Electric scooter warranty guide: what is covered, what is not and how to claim

What a warranty is

A warranty is the manufacturer’s promise to fix faults that come from the factory. It is not insurance against everything that can happen to a scooter, and it is not the same as a return. The brand writes the terms and decides each claim, and the remedy is a repair, a replacement part or a replacement scooter.

Terms differ by brand, model and part, and they can change between production runs. Brands usually print them in the manual or on a card in the box, along with anything they ask of you, such as registering the product. Our warranty page explains how claims work when you buy from us.

A warranty sits alongside any rights you have under state or federal consumer law. It does not replace them.

What warranties usually cover

The dividing line is nearly always the same: a defect in materials or workmanship. That usually includes:

• A motor that fails on its own, not after flooding, overloading or modification.
• A battery that will not charge or hold a charge, or that loses capacity below the brand’s threshold inside the term.
• Faults in the controller, display or throttle.
• Frame cracks that start from a weld or manufacturing defect.
• Factory faults in the braking hardware, the charging port or the wiring.

Different parts usually get different terms. The frame tends to get the longest cover, the motor and electronics often as long, the battery and charger often less, and wear parts little or none. Some brands also cap cover by distance as well as time.

Normal battery fade is not a defect. Every lithium-ion battery slowly loses capacity with use and age. What a warranty covers is a battery that fails, or fades far faster than normal, inside the term. Good charging and storage habits slow the normal fade, as our electric scooter battery care guide explains.

What warranties usually exclude

Anything that happened after the scooter left the factory is normally outside a warranty:

• Wear parts: tires, tubes, brake pads and grips. Where a brand includes them, the term is short. Our guide to tubeless scooter tires covers tire wear and repairs.
• Crash and accident damage, however new the scooter is.
• Water damage beyond the model’s rating, such as riding through deep standing water or jet washing.
• Modifications and unlocking, including firmware unlocks and motor, battery or controller upgrades.
• Overloading: riding above the maker’s maximum rider weight. Our guide to the electric scooter weight limit explains how to read it.
• Battery neglect, such as long storage at empty, or charging with a charger that did not come with the scooter.
• Third-party parts and cosmetic marks, such as scratches and chipped paint.

Suspension and folding parts are treated differently from brand to brand, so ask rather than assume either way. A tire, tube or pad that was faulty when it arrived is a defect, not wear.

How to keep your warranty valid

• Keep your order confirmation. It is the proof of purchase every claim starts with. Each brand sets its own start date: usually the delivery date, and for some brands the purchase or activation date.
• Register the product if the brand asks. Some makers require it within a set period after purchase, and a valid claim can be refused without it.
• Charge with the supplied charger, and follow the maker’s advice on charging and storage.
• Stay inside the water rating. Check the IP rating on the product page: E-TWOW lists IPX7 for the TankTorq TK5, Segway lists IPX6 for the Segway Max G3 and NAVEE lists IPX5 for the NAVEE GT3 Pro. Our IP ratings guide explains what each rating allows.
• Respect the max load printed in the specifications.
• Do not unlock or modify it, and ask before fitting parts that did not come with it.
• Ask before you or a shop open it. Brands draw the line on opening and outside repairs differently, and a quick question first protects your claim.
• Keep up basic care. Tire pressure, loose bolts and brake adjustment are the owner’s job, and our electric scooter maintenance checklist lists the routine.

What to do when something fails

Work through these steps in order:

• Stop riding if the fault affects safety: the brakes, the steering, the folding latch, the frame, or a battery that swells, smells or gets hot while idle.
• Record a video of the fault as it happens: the noise, the cut-out, the error on the display. A short clip shows far more than a description, and it is most of a diagnosis.
• Try the easy checks: a full charge, another wall socket, the charger light and any connectors you can reach without tools.
• Note the details: when it started, how often it happens and what you were doing. Photograph the serial number label, usually under the deck or on the stem.
• Contact us with your order number, the video or photos and a short description. The claim builder on our warranty page lays it out for you, or reach us through the contact page.
• Do not send anything back until we have talked it through.

Start with us rather than the manufacturer. We look at it first, and we can usually talk you through the simple checks. Where it needs the brand, we help you raise the claim with the evidence laid out the way they ask for it, and we follow it up. The brand decides the outcome, and we keep you posted along the way.

Warranty claim or return?

They are two different routes, and the difference is mostly timing and condition.

• A return is for an unused, unridden scooter inside 14 days of delivery, complete and in its original packaging. You get your money back or a different model. See returns and exchanges.
• A warranty claim is for a manufacturing fault, and ridden is fine. It runs for the brand’s own term on the part in question, and it repairs or replaces rather than refunding.

If a scooter arrives damaged or dead, that is a returns matter rather than a warranty claim. Tell us as soon as it arrives, with photos of the outer box and your order number.

Choosing a new ride? Browse the electric scooter shop. Every order ships free to the lower 48 states, and you can split the cost with Pay in 4 at 0% APR or monthly payments with Affirm.

Questions riders ask