# Used car warranty in Germany: what it pays and what the dealer owes you anyway > In Germany a used car warranty (Gebrauchtwagengarantie) is usually repair cost insurance: it pays when the engine, gearbox or electronics fail after you buy. It is optional and sits on top of the dealer's statutory liability for defects, it does not replace it. Three clauses decide its value: the list of covered parts, the scale for parts costs and the servicing condition. Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-used-car-warranty.php Updated: 2026-11-07 ## Do I need a warranty if I buy a used car from a German dealer? Not necessarily. Under German law the dealer is liable for defects that existed at handover (section 437 of the Civil Code, BGB). The period is two years, or one year for a used car if the dealer told you so separately before you signed and agreed it with you expressly. In the first year a defect is presumed to have existed at handover. A warranty mainly helps with faults that develop later, after those periods, or when you buy privately, where liability is usually excluded. ## At a glance - **Compulsory?:** No, optional insurance or warranty - **Dealer liability:** 2 years, used cars can be cut to 1 year, section 476(2) BGB - **Presumption for the buyer:** one year from handover, section 477 BGB - **Parts costs:** often scaled down by mileage, labour usually paid in full - **Servicing:** to the manufacturer's schedule, a gap only counts if it caused the fault ## Statutory liability and warranty are not the same thing German law makes a dealer who sells to a consumer liable for defects present at handover. The dealer cannot exclude this, but for a used car can shorten it to one year. Since 2022 that only works if you were told about it specifically before you made your declaration and the shorter period was agreed expressly and separately. A line in the standard terms is not enough. A warranty is a voluntary promise on top, usually backed by an insurer. It can cover faults that only appear after the sale, but only for the parts and amounts named in its terms. It does not limit your statutory rights, so with a defect you can always go to the dealer first. ## The parts scale: why a warranty rarely pays the whole bill Most policies pay labour in full but only a share of the parts, depending on the mileage. Published terms of one manufacturer programme give 100 percent up to 50,000 kilometres and 90 percent up to 60,000, falling further after that. In a case decided by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH), the warranty provider paid 40 percent of the parts at around 88,000 kilometres. Caps come on top. Some terms limit cover for very old or high mileage cars to a fixed sum per claim, one set names 2,000 euros from 200,000 kilometres or eight years, and nearly all pay no more than the car's current value. Work out what a gearbox failure would leave you with at your mileage before you sign. ## Servicing: what happens if an inspection was missed Warranty terms require servicing to the manufacturer's schedule, and you need the invoices to prove it. The BGH has ruled that a clause voiding the warranty for any missed inspection, even when the gap had nothing to do with the fault, is invalid (case VIII ZR 206/12). Do not rely on that alone. If an oil change was skipped and the engine then fails, the link is obvious and you will have to argue your case. Keep every workshop invoice, independent garages included, and stick to the intervals. ## Used car warranty or extended warranty A used car warranty is usually sold with the car. Often the dealer is the policyholder and you join as the insured person, so your cover depends on the dealer's contract. An extended warranty (Anschlussgarantie) continues the manufacturer's warranty on a young car, typically by one to three years, and is sold by manufacturers, their banks or specialist insurers. If your car is still under the manufacturer's warranty, arrange the extension before it runs out. Afterwards many providers want an inspection first or will not take the car at all. ## What is covered - Repairs to the listed parts, such as engine, gearbox, clutch, steering and brakes - Workshop labour, usually in full - Spare parts according to the policy's parts scale - Electrical and electronic parts where the policy includes them - Drive and high voltage battery of electric cars, depending on the policy - Repairs at workshops within the territory, often across Europe ## What is not covered - Wear parts such as brake pads, tyres, wiper blades and clutch lining - Servicing, inspections, oil and other fluids - Accident, theft and storm damage, which belong to comprehensive car cover (Kasko) - Damage caused by missed servicing - Parts not on the policy's list - Defects you knew about when you bought the car ## Who needs it - Buyers of a used car from a private seller, where liability is normally excluded - Buyers from a dealer who plan to keep the car beyond the statutory periods - Owners of young cars whose manufacturer's warranty is about to end - Anyone who could not pay a major engine or gearbox repair out of savings ## Who does not need it - A warranty on a very old, cheap car, where the parts scale and value cap leave little - A second warranty while the manufacturer's warranty is still running ## What it costs In Germany used car warranties cost from around 100 euros to several hundred euros a year, depending on the car, its age, mileage and the scope. Manufacturer programmes tend to cost more but usually cover more parts. | Example | Typical range | | --- | --- | | VW Golf 1.4 TSI, basic plan of a warranty provider, as reported by AutoBild | around 160 € a year | | the same Golf on the comfort plan, as reported by AutoBild | around 335 € a year | **What drives the premium:** - Make, model and engine - Age and mileage at the start - Scope: a short list of assemblies or almost all parts - Maximum per claim and parts scale - Excess per claim - Term, from one year to several _The examples come from press reports on provider calculators and have not been rechecked. Your premium is only fixed in the quote._ ## The policy levels on the market - **Listed assemblies:** Only the parts named, usually engine, gearbox and drive. Cheap, but electronics and comfort features are often missing. - **Extended parts cover:** Adds air conditioning, steering, brakes, fuel system and some electronics. The sensible middle for cars with a lot of technology. - **Extended warranty with almost all parts:** Close to the manufacturer's warranty, with a list of exclusions instead of a list of inclusions. Only for young cars and usually only before the factory warranty ends. ## How to recognise a good policy | Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Parts covered | engine and gearbox from a list | all mechanical and electronic parts except a short exclusion list | Expensive failures today are often in electronics, turbochargers or air conditioning. | | Parts scale | reductions from low