Subaru Dealer Holds BRZ Hostage After Facebook-Stalking The Owner's Track Day Photos

[wreckedrex]

Voided warranties for track/autox use are nothing new. I remember stories of Honda and/or mitsubishi doing the same thing 10 years ago, albeit with less stalker-ey-ness. It's pretty clear by the wording in the warranty that denial of coverage is a risk you take if you track the car.

The shady bit is holding the car hostage for payment of costs that were not agreed upon prior to the work beginning. If that's true the dealer deserves every bit of bad press that comes their way.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by murdoc

So...did tracking the car cause the damage or should the dealer honor the warranty?

Also why would they do work without customer approval? I wouldn't even change wiper blades on a car without checking with the customer.

I totally fail to see how either tracking or modding the car would cause a fuel pump to fail.

[ericwudi0830]

i dont know if the article was about promoting her brand if it wasn't made clear what the brand is

[Gunman]

Everyone is one social media post away from unemployment, or in this case, loss of warranty coverage.

[Cole]

Also, I wonder if the internet would have cared had this been a guy it happened to?

[airjonny]

Honestly, I don't think the dealer would have tried it if it was a guy. Looks like they were trying to scare her.

[Azzudien]

Originally Posted by Impureclient

Sorry but not sorry, I call complete horseshit. If you are posting your business online for the entire world to see, then don't complain when it doesn't go your way. The poor excuse people make of: is even more weapons grade bullshit. Just because there isn't a 1st , 2nd, etc place doesn't mean you aren't racing the car. I mean they even posted up her on a track with a helmet and the car leaning in a corner with another car racing behind her. Don't play dumb when it's clear what the car is being used for.

It is situations like this that will make sure everybody else gets punished for a few people pushing the limit of dealer warranty. We all shouldn't be surprised if the manufacturers warranties start specifically stating that if the car leaves public roads and enters a track that the car completely loses it's factory warranty. We all know that the warranty implicitly does not want us racing the car around if we intend to keep our warranties intact. She is most definitely racing the car and shouldn't expect 100% compliancy when things go wrong.
When I drove in with several parts change out on my car and wanted the fuel pump TSB done, I fully expected them to decline the warranty work and was alright with taking that responsibility because of changes I did to the car. They did the work anyway and I am grateful for them for doing so. We all have been hosed or know somebody else who has been taken advantage of by the dealer and this girl is not one of them. How many times do we hear about people swapping back in the original parts or told to do so when they go back to a dealer for warranty work...countless times. The only way the dealer was in the wrong here is when they repaired the car without telling her she would be responsible. It sounds like they took care of her either way at the end of this though so she should feel lucky they even did that.
We all know why this is even news here with her own jalopnik article out of all the dealership horror stories in the first place.... because she is a pretty girl.


"competition or racing event" = no speed limit/road signs/traffic/etc You know places where we are allowed to do anything we want with our cars and police can't arrest us for it.


Really..."pleasure/hobby driving".....

I really didn't want to quote your entire post, but I might as well since the entire post was way off line.

You make the claim if a car is on the track it is racing. I don't know what events you have been going to, but HPDE events are anything but racing. Designated passing zones, no passing without a point by, non experienced drivers MUST have instructor in car, put 4 wheels off track mandatory pit for discussion, do it again get kicked from event. I feel safer on the track at an HPDE even than I do on the road.

Even if you never take your car on a track, it would be difficult for anyone on this forum to claim they have never partaken in high performance driving. You never went around a corner fast? You never took an off ramp or on ramp on freeway fast so you could feel the cornering ability of the car?
Of course not, because you bought a BRZ/86 for its ride comfort and it rear seat leg room. And the massive trunk so you could take road trips and put your golf clubs and luggage in there. You needed a family car that seated you, your wife and 3 kids comfortable. That is why you bought the BRZ?

https://www.subaru.com/2017-brz-series-yellow

Check out the link, why would Subaru not honor a warranty because the car was on the track? The Series Yellow pictures plastered all over SUBARU's website is of the car ON THE TRACK!!!!
They should cover mechanical issues caused by high performance driving, that is how they advertised the car. Should they cover it if you go into a wall? No of course not. Should they cover her fuel pump when there is ZERO external damage to the tank. Absolutely yes

[HimBRZ]

Not familiar enough with the details of the mod, but I believe her car was converted to E85. Maybe not properly done? Other than that, the warranty wording does say work isn't covered if the damage resulted from competition. My interpretation is the dealer or manufacturer needs to prove the damage was caused by the track use. My experience is that question doesn't get answered unless the case goes to court.

