Used van dealers are now leading the industry by offering longer standard warranties, says the RAC Dealer Network.

Most light commercial vehicles (LCVs) are being provided with a 12-month warranty, while the car market is still moving towards a warranty of six months, according to Sean Kent, RAC sales director at Assurant.

He said: “The used vehicle sector as a whole has been moving towards providing longer warranties as standard for many years, mainly driven by the need to build an increasingly convincing overall proposition for customers.

“However – and certainly within the 1,400 members of our dealer network - we have shifted over the last couple of years into a situation where van dealers are taking the initiative. 

"This is being done to meet the specific requirements and expectations of LCV buyers.

“These people very much see their vehicle as a tool, something that they rely on every day.

"A longer warranty being offered as standard by the dealer is a vote of confidence in the reliability and overall quality of the vehicle, as well as a concrete means of support.”

Kent believes the van market will continue moving towards making 12 month warranties a regular  feature of the industry, however, he said he’d be surprised if the car market didn’t eventually follow.

The RAC Dealer Network has also recently launched a new approved dealer standard for used vans and other LCVs.

Kent continued: “Car buyers tend to place this level of protection a little further down their list of priorities.

“While the warranty remains the number one factor among the different elements of a used car proposition, according to research we have undertaken, the daily reliability of the vehicle is important rather than crucial."