Why Offering Extended Warranty is More Important Than Ever

By Jacob Bryce
Published on January 9, 2025

As manufacturers tighten their belts on discretionary spending for out-of-warranty failures, equipment dealers are facing a new challenge. Many ag and construction equipment dealers have shared with us that manufacturers are becoming less likely to cover failures that occur outside of the base warranty period. This leaves both dealers, and their customers exposed to significant financial risks when unexpected mechanical failures occur.

Now, more than ever, offering extended warranty protection plans is essential for your dealership and your customers. Here’s why:

  • Protect Your Customers – Extended warranty plans provide a safety net for your customers, shielding them from the high costs of major mechanical failures. With repair costs for engines, transmissions, and hydraulic systems continuing to rise, extended coverage gives customers peace of mind and helps them maintain their operations without financial disruption.
  • Boost Customer Loyalty – Offering extended warranty options demonstrates your commitment to your customers’ long-term success. By proactively addressing their risk management needs, you position your dealership as a trusted partner and differentiate yourself from competitors.
  • Increase Service Department Revenue – When customers bring their equipment in for inspection and enroll in an extended warranty plan, it often results in additional service opportunities. From routine maintenance to pre-qualification repairs, this drives revenue while ensuring equipment is in peak condition.
  • Enhance Equipment Resale Value – Equipment with extended warranty coverage is more attractive to buyers. This increases trade-in value and helps your dealership close sales more effectively, whether for used inventory or trade-ins.
  • Mitigate Financial Risk for Your Dealership – When equipment failures occur outside of warranty and without extended coverage, the financial burden can shift to the dealership. Extended warranty solutions eliminate the guesswork and protect your dealership from taking on unnecessary risk.

Act Now to Protect Your Dealership and Your Customers

Machinery Scope offers extended warranty solutions tailored to the unique needs of your customers and dealership operations. By enrolling equipment in a warranty program, you not only safeguard your customers’ investments but also strengthen your dealership’s bottom line. Don’t let reduced manufacturer support catch you or your customers off guard. Contact us today to learn how our extended warranty solutions can help protect against costly surprises and ensure peace of mind for everyone involved. We are here to help build a stronger, more resilient dealership.

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Equipment Extended Warranty FAQs

Having been in the business since 2013, we’ve put together a list of the most commonly asked questions we hear regarding Extended Warranty. If you have a question you can’t find here, please feel free to contact us.

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What types of coverages are available?

The parts covered are the main difference between each plan. It is important to review the breakdown of what is covered by each level of protection being offered in the terms and conditions of the coverage.

  • Powertrain: This plan includes the components pertaining to the engine and transmission that oil touches. Our plans will also provide coverage on additional related components.
  • Powertrain+: Covers the hydraulic pumps and valves. In some instances, Powertrain+ will need to be purchased to cover hydraulic drive components, such as factory installed rear-wheels assist on combines.
  • Ultimate: covers several components often found in comprehensive coverage but is not to be considered “full machine” or “bumper-to-bumper.” Covered components include, but are not limited to emissions components, starter, alternator, engine block heater, ac compressor, factory installed auto steer, front axle suspension, ROPS and FOPS.

We are always happy to talk through the details of the different solutions that we can offer so that you have the information and full transparency to decide what is best for your operation.

What are the benefits of having extended warranty on my equipment?

There are numerous reasons why having an extended warranty plan might make sense for your operation. Besides being a risk management tool on your operation, having extended warranty remaining on used equipment will translate to improved resale value. For example, we estimate that used equipment with at least one year and 250 hours of coverage will have improved resale value between 1% and 5%. For dealerships, equipment that has coverage will sell more quickly than those that do not (assuming everything else being equal).

Most importantly, an extended warranty plan can save you from the financial burden of a major repair bill. Extending the protection on your equipment provides peace of mind by helping to turn an unknown variable cost into a known fixed cost.

What are the key differences between all the companies that offer coverage?

Most OEM’s offer some type of coverage. There are also independent providers, such as Machinery Scope, that offer coverage for a wide range of equipment types, makes, and models of equipment. We are proud to offer our solutions to equipment dealers so that we can protect their mainline offerings as well as competitive trades. Machinery Scope is also proud of being deeply rooted in the equipment industry, both in our farming operations and within the equipment dealerships. Our roles within the equipment dealership have included, sales, sale management, operational management, service technician, and service management. We understand this business and we are proud to leverage that to make it easy for our dealers and their customers to do business.

Another key distinction from one program to the next is how the programs are financially supported. Programs can be fully insured, reinsured, bonded, or backed by the financial strength of the administrator and/or the company offering the policies. Additionally, commercial extended service contracts are regulated differently by each state. Certain terms, products, and or programs will vary from state to state. It is not unreasonable to ask questions. At Machinery Scope, we administer the plans we provide and are proud to be backed by CNA to provide you with a product that you can count on when you need it most.

What factors determine how much my plan will cost?

As you can imagine, the cost of the coverage varies. This will depend on the following factors:

  • Age of the equipment
  • Current hours
  • Type of equipment
  • Horsepower
  • Usage
  • Prior claims history on that model (or series)
  • Requested Years of Coverage
  • Requested Hours Per Year
  • Coverage Type (Powertrain, Powertrain+, or Ultimate)
  • Deductible