Just yesterday we reported that Saab has announced that it will not honor any warranties effective immediately and they also advised their dealers to sell off the remaining cars ‘as is.’

This news will surely anger anyone who currently owns a Saab that had some warranty left on it. However, General Motors is coming to the rescue, sort-of. GM is reaching out to those who bought a new Saab before February 2010. These cars were marketed and sold under GM’s ownership of Saab.

In a statement by GM’s spokesman Jim Cain, he said; “In the event Saab cannot or will not fulfill its obligations to administer the warranty programs with its U.S. and Canadian dealers through Saab Cars North America or otherwise, GM will take necessary steps to ensure that remaining warranty obligations on Saab vehicles marketed by GM in the United States and Canada will be honored.”

This act of kindness is very surprising, because GM doesn’t even like covering warranties on local-made products it considers was built by “old GM.”

So if you own a pre-2010 Saab, you’re in luck. However, for anyone who bought a newer Saab, it’s probably time to invest in a good used car warranty program.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

After filing for bankruptcy on Monday morning, Saab is now suspending all warranty coverage on its North American cars.

Saab dealers have been told that all remaining vehicles they have on the lot are to be sold as is with no coverage; The warranty booklets were even removed from the information packets of new Saab’s. The demise of the company could mean better deals for some, but it also proves to be an unfortunate surprise for any new Saab owners. Saab has also suspended the processing of payments and claims that were underway, even if they were started before the automaker filed for bankruptcy.

“Saab owners should be advised to keep receipts of all related warranty work done or services performed until further notice,” Saab Cars North America said. It is not 100% confirmed that the warranty claims will not be honored, but for the time being dealers have been told to assume the worst.

[Source:Automotive News]

The mighty Ford Raptor is indestructible, right? Sadly, it only looks that way: owners are reporting a drastic frame bending problem that threatens to destroy their trucks—and in one case, Ford refuses to honor its warranty.

One owner on the Ford Raptor forums is reporting that a Ford engineer is citing his truck as voiding its warranty, because of scratches underneath and around the truck that suggest ample off-road hoonage. Problem is, the owner claims that these scratches—on the skid plate, underneath the bumper, and around the worn shocks—occurred during a low-speed 4×4 safety course, something sanctioned by Ford.

The Raptor’s frame is weak around where the cab meets the bed, where it must make room for bump stops. Taking the sort of off-road bump at speed, as the Raptor is advertised to handle, has forced the frame to bend sharply on at least 4 other trucks.

Ford could do right and accept these problems as a limitation of their engineering, thankful that these consumers have essentially done the research on the Raptor’s faults, integrate them into the next model, and fix the handful of Raptors that have become unhinged. But of course, any semblance of abuse on a high-performance vehicle is tantamount to warranty revoking—no matter how much the company brags about its capabilities. And Ford did brag, with the following quote coming directly from a company press release: “Even if the typical Ford customer will not be putting their truck through the punishing paces of the Baja 1000, the point is, they could.”

Look like the less on here is; don’t try this at home, consumers.

[Source: Ford Raptor Forums]

Anyone who has owned an exotic sports car will tell you that its one thing to buy such a car, and whole other to afford running it. Ferrari hopes to make ownership of their new cars a little easier by offering 7-years free scheduled maintenance.

For now, this plan is only available in Europe through authorized Ferrari dealers, but will soon be coming across the Atlantic. The coverage will include all necessary parts and labor and would also include oil and brake fluids. The warranty, which is offered on the 458 Italia, California Spyder and the FF, is attached to the vehicle, so if the car is sold within the first seven years, the new owner will benefit from this warranty also.

Over the years, Ferrari has dealt with a lot of negative press due to some of theirs cars spontaneously combusting. This new warranty program might help bring confidence back in favor of the Prancing Horse.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, Cadillac was seen as an old fashioned car company with outdated ideas and products. Over the last few years they have been moving with the times, and now their new warranty program will match or exceed those offered by its German rivals.

General Motors has just announced that later this month, the Cadillac Shield program will be put in place. This is an extensive warranty service which includes oil changes and tire rotation for the first four-years or 50,000-miles, and a five-year, 100,000-miles powertrain warranty, including 24/7 roadside assistance.

OnStar’s Directions and Connections plan is also included for one-year and it now comes with its own smart phone app. Cadillac will also have its own special app, which will help owners locate their car in a parking lot, among other things.

Hit the jump to read the full press release:

Cadillac Announces Shield Owner Benefits Program

Highlights class-leading standard services and technologies

DETROIT, Feb. 14, 2011 — Cadillac announced today a new program called Cadillac Shield designed to heighten the brand’s focus on customer service by tying together the wide-ranging benefits and technologies Cadillac provides its owners.

Cadillac Shield includes Cadillac’s class-leading warranty coverage and recently launched maintenance program as well as courtesy transportation if warranty repairs are needed. It also includes 24-hour roadside assistance for the first five years or 100,000 miles.

“Cadillac offers a suite of ownership benefits that makes the brand a leader in the luxury market,” said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac marketing. “Cadillac Shield allows us to raise consumer awareness of these benefits. It’s also a commitment by Cadillac to our owners to continually look for ways to improve these services and technologies.”

All new owners will become part of the Cadillac Shield along with previous buyers of 2011 models. The ownership benefits covered by Cadillac Shield include:

Cadillac Premium Care Maintenance, which provides scheduled oil changes, tire rotations, multi-point vehicle inspections and replacement of engine and cabin air filters for the first four years or 50,000 miles

Five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty

Four-year, 50,000-mile vehicle bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage

24/7 roadside assistance for the first five years or 100,000 miles

Courtesy transportation during service visits for warranty issues

Standard one-year OnStar Directions and Connections plan, which includes automatic crash response, turn-by-turn navigation, vehicle diagnostics, stolen vehicle assistance and hands-free calling

OnStar smart-phone app, which allows owners to track diagnostic information, such as oil life and fuel-tank levels, through their iPhone or Android, as well as access common key fob functions, such as starting the engine, unlocking doors and turning on the lights

myCadillac smart-phone app that allows owners to set a reminder of where they parked, schedule maintenance services, locate a dealer and request roadside assistance through their iPhone or Android

Cadillac dealers will begin promoting Cadillac Shield this month through a comprehensive marketing program.

General Motors is throwing its weight behind the Chevrolet Volt’s battery system by offering an 8-year, 100,000 mile warranty on the battery pack.

Many potential consumers have expressed reservations about the longevity and durability of electric vehicle batteries, which can be extremely expensive to replace and are a relatively new technology that hasn’t seen widespread adoption. In addition to these factors, the battery’s ability to fully charge is diminished over time with each charge and discharge cycle.

The warranty represents General Motors’ efforts to soothe consumer concerns over the potential battery pack issues. The Volt is a crucial product for GM, and a poor market reception could be disastrous for the company, as well as future alternative vehicle projects.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

According to a report from the Pentastar nuts over at AllPar, Chrysler will be dropping its lifetime powertrain warranty on almost all of its vehicles. But it’s not all bad news.

Back when Chrysler introduced the seemingly too-good-to-be-true warranty it didn’t overly publicize the fact that it wasn’t transferable. As a result, plenty of second hand Chrysler buyers got burned, as once a car changed hands it only retained a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty.

Now the lifetime warranty is being replaced by a 5 year/100,000 mile warranty that is transferable.

Additionally, the new warranty will cover plenty of Chrysler vehicles that were not covered under the old plan, including all fleet vehicles (like police, postal, ambulance and taxis). The exceptions to the warranty are Sprinter trucks, all diesel trucks, Sterling trucks and company car vehicles.

[Source: Allpar]