Can I Enjoy the Three-Year Warranty Without Maintenance at a 4S Shop?
3 Answers
It is possible to enjoy the three-year warranty without maintenance at a 4S shop. The obligations stipulated by the Three Guarantees Policy include the following three points: 1. Obligations of the seller: When unable to guarantee the Three Guarantees regulations, the seller must not sell the products listed in the catalog. Additionally, when selling the product, the seller should conduct unpacking inspections, correctly debug the product, introduce maintenance instructions, the Three Guarantees method, and repair units, and provide valid invoices and Three Guarantees certificates. 2. Obligations of the repairer: Maintain the reputation of the seller and producer, carefully record faults and the quality status of the product after repair, and ensure the repaired product can be used normally for more than 30 days. 3. Obligations of the producer: Properly handle consumer inquiries and provide services, supply repair technical data and qualified repair parts to the responsible seller and repairer, be responsible for training, provide repair costs, and ensure the supply of technically qualified spare parts continues for five years after the product is discontinued.
As someone who frequently helps friends with car warranty issues, my experience is that there are no legal problems at all. According to the 'Regulations on the Repair, Replacement, and Return of Household Automobile Products,' manufacturers must still fulfill the three-year warranty obligation even if the car is not serviced at a 4S store. However, you need to be cautious in practice—I once encountered a situation while helping a neighbor with a warranty claim where the 4S store argued that the engine failure was caused by the use of substandard oil during an external service. In the end, he had to provide the repair shop's qualification certificate, detailed maintenance records, and formal parts invoices to resolve the issue. My advice is to always ask the repair shop to issue formal receipts for each service and keep the parts certification documents, so you have evidence in case of disputes. Remember, don’t cut corners by going to unlicensed roadside shops—always choose registered and qualified repair businesses.
Our auto repair shop knows the ins and outs of this matter best. The owner's warranty rights are not tied to the maintenance location; what matters is whether the manufacturer's technical specifications are met. Recently, a customer experienced a transmission failure during the warranty period, and the 4S shop tried to shirk responsibility. We directly provided the maintenance video records from that day and the procurement certificate for the original oil, proving that everything was done according to standard procedures. Eventually, the manufacturer had no choice but to replace the transmission. To avoid disputes, pay attention to two things: always use parts that meet the manual's standards during maintenance, and have the repair shop note the service items on the documents. Nowadays, many chain stores support checking maintenance records via mobile apps, which are more reliable than handwritten receipts.
