Rutherford's column

09th June 2010

Hallelujah! On 1 June, 2010, Toyota finally decided to bite the bullet and introduce a five-year warranty. This is something the giant firm should have done 10 years ago on the grounds that if a company agrees with the idea that it builds the most reliable cars on the planet, it must back up its superiority complex with the best and longest warranties.

Credit where it’s due, though. Toyota, along with its fellow Japanese competitors, plus its younger neighbouring South Korean rivals, was one of the first to offer three years’ cover in decades past. And such generous (at the time) deals being touted by these north-east Asian makers served to embarrass European, American and Scandinavian firms who desperately tried – but failed – to continue peddling their stingy 12-month guarantees.

A campaign in Auto Express 20 years ago forced most mass producers to follow the Japanese/South Korean example, although I clearly remember that some – including Renault and Ford – were kicking and screaming as they were made to triple the length of their warranties from one to three years.

A decade later, it all kicked off again when Hyundai threw down the gauntlet by offering five years’ cover. I immediately challenged Toyota to match that deliciously provocative deal, which was great for the consumer. After all, Seoul-based Hyundai was comparatively small, weak and downmarket, whereas Tokyo’s Toyota was super-strong, full of itself and the maker of ‘the most reliable’ cars in the world. Allegedly.

Yet Toyota bottled it, which was highly significant.It’s a bit late in the day, but nervous Toyota has now decided it’s just about strong enough to compete on the five-year warranty front, though not Kia’s seven-year deal.

To read the rest of Rutherford's column, pick up the latest issue of Auto Express, available from Wednesday 16th June.

Have your say in the comments section. Would you opt for a Kia over a Toyota based on the length of the warranty? Does Toyota's reluctance to offer a five-year warranty dent your confidence in the brand?