What Does a DJI Warranty Cover? (Explained)

Any reputable electronics company offers a warranty on their products as a way to assure their consumers that they can trust their products. And DJI, being the leading drone manufacturer globally, is one such company. So, what does a DJI Warranty cover?

DJI’s standard warranty covers manufacturing defects and issues caused by manufacturing defects, as long as the drone is used within the stipulated guidelines. Each drone’s component has its warranty period, ranging from 3 to 12 Months.

Keep reading to learn more about the DJI Warranty, its limitations, and what other options to consider to keep your drone protected.

How is a DJI Manufacturer’s warranty different than DJI Care Refresh? #

The DJI Warranty is different from the DJI Care Refresh in that the warranty is free and automatically comes with your new drone, as long as you use the drone within the stipulated guidelines. 

DJI Care Refresh, on the other hand, offers more protection for your drone at an extra cost.

For instance, DJI Warranty will only cover manufacturing defects and will not cover anything resulting from the operator’s error (more on this later). But the DJI Care Refresh package will cover operator’s error, crashes, signal interference, accidents, drop damage, and even lost drones for some models.

Read more about DJI Care and DJI Care Refresh in this post »

What does a DJI Warranty cover? #

As mentioned earlier, DJI’s standard warranty is offered for free on every DJI product, as long as you follow all the guidelines that come with it. 

You can find these guidelines on the product’s manual, DJI’s website, or the app. You also need to make sure you purchase the drone from DJI directly or from authorized dealers in order for the warranty to be valid.

So, what does the DJI standard warranty cover?

For starters, DJI doesn’t guarantee that their products will function error-free or without any issues, so you can expect malfunctions to occur even when everything else checks out. 

That’s why in the warranty, they offer to fix or replace your drone if it develops any manufacturing defects within the warranty period. A manufacturing defect means that the problem is due to the way the drone was constructed as it came out of the factory.

What a DJI Warranty doesn’t cover #

As we’ve established, the warranty only applies when issues are a result of manufacturing defects. As such, this warranty doesn’t cover problems with your drone caused by the following issues:

• Crashes due to pilot errors
• Unauthorized modification and disassembly which doesn’t follow the provided guidelines.
• Taking a drone to an unauthorized repairs service provider.
• Using a drone in a way that’s against the provided guidelines. This includes flying too far than the provided range, flying too high, flying until the battery is depleted, etc.
• Flying in adverse conditions, such as when it’s raining, snowy, or very windy.
• Flying in areas with electromagnetic interference, such as areas close to radio towers, cell phone towers, or power stations and transmission wires.
• Making the drone carry more weight than it can handle.
• Using unauthorized third-party hardware or software.
• Attempting to fix your drone by following tips provided by non-DJI technicians or service providers.
• Using damaged or low-charged batteries.
• Altering your drone or the third-party part where you even remove the identification label.

Does a DJI Warranty cover crashes? #

Whether or not the DJI warranty will cover a crash depends on what caused the crash. If the crash resulted from manufacturing defects and was well within the warranty period, they might repair or replace the drone. 

But if the crash resulted from pilot errors, you will have a lot of back and forth with DJI support, and you will most likely end up having to pay for the repairs or buy a new drone.

How long is a DJI Warranty valid? #

Each drone’s part or accessory has its own warranty period, ranging from 3 to 12 months. For instance, the controller, including the built-in screen, if it has one, and sometimes the whole unit usually comes with a 12-Month warranty. 

Propulsion systems (excluding propellers), visual positioning systems, cameras, gimbals, batteries, and battery chargers mostly have a 6-Month warranty. 

For the battery to be eligible for the warranty, it must not exceed 200 charging cycles. For high-end drones like the Matrice 600, the battery and charging hub’s warranty is extended to 9 months.

Therefore, you should always check the drone you’re using and review the warranty that DJI has provided for the drone.

How to claim a DJI Warranty? #

When the drone fails to function as expected within the warranty period, you should start by contacting DJI support. You can do this by calling them directly, emailing, or submitting a ticket on their support page (link). 

You have to prove you bought the drone from them or an authorized dealer by providing an order number, receipt, and proof of purchase.

DJI’s technicians will try to diagnose the problem and guide you on how to fix the issue remotely. But not all problems can be fixed with them guiding you over the phone, and they may require you to ship the drone to them or an authorized repair service provider. 

