Hi, first post here but after browsing through the forum looking for interesting info on the Coupe I had to start a thread on this.
Adding aftermarket parts to your car WILL NOT VOID your warranty.
As consumers, we have rights. Any dealership that voids your warranty, or even tries to, for having a K&N filter, headers, cold air intake, cat back exhaust or even a turbo upgrade is essentially breaking the law. Most of the time it only takes a little reminder of that for the dealership to honor the warranty you paid for.
They must prove your part caused the failure to begin with.
That said, if you rebuild your engine from the ground up with all new parts you shouldn't expect the warranty to cover it if you run too much boost and blow it to bits. They will obviously only cover their parts so if you're aftermarket headers you bought off Ebay rust to bits in a months time they will not cover that. (never buy Ebay products, they're garbage)
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"The Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act was passed way back in 1975 to combat this exact subject, and ensure that you have the freedom to choose aftermarket parts and upgrades without having your warranty stripped or voided.
Dealerships and car companies are required to prove that any modification of the vehicle with aftermarket parts is the cause of the failure. In addition, even if the part in question caused the failure, does not mean a complete and ultimate void of the warranty, just in that particular case. For example if a turbo kit was installed that was proven to have caused engine damage, any other portion of the warranty, for example the radio or climate control malfunctioned, the warranty would still cover those items, exactly as they would if no modifications had been made.
This month the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) issued a Consumer Alert confirming that it is in fact illegal to void warranties or deny coverage for the use of an aftermarket part. See the FTC Website here. Excerpt of the Consumer Alert:
Will using ‘aftermarket’ parts void my warranty?
No. An ‘aftermarket’ part is a part made by a company other than the vehicle manufacturer or the original equipment manufacturer. Simply using an aftermarket part does not void your warranty. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act makes it illegal for companies to void your warranty or deny coverage under the warranty simply because you used an aftermarket part. Still, if it turns out that the aftermarket part was itself defective or wasn’t installed correctly, and it causes damage to another part that is covered under the warranty, the manufacturer or dealer has the right to deny coverage for that part and charge you for any repairs. The FTC says the manufacturer or dealer must show that the aftermarket equipment caused the need for repairs before denying warranty coverage.
The Consumer Alert was issued in response to a complaint filed by several of SEMA’s associations, dedicated to the automotive industry, enthusiasts, manufacturers and retailers who empower all of our passion for the automotive world."
Sourced from the Stillen blog:
http://blog.stillen.com/2011/01/fed...l-aftermarket-parts-without-voiding-warranty/
Federal Trade Commission alert:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt192.shtm
Adding aftermarket parts to your car WILL NOT VOID your warranty.
As consumers, we have rights. Any dealership that voids your warranty, or even tries to, for having a K&N filter, headers, cold air intake, cat back exhaust or even a turbo upgrade is essentially breaking the law. Most of the time it only takes a little reminder of that for the dealership to honor the warranty you paid for.
They must prove your part caused the failure to begin with.
That said, if you rebuild your engine from the ground up with all new parts you shouldn't expect the warranty to cover it if you run too much boost and blow it to bits. They will obviously only cover their parts so if you're aftermarket headers you bought off Ebay rust to bits in a months time they will not cover that. (never buy Ebay products, they're garbage)
-----------------------
"The Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act was passed way back in 1975 to combat this exact subject, and ensure that you have the freedom to choose aftermarket parts and upgrades without having your warranty stripped or voided.
Dealerships and car companies are required to prove that any modification of the vehicle with aftermarket parts is the cause of the failure. In addition, even if the part in question caused the failure, does not mean a complete and ultimate void of the warranty, just in that particular case. For example if a turbo kit was installed that was proven to have caused engine damage, any other portion of the warranty, for example the radio or climate control malfunctioned, the warranty would still cover those items, exactly as they would if no modifications had been made.
This month the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) issued a Consumer Alert confirming that it is in fact illegal to void warranties or deny coverage for the use of an aftermarket part. See the FTC Website here. Excerpt of the Consumer Alert:
Will using ‘aftermarket’ parts void my warranty?
No. An ‘aftermarket’ part is a part made by a company other than the vehicle manufacturer or the original equipment manufacturer. Simply using an aftermarket part does not void your warranty. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act makes it illegal for companies to void your warranty or deny coverage under the warranty simply because you used an aftermarket part. Still, if it turns out that the aftermarket part was itself defective or wasn’t installed correctly, and it causes damage to another part that is covered under the warranty, the manufacturer or dealer has the right to deny coverage for that part and charge you for any repairs. The FTC says the manufacturer or dealer must show that the aftermarket equipment caused the need for repairs before denying warranty coverage.
The Consumer Alert was issued in response to a complaint filed by several of SEMA’s associations, dedicated to the automotive industry, enthusiasts, manufacturers and retailers who empower all of our passion for the automotive world."
Sourced from the Stillen blog:
http://blog.stillen.com/2011/01/fed...l-aftermarket-parts-without-voiding-warranty/
Federal Trade Commission alert:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt192.shtm
