Here’s how car brands in the UAE are helping their customers to get through challenges and troubles related to their cars even as steps to curb social interaction are on to limit the spread of COVID-19.

You have been advised to stay at home while the government machinery is working relentlessly to keep streets sanitised and people safe. You are advised to practice social distancing even at home for everyone’s safety, and to step out only for essentials. Naturally, if everything but inevitable trips are to be avoided, your routine vehicle service and maintenance could be delayed. Staying still could even invite some repairs or extra maintenance. While starting the car and keeping it running for a few minutes every couple of weeks is advisable, it should be done only without breaking the health and safety rules and recommendations.

So, what if your warranty expires during this cautionary phase? What if your routine service schedule is long overdue? What if you badly want to stop an itch right now, by owning that car you had your eyes on? Here is how various car brands are helping you cope with many of these challenges. Please remember to check with your service centre to confirm current work timings.

ASTON MARTIN

Aston Martin is leniently looking at warranty validity and invalidation rules in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions imposed by authorities to check its spread. All new-vehicle warranties that are due to expire, or have expired since 14 March 2020 or, in the case of China, since 1 January 2020, will be extended to 30^th June 2020. For warranty to remain in place, car manufacturers have defined certain service intervals, failure to adhere to which may invalidate warranty coverage. This clause is being waived until restrictions change and appropriate dealer operations are able to resume. Aston Martin owners whose cars require a vehicle service during the disruption caused by COVID-19 are being assured that their warranty cover will be unaffected, and all cars serviced within three months or 2,000 miles/ approx. 3200 km (whichever is earlier) of the in-car service indicator will be protected in full by any applicable Aston Martin warranty.

AUDI 

Audi Abu Dhabi and Al Ain now offering online service booking, with free pick-up and delivery within Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. For those looking to experience an Audi model, home based test drives may be booked. All cars serviced during this time will receive complimentary sanitization and fumigation before they go back to the customer. Roadside Assistance Responders of Audi have adopted all preventive measures by protecting themselves with face masks, gloves and hand sanitizers and by practicing zero contact with customers to mitigate risk.

Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC: General Motors has teamed up with Al Ghandi and Bin Hamoodah to alleviate any additional worries from its customers, by extending warranties on all Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles. Any customer who has a GM vehicle with warranty expiring between March 1st and May 31st will have their warranty extended by two months. For those who have to make essential travels, relief also comes in that 24/7 roadside assistance is extended by 3 months, from April 1st until June 30th, 2020. In case service centers are closed, agents will assist in towing their vehicle to a customers’ residence.

Al Ghandi serviced brands will also benefit from a “Stay At Home” courtesy service, so that customers “may have a well-maintained vehicle and ensure their mobility for essential tasks.” The service will be completely contactless to provide maximum social distancing, including pick-up and drop-off. Cars scheduled for service will be picked up via flat-bed truck and taken to the nearest Al Ghandi Auto service center where the service will be carried out. Then a convenient time of delivery is sorted with the customer and the car is dropped off after being thoroughly sanitized as a precautionary measure.

HYUNDAI and KIA: Juma Al Majid Est. has launched a new customer-assurance extended programme, Hyundai C A R E, to support its customers during the current COVID-19 pandemic. All passenger vehicles whose original warranties are due to expire between 1 March and 30 April 2020 will benefit from a warranty extension of up to three months until 31 May 2020. Those due to expire in May will also be guaranteed coverage until the end of the month. The same benefit will be available for their luxury brand Genesis.

As for sister brand Kia, the manufacturer itself has come forward with ‘Kia Promise,’ a global warranty extension program, which is expected to benefit over 500,000 customers worldwide whose movement has been currently restricted by the pandemic. All eligible vehicles with original Kia warranties that expire between February 1 and April 30, 2020 will have the warranty extended till June 30, 2020. In the UAE, the program will also be beneficial to customers who are unable to bring their car in for free servicing or pre-paid maintenance as part of a Kia servicing package during UAE Sterilization Program.

PEUGEOT A Valet Test Drive and Service program has been initiated to let people experience the brand’s thoughtfulness while staying home and following social distancing guidelines. PEUGEOT aims to bring the cars to customers’ front doors for a test drive or pick it up for service, as the case may be.

