Car Warranty Check by VIN

How to check if your car is still under factory warranty

You can check if your car is still under its factory warranty by looking it up on the manufacturer’s website, contacting the dealership where you bought your car or by referencing your original purchase paperwork.

To see how much time is left on the manufacturer’s warranty, follow these easy steps:

1. Find the VIN

A VIN has 17 characters, including both numbers and capital letters.

Before you can look up your car’s warranty, you’ll need to locate the VIN. A VIN is composed of 17 characters, with both numbers and capital letters, and it includes the vehicle's serial number and other identifying information.

The VIN can usually be found in several places:

• On the driver’s side of the dashboard (look through the windshield)
• Inside the driver’s side door jamb
• In the engine compartment, near the front
• On the underside of the hood
• Inside the rear wheel well

If you’re having trouble finding the VIN, you can also get it from your car registration, title or insurance paperwork. Some car models may also stamp it on the front frame near the engine.

2. Get the current mileage

Car warranties last for a specified mileage and number of years. To determine if the warranty is still valid, you’ll need to know the current mileage. You can find your car’s current mileage on the instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. Write down the mileage as displayed on your car’s odometer.

Can you look up a car warranty by model year?

Unfortunately, you can’t tell a car’s warranty strictly by the model year since many models are released for sale before the year they’re labeled with. For example, a 2021 model might’ve been purchased in 2020, or it might have sat on the lot until 2022. What matters is when the vehicle was first sold — that’s when the warranty begins.

3. Look up the warranty

Once you have the VIN and mileage, you can look up the warranty by:

• Contacting the dealership directly: You can call or email a dealership to see if your car’s warranty is still valid.
• Using an online VIN lookup system: Most dealerships provide an online portal to look up service dates, recalls and warranty information. If the dealer doesn’t have one, you can find it on the manufacturer’s website.
• Checking purchase paperwork: If you still have the paperwork from when the car was purchased, you can figure out how much time is left on the warranty.
• Reading the owner’s manual: There may be warranty information in your owner’s manual. If you don’t have an owner’s manual, you can get one online or through a local dealership.

» RELATED: What is a dealership warranty?

Should you use a VIN lookup tool?

VIN lookup tools can provide detailed information about a vehicle, including your car’s remaining warranty coverage (both year and mileage limits), recalls and more. However, the information may vary depending on the manufacturer and whether the vehicle has registered service records. Always verify the details with the manufacturer or your dealership to ensure accuracy.

Free VIN reports

Free VIN reports provide basic information like:

• Auto manufacturer
• Model year
• Any recalls
• Basic factory warranty status

Most auto manufacturers allow you to look up your warranty coverage for free with your VIN, though you may need to create an online account first. Besides auto manufacturers, you can get a free VIN report from sites like J.D. Power or Edmunds.

Note that some free VIN tools won’t reveal warranty status. For example, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) recall tool will only reveal if a specific vehicle needs repairs related to a safety recall.

Free VIN report example: J.D. Power vs. Edmunds

When you use a lookup tool like J.D. Power or Edmunds to get a free VIN report, you’ll generally get basic vehicle information.

Paid VIN reports

You can also get a paid VIN report from services like Carfax and AutoCheck for around $30 to $60 per report. Paid VIN reports typically provide a more detailed vehicle history.

Paid VIN report example: Carfax vs. AutoCheck

You can purchase a single Carfax report for $49.99, two reports for $69.99 or four reports for $109.99 as of publishing. Carfax reports generally provide information on:

• Whether the original factory warranty is active or expired
• Known accident history, such as damage severity and location
• Service records, such as oil changes or transmission replacements
• How the vehicle was used, such as for personal, rental or commercial use
• The number of previous owners and the length of ownership
• The state where the car was previously owned
• The last reported mileage

In comparison, AutoCheck provides a single report for $29.99 or five reports for 21 days for $59.99 as of publishing. It includes a lot of the same details as a Carfax report, including accident, ownership and service history. It also includes more detailed warranty information, including whether there are any active or expired warranties or benefits, such as:

• Basic factory warranty (bumper-to-bumper coverage)
• Powertrain coverage
• Battery coverage
• Corrosion coverage
• Roadside assistance benefits

What does a car warranty cover?

What your car warranty covers depends on the type of warranty you have. At the least, new cars generally come with bumper-to-bumper coverage and powertrain coverage.

Here are some common types of car warranties and what they cover:

• Bumper-to-bumper: Covers most vehicle parts and systems
• Powertrain: Covers the engine, transmission, drive systems, drive shaft and transaxle
• Rust and corrosion: Covers rust-through on body panels and sometimes surface corrosion caused by a defect
• Battery: Hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) have a separate warranty for their batteries

Factory warranties by manufacturer

You can find factory warranty information from any automaker by looking at its website. The site should plainly show what kind of protection you’re getting when you buy a vehicle.

The table below shows some popular auto manufacturers and their typical new car warranties.

» RELATED: Used car warranties: what to know

Can you void a car warranty?

You can void a car warranty if you don’t follow the manufacturer's rules. This generally includes:

• Neglect: If you don't take your car in for regular maintenance, the warranty may be voided. The automaker isn't going to pay for a new engine if you haven’t been changing the oil.
• Misuse: This includes racing or going off-road in vehicles that aren’t designed for off-road ventures.
• Salvage title: If the vehicle was totaled in an accident, you won’t get warranty protection.
• Aftermarket modifications: Adding non-factory parts won’t automatically void your warranty, but coverage can be denied if the dealer can prove the modification has caused the problem.
• Odometer tampering: You can’t mess with the odometer in hopes of getting more warranty coverage.

It’s important to read through the warranty paperwork to familiarize yourself with all the rules for keeping your car under warranty.

Should you get an extended warranty?

If you look up your manufacturer’s warranty and it’s already expired, you may be able to purchase an extended warranty from the manufacturer or a third party. These warranties can help cover expensive repairs after your original warranty expires.

An extended warranty can provide peace of mind after a factory warranty expires.

Extended warranties are often offered at the time of purchase, but you can also buy one later from some manufacturers or else from a third-party extended warranty provider. They usually come in various levels of coverage, from basic powertrain protection to more comprehensive bumper-to-bumper plans.

To help you decide if an extended warranty is right for you, compare the cost of a warranty against what you believe you’d pay for repairs without one. Be sure to read the fine print so you know what’s covered, what’s excluded and how to file a claim if something goes wrong.

» MORE: Pros and cons of extended auto warranties

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