Like a car, forklifts come with warranties when purchased new. These can be a lifesaver when something goes wrong, but have you read through your full warranty to make sure you know what’s expected of you to keep your machine covered? Are you aware of how many years/hours you have?
Read on to learn some of the basics of forklift warranties, and ways you can help ensure coverage if the unexpected does happen to your new lift.
The Basics of the Warranty
With any warranty, there is a level of commitment on the owners behalf that will likely be taken into consideration if a claim needs to be filed. In order to ensure the smoothest claim, it’s good to do the following on a regular basis:
- Make sure you are keeping up with the required preventative maintenance (PM) from your forklifts manual. Many will require the first PM around fifty hours, and then every 200 hours after. Should a warranty claim be needed, these records will help the process move along by showing you’ve been taking care of the machine.
- Always do the shift checklist. These are required by OSHA, but will also help you keep track of your forklift’s condition. The checklist, as well as driver’s notes can help keep a running list of the condition of the equipment, and possibly give you an early sign if anything needs repairs. Warranties are limited, and the faster and issue is discovered, the better.
- Know what qualifies. Like a car, different sections of your forklift may have varying coverage (by years or hours). Furthermore, damage that appears to be operator related likely would not qualify unless it can be proven a faulty part caused the issue. Forklift America technicians likely will evaluate the warranty claim and photograph all area that are effected by the default. While the team is very well versed on the equipment, it’s a great idea to learn your qualifications and time coverage as well.
What if you need to make a claim
If something does go awry with your forklift, call or email us (or your dealer if your purchased elsewhere) right away.
Due to the fact that warranties are time sensitive, the technician will want to get an understanding of the issue to see if we need to schedule a service visit. When on site, they will take photos, ask questions, and get all the relevant information needed to determine if the issue is covered under warranty. Forklift America technicians are excellent at walking you through what the find, and ensuring you have a good understanding of the issue.
The next step, if it is a warranty covered issue, is on us. We will start the claim and work with the manufacturer and your team so that you have an idea of what to expect. In some cases, the issue may be able to fixed on-site, in other instances parts need to be ordered. The service manager will coordinate with you to make sure we help you every step of the way.
Other Things to Consider
When it comes to warranties, each manufacturer has different requirements that should be listed in the owners manual. Parts like are filters, oil filters, ect, may need to be OEM for the equipment to be covered under warranty. It also advisable to verify any attachments being adding are within scope of your forklift.
There may also be instances where parts are shipped directly to you for the warranty. If this is the case, keep up with the service technician that ordered it for you so that the claim can be resolved on all ends. Occasionally the parts may need to be shipped back, changed, ect, and if the right actions aren’t taken, charges can occur.
It’s a hope that your warranty won’t be needed, but it’s certainly piece of mind when investing in a forklift! Keep up on your lift and it should last you for years to come!