Used Car Warranty in Canada

[Coma White]

Hi!

Sorry if I use this corner to ask you a personal question about an american habit, in particular of Canada.

So, my sister came to stay in Waterloo, near Toronto, for one year and she's looking for a second hand car to make movements for work and anything else.
She has found a mechanic's workshop with a shop that sell Pontiac less than $ 4000.
The mechanic offers to her a 1 year warranty for 400$.

In Italy we have clear rules that estabilsh the obligation, for official retailers and authorized workshops to provide at least a one-year standard warranty on used cars.
If the consumer wants he can require an extended warranty (paying).
Usually, also the unauthorized workshops offers an implicit warranty (from 6 months to 1 year) for any problems.

Now my question is the following: Isn't there in Canada a similar rule for the purchaser's protection?
Or the decision to offer the 1 year guarantee only pertains to the seller selling it as extended warranty?

Thanks for your possible answers.

[kwoldtimer]

Someone else may have better information, but I believe that there is no warranty on used vehicles sold in Ontario. A used vehicle must have a Safety Certificate, but that is not a warranty. A verbal warranty would have no validity, so get any warranty in writing. I would say that $400 on a $4,000 car seems very expensive. Your sister's best protection might be to take the car to a reputable mechanic to have it thouroughly checked before she buys.

This consumer protection website may give you more help.

http://www.omvic.on.ca/info/faqs/consumer_faqs.htm

[Yellow Fever]

I never trust those older model American cars no matter what kind of warranty they'd give me. So your sister could spend a total of 4,400 dollars for that car with one year warranty. But after one year and if some big mechanical problems come up, then what? Spend another few thousands to fix it or buy another one?

My suggestion would be buy an used Japanese or European cars and let CAA check it before purchase. Those import cars are much more reliable than the Pontiac and GM etc. imo.

[Coma White]

Wow, what a destructive post (the second one)!

I hear italians make the exact same speeches about the unreliability of italian cars.

However, I think all the cars in the world, except unlucky models or manufacturing defects, are designed to last at least 10 years or about 150,000 km.

My sister already took this model of Pontiac the first time she came in Canada and that's the reason she considers now this offer... for the price, of course, but also cause she knows this car.

I think also she is too traveler to have the certainty that she remains there more than one year, so I don't expect she has the problem for the conditions of the car after this year.

If you say the price of this warranty offered by the seller, practically the 10% of the value, is too expensive, I can suggest my sister to try to negotiate the final price.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Coma White

Wow, what a destructive post (the second one)!

I hear italians make the exact same speeches about the unreliability of italian cars.

However, I think all the cars in the world, except unlucky models or manufacturing defects, are designed to last at least 10 years or about 150,000 km.

My sister already took this model of Pontiac the first time she came in Canada and that's the reason she considers now this offer... for the price, of course, but also cause she knows this car.

I think also she is too traveler to have the certainty that she remains there more than one year, so I don't expect she has the problem for the conditions of the car after this year.

If you say the price of this warranty offered by the seller, practically the 10% of the value, is too expensive, I can suggest my sister to try to negotiate the final price.

Indeed, the asking price of a used car should be negotiable.

[vanboy2]

used cars selling in Canada don't come with the guarantee ,what you see what you get,for a used car $400 bucks guarantee(for one year) is reasonable for sure.Pontiac is the worse when its come in second hand car.

[Coma White]

So, you're right, my sister exhaustively explains the fact, so isn't the seller to offer to her the warranty but he's supported by a company that offers this warranty.
This company is Lubrico, she has found many opinions on web about this company and they're all good.
http://www.lubrico.com/coverage.html

Do you know anything about it?

Do you think is there the chance to negotiate the final price?