Autotrust vs OPC Warranty - same thing?

[vette78]

Hi guys,

Due to pick up my GT3 this weekend with a twelve month porsche approved warranty thrown in with the deal and i've got a query.

I'm being offered the top (sorry, don't know what it's called) 12 month Autotrust warranty which is apparently basically the same product as the OPC would put on it. If so this is great but i don't understand how the warranty can be applied without the 111 point inspection thatI thought was required for the Porsche Warranty.

Does anybody know the differences between these warranties are in real terms, and what the impact would be if I got the non OPC Autotrust warranty, something went wrong, and I had to take it to, for example JCT600 to get it fixed? And would I have the same issues if I took it to a respected independant?

Help much appreciated as I want to feel i've got the best protection possible if something goes pop.

Cheers,

Chris

[DucatiGary]

only OPC can supply you with a full 12 month OPC warranted car, you have to buy the warranty seperatly after buying from the dealer (or private for that matter) you can buy a car with less than 12 months but the warranty will have been put on the car by the previous owner and not the non OPC dealer.

if you are being told about some other bobbins warranty thats porsche approved I would be very sceptical.

Edited by DucatiGary on Tuesday 27th June 18:39

[magic torch]

Autotrust warranty is not the same as an OPC one.

I believe they're warranties for dealers not regulated by the FSA. The OPC warranty is regulated by the FSA.

[ballcock]

I was assured by the Garage I bought my car from that their warranty covered everything an OPC one did


Did it cover roadside assist ........ AMMMMMMMMMMM , no.
Did it provide a loan car ............ Ammmmmmmmmmmmmmm ditto
Did it warranty seals (Ahem including the main one) ....... Ammmm , not sure.
Would it guarantee being fixed up to OPC standards , with genuine parts ... Ammmmmm , We'll check that one out sir.

ETC

Edited by ballcock on Wednesday 28th June 09:15

[Mikej]

Agree with the others - some non-OPC warranties won't pay OPC labour prices, so you either have to subsidise or go elsewhere, also OPC warranty includes RMS which a number of others don't

[Yex]

You need to do a search on warranties as there have been a lot of threads on OPC and non OPC offerings lately. Personally I would not touch a GT3 (or any Porsche come to that) if it did not have the 111 point inspection done on it and a full OPC warranty issued on it when I bought it, or one in place that was transferred to me. The OPC warranty is not air tight but it will cover most things except the obvious wear and tear bits such as clutches, pads etc and will also stand up to OPC hourly rates which are about £119 a pop from what I can make out, others put a limit on each claim and also on the maximum hourly rate they will pay out.

The choice is yours but to part with the sort of money you are looking at for a GT3 you should get an OPC warranty or you could (emphasis on could) be crying into your beer when the warranty company hold out on things that an OPC one would cover.

Just my 2p worth

Yex

[vette78]

Doing a search on the web for Autotrust warranties it seems they cover quite a lot.

I'll stick the list below this but one concern is that the maximum claim limit is £5k - chances of something going wrong that costs more than that to fix? (I know an engine is £30k plus but surely it would be a bit of it rather than the whole thing that went bang?)

List I think of what is covered:

. ABS - ABS module, sensor and pump
. Air Conditioning - Pump, compressor
. Braking System - Brake limiter valve, callipers, master cylinder, servo (vacuum pump) and wheel cylinders
. Casings - Engine final drive, gearbox and transmission casings
. Catalytic convertor - Convertor only (accident damage excluded)
. Central Locking - Solenoids, locking motors, door locks and electronic control units
. Clutch - Clutch cover, clutch fork and pivot, clutch plate, master cylinder, slave cylinder and thrust bearing
. Consumables (as part of a valid claim) - Oil - oil filter, brake fluid and anti-freeze.
. Cooling system - Radiator, thermostat, thermostat housing, viscous fan coupling and water pump
. Differential - CV joints, cross shafts, crown wheel and pinion, differential, drive shafts, pinion carrier bearings, propshaft, sun and planet gears,
. Electrics - Alternator, coil, computers, cooling fan motor, distributor, electric window motors, electric ignition system (including ECU and DME units) headlamp wiper motors, heated front and rear screen, elements, heater plug, heating fan motor, horn, indicator units, relays, starter motor and windscreen wiper motors (front and rear) sunroof motor and switches.
. Engine - Camshaft, camshaft followers, camshaft pulleys, conrods and bearings, crankshaft and bearings, cylinder bosses, cylinder head, cylinder head gasket, flywheel, gudgeon pins, oil pump, pistons and rings, push rods, rocker assembly, starter ring gear, valves and guides
. Fuel System - Carburettor, chokes, electrical components, fuelpump, fuel gauges, fuel injectionsystem and tank sender unit
. Gearbox - Automatic gearbox components, electrical governor, manual gearbox components, oil cooler, overdrive unit and torque convertor
. Oil Seals and Gaskets - Any qhich require the removal of a major component, i.e engine, gearbox and/or differential
. Steering - Idle box, PAS pump, PAS rack, pressure pipes, rack and pinion, reservoir and steering box
. Turbo Unit - Turbo unit, including wastegate
. Wheel Bearings - Wheel bearings only (not hubs)

