Truck and bus manufacturer Hino has announced a comprehensive warranty for its extra-heavy trucks in South Africa.

The new warranty on the Hino 700 Series model range is now valid for three years, with unlimited kilometres for on-road use and for two years, with unlimited kilometres when the truck is used for off-road operations.

“According to our research, this is one of the most comprehensive warranties in this segment of the South African truck market. Some of the other brands offer more years on the drive train only, but our three years, unlimited kilometre warranty offers some of the best cover on the entire vehicle,” comments Hino South Africa (SA) VP Dr Casper Kruger.

He adds that the new warranty for Hino’s premium trucks is the latest addition to its range of HinoCare offerings and a further example of the manufacturer’s focus on satisfying its customers, particularly in aspects that contribute to a reduction in operational costs and that provide peace of mind for fleet owners.

“The HinoCare initiative was launched in September 2011 and has found great favour among current and potential customers, particularly with its contribution to improving the all-important cost per kilometre figures,” the truck manufacturer states.

The lower operating costs are mainly as a result of the introduction of Hino Genuine Motor Oil, which permits the doubling of oil change intervals, reducing servicing downtime.

Another important component of HinoCare is the 24/7 roadside assistance, which is operated through a dedicated call centre and includes the towing of the stricken vehicle to a Hino dealer, if necessary.

A further contribution to customer peace of mind from Hino SA is the fact that all Hino trucks have been microdotted from July 1, 2011, long before this became a legal requirement.

There is already a range of service and maintenance plans that can be tailored by the dealer to meet a customer’s requirements, which tend to be widely varied in the transport industry.

The company announced significant improvements to the warranty benefits for certain models with the introduction of HinoCare, with cover for the 300 and 500 Series moving to two years and unlimited kilometres.

Warranty cover for the 700 Series was one year with unlimited kilometres, with a power train warranty of 24 months or 300 000 km prior to the introduction of the latest, much-improved terms.

“When we launched HinoCare last year, we said we would be looking to upgrade the offering over time and the much-improved warranty on the 700 Series extra-heavy truck range is a further step down this path of continually finding ways of improving customer satisfaction and the Hino ownership experience in South Africa,” says Kruger.

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