Quote:
Originally Posted by Trueweltall
^ Good luck arguing with the dealer and SOA when you can't prove you changed your oil every time @ the interval if you ever develop engine problems.
|
When my oil pump gear exploded and spun two bearings and took out one of the heads, the local dealer didn't even ask me about oil changes or any other maintenance. They just said, "Yep, it's toast," and built me an engine under warranty. They gave me a loaner under warranty while it was in the shop. (I'm not significantly modded, though.)
In the US at least, a company can deny a warranty claim, but you can always sue them or take them to arbitration (if your sales contract requires it). Then they'll need to be able to convince a judge or arbitrator that your modification or actions caused the problem. That's not always easy to do. And even if they have strong evidence that it did, a lot of judges fall back on the idea of "deep pockets" liability, where it's assumed that the manufacturer has deeper pockets than the consumer and should just pay it anyway.
Someone here posted a story a couple of years ago about how he was a tech at a dealership that denied warranty work, and he had to testify. He said they had the guy dead to rights on his aftermarket turbo causing engine damage. The judge actually agreed with them that it was the owner's fault but ruled in the owner's favor anyway because the dealership was assumed to have deeper pockets.
The dealers count on you being intimidated by being told they're going to void your warranty. If you do have a problem, you really don't have a whole lot to lose by challenging it anyway.