Check Initials Warranty For Free

With your VIN number and mileage in hand, you have all the information you need to determine if your vehicle's warranty is still active. Now, all you need to do is call a dealership and inquire.

Under federal law, manufacturers must provide an eight year/80,000 mile warranty for defects in catalytic converters and other components of the emissions control system. If your amber check-engine light comes on, you probably have an emissions control problem covered by your warranty.

If the check engine light is flashing, you have a major problem, and you need to stop driving the vehicle as soon as possible. A flashing light often indicates, for example, a problem that can damage the catalytic converter.

All major vehicle systems: If you purchase a bumper-to-bumper extended warranty, most parts of your vehicle are covered, including the air conditioning. Powertrain: The engine, transmission, and other key parts of this system are covered.

The warranty calls exist because they're really easy to do and they work, Quilici explains. Most of them are designed to sell people some sort of extended service contract (not a warranty) and use illegal robocalls as a form of lead generation.

The short answer is "Yes", but you may still be told that you are potentially responsible for paying diagnostic charges prior to a dealer touching your car. The reason is that diagnostic charges are only paid by your warranty if the claim is covered.

The costs to fix whatever's ailing your car and causing the light to come on can vary greatly. Repair costs for the most common check engine light problems range from under $20 to almost $1,200, according to CarMD's analysis of millions of repairs recommended in 2016 in the U.S.