New car Warranty, Would we buy one today with such little time? WE all want 100,000 miles now

[KRK Sr.]

 I was looking at old Pierce owners manuals today and found it quite interesting that your new Pierce came with such a small window of warranty. The Great Arrow just 60 days, the BIG 48hp just 3 months! I would like others to share the warranty from other pre -WW2 autos they own manuals for so we can see if they were all about the same.

Karl.

 

 

1904 GREAT ARROW

STANDARD WARRANTY , under which all Automobile; made by _ The George N Pierce Company are sold . . · Adopted August 22, 1902.· WE WARRANT all goods furnished by us for sixty days following the date of their shipment, based upon the date of invoice c_overing the goods, th is warranty _ being limiterl to tfle replacement in our factory of all ·parts giving out · under normal service in consequence of defect· of material or of workmanship. If the circumstances do not permit that the work shall be executed in our factory this warranty is limited to the shipment, . without charge, of the parts int-ended to replace those ackn owl~dged to be defective. · · · · _. • . It is, however, understood that :..ve make ~o warranty whatev _er regardin g pqeumatic tires or the batteries. · We cannot accept any responsibility in connection with any of our mot9r cars when they have been altered or repaired outside of our fact?ry. We are not · responsible to the purchaser of our _ goods for any undertakin g_s and warranties made by our agents _beyond those expressed above. We wish it distinctly understood that ~e ma.ke no warr~nty of our good s except as ~tated above, but desire ai:d expe _ct that customers shall make a thorough examination of our goods before ·purchasing.

 

 

 

1917 SERIES 48

STANDARD WARRANTY under which all Automobiles made by the PIERCE-ARROW MOTOR . CAR CO. are sold. Adapted May 4, 1910- WE GUARANTEE the motor vehicles manufactured by us for ninety days after the date of shipment, this warranty being limit.ed to the furnishing at our factory of such parts of the motor vehicle as shall, under nO'rlnal use and service, appear to us to have. been defective in material and workmanship• This warranty is limited to the shipment to the purchaser without charge, except for transportation, of the part or parts intended to replace the part or parts claimed to have been defective, and which, upon their return to us at aur factory for inspection, we shall have determined were defective , and provided transportati<1n cha!'ges for the parts so returned have been prepaid. We make no warranty whatever in respect to tires and rims. The condition af this warranty is such that if the motor vehicle to which it - applies is altered, or repaired outside of our factory, our liability under this warranty shall cease. The purchaser understands and agrees that no warranty of the mator vehicle is made, or authorized to be made, by the company, other than that herein aboTe aet forth.

[Grimy]

Ninety days/4,000 miles was standard at least until after WW2.

[Mark Wetherbee]

Here’s what you needed to buy Carl... $120 for the model C cars and $140 for A & B cars... covering the maintenance listed on the back to 10,000 miles... 

Edited January 8, 2021 by Mark Wetherbee (see edit history)

[Mark Wetherbee]

Trying it again.

[KRK Sr.]

Mark, interesting that they have 3 valve grinds in the first 10,000 miles! You have to wonder if they really did them for $140 plus all the other stuff. Then again people could be earning $5 a day working on them!  Karl

[John_S_in_Penna]

2 hours ago, KRK Sr. said:

 I would like others to share the warranty from other pre-WW2 autos they own manuals for

so we can see if they were all about the same.

 

How about a warranty that lasted your lifetime

or beyond, and covered just about everything? 

You have seen this before, Karl.  Our AACA

newsletter had features on two different cars

that had perpetual warranties.  Here is one,

from a magazine ad in a November 1909 issue.

I figure it must be Woods' 1910 model:

 

Edited January 8, 2021 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[Mark Wetherbee]

Try to get them to honor that now🤣🤣🤣

 

 

As for the Pierce-Arrow plan, I don’t know what the valve work would have cost, but $140 in 1930 dollars was significant. There’s also a 1932 letter here that gives rates for the second and third 10,000 mile maintenance plans where the price goes up considerably compared to the first 10,000. 

[rocketraider]

So extra-cost extended warranties are, as is said, nothing new under the sun.

 

Makes you wonder about Egyptian and Roman chariot warranties and chariot salespeople!

[padgett]

My tow car has a factory extend warranty (or service contarct not sure which) through 2099 or 999,999 miles. Original was 3/36 (but 5/50 for emissions controls)

Earliest memory was of 12/12 (12 months/12,000 miles. Then there was the 5/50 (5 years, 50,000 miles) in the '70s.

"chariot salespeople! " - History of the World part 1 ?

[John348]

9 hours ago, Grimy said:

Ninety days/4,000 miles was standard at least until after WW2.

 

Don't forget the "break in" period, not to drive over 50 mph for the first 500 miles, that will eat up about 30 of the ninety day period.

[rocketraider]

1 hour ago, padgett said:

Then there was the 5/50 (5 years, 50,000 miles) in the '70s.

"chariot salespeople! " - History of the World part 1 ?

I think Chrysler started 5/50 around 1965.

 

History of the World Part 1 is an uproariously funny movie and in true Mel Brooks style takes no prisoners. That movie couldn't be made today because the professionally offended have lost what minuscule sense of humor they had. Damn neeners...

 

Come to think of it I've never known a used car/chariot salesperson that could be insulted or offended- unless you just lowballed the life out of whatever backrow special he was trying to unload! "Ay, ay, you want me to give it to ya's?"

 

😺