SUBARU BRZ FIRE

[SubaSteve]

TBH I really think john needs to hire someone to do his e business. It really helps to have someone not directly involved in it to do your customer service stuff. That way your not as emotionally involved.

I work in customer service so I know the right and wrong way to do things. Right now is not the time to attack your customer base. Keep things in pms or emails.

I met john at a meet a couple weeks back. I mean I was there from 10-10 and john was still working out the kinks on a tune when I left. He definitely had a professional vibe while I was watching but not too outgoing. When he tuned my car he took the time to let me know how everything worked.

If john would just work on being more professional and making things right if any mistakes are made he'd continue being an excellent tuner!

[Rampage]

Originally Posted by Toma

No secret John and I do not see eye to eye.

But the owner that requested his car be modified is ultimately responsible.

You as the owner chose to significantly modify a vehicle that had entire TEAMS of engineers design it. Build it. Test it. Refine it. Test it some more. Millions of man hours.

We then aren't happy with the final product so we decide to spend a couple thousand modifying this sculpture. Hose. Fittings. Adapters. Metal tubing. Virtually all is made in China.... non oem. Not tested like the OEMs do...cause no one has that resource.

Fuck with shit and shit WILL go wrong. Hell it even goes wrong on bone stock cars.

As the owner... you are ultimately responsible and hope the parts and installers you have chosen are acting in good faith and double check every aspect of their work.

But there are still gonna be failures.

Like I said. It happened. It was a fluke or accident and nit deliberate that you can prove in a court of law. Be thankful insurance got your back and move on.

I respectfully disagree. If the issue was the result of a faulty design by the maker and seller of the kit or if it is the result of a faulty installation by the professional mechanic then it is not the owner who bears the responsibility.

This is not just MY opinion. I will not debate the issue on this forum. I will just leave it at that.

[Toma]

Originally Posted by SkullWorks

REAL tuners have insurance that would cover this, My tuner carries insurance that covers anything he drives, specifically allowing for catastrophes like this.
@Toma WTF are you talking about?

In the performance aftermarket, proving liability is ver y difficult. Customers blame installers, installers blame manufacturers, manufacturers blame component suppliers etc. Its a long chain. And it's often difficult to place blame.

But ultimately what EVERY failure has in common is an owner that chose to alter what an OEM spent millions of dollars testing and designing.

My modified cars are appraised and insured as such. That's what your insurance is for. If the shop agreed to pay for a failure... cool. But don't rely on that. That would be stupid.

[AVodka14]

Originally Posted by Frs300

it will leak and be empty by the time you get it

HAHA! Even better. Visconti is a joke.

[Charleswinky]

sorry for the loss. looking at the picture made me feel like if it was my own. very heartbreaking.. i almost pulled the trigger to hav my car done as well at the same vendors. scares me now. i hope this gets resolved....

[Chee-Hu]

Damn! It's very sad and disheartening seeing those pictures. I'm sorry for loss, OP. I wasn't expecting anything like this when I clicked on the thread.

[Sivtec]

Originally Posted by Toma

In the performance aftermarket, proving liability is ver y difficult. Customers blame installers, installers blame manufacturers, manufacturers blame component suppliers etc. Its a long chain. And it's often difficult to place blame.

But ultimately what EVERY failure has in common is an owner that chose to alter what an OEM spent millions of dollars testing and designing.

My modified cars are appraised and insured as such. That's what your insurance is for. If the shop agreed to pay for a failure... cool. But don't rely on that. That would be stupid.

You might be right, but here is how I see it. JV sold the kit knowing there was problem with it after people installed it on their cars. Not sure how your going to win that battle especially considering it was fuel related.

I understand there is a huge risk in modifying your car but I disagree that it is ALWAYS your fault. If that was the case why would there be performance shops out there? If they could just get away with doing terrible installs than why would anyone take their car there?

I think the real problem here is the issue of vendors just selling items to make the dough and not doing enough research. A good case and point is the Injen Intake. I really do believe they just threw this out on the market without significant R&D.

Anyways just my 2 cents. To the OP, I can't even imagine how you are feeling right now. I hope things work in your favor.

[DoctorNick]

Aaaaand this is why I am letting others waste their money being "the first". I learned my lesson when the WRX came out back in 01

[The RZ Precept]

This is terrible, sorry for the loss! Curious to see how this develops.

[NickFRS]

This is utter bullshit. I personaly would have called a lawyer before even considering taking the keys from that man.

1. All parts were installed by a shop.
2. Tuner was driving the car when the incident happened.

If he would have T-Boned someone it would have been his fault. This is nowhere near the owner of the vehicles fault. It's DIRECTLY the fault of the shop/tuner. Somewhere someone fucked up.

Sure you take the risks modifying your car but that's if "your doing it and your in possession of it"

As soon as you hand your keys over and don't sign a waiver your car is their RESPONSIBILITY.

Shop insurance or his PERSONAL insurance should be covering this and paying for Time/Money wasted/lost.

[genometuning]

OMG man I am really sorry to hear this happened!

[Gary in NJ]

Even the best aftermarket manufacturers have limited resources when compared to the OEM. Moreover, OEM engineers are tasked with designing components/systems that are reliable, safe & manufacturable. Aftermarket companies (I can't use the term engineer here as many do not employ automotive engineers) are tasked with maximizing performance at the lowest possible CTM. Oh, and a very large dose of marketing...especially where there aren't performance advantages.

In the end we CHOOSE to modify our cars. We risk our warranty to do so. We risk reliability to do so. We never think we are risking safety, but with some products we do. No one makes us part with our money. We do so with the highest of hopes and the best intentions.

Shameless aftermarket manufacturers have been around as long as there has been an aftermarket. They come and go. The road is scattered with their parts and stories.

Companies with great products and strong reputations protect that reputation vehemently. They stand behind their promises and support their products.

[FRSBRZGT86FAN]

Originally Posted by Toma

Curious of why Visconti is being blamed for the fire? If he was just test driving and tuning.... why is he getting the blame?

A fuel leak or oil leak onto a header is really only way for a fire to start. I had a oil leak onto the headers of my mustang almost burn it down 20 years ago. Always have a fire extinguisher in a modded car now.

Because he was driving, and his flex fuel kit was on the car, plus alot of people on here have had bad reps with him like the fact it took an absurdly long time for people to get the tunes they asked for and what not.

[Toma]

Well said Gary. Ill also add that after fucking with cars for over half my life..

You are lucky if you get a manufacturer to take responsibility for a failure. And you have about a million to one chance getting them to cover anything outside their own part.... not even labour lol.

Anyway. You younger guys have to realize the choosing to modify your car is definitely not without risk. And ultimately you are the one holding the bag

You, like all things in life, have to asses risk versus reward and proceed at your own risk.