New heavy equipment warranty: what it covers, what puts it at risk and when the extended one pays off

Standard and extended warranty: the difference

The standard warranty comes with the new machine: at Komatsu it's 12 months. It covers failures that are the manufacturer's responsibility and it's registered against your machine's serial number, not the model.

The extended warranty is a separate program you buy to lengthen that protection. At Komatsu it's called Komatsu Warranty Pro and it's sold by Komatsu's official dealers in Latin America. The extended months include the 12 standard ones: a 36-month plan is 12 standard months plus 24 more, with the hour cap you choose.

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What each Komatsu Warranty Pro plan covers

There are two plans. PTP (Power Train Pro) protects the heart of the machine: diesel engine, power train, hydraulic system and hybrid-machine parts. EWP (Extended Warranty Pro) includes everything in PTP and adds hydraulic cylinders, structure and cooling system.

According to Komatsu, coverage can vary with the period you buy, so ask in writing what your exact plan covers. If structural damage shows up under EWP, the claim is filed and the repair or replacement of the component is subject to approval under Komatsu's extended warranty policy.

How long it lasts: months and hours

The extended warranty is chosen by months and by hour-meter hours, and it ends with whichever comes first. Komatsu publishes these combinations, all including the 12 standard months:

• 24 months: up to 4,000 or 6,000 hours.
• 36 months: up to 6,000, 8,000 or 10,000 hours.
• 48 months: up to 8,000, 10,000 or 12,000 hours.
• 60 months: up to 10,000 or 12,000 hours.

Which machines it applies to and until when you can buy it

Komatsu Warranty Pro applies to the models on its list: D31 to D475 crawler dozers, WA150 to WA900 wheel loaders, PC130 to PC2000 excavators, HD325 to HD785 rigid trucks, HM250 to HM400 articulated trucks and GD511 to GD825 motor graders, always under Komatsu's extended warranty policy. Backhoe loaders and skid steers aren't on that list: if your machine is one of them, ask what applies to your model.

It's bought with the new machine or while it's still under standard warranty, up to 11 months from delivery. If you already had a warranty claim before 12 months, or if you do your own maintenance, you can still buy it, as long as you meet the requirements of Komatsu's policy.

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What puts the warranty at risk

A warranty isn't lost by bad luck: it's lost by not meeting its conditions. The ones Komatsu puts in writing are few and clear:

• Genuine Komatsu parts, lubricants and filters for the WHOLE period, standard plus extended. If Komatsu lubricant isn't distributed in your country, another brand is used only with formal written authorization.
• A covered failure is repaired by the dealer. You can't repair it yourself and then bill the work or parts.
• The extended warranty is bought within 11 months of delivery; after that, it's no longer available.
• The warranty doesn't pay for a replacement machine while yours is being repaired, except in factory safety campaigns that say so in writing.

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The maintenance record: your best proof

When you file a warranty claim, what helps most is being able to show the machine was cared for as the manufacturer asks. Komatsu stresses it in its operator guidelines: units are inspected and maintained every day, and any leak or anomaly is fixed right away or reported.

Keep the invoices for genuine parts and lubricants, the signed daily inspection sheet and the services done at the dealer's workshop, with date and hour-meter reading. On machines with KOMTRAX, hours and alerts are logged automatically.

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Service contract and extended warranty

Komatsu says that if you sign a service contract with the dealer during the standard warranty, you can get the extended warranty at no cost, as long as the machine meets its program requirements and depending on the type of contract.

In the group's Komatsu service contracts, levels 4 and 5 include extended warranty up to 4,000 hours or 24 months and up to 6,000 hours or 36 months, respectively, for machines within the first year of factory warranty. Availability and scope depend on country and model: they're confirmed in the quote.

Bobcat: standard warranty and Protection Plus

Bobcat gives a standard warranty that changes by product line (on telehandlers, for example, 3 years or 3,000 hours) and extends it with Protection Plus, up to 5 years or 6,000 hours. In Latin America, Protection Plus comes in three options: powertrain, powertrain plus hydraulic system, or full machine coverage, for skid-steer and compact track loaders and mini excavators.

Genuine Bobcat parts carry their own 12-month warranty and, according to Bobcat, protect the machine's warranty. Ask for your model's exact term in writing when you get a quote.

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When the extended warranty pays off

The extended warranty buys peace of mind on the components that cost most to repair. It matters more when the machine will work many hours a year, when a long breakdown stops your job or contract, when you'll resell the machine (Komatsu notes it raises resale value) or when you need predictable operating costs.

It matters less if the machine will work few hours and you'll own it briefly. Run the numbers with your real hours per year: with the right term and hour cap you don't pay for coverage you won't use.

The questions to ask before signing

A warranty is worth what its fine print says. Before signing, read what it does NOT cover first and then what it does, and get these answers in writing:

• Which components does my exact plan cover, with this term and this hour cap?
• What's excluded: wear parts, misuse damage, accessories?
• Does it include labor and the technician's travel to my site?
• What must I do and keep so I don't lose it: parts, lubricants, services, records?
• When does it start counting: delivery, invoice or commissioning?
• Does it transfer if I sell the machine?

What about used machinery?

Komatsu's extended warranty can only be bought for new machines or ones still under standard warranty, up to 11 months from delivery. Grupo ConstruMarket's used machines are sold as is, inspected in the workshop and with hours, year and location published on each listing. Before buying used, check its history and that its serial number matches the papers.

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