Will using 'aftermarket' parts void my warranty?

[AZhitman]

Will using 'aftermarket' parts void my warranty?

No. An 'aftermarket' part is a part made by a company other than the vehicle manufacturer or the original equipment manufacturer. Simply using an aftermarket part does not void your warranty. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act makes it illegal for companies to void your warranty or deny coverage under the warranty simply because you used an aftermarket part. Still, if it turns out that the aftermarket part was itself defective or wasn't installed correctly, and it causes damage to another part that is covered under the warranty, the manufacturer or dealer has the right to deny coverage for that part and charge you for any repairs. The FTC says the manufacturer or dealer must show that the aftermarket equipment caused the need for repairs before denying warranty coverage.

By the way, this isn't really "news". This has all been in effect since 1975.

But, since someone in the community decided to dredge it up and report it as "news", I figured I'd share it with you all - it's good information to know!

Read more about it here: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consume ... lt192.shtm

[rc1honda]

Glad to hear. I have really been wanting to get some exhaust and suspension for my E90, but held back becuase i was afraid to viod the warranty. No if it his the fan i can say the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act says you still have to cover me.

[downedzephyr]

thank you for finally posting this; i don't know how many times i've answered this question. include it as a sticky or as part of an info thread, mayhaps?

[PoorManQ45]

Will using 'aftermarket' parts void my warranty?

No. An 'aftermarket' part is a part made by a company other than the vehicle manufacturer or the original equipment manufacturer. Simply using an aftermarket part does not void your warranty. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act makes it illegal for companies to void your warranty or deny coverage under the warranty simply because you used an aftermarket part. Still, if it turns out that the aftermarket part was itself defective or wasn't installed correctly, and it causes damage to another part that is covered under the warranty, the manufacturer or dealer has the right to deny coverage for that part and charge you for any repairs. The FTC says the manufacturer or dealer must show that the aftermarket equipment caused the need for repairs before denying warranty coverage.

By the way, this isn't really "news". This has all been in effect since 1975.

But, since someone in the community decided to dredge it up and report it as "news", I figured I'd share it with you all - it's good information to know!

Read more about it here: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consume ... lt192.shtm

everything you posted is absolutely legally true.

the problem is that you can't waltz into your local dealer spouting this.

it's the equivalent of telling a police office that they are wrong when writing a citation.

even though the law states that the onus is on the company to prove that the aftermarket part caused the failure prior to denying the claim.

this is not the case the manufacturer will state that the part failed due to the modification. such as an upgraded exhaust causing a rod failure. it's not an unheard of jump to say that the increased power caused the failure.

once this claim is made the onus of proof transfers to the owner of the part.

at the very least a lawyer may/will be needed to force the company to properly prove their claim.

this causes all sorts of headaches.

[alms24sebring]

I didn't know that. I always thought that any mods would void a warranty, even something as simple as brakes, intake, or wheels.

Thanks, good to know

[PEZi]

everything you posted is absolutely legally true.

the problem is that you can't waltz into your local dealer spouting this.

it's the equivalent of telling a police office that they are wrong when writing a citation.

even though the law states that the onus is on the company to prove that the aftermarket part caused the failure prior to denying the claim.

this is not the case the manufacturer will state that the part failed due to the modification. such as an upgraded exhaust causing a rod failure. it's not an unheard of jump to say that the increased power caused the failure.

once this claim is made the onus of proof transfers to the owner of the part.

at the very least a lawyer may/will be needed to force the company to properly prove their claim.

this causes all sorts of headaches.

meh... also true

my friend has a decently modded '05 BMW... i picked it up from the dealership for him once and they told me they will no longer work on his car if we bring it in because of the mods... basically they know about the law but don't want to have to deal with it... they fixed the problem at the time (alternator) but said that due to the extensive mods and "illegal header" they would no longer even touch the car

[mdawg4x4]

The stealerships around here try to blame every issue on the mods you have done to your vehicle. I had a auto transmission valve body go bad and stop shifting to drive. They tried to blame it on my Alpine HU. I asked them what the HU had to do with the transmission, and they tried to blame it on wire modifications in the dash, even though I used a wire harness adapter.

