Dealers must honour warranties on imported cars

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

The government has confirmed that car dealers in Bahrain are legally required to provide the warranties offered by manufacturers on imported vehicles.

Authorities said work is also underway at the GCC level to unify car warranty and maintenance procedures across member states. Under the proposed framework, a warranty issued in one GCC country would be recognized in others on a reciprocal basis. The possibility of a single GCC-wide warranty, requiring manufacturers to provide the same coverage in all member states, is also being examined.

The clarification came in response to a proposal filed in January 2025 by MPs Khalid Buanaq, Hisham Al Awadhi, Abdulwahid Qarata, Mohammed Al Ma’rafi, and Zainab AbdulAmeer, calling for dealers to provide warranty and maintenance services for imported vehicles without charging extra fees. Lawmakers argued that buyers should have access to warranty coverage for manufacturing defects or vehicles still under the manufacturer’s warranty.

The government pointed to Decree-Law No. 10 of 1992, which obliges commercial agents to honor manufacturer guarantees, provide spare parts, tools, and rel a t e d services for goods under their agreements. Law No. 35 of 2012 on consumer protection also requires traders to issue a dated invoice specifying the product, price, and warranty period, further safeguarding buyers’ rights.