Today, I’m tackling a topic that’s likely to stir up plenty of discussion. It’s a bit of a taboo subject. Many talk about it in secret, and very few dare to discuss it publicly. With this article, I’m opening Pandora’s box. Indeed, I’m going to share my thoughts and observations about the basic warranty offered by quad manufacturers. I’m referring to the warranty included in the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP).
Difficult Economic Context
In recent years, the price of quad vehicles has increased significantly. Unfortunately, this situation isn’t unique to off-road vehicles. Indeed, a large majority of consumer products have seen price hikes. For instance, the price of new cars rose by nearly 25% between 2020 and 2023. This increase was particularly noticed at the beginning of the pandemic. While we saw annual increases of 5% between 2019 and 2020, this surge reached 17% between 2020 and 2021.
This is in addition to rising prices of everyday goods and, of course, groceries. Sadly, wage increases haven’t kept pace. It goes without saying that people’s purchasing power has greatly diminished over the past five years. In short, off-road vehicle buyers are more hesitant to upgrade their quad to a new model. In this context, they want to get more for their money. Can we really blame them?
Cost of Acquisition vs. Cost of Using a New Quad
When buying a new quad, it’s wise to calculate not only its purchase cost but also the costs associated with operation and maintenance. Indeed, if you acquire a quad without having enough financial leeway to use and maintain it properly, you may quickly regret your purchase.
Reliability of Quads and Basic Warranties: The Truth
When manufacturers present their new models, they often claim to have improved the reliability of their vehicles. Under normal usage conditions, we can indeed see many advancements in engines, transmissions, and other mechanical components. These usually make recent quad vehicles more reliable than their predecessors. Thus, buyers can expect a longer useful life and possibly fewer mechanical failures. But is this really the case?
Whether it’s true or not, this is what manufacturers have us believe. They ask consumers to take a leap of faith when they purchase their new vehicle. But do they themselves take that leap of faith?
Unfortunately, the reality seems to indicate otherwise. Indeed, browsing the websites of various manufacturers, I found that warranty periods included in the MSRP to be quite disappointing.
Outdated Basic Warranties From Quad Manufacturers
For traditional quad manufacturers, the basic warranty offered with new vehicles have changed little or not at all over the past 20 or 25 years. While acquisition costs have greatly increased, and reliability has significantly improved, we are still presented with warranties of 6 or 12 months. In my opinion, this is outrageous!
Whether it’s a basic ATV costing less than $9,000 or a high-end side-by-side costing $60,000, some manufacturers only offer a meager 6-month warranty. I can’t help but draw a parallel with the automotive world, where you can, for example, buy a $25,000 car with a comprehensive three-year warranty, with no mileage limits, that includes roadside assistance. The powertrain in this example is covered for a full five-year period.
Particular Use Context for Quads
I understand that the use of our quads is unique. We regularly put mechanical components to the test. But it seems to me that there is a significant gap between what is offered in the automotive world versus off-road vehicles. Moreover, generally speaking, the powertrains of most quads are very reliable if used in the conditions for which they were designed.
A New Era: Some Quad Manufacturers Lead the Way
That said, there is hope! CFMOTO has initiated a small revolution in the field of basic warranties. Indeed, for several years now, the manufacturer’s quads have been covered by a five-year or 5,000 km limited warranty on the powertrain. I must admit this is a refreshing step in the right direction. In any case, this has caused quite a stir in the industry, and many buyers have chosen CFMOTO specifically for this reason.
In the same vein, recently, the American division of Segway Powersports introduced the “Next-Gen Protection.” This is a limited non-transferable lifetime warranty on powertrains of 1,000 cc and above. Coverage includes both parts and labour. This very aggressive strategy will likely help the manufacturer increase its market share in the coming years. Unfortunately, this protection is currently only available for vehicles sold in the United States.
On its part, Yamaha offers a 20-year limited protection against all failures caused by lubrication issues. The owner must then prove that maintenance has been performed according to the manufacturer’s standards using only Yamalube products. For more information, click here to read our article on the subject.
Other smaller manufacturers also offer various plans that enhance the protections provided by traditional manufacturers.
An Acceptable Basic Warranty for All Quads: My Opinion
After reflection, I think it would be interesting for manufacturers to adapt their basic warranties to today’s reality. It seems reasonable to me that each manufacturer should offer, at a minimum, the following:
- Comprehensive 12-month coverage (bumper-to-bumper);
- Limited coverage of 36 months or 10,000 km on the powertrain.
Of course, provided that the quad is used under normal conditions and has not been modified.
Manufacturers Need to Support Their Promises with Actions
In my opinion, it is time for manufacturers to clearly demonstrate their confidence in their products. If the reliability of their vehicles is truly increasing, it follows that the warranty should keep pace, doesn’t it? Offering such basic warranties would certainly send a clear message to the industry and, more specifically, to future buyers.
What Can We Do to Make a Difference?
And what do you think? I invite you to share your thoughts constructively with us on Facebook or Instagram. Share with your friends so that manufacturers can hear from quad enthusiasts. Manufacturers are listening to users, so it’s very possible they will hear the message we’re sending today.