[ballcock]

The opc warranty limit is the value of the car I think ... It's a bit of a no brainer I'm afraid .. £5k wouldn't cover much in terms of engine , even in a re-build scenario ,not to mention gearbox ...
Frankly , you'd be mad (My opinion obviously)

[magic torch]

I'd try and get the Autotrust warranty cost discounted off the purchase price and put the OPC warranty on it.

Probably find you'd never have to use it anway.

[vette78]

magic torch said:

I'd try and get the Autotrust warranty cost discounted off the purchase price and put the OPC warranty on it.

Probably find you'd never have to use it anway.

That's what I think i might do - could take the car to Newcastle OPC and get the checks done and warranty applied or actually ask the dealer to take it to their local OPC and do it.

[magic torch]

Sounds like a plan.

Pretty sure though, due to FSA rules, that only you can purchase the warranty. It's basically an insurance policy.

[Vesuvius 996]

ballcock said:

The opc warranty limit is the value of the car I think ... It's a bit of a no brainer I'm afraid .. £5k wouldn't cover much in terms of engine , even in a re-build scenario ,not to mention gearbox ...
Frankly , you'd be mad (My opinion obviously)

So let's get this straight. You're investing a HYOOOOOOOGE chunk of money into a GT3 and you're looking to save a couple of hundred quid by buying a moody warranty when a new engine is £30,000 and a new gearbox £12,000 (IIRC...)



As my good friend says, mad.

I would only ever buy what is basically a racing car with full factory backing. The dealer is bullsh1tting you. He makes a commission on the warrnties he sells. Work it out for yourself.

Edited by Vesuvius 996 on Wednesday 28th June 09:57

[Vesuvius 996]

vette78 said:

magic torch said:

I'd try and get the Autotrust warranty cost discounted off the purchase price and put the OPC warranty on it.

Probably find you'd never have to use it anway.

That's what I think i might do - could take the car to Newcastle OPC and get the checks done and warranty applied or actually ask the dealer to take it to their local OPC and do it.

[zippyvr6]

First post so please go easy.
As far as I can make out from much reading of these pages, a Porsche Warranty is worth its weight in gold. it seems that (consumables aside) even if your failure is not covered by the warranty the fact that you have one in place, means the opcs will look at your repairs more favourably than if you had no warranty at all. Recriprocal goodwill? common sense? which ever way you look at it, Buying a Porsche is a huge investment so cover it with the most valid protection and keep your pride and joy safe.

[hoges11]

While you are at it I'd tell the dealer you want to have the 111 point check ahead of purchase and if there is anything major identified you want it fixed. Then go for the OPC warranty. I purchased a non porsche well known warranty with my 996, waste of time and money that was !

[Vesuvius 996]

Vette - did you buy it?

How did you get on?

[steve996]

magic torch said:

I'd try and get the Autotrust warranty cost discounted off the purchase price and put the OPC warranty on it.

Pretty much exactly what I did when I bought my P&J. The guy I bought it from in Edinburgh offered his own 6m warranty that was not insurance based but he guranteed would cover everything OPC one did. When I enquired about the OPC warranty he said he'd arrange the inspection and 12m OPC warranty with OPC Edinburgh for £500 i.e. providing an offset of about £500 on the actual cost as I wouldn't be taking his warranty. I took him up on this and it all went through no probs.