mileage | full parts cost up to high mileage, or no scale | At 100,000 kilometres the scale decides whether you get half the parts or nearly all. | | Maximum per claim | fixed amount per claim | up to the car's current value without a low cap | An engine failure quickly exceeds a cap of a few thousand euros. | | Servicing clause | servicing to the manufacturer's schedule, with proof | free choice of garage, cuts only where the gap caused the fault | One late inspection should not rule out every claim. | | Excess | fixed or percentage share per claim | selectable, including no excess | A percentage excess becomes expensive on big repairs. | | Claims route | claims against the dealer only | own claim against the insurer, direct settlement with the workshop | If the dealer goes out of business or you are in dispute with them, the direct route matters. | | Territory and transfer | Germany only | Europe, passes to the buyer if you sell | Breakdowns on holiday and selling during the term are both common. | ## Insurers on the German market Used car and extended warranties in Germany are mostly sold through dealers, manufacturers' banks and specialist warranty insurers. Mainstream car insurers rarely offer them directly. This is a market overview, not a statement about who we work with. - **CarGarantie**: specialist insurer based in Freiburg, sold through dealers and manufacturers' banks - **Real Garant**: specialist insurer based in Denkendorf, warranties through dealers and manufacturers - **Volkswagen Versicherung**: used car warranty insurance and warranty extensions for the group's brands - **Audi Used Car :plus**: warranty of Audi partners, backed by Volkswagen Versicherung according to its terms - **Mercedes-Benz Versicherung**: warranty package following on from the new car warranty 95 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Finanzielle Verluste, Gewinnausfall). Source: BaFin company database, 2026-09-18; EU insurers without a German office excluded. ## Typical claims and who pays - **Turbo fails at 45,000 km** (around 1,500 to 3,000 €): If the turbocharger is on the parts list, the warranty usually pays labour and parts in full at this mileage. Basic plans do not always list it. - **Gearbox failure at 110,000 km** (around 3,000 to 6,000 €): Labour is covered, parts only according to the scale. At this mileage often half the parts bill stays with you. - **Sat nav and screen go dark** (around 1,000 to 2,500 €): Many basic plans leave out electronics. Plans with an exclusion list instead of an inclusion list pay here too. - **Engine failure after a missed service** (often 5,000 € or more): If the missing service caused the damage, the insurer may cut the payment. Without a link, the BGH says the gap does not count. - **Worn brake pads and tyres** (around 300 to 800 €): No warranty covers wear. These are running costs of the car. - **Clutch slips three months in** (around 800 to 2,000 €): If the defect was there at purchase, the dealer is liable first, with the first year presumption on your side. Warranties usually exclude clutch wear. ## Myth or truth - „Taking a warranty means giving up my statutory rights against the dealer." ✘ Wrong. The warranty comes on top. Statutory liability stays in place and you can go to the dealer first. - „At high mileage a warranty often pays only part of the spare parts." ✔ True. The parts scale reduces the share as mileage rises. Most plans still pay the labour in full. - „One missed inspection always makes the warranty worthless." ✘ No. The BGH struck down such a clause where it applies regardless of cause. A cut is allowed where the missing service caused the fault. - „A dealer can shorten liability on a used car to one year." ✔ Correct, but only if you are told specifically before the purchase and it is agreed separately. Towards consumers the dealer cannot exclude it altogether. - „A warranty also pays for accident damage to my own car." ✘ Wrong. Warranties cover technical faults. Accidents, theft and storms belong in comprehensive car insurance. ## Common mistakes - Treating the warranty as a replacement for the dealer's statutory liability and not going to the dealer first - Not working through the parts scale and expecting full reimbursement at high mileage - Having the repair done before the warranty provider has approved it - Postponing services or throwing away invoices - Asking about an extended warranty only after the manufacturer's warranty has expired ## FAQ ### What is the difference between a warranty and statutory liability? Statutory liability for defects (Sachmängelhaftung, often called Gewährleistung) makes the dealer answer for defects present at handover. A warranty is voluntary and can cover faults that arise later, but only on its own terms. It applies in addition and takes none of your statutory rights away. ### Can a German dealer cut liability on a used car to one year? Yes, but towards consumers only if you were told about it specifically before the purchase and it was agreed expressly and separately (section 476(2) BGB). Since 2022 a sentence in the general terms is no longer enough. ### Who has to prove the defect was there when I bought the car? If the defect shows within the first year after handover, it is presumed to have existed already (section 477 BGB), and the dealer has to prove otherwise. After that the burden is on you. ### Why does the warranty pay only part of the parts? Because of the parts scale. As mileage rises the warranty covers a smaller share of the spare parts, since a new part replaces a worn one. Labour is usually paid in full. ### Do I lose the warranty if I missed a service? Not automatically. A clause that cancels the warranty regardless of cause is invalid according to the BGH. If the missed service caused the fault, the insurer may still reduce or refuse payment. ### Can I get a warranty for a car bought privately? Yes, as your own repair cost insurance. Many providers then ask for an inspection or a waiting period so that known faults are not covered. ### Does the warranty pass to the next owner if I sell? Many extended warranties do, because they are tied to the car. Other contracts need consent or end on sale. It is worth checking for the resale value. ### Does a warranty cover accident damage? No. Warranties cover technical faults. Accident, theft and storm damage are a matter for comprehensive car insurance (Vollkasko or Teilkasko). ## Legal basis and sources - [Insurance Contract Act (VVG, German)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/vvg_2008/) - [BaFin company database (licensed insurers)](https://portal.mvp.bafin.de/database/InstInfo/) ## Request quotes We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-used-car-warranty.php#anfrage --- Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT. Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act. Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company. It does not arrange your contract. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.