Warranties can give purchasers much-needed peace of mind. In many cases, these warranties can spare customers the hassle of worrying about malfunctions and sustained damage or wear-and-tear that may occur down the road.
If you’re thinking about purchasing used car parts from a salvage yard, you may wonder about the possibility of receiving a warranty. If you’re currently on the lookout for sturdy car parts suitable for your vehicle, consider visiting a salvage yard like Tear-A-Part.
It will vary from place to place
Before agreeing to visit a salvage yard, you may be wondering: Do used car parts sold through salvage yards include warranties? The honest answer is that it always depends. There are salvage yards that do offer guarantees to their customers. Unfortunately, there are just as many that don’t.
If you manage to find a salvage yard with guarantees in-place, remember that not all warranties are created equal. Some salvage yards present buyers with basic warranties that cover short-term requirements. These warranties typically remain intact for roughly 30 days and generally apply to individual parts.
Should I be wary of 30-day warranties?
While these limited and short-term warranty policies may stir anxiety, most major car part issues will usually arise shortly after purchase. If you commute long hours to your current job or drive from place-to-place relatively frequently, you’ll notice these defects or malfunctions in virtually no time at all. If you bought a part that’s defective, you’d likely come to that realization in far less than 30 days, giving you ample time to swap out the malfunctioning part.
Salvage yards seldom offer buyers warranties that are good for more than 30 days in total. If a buyer notices something amiss with a specific part after the 30 days elapsed, the vehicle owner will have no other choice but to purchase a replacement part. While frustrating, salvage yards usually price used car parts affordably, meaning it won’t break the bank to repurchase the part in question.
Ask about warranties before purchase
If you’re planning on purchasing salvage yard used auto parts, you’ll need to act with caution. Before sliding your debit card, inquire about existing warranty policies right away. It isn’t uncommon for salvage yards to give people access to warranties that are limited in scope.
Inquire about return policies
If you notice something out of the ordinary with a part you’ve bought recently, then you may be able to switch it out. You may also be eligible for a full refund if the salvage yard’s negligence is to blame. If you happen to buy a salvage yard auto part that’s defective in any sense, then getting a full refund may lie within the realm of possibility.
Visit their website for more information
A car owner can learn more about the provisions of a salvage yard’s warranty by visiting their website. Unfortunately, not all salvage yards have published websites, meaning you’ll have to contact their staff via phone call or visit the in-person location for more information.
The salvage yards with a website up-and-running will usually discuss their warranties and how they operate at length. On their site, they may mention that the warranties aren’t transferrable. They may explain, in-depth, that the warranties safeguard buyers for specified periods. In some instances, a salvage yard may even detail the warranty policies in full.
Check what your warranty covers
It’s crucial to read any and all warranty details you come across. Failure to review the warranties posted online may result in some unfortunate misunderstandings between the sales representatives and the customers purchasing used car parts.
For instance, some salvage yards present buyers with warranties that only cover engine malfunctions. In other cases, a salvage yard may only offer warranties that are solely beneficial for transmissions.
When protected by the provisions of an engine warranty, you won’t have to pay for any expenses related to valve, cylinder head, engine block, piston, rocker arm, oil pump malfunction. On the other hand, if your purchase comes with a transmission warranty, you won’t have to cover the costs related to transmission difficulties and defects.
Warranty exceptions
Note, too, that it isn’t all that uncommon for salvage yard transmission warranties to not be valid in cases where human error is to blame. For example, if the part malfunctions due to old filters, questionable fluid selection, and even inadequate fluid amounts, the salvage yard may disqualify the part in question.
If you have a front pump that’s faulty for any reason, a transmission warranty won’t be of any help, leaving you to cover the pertinent costs. If you installed a part incorrectly, the provisions of the salvage yard’s guarantee might not apply.
Final thoughts
There are various kinds of car part warranties available through salvage yards. Depending on your salvage yard of choice, the guarantee’s conditions, coverage duration, and types of car parts protected may vary. While most used car part providers will offer a 30-day warranty, some salvage yards will provide customers with lifetime warranties, meaning that any malfunction following purchase will be covered, as long as user error isn’t responsible.
If you want your salvage yard used car part experience to go off without a hitch, you should research all of your warranty choices with a fine-tooth comb. Otherwise, you risk incurring additional costs when you have to repurchase the defective part.