Protect Your Livelihood with a Used Truck Warranty

We all hope when we purchase something, nothing will go wrong. No one wants to face large out-of-pocket costs for a recent purchase. The same goes when purchasing a used semi truck, particularly when that used semi truck is the means of generating a living for you and your family. With today’s commercial trucks getting more and more complex by the day, purchasing a warranty is more important than ever before. A used truck warranty can protect your investment and help keep you on the road generating income

As with any used product, the chances are higher for failures and issues to arise than with a brand new product. When you rely on your truck to run a profitable business, a solid warranty for your used commercial truck can be critical to your financial stability and peace of mind.

There are many types of used truck warranties and coverages available in the market today. How can you possibly know which is the best warranty coverage for you and your business? Used semi truck buyers need to take the time to understand the warranty options available to them when considering a used truck purchase because there are many features and variables depending on the specific warranty program. Here are some ideas to help you better understand the type of used truck warranties available today.

Time Frame – Used truck warranties have various time frame limits, usually starting from 90 days, going all the way to four years. Generally, the longer the time of the warranty protection, the more it costs. Most used semi truck purchasers opt for a term of at least one year to give them the protection they need to avoid large out-of-pocket expenses while you build a maintenance reserve for your business. A maintenance reserve is when you set aside funds each month for future failures in order to avoid being in a bind or having to scramble for funds.

In addition, some used truck dealers offer short-term warranty packages on trucks at no cost, which can be a great short-term solution to protect your back pocket after making a large purchase.

Coverage – Coverage is the components that warranty protects you from having to pay for. It’s important to know that “bumper-to-bumper” warranties are virtually non-existent in the used truck industry. You should not expect any used truck warranty to cover parts such as tires, brakes, clutch or suspension components. Most used semi truck warranties cover the internally lubricated parts of major components in your used semi truck. However, “bolt on” components like the turbocharger, fuel pump, EGR systems and more usually require additional coverage to be purchased beyond the base coverage. Additionally, the aftertreatment system, which is one of the most common failures in today’s used semi trucks, requires the purchase of additional warranty coverage. An aftertreatment system failure can cost upwards of $12,000 when not covered by warranty. The more coverage, the higher the cost, but also the higher protection for your business.

Deductible – A deductible is the dollar amount you pay out of your pocket for a warrantable expense. The higher the deductible, the lower the cost of the warranty. You’ll want to have a good understanding of your used truck warranty deductible. When purchasing a warranty, a deductible of $200 or $300 does not seem like a large amount, but if you have multiple failures occur in one year, the deductible can start to accumulate to more out-of-pocket expenses than you originally anticipated.

Aggregate Limits – Some used semi truck warranties have a cap or limit on the amount that will be paid during the warranty period. A catastrophic engine failure today can cost more than $35,000. If there is an aggregate limit on the warranty, you may have to come up with thousands of dollars of out-of-pocket funds to get your truck running again.

In addition to a cap on the overall amount paid out, many used semi truck warranties have limits on how much is paid out per component as well. For example, if your aftertreatment system fails, it can cost you $12,000, but many warranty companies have aggregate limits on the ATS and will only cover $8,000, leaving you liable for the extra $4,000. You should consider a warranty without aggregate limits to protect yourself from this potential issue.

Progressive Damage – Progressive damage occurs when the failure of one part leads to the damage or failure of other parts. Some warranties only pay for the replacement of the original part that was damaged. The most common examples of progressive damage are when the fuel pump fails and takes out the engine bearings, which can lead to a full engine replacement, or, when the fuel injectors fail and contaminate the aftertreatment system, leading to ATS failure. These damages can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $35,000 on top of the original failure. Consider a warranty that includes progressive damage to cover yourself for the damage to all parts.

Where to Go for Warranty Repairs – If you drive cross country, you never know where you may need warranty service. It’s a good idea to select a plan that provides for nationwide coverage accepted at reliable repair locations no matter where you are.

Select Limited Warranty – #1 in Used Trucks

At SelecTrucks, we offer a comprehensive set of OEM-backed used semi truck warranties to protect the used semi trucks you purchase from us. Here is an overview of used truck warranties available when you purchase a used semi truck from a SelecTrucks Center.

90-Day Buyer's Assurance – Automatically included at no extra charge with every qualifying used semi truck, the 90-Day Buyer’s Assurance offers basic coverage for those first days your truck is on the road. 90-Day Buyer’s Assurance covers many components that other plans don’t, such as turbochargers, actuators and VPODs. In addition, the diesel particulate filter (DPF) and the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler and valve are also covered.

Select Limited Warranty – SelecTrucks offers our Select Limited Warranty for up to 48 months or 400,000 miles on all eligible used Freightliner and Western Star heavy-duty trucks. Select Limited Warranty is supported and serviced at more than 400 Freightliner dealers, so if a repair is needed, you can simply head to any of these locations across North America.

Here is why it’s the best warranty in the used truck market:

$0 Deductible
OEM-backed
No aggregate claims limit
Unrestricted progressive damage on covered components
Progressive damage coverage to aftertreatment system
- Serviced at Freightliner dealers across North America (more than 400 locations)

Aftertreatment System Warranty – SelecTrucks also offers a warranty specifically for your aftertreatment system. This is a smart way to cover one of the components most prone to failure, and to protect yourself from costly repairs. Coverage is for 12 months or 100,000 miles and includes coverage of the ATS injector, DOC and DPF as progressive damage, header, pressure sensors, DEF tank, doser, NOX sensors and SCR catalyst.

Getting the Help You Need

The professionals at SelecTrucks can help. Their warranty specialists are on standby to help you understand how used truck warranties work and assess the best warranty for your situation and used semi truck purchase.

“One of our customers took delivery of a used semi truck from us with the full component warranty. Unfortunately, the truck experienced an aftertreatment system failure. But fortunately, he had the warranty and took his used truck to the Freightliner dealer near the breakdown. The total cost of the repair was over $23,000, but his out-of-pocket expense was just $600. He was back on the road in less than seven days.”

Ashley Aandahl, Warranty Specialist, SelecTrucks of Los Angeles