When most people buy a car, there’s excitement in the air: that new-car smell, the roaring engine, and the wide-open road in front of them. Maintenance is something that isn’t on most motorists’ minds. But, while cruising down the highway in your new Q60S is important, making sure your vehicle is protected should be at the top of your list.
Like most car manufacturers, Infiniti has you covered right away with its factory warranty – for a few years at least. In this article, we’re going to help make sense of the Infiniti warranty, including what’s covered, what isn’t, and how long your coverage will last.
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Infiniti Warranty Overview
Infiniti is Nissan’s luxury brand. Like many other Japanese automakers, Nissan is known for its reliability. While it may not have the same reputation as Toyota or Subaru, it’s not far behind, placing 9th out of 32 car makers for reliability according to RepairPal.
Unfortunately, a reliable car is still vulnerable to breakdowns, and it will need routine maintenance just like any other vehicle. That’s why it’s important to have a solid manufacturer warranty for any car you buy – assuming you don’t get your kicks from spending your own money on brake pad replacements, that is.
What’s Covered By Infiniti’s Factory Warranty?
Thankfully, Infiniti’s factory warranty is pretty comprehensive. The Standard Infiniti warranty provides the following coverage:
- Basic Coverage: 4 years/60,000 miles
- Emission Control Coverage: 5 years/50,000 miles
- Powertrain Coverage: 6 years/70,000 miles
- Corrosion Coverage: 7 years/unlimited mileage
- Seat Belt Warranty: 10 years/unlimited mileage
- Genuine Infiniti Accessories Basic Coverage: 4 years/60,000 miles (must be purchased at time of vehicle sale)
- Infiniti Extended Protection Plan: 7 years/100,000 miles (optional)
- Federal Emission Performance Warranty: 2 years/24,000 miles
- Federal Emission Defect Warranty: 4 years/60,000 miles
- Federal Emission Long Term Defect Warranty: 8 years/80,000 miles
- California Emission Performance and Defect Warranties: 4 years/60,000 miles
- California Emission Long Term Defect Warranty: 7 years/70,000 miles
That’s quite a mouthful. Let’s focus on the most important part of the Infiniti warranty: the Basic coverage. In a nutshell, Infiniti’s Basic coverage is a bumper-to-bumper warranty. This means that it covers everything in your vehicle except for a few things that are listed in your contract. That coverage lasts for 4 years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first.
The next most important item on that list is the powertrain warranty. That covers – you guessed it – the powertrain, which is comprised of the engine, transmission, and drivetrain. If anything goes wrong with those, you’ll be covered under the factory warranty.
What’s Not Covered By The Factory Warranty?
So, what’s not covered by the Infiniti warranty? Let’s take a look.
- Seat belts, tires, and emission control systems (each covered by separate warranties)
- Routine maintenance like oil changes
- Repairs caused by accidents or misuse
- Damage caused by aftermarket modifications
- Normal wear and tear
- Repairs made by an unauthorized Infiniti dealer
- Damage from environmental factors like lightning, salt, hail, flooding, etc.
If something isn’t listed here, then you’re covered. If you have any questions about what’s covered by the Infiniti warranty, make sure to ask your dealer before purchasing your vehicle.
Infiniti Certified Pre-Owned Warranty
If you’re buying a certified pre-owned vehicle, you will also get an Infiniti warranty. The warranty lasts 6 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first, and covers the following:
- Engine: Timing chain and tensioner, cylinder heads and block and all internal parts, rocker covers and oil pan, water pump and fuel pump, valvetrain and front cover, oil pump, fuel injectors, intake and exhaust manifolds, flywheel, seals and gaskets
- Transmission and Transaxle: Case and all internal parts, torque converter and converter housing, automatic transmission control module, transfer case and all internal parts, seals and gaskets, clutch cover and housing, electronic transmission controls
- Drivetrain: Drive shafts, final drive housing and all internal parts, propeller shafts, universal joints, bearings, seals and gaskets
- Restraint System: Airbags and related electronic control systems
If you’re considering a certified pre-owned vehicle, you should be aware that all repairs are subject to a $ 50 deductible per visit. All warranty repairs will be conducted with Nissan parts, but if the required parts are unavailable, Nissan may use third-party ones.
