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Buying a new car can be one of the most significant purchases you make. One of the parts of that purchase is a warranty included by the manufacturer. A car warranty keeps you from paying for some repairs due to normal wear and tear. A few car brands stand out with the warranties they offer to new car buyers, and TrueCar made a list of the top 15 car warranties over five years you can get in 2022. Here’s a breakdown of the rankings, particularly concerning Hyundai and Kia:

Which car brands have the best car warranty?

A Hyundai dealership sign seen in Florida
A Hyundai sign | Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Per TrueCar’s rankings, two car brands dominated the top 15 best cars with a basic warranty over five years: Hyundai and Kia. The two popular car brands each had five models included in TrueCar’s rankings, including all top five.

Hyundai took the top spot with the Elantra compact sedan. The rest of the models on the list include the Sonata (2nd), Ioniq (3rd), Accent (11th), and Veloster (12th). That is the entirety of Hyundai’s fleet of cars.

Meanwhile, Kia’s top-rated model is the Soul (4th), which is followed by the Forte (5th), Stinger (7th), K5 (8th), and Rio (14th). 

What does Hyundai include in its car warranty?

Hyundai’s warranties are some of the best car warranties on the market. There are five major warranties for the models on this list: basic, powertrain, rust, roadside, and hybrid-EV.

The basic warranty – also called the New Vehicle Limited Warranty – covers five years or 60,000 miles. Hyundai states this covers “repair or replacement of any component manufactured or originally installed by Hyundai that is defective in material or factory workmanship, under normal use and maintenance.” That does not apply to a few items, including the radio and audio, paint, battery, or air conditioner refrigerant. It’s much higher than competitors like Toyota and Honda, which have basic warranties eligible for three years or 36,000 miles.

For the powertrain, Hyundai’s warranty covers 10 years or 100,000 miles. It’s limited to the repair or replacement of select engine and transmission components. This only applies to the original owner but the second or subsequent owners are eligible for five years and 60,000 miles. 

The rust (or anti-perforation) warranty runs for seven years and unlimited miles. This covers a rust hole through a body panel from inside to outside due to defects in material and under normal use and maintenance. 

The roadside warranty is also for unlimited miles for up to five years. Hyundai provides a roadside assistance number to help in case of an emergency too.

The hybrid-EV warranty matches the powertrain – 10 years and 100,000 miles – but stays in place for subsequent owners.

What does Kia include in its car warranty?

Hyundai has a controlling interest in Kia, so it’s not too surprising the two car brands have similar car warranty packages. Kia’s models include four major warranties: basic, powertrain, rust, and roadside. 

The basic and powertrain warranties mirror that of Hyundai. It’s five years or 60,000 miles for the basic warranty and 10 years and 100,000 miles for the powertrain.

Things do differ slightly with the other two warranties. The rust warranty goes for a shorter time at five years with a 100,000-mileage limit. The roadside warranty has the same year length as Hyundai’s at five years but has a 60,000-mile limit placed on it as well.

Which other brands have top car warranties?

Hyundai and Kia made up two-thirds of the top 15 models on TrueCar’s list, but another pair make up the remaining places. Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury division, has three of its car models on the list: the G80 (6th), G70 (9th), and G90 (13th). All of Genesis’ models come with the same warranty package as the Hyundai cars on the list.

The only non-Hyundai-related brand on the list is Jaguar. The XF luxury sedan ranked 10th on TrueCar’s list, and the 2023 F-Type sports car was rated 15th. Both have the same basic, drivetrain, and roadside warranty length: five years or 60,000 miles. The XF also has a five-year or 60,000-mile warranty for complimentary maintenance, and the F-Type has a four-year or 50,000-mile rust warranty.

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