DJI may choose to fix the drone and send it back to you, or they could send you a new drone. In your best-case scenario, you will not have to pay for anything as long as the problem lies within the warranty’s provision.

Other limitations #

DJI takes responsibility for any damage or loss as the drone is in transit (as long as they handle the transportation) and when it’s in their possession.

NOTE: The warranty terms may differ slightly based on the region’s regulations. 

Is a DJI Warranty transferable? #

Yes, it is. When selling a drone or gifting a drone, you can transfer the proof of purchase to the new owner. As long as the malfunctions develop within the warranty period, the new owner can also benefit from the warranty. 

However, this doesn’t mean you can transfer the warranty of one drone to another drone.

Will DJI replace a lost drone? #

Yes, DJI can replace a lost drone, but this is not included with the standard warranty. Replacement for lost drones due to a flyaway is included with a DJI Care Refresh plan, but it only applies to the DJI Mini 2 and the Mavic Air 2. 

The cost for one of these drones new is $225 for the Mini 2 or $399 for the Mavic Air 2. Then on top of that, the DJI Care Refresh costs $49 for the Mini 2 and $149 for the Mavic Air 2. 

When you add that to the replacement costs, you’ll end up paying less than buying a new drone from the store. 

Unfortunately, that’s the only replacement you can get for a lost drone, as the flyaway coverage doesn’t apply to other drone models, and you’ll not be eligible if the drone crashes into the water and gets lost, if the drone gets stolen, or gets lost due to negligence.

How to register a DJI Warranty #

You don’t necessarily need to do anything, or register to be eligible for a DJI warranty. The warranty takes effect the day the drone is delivered. What you need to do is to activate your drone when you first get it. 

Follow these steps to activate your drone:

• Make sure the battery is fully charged.
• Switch on your controller and connect it to the smartphone.
• Switch on your drone and connect it to the controller.
• Open the DJI GO 4 app and click “Next” on the first screen that appears.
• You will be prompted to name the drone, set the type of control you prefer, set the measurement units, and customize the buttons.
• Create your DJI account and activate it using your email.
• And that’s it, you will be ready to fly, and the drone will be eligible for the warranty.

FAQ #

Can DJI track a lost drone? #

Yes, they can, but the options are pretty limited. If you suffered a flyaway or your drone was stolen, chances of recovering it are very minimal. 

And as we’ve mentioned, except for the Mavic Mini 2 and Mavic Air 2, you can’t get a replacement if a drone gets lost. There are two options to track a lost DJI drone:

• DJI Aeroscope – This is DJI’s drone detection system mainly designed for law enforcement. It was designed to combat illegal activities and will only detect drones within the 50KM range. But these drones have to be powered on. If the battery is removed or not working, then the drone can’t be detected.
• Find my Drone App – DJI drones come with a Find My Drone app, which helps you find your drone as long as it’s near the controller, and the drone is powered on.

We have also discussed how to manually track your lost drone in this post »

Can I buy DJI Care Refresh after a crash? #

No, you can’t buy DJI Care Refresh if you’ve already crashed your drone. You pretty much always have to buy the DJI Care Refresh within 48 hours of activating your drone. After 48 hours, you may have to provide video proof that the drone is intact, but there’s no guarantee that the drone will be approved for DJI Care Refresh.

The best way to cushion yourself against a loss is to insure your drone through drone insurance companies that offer comprehensive coverage »

Can You Buy DJI Care Refresh Every Year? #

No, you can’t. Each drone is only eligible for the Refresh plan once. Once your year of DJI Care Refresh coverage is up, you can purchase one more year of DJI Care Refresh Plus. This effectively limits your coverage to two years. 

If your drone lasts several years, it will eventually run out of both the standard warranty and the Care Refresh, and you’ll be better off with third-party insurance.

Conclusion #

As you can see, the DJI Warranty doesn’t offer much. It only covers manufacturing defects, lasts a maximum of 12 months, and not many people get to benefit from it. Let’s face it. You can’t expect much protection for damage to your drone within the provisions of the DJI Warranty. 

That’s why I’d suggest you consider the DJI Care or the DJI Care Refresh package. At a small cost, you get better coverage and for a longer period. Think of it as a way to insure your drone, which is a necessity, by the way, especially for those who use drones for commercial purposes.

Image Credit: Photo by Jake Charles on Unsplash