Customers in Dubai and the Northern Emirates can make use of the Valet Service Program by visiting the dedicated website uae.peugeot.com/services/valet-service and get their car picked up from home location. Later, the service advisor would speak to the customer about the time and cost of service, and once done, the car is delivered back to the customer – fully sanitised!

Peugeot hopes to revolutionise new car purchase as well, in this fashion. After gathering information about the car they are interested in, a Valet Test Drive is booked on uae.peugeot.com/valet-test-drive before a sales executive brings the car for an in-depth familiarisation tour. Needless to say, Peugeot emphasises that the car would be thoroughly sanitised and very strict precautions on maintaining social distancing and hygiene standards would be ensured during the meeting. Once the customer likes the model, and financial proceedings are completed, the car is registered and delivered to this digital consumer!

MOPAR (FCA)

Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is the manufacturer of Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep and RAM vehicles worldwide and Mopar® is the exclusive service, parts and customer care provider for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. All Mopar® customers with a contractual warranty, whose maintenance plan or an extended warranty plan expire during the COVID-19 lock-down in the Middle East have been granted an extension of one month after the end of the of the lock-down, as mandated by the authorities in their country of residence. An appointment may be booked at the nearby Service Centre to service their vehicles during that one-month period, and the standard terms of their expired contract will be honored.

NISSAN and INFINITI AW Rostamani Group in Dubai, Sharjah, and the Northern Emirates, have introduced a “FREE pick-up + Drop-off + Ozone Treatment” package to its customers, besides frequent sanitization processes across all its premises and customer touchpoints.Service appointments may be scheduled by dialing 800NISSAN or 800INFINITI, after which their vehicle will be picked up from their home and dropped back after servicing, using a flat-bed truck, free of charge. Customers can also choose to pay their servicing charges through secure online payment channel. Best of all, before the cars are returned they will receive a complimentary “Ozone Treatment” to sanitize vehicle interiors to keep them free of germs.

NISSAN, INFINITI, RENAULT Al Masaood Automobiles are arranging to get cars picked up and promptly returned to customer’s doorstep once service is carried out. Towards this, Al Masaood Auto App for Nissan, INFINITI and Renault comes in handy. The app can take care of service appointment bookings, roadside assistance and live chat service. The app also presents users to shop among a portfolio of new and certified pre-owned vehicle models as well as vehicle accessories and other services.

Al Masaood Tyres, Batteries and Accessories (TBA) are also offering free services to healthcare workers who are battling the coronavirus pandemic in the UAE. Announced in line with the ‘Thank you Heroes’ campaign, this includes tyre changing, oil and filter changing, wheel balancing, wheel alignment, battery change, Nitrogen filling, engine diagnostics, puncture repair, wiper change and AC servicing. Similarly, sister company Revolutions Accessories LLC, the authorized distributor of Ducati motorcycles in the UAE, is offering healthcare workers on the front lines who own a Ducatati a free basic service for their bikes.

RENAULT (contd. from above paragraphs)

Enabling service during this time with minimal contact, Renault is offering free pick-up and drop-off of customer cars. So as to reduce waiting time, they are also offering a 60 minutes Express Service. A free vehicle health check-up irrespective of vehicle age and 0% interest easy payment plans on select credit cards round up the offers during the holy month, besides free ozone sanitization.

PORSCHE

For customers across the globe, Porsche is extending the new car warranty by a further three months for all cars whose warranty is expiring between 1 March 2020 and 31 May 2020. This is free of charge and also applies to customers who have already purchased a Porsche Approved warranty to follow on after expiry of the new car warranty. If the Porsche Approved warranty starts within the same time period, it will also be extended by three months.

UD TRUCKS

A 60 day warranty extension for customers has been announced in the Middle East, East and North Africa whose vehicles’ warranties end during the COVID-19 lockdown period.

• Ongoing service and support to customers carrying out essential services *

• Extensions to periodical service and maintenance without any impact on the warranty terms *

• Extended warranty coverage of 60 days for vehicles whose warranty expires during the lockdown period*

FREE CAR SANITISATION! In a praiseworthy step in line with the current health challenge, Al Masaood Tyres, Batteries and Accessories (TBA) has announced the launch of a free car sanitization service at its AutoServ car care centre, at the Sea Palace area in Abu Dhabi.