How long is a car warranty in Switzerland usually valid?
A car warranty is essentially a guarantee from the manufacturer or dealership to repair or replace certain parts of a car that may break or stop working due to manufacturing errors, within a set time period or mileage.
In Switzerland, the legal minimum for warranties are the following:
- Imports from the EU: All new cars imported from the EU come with at least 2 years of manufacturers warranty (from first registration).
- Imports from outside EU: Cars from the USA or other countries that are not imported through official channels (grey imports) do not need to have an official manufacturers warranty - many do offer them though.
- For used cars: The seller of the car should offer at least 3 months of warranty. However, dealerships can legally deviate from this standard in their general terms and conditions and may offer shorter warranties.
It is vital that the customer inquire the length of the warranty. In case of short warranty durations, warranty extensions may be a solution.