Is it necessary to purchase a warranty for parallel-imported vehicles?
2 Answers
As long as the parallel-imported vehicle is purchased through legitimate channels, the seller is obligated to provide warranty services. The advantages of parallel-imported vehicles are as follows: 1. Significant price advantage: Parallel-imported vehicles bypass sales channels such as general distributors, regional distributors, and 4S stores, eliminating many intermediate steps. Additionally, parallel-imported vehicle dealers are not restricted by manufacturers in pricing, giving them more flexibility, which results in substantial price discounts. Typically, parallel-imported vehicles are priced lower than their China-specific counterparts. 2. Advantage in model availability and delivery time: After a new vehicle is launched overseas, it may sometimes not be available in China due to strategic planning by automakers or domestic certification processes. However, parallel-imported vehicles have a natural advantage in this regard—they can be freely sourced overseas and then shipped to China for sale, significantly reducing the waiting time for new models.
I just bought a parallel-imported Mercedes-Benz and skipped the warranty to save money. Six months later, the suspension system failed, costing me over 8,000 RMB in repairs—total regret. Parallel imports do save upfront costs, which is tempting, but skipping after-sales coverage is too risky. Warranty? I strongly recommend getting one. It’s like an insurance policy for your car, covering major repair costs for core components like the engine or transmission. Imported parts are expensive and hard to source, but a third-party warranty saves a lot of headaches. For risk-averse ordinary folks like me—working-class people—it’s worth spending extra for peace of mind. With a warranty, you sleep soundly, knowing a major repair won’t bankrupt you.
