Question

Is there any difference between the words "guarantee" and "warranty"?

Answer 1

A guarantee is an expression asking for trust. A warranty is a type of insurance policy.

Explanation:

Let's explore these two words a bit.

A guarantee is an expression of a promise, of saying something will be done or happen. For instance, a used car salesman might say:

I guarantee that this car you are looking at was driven by a little old lady on Sundays to go to church.

And so there is a need to decide if you are going to trust in the guarantee you are being given.

A warranty is a type insurance policy, usually written down and associated with a purchase of goods or services. For instance, there's an implied warranty on the purchase of a new car (certain parts of the car are guaranteed to work fine for a certain amount of time) and you can always buy an "extended warranty" for more coverage or longer time periods.

And so you might here a new car salesman say:

I guarantee the warranty extended by Honda on this new car is great. I used the warranty last year and Honda was fantastic in its response.

And let's compare that to something a used car salesman might say:

I personally guarantee the warranty extended by Fly By Night Car Sales on this 1973 Ford Fiesta!