Van Leasing and Warranty

A big part of using a van is making sure that you're covered for any problems you may face during ownership. Whilst the van or light commercial vehicle you will be leasing will be brand new through our arranged and authorised car dealers, each vehicle is different and you can never account for the result of heavy usage on the roads and what it may cause. This is where a van warranty comes in. You can find a warranty direct from a specialist company, or look into van warranty insurance.

Fortunately, at LeaseCar you'll be able to lease a brand new van from some of the best commercial vehicle companies on the market. With this also comes the manufacturers own vehicle warranty, specifically designed to cover you from any manufacturing or mechanical faults that will happen over the course of a leasing contract. Most warranties will last for around 3 years, which is the same time as a normal lease, so you can rest assured as long as you're leasing, your van should be covered.

As well as this, we also offer our maintenance package add ons, which covers even more than what your standard warranty would do should anything go wrong with your fantastic new leased van.

Here at LeaseCar, the UK's favourite van leasing company, we're with you every step of the way when it comes to leasing a brand new commercial vehicle. Because of this, we want to make sure that you know everything there is to leasing your van, and an important part of this is what sort of cover you'll have for repairs and replacements.

As a leaseholder, it is your responsibility to maintain the upkeep of your leased vehicle and the easiest way to do this is by regularly getting your van serviced. This will ensure that anything that needs replacing and repairing will be done by qualified experts. Often with leasing agreements, it is a requirement to have your van serviced by an approved dealership, and a warranty can on occasion, also demand this. In this guide you'll see everything there is to know about Van leasing and warranties.

What is a warranty?

A warranty is a type of cover for your vehicle that focuses on the functionality of the van. Also known as mechanical failure insurance, it is a service you can take out that will cover the costs of any faults or failures that the van might experience whilst on the road. There are various types of warranty available, ranging from those given by independent dealerships to warranties you can get after your lease runs out (if you choose to buy your van at the end).

Instead of exploring the multiple different types of warranties that are available, we'll specifically look at the warranty that you'll receive when in a LeaseCar contract, which is called a manufacturer's warranty. From here you should get at least a basic idea of what to expect with a warranty, what you can rely on a warranty to cover and what else you will need to prepare for yourself which is another important factor.

What's Covered in a Lease

Mechanical failure insurance, as the name would suggest, is a warranty which covers all of the things that would be counted as a mechanical issue with your vehicle. Often, manufacturers will offer a warranty with a brand new car to act like a guarantee. If anything goes wrong with your van and they are happy to replace it, it's more than likely that within the short space of time that you've been using it, a fault is something to do with the making process of the van.

With this in mind, here are a list of things to expect to be covered in a standard warranty:

• Handling issues such as a drive train
• Fuel management and ignition systems
• Cooling devices and systems within the van such as coolant
• Electric power management systems and components
• The van's transmission
• Certain clutch types
• The Gears and box
• Certain parts of the braking system
• Suspension

As you can see, these would largely be described as major mechanical faults and are things that can cost a lot to repair if you're not covered under some sort of insurance or warranty.

The things that have been highlighted in the above list have been done so as to show that often these will have specific requirements for warranty cover. With clutches this is because certain types of driving can cause more damage to the clutch and drivetrain. The same is true of braking systems. If you drive in a way that requires a lot of emergency stops then this may invalidate the warranty cover. Be sure to read the small print to know what you're covered for.

Also covered in some warranties are services. For the cover time of your warranty, the manufacturer will potentially cover the cost of your services, and any repairs if they fall in the respite of your warranty.

It acts as a sort of safeguard for the quality of your vehicle. These things shouldn't go wrong with your new leased van, so if they do, you can rest assured they'll be taken care of by your leasing company, under the warranty.

On occasion, a manufacturer warranty will even cover you for roadside assistance and recovery, helping you save money should you have a mechanical emergency on the motorway or any roads for that matter. Be aware though that this may only protect you for breakdowns and not if you get into an accident. Nonetheless, it is a great bonus and something you'll be glad of should you need it.

