What does it mean to be out of warranty at a 4S shop?
4 Answers
Being out of warranty at a 4S shop usually refers to two situations. The first situation is that the vehicle is not maintained at the 4S shop during the warranty period, and the owner chooses to have it serviced elsewhere. The second situation is that the vehicle is not maintained within the time or mileage specified by the manufacturer. Whether it is the specified time or mileage, as long as one of them expires, it is considered out of warranty. After being out of warranty at a 4S shop, you cannot enjoy warranty services. Most new cars come with a three-year or 100,000-kilometer vehicle warranty, whichever comes first. If a new car within the warranty period is not serviced at the 4S shop, once any quality issues arise, the car dealer will refuse to provide warranty services, citing the reason that the new car was not maintained or repaired at the 4S shop or designated service station. After being out of warranty at a 4S shop, you can choose to have your car serviced elsewhere or continue to go to the 4S shop for maintenance, depending on your actual car usage habits and time. If it is not a luxury car, you can opt for external maintenance because domestic models are basically mature in terms of parts and repair technology, and the technical level of external repair shops is generally not worse than that of 4S shops, with corresponding price advantages. If it is a niche car, it is recommended to go to the 4S shop for maintenance. Many small repair shops may not have experience with these niche models, making it difficult to find parts.
I didn't understand what 'out of warranty' meant at first either, until I started working at an auto repair shop. Simply put, it means the car is no longer covered by the manufacturer's free warranty period, or the owner voluntarily stops getting maintenance at the 4S shop. The national three-guarantee policy provides basic coverage for three years or 60,000 kilometers, but what many people don't know is that even if you've just bought the car six months ago, if you casually change the oil and oil filter outside, the 4S shop has grounds to refuse compensation for engine issues. Why? Because the manufacturer requires maintenance to use specified oil types and complete records. The most unfortunate case I've seen was a Sagitar owner who changed the air filter at a repair shop, leading to impurities entering the turbocharger. The 4S shop checked the maintenance records and directly refused compensation, leaving the owner to pay over 20,000 yuan in repair costs. Of course, if you're a skilled DIY driver, changing the three filters yourself after the first maintenance can save you a significant amount.
Last time I helped my daughter handle the warranty dispute for her Polo, I finally understood the tricks. Actually, as long as it's within the warranty period, the Three Guarantees law stipulates that car owners have the right to choose authorized repair shops for maintenance, but they must keep complete documentation—the maintenance checklist needs to be stamped, parts must have official invoices, and remember to take photos of the oil cans for records. The key is to prove that external maintenance didn't damage related components when quality issues arise. For example, if you only replaced the wiper blades but encountered a transmission failure, the 4S shop would still have to compensate. But honestly, nowadays 4S shops are all connected with manufacturers, and cars with full maintenance history at the dealership can fetch 5,000 more in second-hand trade-ins. My daughter later did the math—the 300 yuan saved on minor maintenance might not be worth the potential loss in the future resale value.
Last time, Old Zhang from our fleet learned a hard lesson about voiding the warranty. His heavy truck had cooling system issues, but because he opted for cheap antifreeze replacement at a roadside shop, the manufacturer outright refused to cover the 50,000+ RMB repair bill. Now he knows better—any in-warranty vehicles go straight to authorized service centers. Actually, commercial vehicles need more attention than passenger cars on this front. Core components like engines and transmissions often come with 3-5 year warranties, but the terms always hide maintenance binding clauses. We logistics folks now adopt a compromise—negotiating package deals with service centers for basic maintenance like oil and filter changes, while replacing wear-and-tear items like air and diesel filters ourselves. This approach meets manufacturer requirements while cutting costs by 30%. The key is to stash all maintenance receipts behind the sun visor—if trouble arises, just slam those documents on the table.
