Three individual automotive warranty claims on used cars sold by the RAC Dealer Network in 2020 have topped £6,000, new figures reveal.
A Top 10 of the most expensive repairs paid by Assurant - which partners with the RAC in the warranty and aftersales sector – to RAC Warranty holders shows claims for a first servo at £6,687, oil pump £6,504 and gear bearings at £6,270.
They are followed by a supercharger at £4,107, first brake band at £4,014, first clutch pack at £3,496, complete exchange engine unit at £2,785, torque converter at £2,698, nearside rear drive shaft at £2,633 and offside rear drive shaft at £2,632.
The RAC Dealer Network consists of 1,350 dealers across the UK who sell RAC branded warranties and other products delivered and supported by Assurant.
Kellie Grocott, RAC director of sales at Assurant, said: “Overall, we believe that these figures underline the value of warranties to used car buyers across the RAC Dealer Network. A warranty exists to protect the holder against unexpected costs and these figures show the types of claims that can be made and the significant bills incurred.
“The dealers in our network go to great lengths to source and prepare very high quality used cars but the nature of running any vehicle over time means that problems can and do occur, and the propositions that are built by our dealers working in partnership with the RAC and Assurant, placing our warranties at their heart, provide very strong protection for motorists.”
She explained that many of the most expensive issues shown in the list were of the kind that would have been undetectable during even an extensive test drive or a detailed vehicle inspection.
“However thoroughly potential buyers approach their car search, some issues won’t show up even to an expert looking at a used car. For most motorists, these faults will have come out of the blue – and their warranty has protected them from some extraordinarily steep bills.”
Grocott added that, perhaps surprisingly, the cost and type of claims made during 2020 appeared to have been largely unaffected by changes in motoring patterns prompted by the coronavirus crisis.
While driving patterns have changed this year because of the lockdowns we have all experienced, we continue to see major claims coming in, with our warranties playing an important part in helping customers to keep their vehicles on the road.”
TABLE: Top 10 individual claims for 2020:
Item Parts, labour and VAT cost
First servo £6,687
Oil pump £6,504
Gear bearings £6,270
Supercharger £4,107
First brake band £4,014
First clutch pack £3,496
Engine - complete exchange unit £2,785
Torque converter £2,698
Drive shaft nearside rear £2,633
Drive shaft offside rear £2,632