VinFast Rocks Into USA & Canada With 10-Year Warranty – CleanTechnica

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No matter what car you’re buying these days, you almost definitely are not getting a 10-year warranty on the vehicle. Unless you’re buying a VinFast.

I saw a press release today from the Vietnamese EV company stating that it “is challenging Canada’s auto industry norms by offering a 10-year, 200,000-kilometre warranty on its electric vehicles, a bold move aimed at easing buyer concerns over cost, reliability, and battery life.” VinFast offers the same warranty on US-sold vehicles (I’m not sure why the press release was only about Canada). I thought, “Wow, that actually is a really long warranty.” Then I decided to Google around and see if I could find something comparable. I couldn’t. I checked Tesla, Ford, Toyota, and more broadly. Most cars come with a 3- to 5-year warranty. No one is doing what VinFast is doing.

Frankly, it’s a brilliant move for a couple of reasons. First of all, one of people’s main concerns about electric vehicles is the lifetime of the battery, or the cars overall. Secondly, electric vehicles have simpler powertrains with much less maintenance or repair concerns. VinFast is trying to dissolve one of the main consumer concerns while taking advantage of natural EV benefits.

Here’s more background from the company on what it’s doing and why, with a little nostalgia thrown in (especially for Canadians and NBA fans): “Remember the summer of 2019, when the Raptors brought a championship home? If you bought a new crossover that June, your factory warranty would probably be on its last legs today. Yet drivers hang onto their cars for around twelve years or more, according to J.D. Power¹. That shift has created a gap between how long we own our cars and how long automakers promise to stand behind them.

“VinFast wants to close that gap from the start. The Vietnamese automaker backs its EVs with a 10-year, 200,000-kilometre bumper-to-bumper warranty, plus a 10-year, unlimited-kilometre battery guarantee under normal use. In effect, the company shifts the risk of long-term wear from driver to manufacturer. In a market where most warranties stop at three years or 60,000 kilometres and premium brands reach only four years or 80,000, VinFast’s coverage stands apart. The difference is a nod to how Canadians drive, what they should expect, and how EV ownership is changing.

“This matters in Canada, where harsh winters punish cars year after year. Salted roads, icy mornings, and sharp temperature swings wear down even the toughest machines. More than ever, buyers now see ‘expected dependability’ as the top reason to choose a brand². The longer warranty speaks directly to that. ‘The warranty gives me peace of mind like no other,’ said J.M., who switched to the VF 8 for its mix of comfort and assurance.

“By stretching coverage to ten years, VinFast moves the burden of repairs—and the question of battery longevity—off the customer. The company takes responsibility for the big unknowns that can make or break the EV experience, especially in a country where the average price of an electric vehicle hovers around C$73,000³ and potential buyers hesitate. The mid-sized VinFast VF 8, priced between C$53,600 and C$59,200, sits well below that average, and when paired with a decade-long warranty, it turns EV adoption from a leap of faith into a calculated step.”

It’s an amazing offer and a brilliant step forward for an EV company. I’m surprised it hasn’t gotten more attention, but it’s also true that VinFast is a tiny, mostly unknown automaker in North America. It’s a Vietnamese brand, as noted above, heavily backed by the Vietnamese government, and it’s been trying to do big things. But how do you break into a market dominated by Toyota, Ford, Honda, Chevrolet, and Tesla?

VinFast’s after-sales support also includes 24/7 roadside assistance and mobile technicians, supplementing the company’s small but growing network of service centers.

It may not be the biggest automaker, or even one of the biggest in the still small EV market, but buyers have to be happy with a 10-year warranty. Right? “We took a chance on the VF 8, and it’s paying off with its smart design and lively performance. The extended warranty was a major attraction for us,” one VinFast owner, “R.L.,” reportedly said.

VinFasts are not all over the road. It’s hard to know what to think about the company and its efforts to become a common part of the automotive landscape in North America. I have seen one or two on the road here in Florida, but I’d love to run across one somewhere where I could talk to the owner and find out more about their buying and ownership experience.

The 10-year warranty has to attract buyers if it gets more attention. And if the company can grow and stick around, it is certainly looking to challenge and change the industry.

“Coverage that lasts a decade could set a new bar for the industry. It forces a rethink about what carmakers owe their customers and how much risk they should carry. The idea of a warranty as a ‘confidence contract’ could push others to follow suit, helping the entire market shift faster toward electric vehicles,” VinFast writes.

“Viewed through this lens, VinFast is essentially making a statement about what customers should expect from the brands they trust. With its 10-year promise, the company bets that Canadians will welcome a longer relationship — and that the industry, sooner or later, will have to respond.”

I’ve got nothing in the game when it comes to VinFast. We have no sponsorships and no investments in the company. But it’s been an interesting company to watch, and the Vietnam-backed company definitely intrigues me. It gets so little attention compared to other EV-only brands — Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, etc. — but it does sell two models in the US: the VF 8 and VF 9. Furthermore, the company website says the VF 6 and VF 7 are coming soon. I’m sure you’re more likely to see VinFast vehicles in California, but I think I will start to believe the brand is growing well when I start seeing them regularly here in Florida. It’s definitely possible. I do remember Kia and Hyundai growing from nothing in the United States, and look at where they are today. A 10-year warranty is certainly one way to get people’s attention and start gaining a loyal customer base.