[downedzephyr]

the nissan dealership that i go to really doesn't care that i have mods on my car, guess i'm one of the lucky few

[sultan]

what's a warranty?

[audtatious]

the nissan dealership that i go to really doesn't care that i have mods on my car, guess i'm one of the lucky few

Mine never cared and even replaced a blown stock strut after an Eibach drop once.

[vocationalzero]

what's a warranty?

+1

[maxhopper]

Still, if it turns out that the aftermarket part was itself defective or wasn't installed correctly, and it causes damage to another part that is covered under the warranty, the manufacturer or dealer has the right to deny coverage for that part and charge you for any repairs.

As someone who deals with warranties on a daily basis, that is the most improtant part of the quote.

In regards to suspension mods that someone mentioned above, usually if the suspension has not been altered by 2 or more inches then there shouldn't be a problem.

[dusred]

If I put a chip on my brand new Duramax it voids the warranty. Period.

[PoorManQ45]

If I put a chip on my brand new Duramax it voids the warranty. Period.

That depends.

A chip will put more stress on the engine and transmission.

Things like the suspension and chassis would not be affected. Those parts would legally still have a warranty.

Per the law, the manufacturer still "has" to prove that the modification directly caused the failure.

An example of this: VW/Audi/Porsche require that you use a certain spec oil per their user manual. If a failure of the engine occurs and they find out that you are not using their oil they will initially deny the claim. The legal onus is on the manufacturer to prove that the different oil directly caused the failure. Lets say it was a timing chain failure. It would be almost impossible for them to prove that the different oil directly caused this failure.

The problem comes in when the manufacturer initially denies the claim. At this point you must escalate to corporate. They will review the claim and make a decision. If they choose to deny the claim still you must get legal representation to force the manufacturer to provide DIRECT evidence of the cause of the failure. This may cost you upwards of thousands of dollars in legal fees.

Most people do not want to go through with this. Depending on the vehicle it may be worth it as a failed timing chain on an interference motor would pretty much require a complete rebuild/replacement.

[scotty-2-forty]

My dad was in new truck sales and service almost his whole life, so I've been around dealerships and service departments most of my life too. In '95 I bought a new Dodge Neon coupe. Other than tinting the windows, the first mod I did was an underdrive pulley from Unorthodox Racing (which coincidentally became a supplier of mine later). Nice seat-of-the-pants upgrade for the money.

Within that first year of ownership, the driver's window started showing signs of some sort of scratching, apparently from the window guides. I took it into the Dodge dealership and the service advisor looked the whole car over, even popping the hood. As soon as he saw the bright blue anodized pulley he says to me, "Sorry, can't work on your car because it's been modified and voids your warranty."

I was like WTF, and asked him to explain the relation between adding a pulley and scratches on my window. Here is what he said, and I quote, "That pulley is adding some sort of harmonic imbalance which is effectively causing the rest of the car to vibrate out of spec." .... LOL! - HELLO?!! Unbelievable, especially because I have been around the best of the bunch since I was a kid. I demanded to see a manager. When he came out, he looked the car over in the same manner, talked to the SA and concurred with him.

Yes, I went somewhere else, and funny - had absolutely no problem getting the guides replaced because there was apparently a TSB regarding them.

[scotty-2-forty]

If I put a chip on my brand new Duramax it voids the warranty. Period.

Just remove it when you go in for service. I did this several times with my F-350's Superchip years ago; no problem.

[zerepdivad]

The stealerships around here try to blame every issue on the mods you have done to your vehicle. I had a auto transmission valve body go bad and stop shifting to drive. They tried to blame it on my Alpine HU. I asked them what the HU had to do with the transmission, and they tried to blame it on wire modifications in the dash, even though I used a wire harness adapter.

I work doing mobile electronics for a living currently while in school, and you would not believe the kind of crap dealership "techs" pull out of their a** to get out of doing warranty work. anything and everything is caused by a radio installation, or remote start system... EVERYTHING apparently according to most dealers around here. it's pathetic because i can't tell if they're just complete idiots or if they are just trying to scam the customer..

[dusred]

If I put a chip on my brand new Duramax it voids the warranty. Period.

Just remove it when you go in for service. I did this several times with my F-350's Superchip years ago; no problem.

