Quote:
Originally Posted by pacent
So many people site the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act whenever this question comes up, but think about this scenario...
what if you slap on an intake, and your transmission fails. The dealer might say, well, the transmission wasn't design to take on the extra horsepower from your aftermarket intake. They deny your warranty. Then what? You might be able to get Toyota to help you convince the dealership to help you, but what if they don't? You could take them to court, but who do you think will have the better lawyers? All the while, your car is sitting there with a broken transmission.
Long story short, anything you mod will risk part of your warranty going away. The dealership may play along and help you out, but there's always a possibility of getting screwed. |
People often use the Mag/Moss warranty act as ammunition, but it really depends on what you modified and what the issue is, and whether or not you would be willing to hire a lawyer if the dealer denies a claim.
I have done a lot of research on modifying cars under warranty, and what I have determined is that you should probably call your service manager at the dealer(s) where you would have your warranty work done and ask them directly.
Personally I would be very reluctant to mod the ECU on a car under warranty unless I was willing to take the risk of not having my engine covered for any type of failure.
Exhaust, intake, should be straight forward. But again, dealerships are all different. Some may see a younger guy with a car that has been modified and try to deny warranty work because they think you abused the car.
It would be nice if Toyota and Subaru offered manufacturer backed custom performance parts.
I have seen VW dealers that actually offer the ECU mod at their dealership and you retain your warranty.