Woman Buys Chevrolet. Then She Tries To Use The Warranty—And Runs Into Biggest Misconception There Is: ‘It’s Bumper To Bumper?'

A woman buys a Chevrolet and then tries to use the car warranty without success. Even with the bumper-to-bumper warranty, she ran into one of the biggest warranty misconceptions there is. 

Brooke (@brookesdailydrive) reveals what exactly the biggest misconception is when it comes to bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage. Her TikTok has over 1,600 views as of this writing. 

“Let’s talk about a topic that seems to be brought up all the time, and that is manufacturer warranties and what they cover and what they don’t cover,” Brooke begins.

Brooke mentions that most people understand manufacturer warranties will not cover maintenance items that endure wear and tear. This includes brakes, tires, and the like. 

Where people often get tripped up is outside elements causing issues for the vehicle and not being covered by a warranty. One of the biggest misconceptions may not be what you think. 

“Rodent damage. So, if a mouse or rat gets into your wiring harness, which I’ve seen time and time again, the manufacturer is not going to cover it because that is an outside element. It happened completely out of the manufacturer's control,” Brooke explains. 

She elaborates that manufacturer warranties will state that any issues with product parts or installation will be covered, as this was part of the manufacturing process. However, an incident with rodents is completely out of the control of the manufacturer, which will not be covered.

Brooke acknowledges the term "bumper-to-bumper coverage" can be misleading. 

“So many people leave the lot thinking, ‘Oh, that’s covered. It’s true bumper-to-bumper.’ It’s just not the case on some things,” she shares. 

Additionally, Brooke mentions that accidents and floods will not be covered by the manufacturer's warranty because they are outside factors. 

“Check for rodents at your house because we see this happen all of the time,” she concludes. 

‘Why Would People Think That’s Covered?’

Viewers in the comments section were surprised to hear that people thought rodent damage would be covered by warranty. 

“What in the world?!!!? Shaking my head! Why would people think that’s covered?!” one TikTok commenter questioned. 

While other viewers suggested getting your car insurance involved to get the repairs done. 

“I've had that happen. Squirrels nested in my F250. Comp insurance coverage paid for it,” one shared.

“If you have rodent damage, call your insurance, most policies cover this under comprehensive. I personally liked rodent damage cars because it was an easy (and good paying) repair order. I don’t think any rodent damage cars were ever denied coverage,” one commented.

“Yes! That’s what we tell customers as well. Insurance will step in for a lot of these environmental things,” Brooke replied. 

What Does A Bumper-to-Bumper Manufacturer Warranty Actually Cover?

For consumers, it can be confusing to get bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage and then get denied when a rodent eats your wiring. One woman even had her warranty voided because rodents feasted on wires. 

AutoTrader reports that bumper-to-bumper will cover nearly everything from the front to the back bumper. However, with modern warranties, not everything is so clear and cut. Exceptions and exclusions now apply to bumper-to-bumper warranties. 

Brooke told Motor1, “I think people believe manufacturers still provide full bumper-to-bumper coverage, as they did in the past, even though we explain this to every customer repeatedly. I think because it's a new car, they believe that everything should be covered, which isn't the case. Luckily a lot of those environmental factors are covered by insurance.”

J.D. Power shares that, generally, bumper-to-bumper warranties will cover engines, transmissions, drive axles, suspension, braking, steering, vehicle body, electronics, heating, and air conditioning—for the most part, any part inside of the vehicle that was assembled at the factory. 

In addition to not covering outside environmental factors like rodent damage, J.D. Power reports other exclusions from these warranties. Exclusions include tires, brake pads, bulbs, clutch lining, wiper blades, wheels, glass, fuses, upholstery, and bumpers. 

Brooke shared with Motor1 a real-life example where her dealership had to deny warranty coverage for a customer experiencing water in the floorboard.

“We recently had a customer who was upset that they had to pay for us to diagnose their newer vehicle because they had tons of water in the floorboard. We performed a water test that took a few hours but found no leaks. We explained that further investigation, such as pulling up the carpet, would require additional diagnostic time, which upset them. What likely happened is the windows were left down and I don't think she understood that a manufacturer won't cover something caused by outside elements.”

As mentioned, normal wear and tear is not covered by warranty. The only time it’ll be covered in this case is if faulty parts were provided and needed to be replaced or repaired. Additionally, any improper use, racing, theft, vandalism, or accidents will void warranty coverage.