Guide
Why Bubblegum offers engine & gearbox warranty
Here’s the thinking behind bundling engine & gearbox warranty coverage together with car insurance:
Most car insurance plans in Singapore are designed to insure you and other parties against accidents. This is understandable since accidents can be financially damaging (at best), even fatal (at worst).
But if you’re a super careful driver and already do everything you can to avoid accidents, paying for mandatory car insurance can sometimes feel like you’re flushing money down the drain.
To provide additional value to drivers, Bubblegum has decided to offer an optional engine & gearbox warranty coverage on top of our comprehensive car insurance plan. This means you’re also insured against car breakdowns — which, for safe drivers, are far more likely than accidents!
What does Bubblegum’s engine & gearbox warranty cover?
Bubblegum’s engine & gearbox warranty covers repairs up to $5,000 per car insurance policy. Most major components within the car engine and gearbox are covered, including:
Engine components and sub-parts
- Cam Shaft and Follower
- Connecting Rods
- Crankshaft
- Cylinder Head (not due to overheating)
- Gudgeon Pins
- Oil Pump
- Push Rods
- Rocker Assembly
- Timing Gears
- Valves and Guides
Gearbox (manual cars)
- Bearing and Bushes
- Gears and Shafts
- Synchromesh Hubs
Gearbox (automatic cars)
- Bearing and Bushes
- Gears and Shafts
- Governors and Servos
- Valves and Gear Lever
Minor parts not listed here, such as engine hoses and pipings, are not covered. Also, components outside the gearbox and engine will not be covered; for example, sensors, light bulbs and air-con refrigerant.
As with all other motor warranty products out there, Bubblegum’s engine & gearbox warranty does not cover wear and tear and pre-existing conditions.
Is your car eligible for an engine & gearbox warranty?
Bubblegum’s engine & gearbox warranty is available for many — but not all — cars. Here are the eligibility criteria for this free benefit:
- Your car must be 12 years old or less
- Less than 200,000km in mileage
- Personal use vehicles only (private hire vehicles are not covered)
Provided your car meets the criteria laid out above and the driver meets the rest of Bubblegum's criteria for coverage (driver's age, driving experience, and limited at-fault claims in the last 3 years), Bubblegum will cover its engine and gearbox with no pre-inspection needed. However, you will not be able to claim within the first 30 days or the first 1,000km after your insurance policy begins.
If you’d like to remove this restriction, simply opt for a pre-inspection to certify that your car is free of pre-existing conditions.
How do engine & gearbox warranty claims work?
As a pre-requisite for Bubblegum’s engine & gearbox warranty benefit, you will need to send your car for regular servicing at any workshop of your choice:
- First servicing: within 1 calendar month from the policy start date
- Subsequent servicing: every 10,000km or 6 months, whichever is earlier
In the event of an engine or gearbox breakdown, you may call Bubblegum’s 24-hour hotline at +65 61001620. The friendly team will help get the claims process started.
Next, select one of Bubblegum’s list of authorised car workshops and proceed with your engine and gearbox warranty repairs. (This restriction allows Bubblegum to keep repair costs and policy premiums affordable for all customers.)
To complete the claim, you will need to submit all your servicing records (including records before enrolling in Bubblegum’s car insurance policy) as supporting documents.
For cars up to 10 years old, there is no “excess” (the amount you have to pay out-of-pocket) for Bubblegum’s engine & gearbox warranty. For cars older than 10 years, the excess is $150.
Do you need an engine & gearbox warranty?
Depending on your car and the kind of driver you are, you may or may not feel that an engine & gearbox warranty is necessary.
If your car is new from a dealer, it would come with a dealership warranty already. However, you might want to compare its claim limit with Bubblegum’s and select the one that offers more protection. (If opting for the latter, ask your car dealer if they can waive the cost of their warranty.)
For cars no longer under dealership warranty, an engine & gearbox warranty is not compulsory but can give you protection against unexpected car repair expenses. This is provided you’re willing to send your car for regular servicing and keep good records.
Bubblegum vs. other motor warranties: which is better?
It is possible to purchase a motor warranty as a standalone product. However, most motor warranties here are administered by a single workshop, and you will need to go to the same workshop for inspection, servicing and repair. Otherwise, your warranty will be considered invalid.
Bubblegum’s engine & gearbox warranty, on the other hand, gives you more options at every stage.
For many drivers in today’s inflationary world, the deciding factor is likely to be the cost of an engine & gearbox warranty.
By bundling this nice-to-have with our car insurance plan, Bubblegum has eliminated the need to agonise over it or go through additional sign-ups and paperwork. Since you’ll have to buy your mandatory car insurance policy anyway, why not opt for Bubblegum’s engine & gearbox warranty? At the very least, it offers peace of mind should your car begin to make strange engine noises or fail to start.