[Impureclient]

Originally Posted by Azzudien

I really didn't want to quote your entire post, but I might as well since the entire post was way off line.

You make the claim if a car is on the track it is racing. I don't know what events you have been going to, but HPDE events are anything but racing. Designated passing zones, no passing without a point by, non experienced drivers MUST have instructor in car, put 4 wheels off track mandatory pit for discussion, do it again get kicked from event. I feel safer on the track at an HPDE even than I do on the road.

Even if you never take your car on a track, it would be difficult for anyone on this forum to claim they have never partaken in high performance driving. You never went around a corner fast? You never took an off ramp or on ramp on freeway fast so you could feel the cornering ability of the car?
Of course not, because you bought a BRZ/86 for its ride comfort and it rear seat leg room. And the massive trunk so you could take road trips and put your golf clubs and luggage in there. You needed a family car that seated you, your wife and 3 kids comfortable. That is why you bought the BRZ?

https://www.subaru.com/2017-brz-series-yellow

Check out the link, why would Subaru not honor a warranty because the car was on the track? The Series Yellow pictures plastered all over SUBARU's website is of the car ON THE TRACK!!!!
They should cover mechanical issues caused by high performance driving, that is how they advertised the car. Should they cover it if you go into a wall? No of course not. Should they cover her fuel pump when there is ZERO external damage to the tank. Absolutely yes

I also agree they should have covered the pump in this situation and afterwards warned her that beyond that point, her racing the car could have an impact on other issues that arise. I also believe what she was doing was clearly racing the car. When people start driving around public streets with helmets and harnesses on, then maybe I'll rethink my statement but until that time what she was doing is racing the car and it clearly states:

These warranties do not cover damage to any component that is the result of operating the vehicle in any competition or racing event.

There is a reason that HPDE insurance exists. If you think that running around a race track and having another car ram into you will be covered by your regular car insurance, I have got bad news for you. You're right about many us all hooning around but we all follow a thin line when we "race" our cars on or off track. I doubt that a sleek marketing campaign aimed at enticing track enthusiasts to buy a sporty car will be an excuse for breaking a warranties limits if it went in front of a judge to decide. Pretty sure it's already been mentioned but other sports cars do have a line in the warranties that do include coverage for on track issues, ours currently doesn't.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by airjonny

Honestly, I don't think the dealer would have tried it if it was a guy. Looks like they were trying to scare her.

But dealers do it to guys here all the time. I don't buy that.
Besides the point was that she got the "media" coverage because of her sex not that she got refused the service.
If I went to the internet with the exact same tale I would just get told to piss off and there isn't a hope in hell that any car site would be doing investigative journalism to cover the story.

[Soloside]

Originally Posted by Cole

Also, I wonder if the internet would have cared had this been a guy it happened to?

probably not.




but do you think I'd be able to make some money off pictures I take on a bed with a helmet?

[Cole]

Originally Posted by Soloside

probably not.




but do you think I'd be able to make some money off pictures I take on a bed with a helmet?

If I swung for both teams more often, I'd consider buying one.

[Hags86]

Quotes from Toyota Australian website (I had similar issues doing HDPE and warranty)

The 86 shares DNA with some of the most exciting track-proven sports car ever made and it was tested on track at key stages of its development.

The car's performance was tested on gruelling tracks such as Fuji Speedway and Shibets in Japan and the Nürburgring in Germany

The 86 has been tested on tough test tracks like the Nürburgring to make sure it offers the highest levels of reliability and performance in all kinds of conditions. Is one of those conditions on a track?

I call bullshit that using this as the car is intended and SPECIFICALLY ADVERTISED voids warranty.

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by Hags86

I call bullshit that using this as the car is intended and SPECIFICALLY ADVERTISED voids warranty.

This. Genitals and instagram are a distraction from what matters here, Toyota and Subaru aren't standing behind their product as far as customers are concerned. (I don't care about dealership vs. corporate, what matters is customer experience)

What's the point of buying a new sports car if actually driving it puts you at risk for getting screwed by a lazy service department? Might as well save $5k+ and buy used, that would have covered all repairs, maintenance, and track consumables on this BRZ out of pocket.