That only works on pre 2007 trucks. On the new ones the ECM logs the engine data so the dealer can tell if you've been running a chip.

If I put a chip on my brand new Duramax it voids the warranty. Period.

That depends.

A chip will put more stress on the engine and transmission.

Things like the suspension and chassis would not be affected. Those parts would legally still have a warranty.

Per the law,

If the dealer finds out you have a chip it voids the entire warranty. I'm sure you could spend $20,000 and sue them but it's not worth it and they have more money than you. On a diesel truck it will void the warranty. Period. A friend of mine designs and manufactures chips for a living but they don't add HP they just delete the stupid new exhaust garbage. If the power locks stop working you take it in for warranty and they hook their computer up and see that there's a chip on there they won't fix your locks. One has nothing to do with the other. Warranty = Voided from then on. If you wanted to sue them I suppose you could.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Dealers will absolutely f*** you every chance they get. The following letter is a completely real life letter that my s*** lawyer got from the s*** Dobbs Honda dealership. 100% of it is BS pulled from the asses of... ***holes.



Can you get away with it? Yeah, probably, but not after a s*** load of legal hoo-hah.

Note: My car does NOT have an aftermarket header, nor did they replace any of the bolts, nor did they even heat them up. s***. If they can make those claims on someone that has a totally stock vehicle, they can make it on a modified one.

[dusred]

Dealers will absolutely f*** you every chance they get.

Troof. The only dealer that didn't bone me was Infiniti of Scottsdale and they were just selling me parts. Each time I leave a dealer I feel violated in the a**. The local Ford dealer is the worse I've ever seen (St. George Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury). I've been there three times and each time swore I'd never go back.

[Urabus GodofTraction]

Dealers will absolutely f*** you every chance they get. The following letter is a completely real life letter that my s*** lawyer got from the s*** Dobbs Honda dealership. 100% of it is BS pulled from the asses of... ***holes.



Can you get away with it? Yeah, probably, but not after a s*** load of legal hoo-hah.

Note: My car does NOT have an aftermarket header, nor did they replace any of the bolts, nor did they even heat them up. bullsh*t. If they can make those claims on someone that has a totally stock vehicle, they can make it on a modified one.

FFFUUUUU. Remind me to document everything. Always.

[KGB]

It all sounds like everyone is modding once its hit the street right outside the dealers parking lot. if you modded it yourself or even had an independent shop hook you up they arent doing the job. its kinda like when you get one of those alternators with a 2-3 yr warranty it goes bad you try to fix it but cant and try to take it in as warrnty, you dont get full, or no, credit, if theyre that much of an a** all because you did it.

NOW IF! Say you have them put it in, and it is costly, and itll be on the work order and recipt, you can complain all you wand they can fire back as much as they want. But, the fact of the matter is, even though the equipment itself may be faulty do to engineering flaws, they still have to replace it because they are promising the job will be done correctly and that it should last for a long long time. I know this because I took a course in law and went to mechanic school-->Wyotech

[themadscientist]

Wyotech offers law classes?

[KGB]

haha your following me, or am I following you? No they dont. When I graduated I took a law course. I should add that the dealer should have the parts when the car is being purchased so everything is in the cars warranty

[themadscientist]

Perhaps we are running around in a circle, thus who's following who? A-ha!

I don't trust dealers. They are usually capable, but sneaky, or willing, but incompetent.

[DamonDread]

Never bought anything brand new, or used from a dealer. Never plan on it either.

[mdawg4x4]

The stealerships around here try to blame every issue on the mods you have done to your vehicle. I had a auto transmission valve body go bad and stop shifting to drive. They tried to blame it on my Alpine HU. I asked them what the HU had to do with the transmission, and they tried to blame it on wire modifications in the dash, even though I used a wire harness adapter.

I work doing mobile electronics for a living currently while in school, and you would not believe the kind of crap dealership "techs" pull out of their a** to get out of doing warranty work. anything and everything is caused by a radio installation, or remote start system... EVERYTHING apparently according to most dealers around here. it's pathetic because i can't tell if they're just complete idiots or if they are just trying to scam the customer..

It is all about cost containment and profitability. Then there is the new car ratings and owner satisfaction reflected by warranty work. No paperwork, no issues.