Used van dealers offering longer standard warranties, says RAC Dealer Network

Used van dealers are now leading the industry by offering longer standard warranties, says the RAC Dealer Network.

Most light commercial vehicles (LCVs) are being provided with a 12-month warranty, while the car market is still moving towards a warranty of six months, according to Sean Kent, RAC sales director at Assurant.

He said: “The used vehicle sector as a whole has been moving towards providing longer warranties as standard for many years, mainly driven by the need to build an increasingly convincing overall proposition for customers.

“However – and certainly within the 1,400 members of our dealer network - we have shifted over the last couple of years into a situation where van dealers are taking the initiative. 

"This is being done to meet the specific requirements and expectations of LCV buyers.

“These people very much see their vehicle as a tool, something that they rely on every day.

"A longer warranty being offered as standard by the dealer is a vote of confidence in the reliability and overall quality of the vehicle, as well as a concrete means of support.”

Kent believes the van market will continue moving towards making 12 month warranties a regular  feature of the industry, however, he said he’d be surprised if the car market didn’t eventually follow.

The RAC Dealer Network has also recently launched a new approved dealer standard for used vans and other LCVs.

Kent continued: “Car buyers tend to place this level of protection a little further down their list of priorities.

“While the warranty remains the number one factor among the different elements of a used car proposition, according to research we have undertaken, the daily reliability of the vehicle is important rather than crucial."