When Aviation Consumer reported on new aircraft warranties in the late 1970s, we found that warranties for cars, refrigerators and Zippo lighters bettered what airplane manufacturers offered by a huge margin. At the time, an inexpensive car was around $5000 and an entry-level personal aircraft was around $50,000. Thankfully, warranty administration on today’s new aircraft is much improved, but you’ll pay for it. As we report in the pre-owned aircraft sales article on page 8 of this issue, it’s now possible to get a short, but generous factory warranty even on a used aircraft. Ah, the beauty of quality control and inflated prices.
Back in 1977, the longest warranty most manufacturers could afford to offer on a new aircraft was six months with no hourly limit. There were a few market exceptions, including the newly introduced Meyers 200, which came with a one-year warranty. It’s easy to understand the gripe an owner of a $300,000 aircraft had when left stranded because his new cabin-class twin broke down far from home base. Meanwhile, car makers like American Motors were picking up the hotel and bar tabs for owners waiting for repairs on a $5000 Pacer.