A new car warranty in Australia is the manufacturer's written promise to fix defects in materials or workmanship for a set period, subject to conditions. It sits on top of your automatic rights under the Australian Consumer Law, which can still apply after the warranty ends. An extended warranty sold at the dealer is a third, optional layer.
Knowing which layer applies changes what you check before signing and who you contact when something fails. Official sources linked here were checked in October 2026.
Your new car can be protected in three different ways
The first layer is the consumer guarantees. The ACCC's guidance on new and second-hand cars says a car bought from a licensed dealer must be of acceptable quality, fit for any purpose you disclosed and match its description or demonstration model.
The second layer is the manufacturer's warranty, usually included in the price. The third is any extended warranty you buy. The ACCC says these voluntary warranties add to your automatic rights and cannot replace, change or remove them.
Some states add more. As of October 2026, NSW Fair Trading says a new vehicle (up to 4.5 tonnes GVM) bought from a licensed NSW dealer with under 15,000 km carries a dealer guarantee of 12 months or 20,000 km, whichever comes first.
Other states and territories set their own rules, so check with your local consumer agency.
What a manufacturer warranty covers and leaves out
Under the ACCC's warranty rules, a manufacturer's warranty document must explain how to claim, how long cover lasts and who pays claim expenses, plus mandatory text confirming your consumer guarantees still apply.
The exclusions matter as much as the headline term. As of October 2026, Kia's warranty page is one example: it excludes scheduled maintenance, replacing parts such as filters and brake linings because of normal wear and tear, misuse and accident damage, environmental damage such as hail, and damage caused by non-genuine parts.
Individual parts can have shorter periods. Kia's current terms cover the 12-volt battery for two years and the original audio head unit for three, inside a seven-year warranty. Read the terms for the model you are buying, not a brochure summary.
How to compare new car warranties between brands
The examples below come from Kia's warranty page and terms as of October 2026. They show the clauses to look for, not a ranking of brands.
Years and kilometres. Unlimited kilometres matters most if you drive long distances. Where a cap applies, check whether cover ends at whichever limit comes first.
How you use the car. Kia's unlimited-kilometre cover does not apply to a vehicle used at any time in the warranty period for commercial purposes such as rideshare, rental or courier work. Those vehicles get seven years or 150,000 km, whichever comes first.
High-voltage battery. Kia covers its EV battery against capacity falling below 70% of the original for eight years or 160,000 km on model year 2027 and later vehicles and the EV4, and seven years or 150,000 km on earlier model years.
Roadside assistance. Kia includes 12 months and extends it up to eight years when each scheduled service is done at an authorised Kia dealer.
Claims and transfer. Kia requires warranty repairs at an authorised Kia dealer, and remaining cover passes to a new owner who submits a change-of-owner form.
Browse brands and their model ranges to build a shortlist, then read each maker's current terms.
Servicing outside the dealer network
The ACCC's Just bought a new car? fact sheet says a manufacturer's warranty typically lets you choose your repairer, as long as the manufacturer's maintenance and servicing standards are met. Some warranties may still require warranty repairs within the dealer network.
Your consumer guarantee rights apply whether or not an independent operator services your car. Under the mandatory Motor Vehicle Information Scheme, manufacturers must make service and repair information available to Australian repairers for passenger and light goods vehicles built from 1 January 2002.
Keep proof of every service. Kia's terms ask for the date, odometer reading, work done, part numbers, oil details and the workshop job card. They also exclude defects caused by non-genuine parts, so ask what parts a workshop fits and get an itemised invoice.
Kia's terms also exclude damage caused by a lack of proper maintenance, one more reason why skipping services is risky. Even if a missed service means you can no longer claim under the warranty, the ACCC says your consumer guarantee rights remain.
When a longer warranty depends on dealer servicing
Some headline terms only apply in full with dealer servicing. As of October 2026, Ford's warranty terms offer a seven-year conditional warranty, instead of the standard five years, where the car's warranty commencement date is on or after 1 September 2026.
Every service, including those in the first five years, must be done by an authorised Ford dealer within Ford's time and kilometre intervals. A missed, late or non-dealer service makes the car ineligible for the extra years.
Our look at how one servicing-linked warranty works covers what that can mean for running costs. Before choosing on warranty length, ask for the cost of every scheduled service across the term, and what cover remains if you service elsewhere.
When the warranty ends but the fault is not your doing
The ACCC says the acceptable quality guarantee usually still applies after a warranty expires, for a reasonable time depending on the product. NSW Fair Trading notes that acceptable quality for a vehicle takes into account its type and cost.
