What this checklist covers
The Goodwill Warranty Checklist is a 15-point scorecard for goodwill eligibility, approval limits, cost sharing, and customer communication. Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 on what the auditor sees on the day, and every gap goes into an action plan with an owner and a close date.
AutoSmart tip: Goodwill audits should check whether approvals are being driven by a documented eligibility process or by who asks loudest. A goodwill pattern that correlates more strongly with customer assertiveness than with vehicle age, mileage, or service history is a sign the eligibility framework isn’t being consistently applied.
The checks
Tap Yes, No or Maybe to try it: your answers stay in this page and clear when you refresh. For a detailed walkthrough, download our PDF or book a demo.
Goodwill eligibility and customer history
- Is a documented eligibility assessment conducted for every goodwill request, rather than approval being based on the customer's relationship or persistence alone?
- Is the customer's service history (regular maintenance, prior goodwill claims) reviewed before a goodwill decision is made?
- Is the vehicle's age and mileage relative to the standard warranty period factored into the goodwill eligibility assessment?
- Is prior goodwill history for the same vehicle or customer checked to avoid repeated goodwill approval for the same recurring issue without root cause resolution?
Approval limits and management authorisation
- Is a defined approval limit in place, specifying which goodwill values can be approved at dealership level versus requiring regional/OEM sign-off?
- Are goodwill approvals above the dealership's authorised limit escalated to the correct level before any commitment is made to the customer?
- Is segregation of duties maintained, with goodwill approval coming from someone independent of the advisor handling the customer?
- Is a record maintained of all goodwill approvals, including the approver's name and the justification provided?
Cost sharing
- Where cost-sharing arrangements apply (dealer/OEM/customer split), is the agreed split clearly documented and applied consistently?
- Is the customer's portion of any cost-shared goodwill repair clearly communicated and agreed before work proceeds?
- Is goodwill cost-sharing data reconciled against the dealership's and OEM's financial records to confirm correct settlement?
Customer communication and documentation
- Is the customer clearly informed that the repair is being provided as a goodwill gesture, not a contractual warranty entitlement?
- Is the customer informed of any conditions attached to the goodwill approval (e.g., one-time exception, future maintenance requirement)?
- Is a complete goodwill file (request, eligibility assessment, approval, customer communication) retained for every case?
- Is goodwill spend reviewed periodically by management to identify trends by model, fault type, or dealership that may indicate a broader product issue?
How to run it
How the scoring works
Before the visit, fill in the dealer or centre, the auditor, the date and the audit cycle. Then score each of the 15 checks from 1 to 5 on what you see on the day, not on what the site aims for, and add them up out of 75.
- 1Not in place
- 2Attempted
- 3Defined
- 4Managed
- 5Fully sustained
- Green60–75 · 80–100%Compliant. Keep the standard.
- Amber38–59 · 50–79%Improvement needed: a structured action plan within 30 days.
- Red0–37 · Below 50%Priority intervention, escalated to regional management.
Then close every gap
Each gap goes into the action plan tracker and moves through four stages until the auditor closes it.
- 1PendingOwner and close date set
- 2In progressWork under way, evidence gathered
- 3CompletedEvidence submitted for review
- 4ApprovedVerified and closed by the auditor
