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Video: Audi Canada surprises out-of-warranty owners in a good way

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Audi

2014 Audi R8 dealer courtesy car - video screencap

One of the worst parts about going to a dealership is sitting around waiting for the courtesy shuttle to show up and transport a group of strangers to their places of work or homes. Well, Audi of Canada found a nice way to surprise customers who brought their out-of-warranty vehicles in for a scheduled Health Check by replacing dealer’s normal shuttle with a 2014 Audi R8 V10.

The R8, painted to resemble a safety car or police car, gave the customers a ride home – even stopping at a coffee shop along the way. Needless to say, the stunt got plenty of attention from passers-by and was quite a hit with the Audi customers, too. Scroll down to watch video of the customers getting the ride of a lifetime, which we’re sure left some of the in-warranty customers at least a little jealous as they drove off in dealer loaner cars.

Continue reading Audi Canada surprises out-of-warranty owners in a good way

Audi Canada surprises out-of-warranty owners in a good way originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cadillac announces comprehensive warranty, scheduled maintenance program for 2011

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Cadillac, GM, Luxury

Cadillac Crest

Cadillac is stepping up its customer service game. The General Motors luxury nameplate has announced the introduction of Cadillac Shield – an extensive warranty service scheduled to hit the ground this month. Buyers can now look forward to Cadillac Premium Care Maintenance, which includes oil changes and tire rotations for the first four years or 50,000 miles, as well as the company’s five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and four-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper coverage. Pile on five years of 24/7 roadside assistance with courtesy transportation and you’ve got the basic groundwork for the new warranty program.

And to quote every infomercial ever made, “but wait, there’s more.”

OnStar is part of the party with one year of the company’s Directions and Connections plan and its own smart phone app. The app monitors oil life and fuel levels as well as allowing owners to manage simple vehicle tasks (like locking and unlocking the doors) from their phone.

Speaking of apps, Cadillac is rolling in its own smartphone program as part of the deal, too. The Caddy app allows users to locate their vehicle in a parking lot, schedule maintenance, locate dealers in the area and call for roadside assistance. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

[Source: General Motors | Image: Drew Phillips/AOL]

Continue reading Cadillac announces comprehensive warranty, scheduled maintenance program for 2011

Cadillac announces comprehensive warranty, scheduled maintenance program for 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tata Nano retrofitted with four-year warranty to assuage quality fears

Filed under: Safety, Tata

2010 Tata Nano

2011 Tata Nano – click above for high-res image gallery

Tata Nano sales may have started out strong, but a number of price increases and several reports of electrical or exhaust fires have resulted in a huge sales plunge for the world’s most affordable vehicle. Last month, Tata sold just 509 copies of the micro mini – a far cry from the massive waiting list for the Nano back in 2009.

Automotive News reports that the Indian automaker is looking to once again win over perspective buyers by introducing a four-year factory warranty. What’s more, Tata will extend the warranty to all 70,000 owners already in the books. The automaker has attempted to fix the vehicle fire issue as well, offering all 70,000 owners the option of installing “additional safety protection in the exhaust system and the electrical system.” Tata claims that foreign contaminants in and around the electrical system and exhaust system could be responsible for the fires.

Gallery: 2011 Tata Nano CX: Quick Spin

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Tata Nano retrofitted with four-year warranty to assuage quality fears originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM follows Chrysler into the lifetime warranty business… with Vauxhall

Filed under: Car Buying, Europe, Vauxhall

That’s right. General Motors has taken the bold step of offering a lifetime warranty with all new Vauxhall vehicles it sells. Not surprisingly, the warranty is non-transferable and is only good for the first 100,000 miles on the odometer – apparently their definition of ‘lifetime’ is a bit different from that of Chrysler. Unlike their crosstown rivals, however, the guarantee covers most of the vehicle’s major systems, including the engine, transmission, steering, brake and electrical components. Not too shabby. The company is even looking into a way to offer the remainder of the warranty to second owners, which shows a pretty sizable amount of confidence in the company’s build quality as of late.

Interestingly enough, we haven’t heard a peep about similar programs for Vauxhall’s twin, Opel, or any of The General’s other deserving children. Here’s hoping that GM is using the Vauxhall warranty as a testbed for the rest of the family. Few things help move cars quicker than the peace of mind that comes along with the knowledge that the dealer will take care of any woe you have down the line. Similarly generous warranties have helped both Hyundai and Kia establish themselves here in the States, and they’d probably go a long way towards rebuilding consumer consideration. A bigger and perhaps more interesting question is, will this same guarantee apply to the forthcoming Vauxhall Ampera?

Hit the jump for a look at the official press release. Thanks for the tip, Lesbert!

Gallery: Vauxhall Ampera

[Source: Vauxhall]

Continue reading GM follows Chrysler into the lifetime warranty business… with Vauxhall

GM follows Chrysler into the lifetime warranty business… with Vauxhall originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan announces Leaf rollout plans, 8-year battery warranty

Filed under: Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

Nissan Leaf EV – Click above for high-res image gallery

At the Plug-in 2010 Conference in San Jose, CA today, Nissan North America’s executive vice president, Carlos Tavares, announced that the Leaf’s battery pack will be covered by an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty – exactly what Chevrolet is offering on the Volt pack. He said that feedback from people interested in the Leaf was important in setting these levels, so that explains why Leaf hand-raisers received email surveys about the topic recently.

For what it’s worth, the official Leaf battery warranty is what about half of AutoblogGreen readers voted for in our unscientific poll on the topic. Almost 45 percent said the eight-year/100,000-mile level was good for electric vehicles, while a few more thought 10-years/150,000 miles was the preferred level.

In other Leaf news, Nissan has also announced its official rollout plans. As we already knew, the electric car will first launch in December, in California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Tennessee. Firm orders from these five states, which make up the so-called EV Project, will begin in August.

Following that initial wave, the machine will be sent to Texas and Hawaii in January 2011. Next up will be North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina and Alabama in April 2011. The rest of the nation will see their Leafs beginning in the fall of 2011 with availability in all markets nationwide by the end of that year.

There are plenty more interesting tidbits to glean from Nissan’s press release on the matter, which can be found in its entirety after the break.

Gallery: 2010 Nissan LEAF

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Nissan announces Leaf rollout plans, 8-year battery warranty

Nissan announces Leaf rollout plans, 8-year battery warranty originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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General Motors announces 8-year/100,000-mile warranty for Chevy Volt battery

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Technology, Chevrolet, GM, Electric

Chevrolet Volt battery pack – Click above for high-res image gallery

During a media briefing at its Brownstown Township, MI battery plant this afternoon, General Motors Vice Chairman Tom Stephens announced that the lithium ion battery pack for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt would be warranted for eight years or 100,000 miles. Since the beginning of the program, it has been General Motors’ intention to develop the battery pack to last for the life of the vehicle.

Despite the fact that the Volt is considered an electric car by GM, the presence of an on-board gas engine for range-extending means that the EPA and California Air Resources Board consider the battery to be part of the car’s emissions control system. As a result, it is subject to the same regulations as parts like a catalytic converter, and therefore, it must have the eight-year warranty.

GM has released some additional specifications on the battery pack. In its final production form, 95 percent of the components were designed and developed in-house by GM, it weighs in at 400 pounds and has an output of 110 kilowatts. Internally, the water-cooled pack consists of 288 LG Chem lithium polymer cells. Over the next few months, GM will be ramping up the production rate at Brownstown in preparation for the start of Volt production this Fall.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Volt battery pack

General Motors announces 8-year/100,000-mile warranty for Chevy Volt battery originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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