{"id":861336,"date":"2026-05-25T08:40:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T06:40:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=861336"},"modified":"2026-05-25T08:40:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T06:40:43","slug":"7-reasons-car-warranty-claims-get-rejected","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/industry-news\/861336\/7-reasons-car-warranty-claims-get-rejected\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Reasons Car Warranty Claims Get Rejected"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><sub><strong><em>Image caption: Keagan Sloman, Head of Product and Commercial at The Unlimited. <\/em><\/strong><\/sub><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One minute you\u2019re driving to work, fetching the kids or running errands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next, your car\u2019s at the workshop needing a major repair, with a quote you weren\u2019t expecting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/theunlimited.co.za\/products\/motor-warranty\/motor-warranty-comprehensive?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=May+2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here to learn more about The Unlimited.<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For those with a motor warranty, that\u2019s usually the moment they breathe a sigh of relief and expect their cover to kick in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But when a claim\u2019s rejected, the shock and the frustration is real, especially when motorists don\u2019t understand why the cover didn\u2019t apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe take out cover because we want peace of mind. We want to know that when something goes wrong, we won\u2019t be left to carry the cost on our own,\u201d says Keagan Sloman, Head of Product and Commercial at financial services provider The Unlimited. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo, when a claim\u2019s rejected, it\u2019s more than just disappointing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sloman says that when a claim is rejected, it\u2019s rarely because a customer\u2019s done something wrong on purpose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt often comes down to not fully understanding what\u2019s covered, what\u2019s excluded, or what steps they need to take to keep their cover valid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s why it helps to know where claims can run into trouble. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He gives seven common reasons why car warranty claims could be rejected, and what motorists can do to give their claims the best chance of being paid out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Skipping services or missing service records<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you skip a service or lose proof of service or repairs, your claim may be rejected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to avoid this<\/strong>: Stick to the manufacturer\u2019s service schedule and keep all relevant documentation in a safe place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Assuming everything is covered<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the biggest mistakes we make is not knowing what our car warranty covers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most cover applies to specific parts, under specific conditions, and there is a claim limit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If repairs exceed those limits, you may need to pay the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to avoid this<\/strong>: Before buying cover, ensure you understand exactly what is and isn&#8217;t included, and the Rand value of your cover for major components such as the engine, gearbox, turbocharger, and electrical systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Confusing the fault with normal wear and tear<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Some parts are expected to wear out over time.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brake pads, tyres, wiper blades and clutches are common examples of everyday upkeep, whereas a warranty is generally designed to cover mechanical or electrical failures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to avoid this:<\/strong>&nbsp;Confirm how wear-and-tear items are handled and budget separately for everyday maintenance if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Ignoring warning signs or delaying action<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Warning lights, strange noises,\u00a0\u00a0 overheating or loss of power are your car\u2019s way of asking for attention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By continuing to drive, or by delaying reporting, a smaller fault can quickly turn into a more serious and expensive repair, making it harder to assess what caused the problem in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to avoid this:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Stop driving if necessary, and report any faults to your warranty provider as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Approving the repair before the claim is authorised<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When your car\u2019s stuck at a workshop and you need it urgently, it can be tempting to approve repairs quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if you give the go-ahead before your warranty provider has assessed or authorised the claim, it may be rejected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to avoid this:<\/strong> Follow the claims process carefully and wait for confirmation before repairs begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Undisclosed vehicle modifications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Modifications can affect how a car performs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If a change to your vehicle contributes to the failure, your claim may be affected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not every modification will create a problem, but undisclosed changes can affect how a claim is assessed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to avoid this:<\/strong><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>Inform your provider of any plans to do modifications and check whether they affect your cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Using the car differently than declared<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A car used for personal travel is not exposed to the same demands as one used for deliveries, ride-hailing or regular business travel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the vehicle is being used differently from what was originally declared, it can affect the claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to avoid this: <\/strong>Be transparent about the car&#8217;s purpose and update your provider if that changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA warranty works best when customers understand exactly what they\u2019re taking out from the start,\u201d says Sloman. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAsk what\u2019s covered. Ask what\u2019s excluded. Ask what your responsibilities are, and what could affect a claim later on.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;At The Unlimited, we believe in clarity and transparency so that customers are able to make confident decisions when it comes to claiming.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;When cover\u2019s clearly explained upfront, customers are better placed to use it the way it\u2019s intended, with less uncertainty and more peace of mind,\u201d added Sloman. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/theunlimited.co.za\/products\/motor-warranty\/motor-warranty-comprehensive?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=May+2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here to learn more about The Unlimited.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Keagan Sloman, Head of Product and Commercial at financial services provider The Unlimited, gives seven common reasons why car warranty claims could be rejected, and what motorists can do to give their claims the best chance of being paid out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":861338,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10459],"tags":[11053,24849,25473,20639,25254,25253],"class_list":["post-861336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-news","tag-car-insurance","tag-claims","tag-isnurance","tag-motor","tag-the-unlimited","tag-warranty"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/861336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=861336"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/861336\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":861361,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/861336\/revisions\/861361"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/861338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=861336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=861336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=861336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}