As a final point, often these aforementioned features may not appear in a standard warranty, but you could add them for a small fee or create an extended warranty. This is often cheaper than cover another company would have and you get the assurance that you're covered under the car maker, who will have specific knowledge and expertise on the exact model.

What isn't covered under a warranty?

From the list above, you can get an idea of what is included within a standard warranty for your leased van. If it isn't in the list, chances are it most likely won't be covered in your warranty - not that you can't get it included for an extra fee.

Here is a list of things that you shouldn't expect to be included in a standard warranty:

• Tyres and wheels
• The Van bodywork
• Most types of clutches and braking pads
• Catalytic converter
• Any glass
• Van lights, such as indicators and headlights
• Air-Con
• Speakers and audio systems
• Any built in computer or satellite navigation systems

As you can see, a lot of these are things that are either cosmetic or add ons, which is why brakes and clutches are often not covered, for instance.

Most of your vehicle's interior will not be covered either. The cab area, seating and equipment will require a different type of cover, be it insurance or maintenance. If something has happened to damage the interior, it is almost definitely because of misuse or from the result of wear and tear. Either way, this will not be covered by a standard warranty as it is not essential maintenance work.

What other cover isn't included?

If your van is under warranty, as has been shown, you needn't worry about any issues that directly affect the functionality of your automotive. However, this does not mean you are completely covered for all situations on the road, and there are some things that even when leasing a van you definitely will need covered. These are either for your safety and peace of mind, or legal requirements.

Insurance

Something that is crucial to stress is that warranty, whilst acting as a type of insurance on the mechanical faults, is not vehicle insurance in a legal sense. As well as any warranty, regardless of the cover it provides you, you will also need to take out an insurance policy.

The lowest ranking, and generally cheapest insurance policy you can get is called third party, but more than likely when leasing any type of vehicle you will be required take out fully comprehensive insurance. Third party insurance provides cover to anyone other than yourself who is affected by an accident, whereas fully comprehensive covers both you and any third parties.

Insurance is a legal requirement, if you're caught driving without it you can face heavy fines, vehicle compounding and possibly jail time. Not to mention you won't be allowed a lease without taking out an insurance policy that conforms to the lease company and their requirements.

Roadside Recovery Assistance

As discussed earlier, many warranties are starting to provide roadside assistance services, however, not all of them are doing so. Whilst its not an essential legal requirement, you can end up spending an awful lot of money if you end up breaking down and requiring roadside recovery. Companies such as the AA, RAC and Green Flag all offer policies which cover roadside assistance, helping you get back on the road.

You can pay either a monthly or annual fee to become a member of these policies and, whilst unlikely, if your van does breakdown in the middle of a long journey, you'll be glad to have them there and on had to help.

How long Does a Warranty Last?

Warranties have no set time for cover, but generally will cover you for either a specific time or until you reach a certain mileage - whichever comes first. This is because anything beyond that time frame or usage makes the car stop being considered ‘new', and instead it then becomes a used vehicle.

To give you a basic idea of what to expect with a LeaseCar lease agreement, the industry average for a standard manufacturers warranty is around 3 years or 60,000 miles. This is the basics for a car, but could change due to the daily heavy use for commercial vehicles. Be sure to check before starting a warranty on just how long it will last for. Some warranties will offer up to 100,000 miles with servicing and cover, and others will let you extend your warranty limits.

Van Leasing and Warranty

As you can see, there is a lot to bear in mind when considering a warranty. Fortunately at LeaseCar, we will help make it a clear and enjoyable experience. When choosing the right vehicle for personal or business use, we will strive to make sure you get the best van leasing contract for you financial situation as well as your practical needs.

Even if you don't receive a warranty from your manufacturer, here at LeaseCar we offer our own maintenance package add on which will cover you for servicing and possible parts repair and any replacements you need. When light commercial vehicles suffer heavy usage, you want to make sure that it is covered for whatever the road may throw at it, as more often than not a leased van will hold the keys to your livelihood - so it's best to be fully equipped and of course, fully covered.

If you have anymore questions about Van leasing or warranties, please don't hesitate to contact our helpful and friendly experts by calling on 0344 745 1818, or get in touch online.