When you buy a car, most of the features are obvious, even to the casual observer. Still, the one feature that is perhaps the most important is also the one you are least likey to notice: the warranty.

What is a warranty?
Basically, a warranty is an agreement stating that if certain components fail within the covered period, the warrantor will repair or replace them at little or no charge. With a new car, the warranty is usually from the manufacturer, although the manufacturer's warranty is not necessarily the only warranty to come with your new car. Tires and batteries are normally warranted by the their makers. Dealer-installed items, such as rust-proofing, usually have separate warranties.

Read carefully every piece of paper that came when you purchased the car to know who covers what and for what length of time and under what conditions. Regardless of who the warranty agent is, read all of the terms and conditions with extreme care. Many warranties sound good, but when it comes to what they really cover, you may find that certain clauses are actually quite restrictive. For example, provisions for a rental car while yours is in the shop may be restricted to actual work time and not include time while the facility is waiting for parts--which could be days, weeks or even months, especially where parts sourced overseas are concerned.

If you bought an extended warranty with your new car, it could come from the manufacturer, the dealer or an independent company. With today's long-term standard warranties from the manufacturers, it is questionable whether a separate extended warranty is even necessary. Like insurance, the money you pay is wasted unless you have a claim. The companies offering extended warranties are betting you won't need them--that is how they expect to make their money. Most of the items covered under the typical extended warranty are designed to last much longer than the life of the warranty, so the odds of a failure are low.

Some experts suggest that, instead of an extended warranty, you just take the money the warranty would cost and put it in the bank. If nothing happens, you make money while the funds are there. If something should happen, you've got the money to pay for it without putting a big dent in your monthly budget.

Keeping your warranty in force.
One of the most critical elements in the warranty is what you must do to keep it in force. You should take the time to familiarize yourself with these requirements and then follow them. Every warranty specifies that your car must be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's service schedule. Some require special maintenance to be performed. Your owner's manual can tell you what services must be performed and at what intervals.

In addition, it is important not only to have the maintenance performed, but also to keep all service receipts. If a warranty repair is ever necessary, you must be able to present documented evidence that maintenance was performed at appropriate times. Otherwise, the manufacturer could refuse to accept the warranty claim.

What about the length of the warranty?
Most warranties specify that they are in force for a certain number of months or miles, whichever comes first (such as "6 years or 60,000 miles"). That means the covered items will be repaired under the terms of the warranty for the shortest of the two periods. That also means you may not be covered for as long as you think. For example, if you drive 20,000 miles per year, your "6/60" coverage will actually only be three years. Some warranties may specify only a time period, with no limitation on mileage. Again, read your warranty carefully to determine the precise coverage.

Repairs: When and Where
You probably have read the service requirements in your car's owner's manual and believe you know how often to have your car serviced. Actually, you're only half right. Unless you read carefully, you may have overlooked the manufacturer's statement to the effect that service intervals given are maximum intervals for "average" or "normal" use. Unfortunately, the manufacturer's concept of "normal" may be significantly different from yours. Keep in mind that the people who set these intervals are the same ones who set their warranty on the concept of driving 10,000 miles per year (6 years/60,000 miles). How realistic is that? For most motorists, not very.

In the real world, your car is exposed to dust, bumps, ruts, grime, extended stop-and-go driving, short trips where the drivetrain doesn't get completely warmed up, and other cruel and unusual punishment. The true "average" car should be serviced much more frequently than according to the "book."

A good rule of thumb for real-world driving is to halve the intervals for the services listed in your manual. If you have any doubts, contact your dealer. If you no longer have your car's owner's manual, you can (and should) obtain a replacement manual through your dealer.

Where should you have your car serviced?
Many people believe they have to take their car back to the dealer where they bought it in order to get it serviced. Dealers, not surprisingly, do not make any effort to point out the error in that thinking. Truth is, you can have service performed at any dealer or, in fact, at any competent shop--even your friendly neighborhood service station. If you already have a favorite place to have your car serviced, stick with it. If you would like to find a good place, the best thing to do is ask your friends and colleagues where they have their cars serviced. A good shop will have a good word-of-mouth reputation, just as a bad shop will have a lot of horror stories about it floating around.

If you are handy, you can even do all or some of the work yourself. Many people derive a lot of satisfaction from working on their cars. There is nothing wrong with doing maintenance work yourself and it won't void your warranty provided you do the work at the right time. The key is to make sure that replacement items (oil, filters, etc.) match manufacturers specifications and requirements, and to keep your records accurate. You might find it convenient to buy a maintenance log book in which to record the dates and mileage of the service performed. Also, it is a good idea to keep an envelope in the glovebox so that you can store all of your receipts for maintenance service and replacement parts in one place where they can be easily accessed should questions ever arise.

An often overlooked, but equally important, aspect to maintaining your car is having the manufacturer's recalls performed. People tend to overlook this vital service, often because the dealer doesn't have parts in stock at the time the notification letter is received.

To find out if your car has had any safety recalls, you can call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's toll-free Auto Safety Hotline, 1-800-424-9393. Give them the year, make, model, and Vehicle Identification Number (available from your registration card or the plate on the dashboard near the left windshield pillar) of your car and they can tell you if your car has been recalled for repairs. If you want, they can also send you a computer printout of any safety recalls that have been issued. You can then go to a dealer and have them verify that the recalls work was performed. Again, keep the records of any recall work with your other maintenance receipts.

Summary.
Taking proper care of your car--and keeping proper records--will pay many dividends over the years, both in terms of prolonged use of your car and in peace of mind and confidence in its reliability. A well-maintained car will seldom let its owner down.

There's an added bonus to keeping good service records. When it comes time to sell or trade, complete service records carry a lot of weight with many prospective buyers and can add several hundred dollars to the value of your car.