do fail. The most common claim – on engine management – is a good example of this. It’s a category that covers a wide range of problems but will include major mechanical failure that could incur substantial costs. Motorists making this claim will no doubt be pleased to have a warranty in place.”

Meadows added that 1link Service Network had been growing in popularity among warranty companies in recent years as a means of meeting their repair needs.

He said: “1link Service Network was actually designed for large vehicle fleets to manage their service, maintenance and repair needs, and is today used on that basis to look after four million cars, vans and trucks.

“However, the claims processes used by most warranty companies closely mirror fleet procedures, so the platform works really well in that context. It is all about starting a repair job, finding the right repairer and managing the process at the right quality, cost and speed.

“The warranty companies that we are now working with very much want to enhance customer service, control spending, confirm repair standards, and ensure timeliness – and they look to technology to help make these advances.”