A Loaner Car: How to, Requirements, Processes and More
When you bring your vehicle in to be serviced or to have maintenance performed on it, many auto dealerships, mechanics, and body shops will provide you with the use of a loaner car as a courtesy to make your experience more convenient. As long as you can produce evidence that you are covered by insurance, the auto technician should be able to provide you with a free loaner vehicle if the repair of your vehicle is going to take several hours or even several days. You will be able to ensure that you will continue to have access to transportation in this manner even while your vehicle is being serviced.
It’s possible that a local small business will offer to bring you home or to your place of employment and then come pick you up when your vehicle is ready. There are a great number of other large and small enterprises that maintain one to a vast assortment of loaner cars. If they have multiples, they will normally give you a car that is the closest match to the one you already own if they sell you another. To encourage you to buy a new vehicle, dealerships may let you test drive a vehicle that is both more recent and equipped with a greater number of amenities than the one you already possess.
A Loaner Car from Dealership
When your vehicle is being repaired, whether or not you are eligible for a loaner vehicle is determined by a number of variables, including the following:
- Producing company for the automobile.
- Your warranty on this.
- Your car insurance
- Norms and procedures of the car dealership
Loaner automobiles are made available by certain manufacturers, such as Infiniti and Lexus, for any repairs that are anticipated to take an extended period of time. Sometimes the terms of the car’s warranty will cover the cost of a replacement vehicle, especially if you’ve had to bring the vehicle in for repairs more than once.
This is a plausible possibility provided that the automobile in question does not violate any lemon laws. A loaner car, often known as a courtesy car, may be made available to you by certain dealerships as part of their standard operating procedures.
Even if none of these apply to you, if you have rental reimbursement insurance as part of your car loan coverage, you should be able to get reimbursed for the cost of a rental car.
If you don’t already have it, adding it to your policy is something to consider doing if you don’t already. You can find the best price for your auto insurance policy by comparing the quotes offered by more than 50 of the most reputable car insurance companies using the Jerry app. The annual cost of automobile insurance for the typical Jerry driver is reduced by $879.
What is needed to get a loaner car from dealership?
Car Insurance
You are aware that it is required to have auto insurance for a vehicle. The loaner automobile is typically referred to as a temporary replacement vehicle in most auto insurance policies. This is because it is provided to you while your own vehicle is undergoing maintenance.
It’s possible that full coverage auto insurance will include courtesy car cover. This type of coverage would pay for the policyholder to use a replacement vehicle in the event that their own vehicle is rendered undriveable as a result of an accident or a mechanical failure.
Documents
In most cases, you will be required to produce your driver’s license as well as evidence that you are insured and the registration for your car. If you are not the registered owner of the vehicle that is getting fixed, you can additionally be asked to submit a letter from the registered owner allowing permission for you to drive the vehicle while it is being repaired.
Age
It’s possible that the minimum age to receive a loaner automobile will change depending on the dealerships and insurance companies in your area. Some car dealerships require that the customer be at least 21 years old, while others may need that drivers be at least 25 years old or subject to the customer’s insurance policy in order to purchase a vehicle from their lot.
What are some of the advantages of having access to a loaner car?
Known Products
Because loaner cars serve their own purpose as advertising for the dealership’s new vehicle inventory, the models that are selected to serve a term as loaner cars are frequently the most popular models from the manufacturer’s lineup. These models are typically loaded with the most desirable technology and features. Popular choices for loaner vehicles at Norm Reeves Cerritos INFINITI include the INFINITI Q50, the INFINITI QX60, and everything in between.
Indistinguishable from brand new
Loaner automobiles from dealerships typically have low mileage on their odometers because they are only kept in rotation for a period of one year or less. They have also been preserved in pristine shape because the dealership service department makes certain that they are cleaned thoroughly between drivers and that they are kept up to date on all necessary maintenance.
When compared to a used vehicle, which may be several decades old, have tens of thousands of miles on it, and have an unclear history of routine maintenance, loaners are used extremely lightly.
The Processes Involved
Make contact with the dealer
The first thing you should do is get in touch with the service department of the dealership near you and inquire about whether or not they provide a loaner car program that is covered by your auto insurance.
Put a Date in the Calendar
First, you should get confirmation from the service department, and then you should set an appointment with your car dealer to discuss the problems with your vehicle or the repairs it requires. Remember to bring your driver’s license and insurance information with you.
Inquire about the amount of time it will take them to fix the problem. In the event that you have to wait for a long period of time, you should request that they give you a courtesy car.
Complete the Necessary Documents
It is possible that you will be required to fill out paperwork or produce additional documentation, such as your driver’s license and registration. You will also be required to supply information about your insurance plan at this time. In most cases, the dealer ought to be able to provide you with a loaner vehicle within a few hours’ time at the most. In that case, there is a possibility that you will have to wait a little bit longer, but it should be available to you very soon.
Take the Loaner Car, and Be Sure to Follow the Directions
You are responsible for taking the loaner car and adhering to all of the restrictions that govern driving a vehicle purchased from a dealership, in addition to any other information that may be provided to you during this process. In most cases, the dealership where you purchased your vehicle will provide you specific directions on how to return a loaner vehicle once you have used it. Be sure to give these directions a thorough reading before beginning your trip in the loaner vehicle, and always remember to follow the directions exactly.