It has happened to all of us before, something on your car breaks down just after the manufacturer’s warranty expires. Our Consumer Warrior Clark Howard says you’re not out of luck.
He says, “there are a lot of what is known as ‘secret warranties.’ They’re actually technical service bulletins that go to dealers when a manufacturer figures out that a particular part of the vehicle isn’t behaving.”
The Consumer Warrior adds that if a problem comes up frequently, dealers can, as an accommodation, offer a repair for free or cheap.
Clark suggests you go online and see if the problem is a known defect. “If it is, you go meet with the service manager at the dealership with the information you found and say ‘can I have an accommodation for this repair?’” says Clark.
Clark adds, “you may not get a free repair but you’ll usually get a heavily discounted repair if you document that it’s a known defect.”
You can find more money-saving tips on Clark’s website, Clark.com
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