BRITAIN'S big four car manufacturers could offer three year/60,000 mile warranties for no more than an additional £100, according to Fleet Management Services. The Shrewsbury-based company, which last year initiated a campaign against delivery charges, wants franchised dealerships to pressurise car makers into the move.

Director of maintenance control Derick Perkins said: 'If you look at what we have to do to get maintenance done on self-authorisation and what dealers and manufacturers do to administer the job, I would say the time has come to stop the gimmicks and go for it.

FMS is aiming its first salvo on the topic at the dealers - reminding them that the move would tie in customers to their franchises for the three year period. FMS also wants manufacturers to introduce a three year pan-European breakdown cover following a 33% increase in the number of its customers travelling abroad in the first half of 1996.

Perkins also reasoned that a clear cut and comprehensive warranty would make the situation a lot less complicated and make for better relations between fleet operators and the manufacturer in question. He said: 'A survey we recently carried out showed that by offering extended cover, Toyota and Nissan prevented isolated incidents from hitting their overall maintenance costs. Manufacturers such as Ford, Vauxhall and Rover on the other hand offer only 12 months/unlimited mileage cover, which leaves the fleet operator less secure.'