What is a Parts Warranty?

A parts warranty is a legal assurance to a buyer that the seller or manufacturer of a product will replace certain parts of that product if they are found to be defective. It generally is an express warranty that is written out in the form of a warranty document. Parts warranties are often found on products that require many systems with disparate parts for the product to be useful, such as automobiles, computers and large equipment or machinery, such as tractors.

There are two basic types of legal warranties: express and implied. Express warranties are usually given to buyers in written form and tell the buyers exactly what is covered for what length of time and what conditions must be satisfied for buyers to redeem the warranties. An implied warranty exists by operation of law when a seller has represented a product to be of some specific type or value, so that the buyer has some recourse if it turns out the product is not what was represented. In modern times, a parts warranty will usually be an express warranty.

There are many variations of parts warranties. A parts warranty might cover only certain parts and not others. For example, on an automobile, the parts warranty might cover transmission parts but not any sound system electronics that the car might have. The warranty also will specify what the giver of the warranty must do in case of a breach of the warranty, such as provide a replacement or make arrangements to repair the product.

Many times, the parts warranty is good for only a specified length of time. In these instances, the buyer must bring the defect to the attention of the party giving the warranty before the warranty period expires. For example, a warranty might be good for one year or, in the case of a car, for a certain number of miles or kilometers driven. There are some warranties, however, in which the part can be replaced at any time during the lifetime of the part. These are called lifetime warranties.

A parts warranty might be given by the seller of a product or by the manufacturer. Which of these is entities is giving the warranty will determine what the buyer must do to claim the warranty. A seller might require some proof that the buyer purchased the product at that particular establishment before honoring a seller’s warranty. A manufacturer might require that the product be sent to it so that the defect can be determined and repaired or the part replaced.