OEM Warranty Audit Services
Unsupported reimbursements and recurring process gaps can continue to drain warranty budgets. DEKRA helps OEMs identify recovery opportunities and address the practices behind those losses through warranty audits, stakeholder coaching, and corrective action follow-up.
These efforts are made visible through the DEKRA QCARE platform, helping warranty, compliance, technical service, and quality leaders reduce risk, strengthen warranty compliance, and streamline warranty administration.
Are the Same Issues Returning?
Most OEMs have established warranty controls, audit procedures, and network requirements. Even so, the same issues can return when findings are addressed individually without sustained follow-through across the service network.
Common issues include:
- Claims lack the documentation needed to support reimbursement.
- Process gaps reappear after an audit, creating ongoing warranty leakage.
- Training takes place, but changes are difficult to sustain.
- Open findings lack clear ownership, follow-up, or evidence of closure.
Recovering dollars addresses the immediate issue. Stronger execution and sustained corrective-action follow-up help prevent the same problems from returning.
OEM Warranty Audits at a Glance
An OEM warranty audit provides an independent review of warranty claims submitted through the service network and the supporting processes. DEKRA's expert auditors can examine both administrative and technical elements to determine whether submitted claims align with applicable manufacturer requirements.
Our Warranty Audit Process
Every warranty program has different policies, systems, relationships, and areas of concern. DEKRA can align the audit approach with the OEM’s program requirements and the needs of its retailer network.
1. Audit Planning
DEKRA works with the OEM to understand the relevant warranty requirements, review priorities, and expected audit coverage. The audit is then planned and organized around the agreed program scope.
2. Claim and Supporting Record Review
Auditors examine selected warranty claims and supporting records. Depending on the program, the review may cover administrative completeness, customer and product information, authorization, diagnosis, service or repair activity, parts or materials, labor, and alignment with applicable warranty requirements.
3. Findings and Debrief
Potential discrepancies, risks, and improvement opportunities are documented. DEKRA communicates relevant findings to the network participant and provides a debrief that helps explain what was identified and where corrective action may be required.
4. Corrective Action Planning
Audit findings are translated into defined actions. Responsibilities, due dates, and supporting requirements can be established so the OEM and retailer share a clearer understanding of what needs to happen next.
5. Follow-Up and Coaching
Where additional support is appropriate, DEKRA can reinforce corrective changes through follow-up and warranty coaching. This helps move the engagement beyond identifying individual exceptions and toward improving execution.
Connect Audit Findings to Action
DEKRA reviews warranty records and supporting documentation to identify reimbursement discrepancies, process gaps, and coaching needs. We explain the findings, help define corrective steps, and use QCARE to provide ongoing visibility into open actions, ownership, due dates, and closure evidence. This helps reduce the risk that identified issues remain unresolved or reappear after the audit.
Our coaching and follow-up support help retailers apply those changes in their daily work. OEMs can engage DEKRA for audit execution and discuss additional support where recurring findings or limited field capacity warrant it.
QCARE: Visibility After the Audit
Audit findings can lose momentum when follow-up is managed through disconnected emails, spreadsheets, and local records. Warranty leaders may know a problem was identified but lack a clear view of its owner, due date, status, or evidence of completion.
QCARE is not a warranty claims management system. It complements an OEM’s existing systems by providing a shared view of the corrective work that follows a warranty audit.
- What Was Found: Review audit findings and associated corrective actions.
- Who Owns the Action: Identify the responsible owner and assigned task.
- What Remains Outstanding: Track open actions, due dates, and overdue items.
- What Has Been Completed: Review supporting evidence and closure status.
- Where Follow-Up Is Needed: Help field teams focus on unresolved findings.
This visibility helps teams keep identified issues in view, focus follow-up, and monitor whether corrective actions are progressing.
What is a warranty audit?
A warranty audit is an independent review of warranty claims and supporting service network records. The audit assesses the quality, accuracy, and conformity of claims against the manufacturer’s warranty requirements.
What records may be reviewed?
Depending on program scope, the review may include repair orders, customer complaint information, customer authorization, labor times, warranty conditions, diagnostic procedures, repair procedures, parts, materials, and documented working methods.
Can DEKRA help after the audit?
Yes. In addition to communicating and documenting findings, DEKRA can support action-plan follow-up and warranty coaching where these services are included in the engagement.
Does QCARE replace our warranty claims system?
No. QCARE supports existing OEM systems by adding visibility into findings, action owners, due dates, progress, supporting evidence, and closure status. Through an API connection, QCARE is also used by DEKRA customers to identify higher-risk claims that should be included in an audit, thereby, reducing significant administrative time spent preparing field auditors for assignments.
Who are DEKRA’s warranty audit services designed for?
The service is intended for car, truck, agricultural and motorsports OEM teams, particularly warranty, technical service, and quality leaders responsible for warranty compliance and network participant execution.
Start With Your Priorities
Whether you need additional audit coverage, clearer insight into recurring warranty losses, or stronger follow-through after an audit, DEKRA can tailor an approach to your products, policies, systems, and service network.
Management system certification is offered by DEKRA Certification, Inc., which operates independently from any consulting and training activities using the DEKRA brand.