How To Find Out If You Have A Warranty
If you purchased a new or certified pre-owned Infiniti and are still within the term lengths specified above, then this question is easy to answer: You have an Infiniti warranty.
However, if you’re purchasing a non-certified used vehicle, things get a bit trickier. The first thing you should do is ask the seller. Of course, the seller could be misinformed or mislead you so that there’s a bigger incentive to complete the purchase, so it’s always good to double check. There are a number of websites like Carfax that will check your vehicle’s history if you input your vehicle identification number (VIN), or you can reach out to the manufacturer to see if your Infiniti warranty is still valid.
Do You Need Extended Warranty Coverage?
Some vehicles can turn out to be unreliable, so an extended warranty can save you money if you plan to keep your vehicle for longer than the factory warranty will cover you.
However, Infiniti is a fairly reliable automaker, so whether an extended warranty is worth it for you will largely come down to personal preference. For some, having the peace of mind knowing that you won’t spend more on repairs than the cost of the warranty itself is worth its weight in gold. On the other hand, some people are more interested in taking things as they come and paying for repairs out of pocket. If you aren’t planning on keeping your vehicle for a long time, an extended warranty can still increase curb appeal for potential buyers.
Keep in mind that repairs generally become more expensive as your vehicle ages, so make sure you think your decision over very carefully. To help you estimate your costs, let’s take a look at the costs of some common repairs according to RepairPal.
- Brake pad replacement for 2017 Infiniti QX50: $ 284 to $ 317
- Head gasket replacement for 2018 Infiniti Q60: $ 1,238 to $ 3,925
- Spark plug replacement for 2012 Infiniti G25: $ 373 to $ 439
- Water pump replacement for 2015 Infiniti QX70: $ 1,047 to $ 1,292
Clearly, repair costs can add up fast. If these numbers scare you, an extended warranty may be worth it to ensure these bills don’t catch you by surprise.
Infiniti Extended Warranty Options
If you want to purchase extended protection, there are several Infiniti warranty options. Here’s what each of them covers:
Infiniti Elite Protection Program
- One plan with two deductible options
- Covers over 1,650 vehicle parts
- Roadside assistance, including towing
- Trip interruption
- Reunite service
- Car rental
- Zero percent financing for 12- and 18-month terms
Prepaid Maintenance Agreements
- Choose between four plans
- Covers routine maintenance like oil changes, tire rotations, etc.
- Tire road hazard protection
- Zero percent financing for 12- and 18-month terms
Ultimate Platinum Protection
- Tire and wheel road hazard with curb and cosmetic protection
- Key replacement
- Paintless dent repairs
- Windshield repairs
- 24-hour emergency roadside assistance
Platinum Protection
- Tire and wheel road hazard protection
- Paintless dent repairs
- Windshield repairs
- 24-hour emergency roadside assistance
Infiniti’s extended warranties have some advantages and drawbacks. On one hand, you can be sure you’re getting serviced by authorized centers that know Infiniti vehicles well and will use genuine Infiniti parts. On the other hand, you always have to bring your car into an Infiniti service center, which means you may not be able to bring it to your favorite local shop, and the cost of your Infiniti warranty may be rolled into your financing, causing you to pay interest.
Benefits Of A Third-Party Extended Warranty
While Infiniti extended warranties give you the benefit of factory parts, they’re restrictive in some ways.
If you have a good relationship with a local repair shop, you’re most likely not going to be able to bring your car in for repairs there. Plus, third-party warranties tend to be a bit more customizable – you can pick and choose what coverage you do and don’t want. You can usually get an instant online quote, whereas buying an Infiniti extended warranty means taking a trip to your dealer.
All in all, third-party warranties add a layer of convenience. If you want to learn more about these providers and what they offer, take a look at our article on the best extended car warranty companies.
