Wear and tear means the failure of an insured part as a result of wear, because the part has worn out over a period of time.

Sudden failures like an ECU or a window motor failure are not wear related - water pump, turbo or wheel bearing failures are normally wear related.

Most warranties don't cover failure caused by wear and tear (see Warranty Works below) and some companies ask you to pay extra for wear and tear cover - so be mindful.

Some polices do cover wear after you have been on cover for a short 'no claims' period of time - this protects the warranty company against fraudulent claims and thus keeps premiums down for all policyholders (see Warranty Direct below). A wear related claim during the no claims period would normally have been apparent before the policy started and would therefore be potentially fraudulent.

An example of a reasonable wear and tear exclusion clause is as follows:

Within the first 90 days of your policy starting (unless it is a renewal) we will not cover:

(a) breakdown of any insured part where the Breakdown of that part is caused primarily or in whole by wear and tear.
(b) damage to any insured part caused by Breakdown of an excluded part where the Breakdown of that excluded part is caused mainly or completely by wear and tear.

Warranty Direct Ltd

An example of an exclusion clause that leaves you very exposed is as follows:

Cylinder head cracks / porosity and gradual reduction in operating performance of any of the items listed as being covered components, or any faults that could be attributed to the quality of the fuel being used.

Warranty Works




When a repair is conducted on a car it will often put the car in a better condition than it was before the repair, therefore increasing its value. This is often referred to as betterment and combined within procedures (if any) that the company has for wear and tear contributions.

In such cases most companies expect the customer to pay a contribution to the cost of parts or labour - or both. There is little logic in expecting the customer to contribute towards the cost of labour as it is only the part fitted that actually improves the car. So beware those companies that hide behind carefully worded conditions and seek out a warranty company that only expects you to contribute to labour costs.

An example of a good condition (below) is given by Warranty Direct. They cover 100% of the labour and pay a percentage of the parts cost.

Improving the condition of the vehicle

If you make a valid claim, it is not our aim to put you in a better financial position than before the claim. So, in certain circumstances, where replacement parts are fitted to replace old worn parts which have suffered a breakdown, and this results in your vehicle being in a better condition than it was before the breakdown, you must pay towards the cost of the repairs. For vehicles above 60,000 miles, the following table shows the percentage of the repair cost we will pay depending on the vehicle's mileage at the time of the breakdown. This will not apply to labour charges.

Mileage	Parts	Labour
Up to 60,000 miles	100%	100%
Up to 70,000 miles	90%	100%
Up to 80,000 miles	80%	100%
Up to 90,000 miles	70%	100%
Up to 100,000 miles	60%	100%
Over 100,000 miles	50%	100%

Warranty Wise is another company that produces a table (below) BUT it applies your contribution to both parts and labour.

This Policy does not provide any cover for Wear and Tear or Worn Parts generally. However, if You have selected the Wear and Tear option and paid the additional premium (please refer to Your Proposal Form) You will be entitled to the additional cover for Breakdown due to Wear and Tear on any Parts within the scope of this Policy as outlined within the Total and Premium cover sections (only) up the limits shown on Your Proposal Form.

Contribution (Excess): On Vehicles over 60,000 miles (at the time of Breakdown) You will be required to pay a contribution (Excess) towards the cost of parts and labour for any valid claim as follows:

Up to 60,000 miles at the time of Breakdown, Your contribution required = 0%.
Up to 70,000 miles at the time of Breakdown, Your contribution required = 10%.
Up to 80,000 miles at the time of Breakdown, Your contribution required = 20%.
Up to 90,000 miles at the time of Breakdown, Your contribution required = 30%.
Up to 100,000 miles at the time of Breakdown, Your contribution required = 40%.
Over 100,000 miles at the time of Breakdown, Your contribution required = 50%.

The above contribution applies to all valid claims for Breakdown. In practice any Excess amount will (usually) be deducted from any authorised amount payable. The cover does not extend to Worn Parts which have not suffered a Breakdown.

Warranty Works has a general condition (below) which it applies to both parts and labour even though they don't cover wear related failures.

In the event of a claim being admitted, the Insurers reserve the right to request a contribution from the Insured towards the cost of the part(s) and / or labour charges quoted should the Vehicle be in a better condition than it enjoyed immediately prior to the failure.



Sometimes, a relatively inexpensive and minor item that is not covered under the warranty can fail causing huge amounts of damage elsewhere. An example is an alternator belt that fails and then tangles with the timing belt resulting in complete engine failure. The best warranties will cover your engine claim in such circumstances because it has arisen due to a non-insured part failing that subsequently caused damage to insured parts. However, some companies specifically exclude such cover as per the example below:

Any consequential loss of whatsoever nature, third party liability or any liability for death or bodily injury or damage to any property of any description.

Warranty Works