The ACCC's repair, replace and refund guidance sets the remedy by how serious the problem is:
Major problem. If the car is unsafe, very different from its description, has problems that would have stopped someone buying it had they known, or cannot do its normal job and cannot easily be fixed in a reasonable time, you can choose a refund or replacement, or keep it and be compensated for the drop in value.
Minor problem. The business must fix it free of charge. If it will not or cannot within a reasonable time, you can have it repaired elsewhere and recover the reasonable cost, or ask for a refund or replacement.
These rights do not cover misuse, a fault you were told about before buying or a change of mind.
Start with the dealer that sold you the car. The ACCC says the dealer must assist and must not send you to the manufacturer. Put the problem in writing. If it is not fixed, the ACCC points to state and territory consumer agencies, legal advice centres and small claims courts and tribunals.
Tasmania's Consumer Affairs guidance suggests a mechanic's check before the warranty expires, so problems can be fixed while it still applies.
Extended warranties and add-ons at the dealer
An extended warranty is optional. The ACCC says businesses must not pressure you to buy one or mislead you into paying for rights you already have. The provider may be a different business from the manufacturer and the dealer.
Moneysmart says mechanical breakdown insurance, a form of extended warranty, does not start until the new car warranty expires. As of October 2026, it says salespeople must wait four days after your car purchase before selling add-on insurance, and some extended warranty providers are not members of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.
Before agreeing, get written answers on who provides and underwrites the product, when cover starts and whether it overlaps your existing warranty. Ask about excluded parts, claim caps, nominated repairers and cancellation refunds, and what it adds beyond your consumer guarantees.
Moneysmart also notes most add-on insurance premiums go into the car loan, where interest makes them dearer.
Loanseekers can help you compare car finance separately from the dealer's menu, and its guide to insurance and add-ons on a financed car explains what lenders commonly require. Approval and terms depend on the lender's assessment.
Check the warranty start date on demo and registered stock
A demonstrator may already have used part of its warranty, and its start date can decide which terms apply.
Ford's terms start the warranty when the first owner takes delivery, except for demonstrators, Ford or dealership company cars, service loaners and parts vehicles, which start when Ford or a Ford dealer first registered them. So a Ford demonstrator first registered before 1 September 2026 may not qualify for the seven-year offer, even if you buy it later.
Kia's current terms start the warranty on the earliest of retail delivery, first registration or first commercial use. For Kia demonstrators sold in Western Australia, the period starts at purchase but kilometres count from first demonstrator use.
In NSW, a car registered by a dealer for test drives must be sold with a Form 5, which can affect the dealer guarantee and the manufacturer's warranty. Ask the dealer to confirm in writing the start date, which warranty terms apply and the remaining cover for the VIN, ideally on a complete written quote.
A new car warranty checklist for the showroom
Terms: the warranty terms and service schedule for this exact model.
Start date: the start date, which warranty terms apply and the remaining years and kilometres, confirmed for the VIN.
Limits: kilometre caps, commercial-use restrictions, shorter component periods and the high-voltage battery term.
Conditions: any dealer-servicing requirement and the cost of every scheduled service.
Claims: main exclusions, where claims are made and how roadside assistance renews.
Add-ons: provider, start date, exclusions, claim caps, cancellation terms and total cost if financed.
If you are comparing dealer offers through Carseekers, ask each dealer to put the warranty start date and any add-on products in writing so the offers compare like for like.
The finer details
Your questions answered.
Are tyres covered by a new car warranty?
Check the terms, because tyres may sit outside the car maker's warranty. As of October 2026, Kia's terms leave tyres to the tyre manufacturer's or supplier's own warranty and exclude wheels and tyres damaged by impact. Keep the tyre maker's warranty details with your paperwork.
Will fitting accessories void my new car warranty?
It depends on the brand's terms. As of October 2026, Kia's warranty page says its warranty continues to apply to a modified vehicle but does not cover the modification or damage it causes. Kia's terms add that non-genuine accessories are not covered, while genuine Kia accessories fitted by a Kia dealer after sale are covered for the rest of the warranty or one year, whichever is greater.
Do consumer guarantees apply if I buy a car through my business?
They can. As of October 2026, the ACCC says a business purchase is covered when it costs less than $100,000 including GST, is commonly bought for personal or household use, or is a vehicle or trailer used mainly to transport goods on public roads. Exceptions include goods bought for resupply or for use in production or manufacturing, and commercial use can still change the manufacturer's warranty terms.
Can I cancel an extended warranty bought from a car dealer?
Yes, if it is sold as insurance, such as mechanical breakdown insurance. As of October 2026, Moneysmart says policies can be cancelled at any time, with a cooling-off period of usually around 30 days in which you should get a full premium refund, and usually a partial refund less a fee after that. If the salesperson did not wait four days after your car purchase, you can cancel and get a full refund. For other warranty contracts, read the cancellation clause.
