Chinese brands Jaecoo and Omoda have improved their seven-year UK warranty after criticism that many major components were actually only covered for three years.
The company, which recently hit 100,000 sales in the UK, claims the move comes after ‘two years of listening to customers, retailers and aftersales partners’. It also follows the exclusions being highlighted by the boss of independent warranty provider, Warrantywise.
Back in May, Warrantywise CEO Lawrence Whittaker pointed out on LinkedIn and X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) that one of his team had bought a Jaecoo and, only four weeks later, was considering rejecting it due to an infotainment issue that couldn’t be fixed.
“This led me to read the Jaecoo/Omoda warranty document,” said Whittaker. “While they do advertise a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty and some parts are covered under this, many are only warranted for three years or just 40,000 miles!”
These parts included the air conditioning compressor, alternator, ball joints, brake calipers, catalytic converter and exhaust system, suspension dampers, fuel injectors, fuel pump, oil pump, infotainment system, seat upholstery, starter motor, timing belt, water pump and wheel bearings.
“Worse still, the remote control key is only covered for one year or 20,000 miles, and if you’re using the car as an Uber, taxi or driving school, the main warranty limits are reduced further,” added Whittaker.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen any manufacturer offer warranty cover only for the first 40,000 miles – in fact, I can’t remember any. I know these cars are cheap, but perhaps that is for a reason?”
A ‘real-world’ warranty review
Omoda and Jaecoo UK has now responded after what it says is a ‘review [of] real-world ownership data and customer feedback to identify where its warranty offering could be strengthened further’.
The firm has now ‘significantly expanded the number of components covered for the full seven years/100,000 miles’ – with the list now including many of the items originally listed by Whittaker.
‘In addition, all bushes and rubber components are extended from three years/40,000 miles to seven years/60,000 miles,’ adds the statement, ‘while ball joints increase from three years/40,000 miles to seven years/60,000 miles.’
The move is immediate – and, notably, includes all the vehicles already on British roads, rather than just newly-registered ones.
Victor Zhang, MD of Omoda and Jaecoo UK, said: “The UK is one of the most competitive automotive markets in the world. After two years of learning from our growing customer base and retailer network, we’ve reviewed our warranty offering and made it even stronger.”
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