Occasionally, you might lose coolant due to leaks or when the cap breaks off and this means you will need to replace the coolant. Are Coolant Leaks Covered Under Warranty?
In general, coolant leaks will be covered under warranty. If the coolant leak is coming from the water pump, the warranty of most vehicles would easily have you covered and they will not only replace the water pump but also top up the coolant in your vehicle once again.
The most common leaks of the coolant in your vehicle are often due to the water pump. The water pump would work as normal and due to a certain malfunction; it might start spewing out coolant. One of the biggest causes for this issue is often the cap, which should seal everything inside, which can fail at any given time.
As mentioned, this would be covered directly under your warranty, depending on whether your car is still in the warranty cycle.
One thing I found that is not covered by the warranty is the hoses. According to many manufacturers, the hoses are considered consumable and this means they will wear out over time. Fortunately, it is not that expensive to replace these hoses, when compared to something like the water pump.
Which Brands Cover You Under Warranty For A Coolant Leak?
There are numerous car brands on the market today and each of them offers some value to buyers. Brands like Hyundai offers a 7-year warranty in certain models, which provides plenty of confidence from the manufacturer and often includes the coverage of these components like the water pump as well.
| Car Model | Standard Warranty | Coolant Leak Coverage |
| Audi | 4-years/ 50,000 miles | Yes |
| BMW | 4-years/ 50,000 miles | Yes |
| Chevrolet | 3-years/ 36,000 miles | Yes |
| Ford | 5-years/ 60,000 miles | Yes |
| Honda | 5-years/ 60,000 miles | Yes |
| Toyota | 3-years/ 36,000 miles | Yes |
| Volkswagen | 4-years/ 50,000 miles | Yes |
Before you buy any vehicle, you must have a close look at the warranty to make sure that you are getting the best value for your money when buying. Most brands will also offer an extended warranty for drivers, which would include additional coverage for certain components.
How Do You Fix A Coolant Leak Without A Warranty?
While you can buy many of the components at home, you must know what you are doing and understand how to fix a coolant leak in your vehicle. To fix a coolant leak in your vehicle, it is often best to visit your local dealership.
If the hose is responsible for the coolant leak, it might not be that expensive. However, the water pump is one of the more expensive components that you might need to replace. You must consider fixing possible coolant leaks as this could lead to additional damage to your vehicle, which might cost you even more in the longer term.
What Happens When Coolant Is Low?
While you will often notice when the coolant in your car is low, you might occasionally miss the leaks and only realize when it is too late. If you ignore low coolant, there are a few things that could go wrong in your vehicle:
1. Engine Overheats
The first one should be self-explanatory when your vehicle does not have any means of cooling, it would significantly spike the temperature in the engine. This could lead to damaged pistons and some damage to some of the key components of your vehicle.
2. Blow A Head Gasket
The head gasket is one of the important components that insulated components in your engine. However, low coolant might cause the gasket of your vehicle to blow and this leads to smoke emanating from the vehicle. It would lead to a drastic loss of power inside your vehicle.
3. Safety Features Could Shut Off Car
One of the great things about modern vehicles is the different safety features available for drivers. Many of these safety features would protect the car from significant damage, especially when something minor is wrong. If you do not top up the coolant in your car, you could notice that the safety features turn the car off.
Read Can I Drive After Adding Coolant? (How Long Should I Wait)
How Would You Know If You Are Running With Low Coolant?
Some of the following symptoms are often noticeable when you are dealing with low-coolant situations:
AC Not Working
The coolant in your vehicle is responsible for cooling the air that comes into the cabin as well. If you are low on coolant, the air will not have any means of being cooled and this could be daunting for the driver. One of the first symptoms would often be that the AC system does not work to full capacity and this would cause additional damage.
Sweet-Smelling Odor
Coolant or antifreeze contains sweet compounds like glycol. The glycol allows the coolant to regulate the temperature of the water. When the coolant is inside the tank, you might not notice the smell. However, leaking coolant is something that you will often smell from under the hood and it is identifiable by its sweet odor.
Temperature Gauge Remains High
The most damning method of noticing that you need coolant in your vehicle is often the temperature gauge. The temperature gauge is designed to show you the current state of the temperature inside the engine. You will notice the H and the C on the dashboard, which indicates whether the car is hot or cool. If the gauge remains in the H, it would be a telltale sign that you are having some issues with the coolant.
Faulty Coolant Sensor
One of the minor issues that we often see inside many vehicles is the failure of sensors. In the modern era, cars have numerous different sensors and the sensors are responsible for indicating to the driver that the vehicle is in a certain condition. A faulty coolant sensor could indicate low coolant when this is not the case.