A merchant can offer you additional warranty coverage for purchase. In the event of a vehicle defect, the additional coverage provides for its repair or replacement, or a refund. In general, there are 2 types of additional warranty coverage:

  • Extended warranty. This type of warranty extends the duration of the warranty that is offered free of charge by the merchant or the manufacturer. This type of warranty is honoured either by the merchant that sold the vehicle to you or the vehicle’s manufacturer.
  • Insurancetype warranty. This coverage is added to the warranty that is offered free of charge by the merchant or the manufacturer. It is usually honoured by a third party.

These warranties can cover, for example, all the vehicle components for 4 years or 100,000 km after the end of the basic 3-year warranty or 60,000 km.

Warranty contract

The duration and coverage are defined in a contract. It should contain information about:

  • what is covered by the warranty and what is excluded from coverage (parts and labour);
  • the terms for having the warranty honoured.

Filing a warranty claim

Consult your contract for the procedure to file a warranty claim. Do not hesitate to contact the company providing the warranty for clarifications or further information.

When repairs are required, have the garage indicate in the work order that the repairs are to be performed under warranty when you drop off your vehicle.

How to file an extended warranty claim

If your vehicle is covered by an extended warranty, you must follow certain steps to enforce your rights. First, you need to ask the merchant or manufacturer to have the vehicle repaired or request their authorization to have it repaired yourself.

If the merchant or manufacturer refuses to honour the warranty, you should first try to reach an agreement. The Negotiating with a merchant page provides details on the procedure.

If the negotiation fails, you can send a formal notice to the merchant or manufacturer. The Sending a formal notice page provides details on this subject.

If the merchant or manufacturer fails to respond to the request indicated in your formal notice, you can initiate court proceedings. The small claims court page provides details on the procedure.

How to file an "insurance" type warranty claim

If your vehicle is covered by an "insurance" type warranty, you must follow these steps to enforce your rights:

  1. Inform the warranty provider of the problem;
  2. Ask the warranty provider to have the vehicle repaired, or request their authorization to have it repaired yourself;
  3. If the warranty provider refuses, send a formal notice to repair the vehicle or to have it repaired. The Formally notifying a merchant page explains the procedure.

Closure or bankruptcy of the company providing the warranty

If you have purchased an "insurance" type warranty that the company can no longer honour, you have recourse options.

Merchants offering additional warranty coverage are required to pay a guarantee deposit to the Office de la protection du consommateur in order to operate. This money can be used to compensate you if merchants fail to comply with their obligations.

You can contact the OPC to find out how to file a claim.

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Last update : February 10, 2023

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The information contained on this page is presented in simple terms to make it easier to understand. It does not replace the texts of the laws and regulations.