Modifications and warranty. Post your experiences
 

It's very unclear which upgrades will or will not void warranty. Can people share examples/experiences of positive or negative warranty claims?

For instance, I would like an UEL header (full exhaust really) but unsure of warranty issues in the future.

Well, if you have a motor issue with them installed, and the dealership can make a valid point that your upgrade could have caused the damage, then you void the warranty on the part. So, full exhaust a dealer could say your engine no longer has a warranty. Thats how I view it and how most people seem to approach it here.

Also, it sounds like some dealerships will try and void most of your warranty for any upgrades.....so be prepared to fight that one.

Bottom line, if something breaks(such as motor) and you have a full exhaust system, and they can determine the motor was running lean cause of the exhaust, you have no warranty for that repair.

There is one way to keep your warranty from being voided; Have the dealership install the part. The catch to that is it has to be a Toyota product, not aftermarket unless the dealership, themselves, carry it.

Great relationships with dealerships go a long way imo. I have an awesome dealership I work with and I can pretty much do whatever I want to the car weather they install it or not and they will not void the warranty unless the part that failed was a part I changed in which case I wouldn't expect them to cover it anyway.

The only exception to this is if the people who validate the claims come to inspect. However I have never had to have warranty work done on anything knock on wood so far. But they have numerous times bought my projects from either out right or on trade and then resold them with a warranty on them

I agree with Jay. The first time I met my service manager (named Jay) we had a long conversation about cars. Turns out he used to race the original 86 at Daytona. I told him I thought the FR-S was underpowered and eventually I would have to go FI. He said he didn't care what I do to the car, he would back me up on the warranty.
Next time I brought the car in was to get a new transmission. It was lowered, had an OFT tune and open flash header, cat back exhaust and a Phantom ESC. Jay said it was COOL.
So, yes a good relationship with your service manager goes a long way.

Thanks Utah. That is precisely my concern. I bought a CPO car with 100k mile drivetrain coverage. Even the possibility of voiding that is cause for hesitation.

Have you had an experience with an issue like this or similar?

I have a chirping noise at idol. When I take it in in the next couple of weeks I'm going to make an effort to meet the service manager and try to build some rapport.

Just so you know, there is no fix for the chirping. They will replace the HPFP and the noise will go away but it will eventually come back.

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There is a great deal of confusion regarding vehicle modifications and manufacturer warranties on the Internet. What follows are some simplistic clarifications to help consumers navigate the murky waters of vehicle modifications and warranties.


Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act: This act provides a host of benefits for common consumers, and some protections for automotive enthusiasts as well. The Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act may be viewed as a federal "lemon law" (California's state lemon law is the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act). Lemon laws serve the basic function of protecting the consumer from vehicle defects and improper warranty denial or abuse.


Magnusson-Moss provides that before a manufacturer can deny warranty coverage as a result of a vehicle modification (e.g., aftermarket exhaust or wheels), the manufacturer must provide proof or evidence that the aftermarket part caused or contributed to a warranty concern or issue. [*Please check your owner's manual for the extent and duration of all vehicle warranties before attempting to assert protections provided by Magnusson-Moss.]

For example, if you have an aftermarket exhaust, and you take your car to the dealership to service a transmission issue, the manufacturer must demonstrate a causal link between your aftermarket exhaust and the transmission issue in order to deny warranty coverage that would have addressed the transmission issue.


In the event that an aftermarket part or component is found to have caused or contributed to a warranty issue, then the warranty for that specific manufacturer part is no longer valid; the warranty for the rest of the vehicle still remains in effect. For example, a manufacturer cannot void your powertrain (engine/transmission) warranty because you installed an aftermarket stereo head unit and amplifier in your car, and your factory speakers are now blown and no longer functional. Only the portion of the manufacturer's warranty for the vehicle's factory (original) sound system is affected. Your powertrain warranty remains intact despite the fact you modified the interior of your car, damaged the factory speakers, and no longer have warranty coverage for your factory/original sound system.


Real World Implications: Despite the protections provided by Magnusson-Moss, many automotive dealerships (which are independently owned and operated) will attempt to void vehicle warranties (or refuse service under warranty) because of aftermarket parts or modifications because they know that many people are not aware of their rights, will not go through the trouble of fighting the dealership and/or manufacturer, or do not want to wait to have vehicle service performed at a later date. *Remember that your vehicle warranties are through the manufacturer, and that the dealership is compensated by the manufacturer for warranty service when the service is approved by the manufacturer or its service divisions.


Preventative Solutions/Tips:
1) Try to have your vehicle serviced at a dealership that is fair and reasonable with respect to vehicle modifications. Inquire as to the dealership's stance regarding modifications before going in for service with aftermarket parts installed. Some dealerships are owned by enthusiasts and they appreciate the modifications performed by owners, and other dealerships don't want to deal with the potential liability or headaches that come with servicing modified vehicles under warranty. There are many dealerships that take no issue with modifications such as air intakes, cat-back exhausts, lowering springs, and aftermarket wheels, but draw the line at more involved modifications such as forced induction or aftermarket tunes. Conversely, there are dealerships that will take issue with minor modifications such as an aftermarket air filter or an axle-back exhaust.


2) Certain manufacturers provide branded performance parts such as intakes and lowering springs from in-house racing developers or third party affiliates such as TRD or STi. Performance upgrades from these sources are often backed with factory warranties so long as they are installed by a dealer. This is one potential way to avoid warranty hassles, but the trade-off is that these upgrade parts are limited in application and can be rather expensive.


3) Some dealerships will even install aftermarket (not from TRD or STi) parts for you, but be aware that if something goes wrong, and a warranty issue arises, all bets are off regarding your treatment by the dealership. If possible, get a written representation from the dealership that installed the aftermarket parts that you will be covered in the event of a subsequent warranty issue.


Editor's note: Organizations such as SEMA can provide you with more in-depth information and additional resources regarding the aftermarket industry and aftermarket parts.

First 5k serviced maitenence, I had a axleback with titanium tips, and the service advisor just asked wow the FRS should've came with those tips stock. I think its just based on the dealerships reputation on treating customers.

To stay safe, I am doing a full exhaust, intake and OFT since all of these are easy to uninstall.

Actually, it's VERY clear.

Aftermarket parts do not void any part of your warranty. To think installing aftermarket parts will throw your warranty out the window is a very poor way to look at how warranties work in general.

Your warranty coverage may be impacted by the installation of aftermarket parts. How you go about resolving issues is going to be about the relationship you have with them. At the end of the day, a dealer can honor warranty claims or deny them. No one other than yourself or Subaru can "void" warranty coverage, and they usually only do that if the car no longer exists. Literally.

-alex

Thanks for all the good information!

Unfortunately Magnusson-Moss doesn't appear to have an equivalent in Canada. My dealer refused to check a wheelbearing issue because I had an axleback exhaust.