What You Need To Know About Your Ford Warranty

When you drive your new Ford off the dealership lot, you’ll be covered by Ford’s factory warranty of 3 years/36,000 miles. Though this length of protection is fairly common among car manufacturers, it’s on the shorter side of warranties.

Our guide to Ford’s warranty will give you an understanding of what’s covered and what isn’t, so you know what to expect from your coverage.

Before we get into that, it’s worth mentioning that if you’re planning on driving your car for longer than 3 years or 36,000 miles, it’s a good idea to think about how you’re going to protect your car after the factory warranty expires. What’s your plan if your car breaks down and the repairs aren’t covered by the warranty?

New Fords come with an industry-standard New Vehicle Limited Warranty. This manufacturer’s warranty protects against defective parts or poor workmanship from the factory for almost all vehicle parts.

Check the chart below for an overview of your Ford warranty protection.

If you’re wondering what’s actually covered by these different types of warranties, you’re not alone. Most car buyers may not realize there’s more than one type of warranty for your new vehicle.

• Bumper-to-Bumper: The most comprehensive, bumper-to-bumper warranties cover everything but a short list of excluded parts on your Ford that may vary from vehicle to vehicle.
• Powertrain: A powertrain warranty covers the engine, transmission, front-wheel and rear-wheel drive, and four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
• Safety Restraint System: This covers the seatbelts and airbag system of your vehicle from defects.
• Corrosion: This coverage applies to rust damage and corrosion of the body panels or frame as long as they aren’t caused by abnormal driving conditions.
• Diesel Engine: The direct injection engine and certain engine parts are covered under the Diesel Engine Warranty. Covered parts include the engine, cylinder block, intake and exhaust manifolds, timing equipment, water pump, turbocharger, injection pressure sensor, injectors, and other related parts.
• Emissions: The Defects and Performance emissions warranties cover defective parts related to the vehicle’s emissions system, such as the air flow sensor, catalytic converter, and exhaust manifold. There are several differences under the California Emission Warranty Coverage, so check your contract for details specific to your vehicle.

Ford factory warranties also include roadside assistance for 5 years/60,000 miles, which covers towing to the nearest Ford Motor Company dealership, flat tire change, fuel delivery, jump starts, lock-out assistance, and winch-out services.

Your Ford factory warranty covers a lot of damages related to moving parts, but there’s also a long list of exclusions to your warranty. Some of the things your Ford warranty doesn’t cover include:

• Maintenance parts and labor (such as oil changes and tire rotations)
• Regular wear and tear from normal use
• Damage caused by accidents or collisions
• Damage from theft, vandalism, riot, or fire
• Damage from contaminated or improper fuels or fluids
• Damage caused by customer-applied chemicals or accidental spills
• Damage from driving through water deep enough to enter the engine
• Damage from vehicle misuse, such as driving over curbs or racing
• Damage from alterations or customizations, such as adding a lift kit to a truck

Ford offers several hybrid vehicles, all of which come with additional warranty coverage for the hybrid/electric unique components. This coverage lasts for 8 years/100,000 miles, whichever comes first, and includes the all-important battery pack.

Exact coverage varies depending on whether your car is a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or all electric, but examples of covered components include:

• High-voltage battery
• High-voltage battery isolation switch (the manual disconnect switch)
• Battery energy control module
• Inverter system controller
• Electronic drive module assembly

Coverage For Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles

Like most car manufacturers, Ford offers a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicle program. Sold by Ford dealers, CPO vehicles must meet certain mileage and age restrictions and undergo an official inspection from Ford.

The CPO warranty coverage is similar to the Ford bumper-to-bumper warranty, but only for 12 months/12,000 miles, whichever comes first. It also offers a powertrain warranty for 7 years/100,000 miles.

Protecting Your Car After The Warranty Expires

RepairPal estimates that your Ford will cost $718 per year in repairs, which is considered higher than other manufacturers. Also, any vehicle is more likely to have a breakdown as it ages and increases in mileage. After your Ford warranty expires, you may be looking at expensive repair bills for mechanical breakdowns.

You can cover your vehicle with an extended car warranty, also known as a vehicle service contract, which can protect against expensive repair costs.

An extended auto warranty for your Ford could potentially save you thousands of dollars on repair costs over the years. With an extended warranty, you pay a one-time, annual, or monthly fee (and possibly a deductible) instead of the entire repair bill when a covered breakdown occurs. Based on our 2021 survey, most respondents chose to purchase an extended warranty based on the low costs that brought them peace of mind.

We also recommend extended warranties because of the customized coverage available. Most extended warranties can be tailored to your vehicle. This way, you can cover the parts of your car that worry you the most.

Having this backup plan provides peace of mind. It’s comforting to know a major car expense is covered if your Ford unexpectedly breaks down. If you wouldn’t normally be able to afford the repair, having an extended warranty can be an easy solution.

According to the 2019 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study, Ford ranks below average for reliability compared to other car manufacturers.

Of course, below-average reliability doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy a Ford or that it sells bad cars. Instead, it means you should be prepared to pay for repairs over the life of your vehicle.

Below are some common repairs for popular Ford vehicles, based on data from RepairPal.

When you purchase your new Ford, the dealer will likely offer you an extended service plan. While this might seem like a good deal, it’s worth considering a third-party extended warranty company, primarily for its flexibility and affordability.

Below, we’ve compared Ford Protect Extended Service Plans and extended warranties from the third-party companies we’ve researched.

Based on our research of all the major providers, we recommend getting an extended warranty quote from multiple third-party providers. That way, you can compare your options side by side before committing to a plan.