hey guys i purchased my cobra used approximately 6 months ago and when i got it i purchased an extended warranty option with a 100 dollar deductible....my question is if i get an o/r x pipe will that void any of the warranty that i purchased????? thanks and if you know of any thing else that will void the warranty please let me know....
Warranty Question
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Read all the threads under http://www.corral.net/Forums/search.php?searchid=1559110
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Question: Warranty Issue
What mods can I do to my stang with out voiding my warranty ? I just bought an black 02' GT 5spd and really want to start tinkering with her. I got about $1500 to spend and would appreciate some suggestions from some of you experienced Mustang owners since i'm new to this and don't know alot yet.
__________________
Magnaflow O/R X, Magnaflow Catback, JLT RAI
Answers: It totally depends on the dealer doing the warranty and what they'll let slide. Some let a lot go, some don't. When I had my firebird I took it in for burned out cats and the service manager told me to take it home and remove the aftermarket lid from the airbox before he'd do the warranty work. Some dealerships are up tight like that, some aren't. There's not much you technically can do to the car that wont void the warranty. You can't make it much faster at all...although, if you threw some gears in there must dealers probably wouldn't know. Cat back exhausts most dealers will let slide as long as the stock cat pipe is in place. They'll overlook air filters and such but take it off if the car's going in for MAF related warranty work. If you mod the suspension that wont void the warranty on the engine/tranny/rear.
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If a dealer works on a modded vehicle, they can and will void the warranty at their will if they feel that the part could/can contribute towards any premature failure, excessive wear, drivetrain, suspension, or electrical problems. You'd have trouble arguing with them considering they have the upper hand. And lets face it....many people DO try to take advantage of dealerships and warranties when something breaks on their car due to them racing and/or adding performance parts. I have seen it time and time again... last one was a guy with a 99 or 01 Cobra that broke his axle at the track racing...and he took it to the dealer to try to get it repaired under warranty!. I remember seeing posts in this forum from people doing similar things trying to take advantage of the system.
When I help out at my buddies local mustang shop.. I ALWAYS tell customers that modifying their vehicle could risk having the dealer void their warranty and that it is the inherent risk involved with modifying any vehicle. Some dealers are mod friendly, some are not, if you want to play the game and hot rod a car.. you gotta be willing to give up or lose your warranty.
The dealers don't have to prove anything. If the car's modified in any way to increase acceleration all of the car's parts are now enduring stress above and beyond what they were when the car left the factory and that fact alone can void the warranty on everything. They can and do void warranties at their own free will. Many dealers will let a lot a lot slide, but technically they can void the warranty for anything that increases performance that's not factory or dealer installed. I almost had the warranty axed on my Firebird for an aftermarket airbox lid. I'm sorry but the statement "you can pretty much do anything" is asinine. Try putting a blower on your car and take the car in to the dealer and tell them to replace the transmission under warranty.
Wow, I have had different experiences. Seems the dealer worked on my 99 cobra with LT's, o/r shorty h, flowmasters mufflers, 4.10 gears, steeda shifter, SHM chip, mac cai and I had warranty work done 3 times.
I have seen other people take in their highly modded vehicles for warranty work and they got the work done.
It's called learn the law and when they try and **** with you, bring the game. There are so many dealers that try this, but when you bring the law, which SHOWS RIGHT IN THE LAW, they must prove that a part you added caused the premature failure. Hell bring a lawyer if you have the means and you want to fight it. Too many people do not get tough with dealership and they walk over you. I seen it plenty of times working for the dealerships.
I have seen engine work warranty denied due to DR's on the car. I seriously doubt the Nittos caused so much stress that the IAC motor had a failure.
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I don't know if you've had vastly different experiences because you said you've seen warranty work denied due to drag radials on the car. That's the point I was trying to make about uptight dealers. I never denied that some dealers wont let a lot slide. I know some dealers are very mod friendly, I was just making the point that a lot aren't. I can believe the story about the tranny being rebuilt under warranty with a turbo on the car but that wouldn't be a common occurrence at the majority of dealers across the country. I was making the point to the original poster that you can get burned when you start modding a car. I wouldn't want him to go buy an exhaust and gears for the thing and then blow his shortblock and have a huge problem. Even if you do get aggressive with the dealers more often with not you're fighting an uphill battle against a company with a multibillion dollar auto manufacturer on their side.
I talked to the ford service manager at my dealership and he said to me that they wouldn't get to sticky on basic bolt ons like suspension work, exhaust, gears, intake setups etc., but if I start pissin around with the electronics or the internals like cams for example they would void my warranty. He said to me they could get me a chip and not void the warranty but I don't know what ford has to offer. I had my eyes on the Diablo Tuner. Don't know if its good just heard good things about it. Thanks guys for the info, it really helps me because i'm a mustang newb. I have already learned alot just reading through this forum. Peace
It all depends on your dealer but any kind of pulley swap or chip/tuner and you are done. Some dealers will warranty it if you pay them to install the aftermarket parts but not chips/pulleys.
Some folks have had their warranties voided for tire particles in the wheel wells on a stock car. Some for just a K&N Filter in the stock air box. Typically, catback and CAI are safe. Anything else is a gamble. Magnusson Moss doesn't mean much if you don't have the $$$ to fight Ford in court over it and another vehicle to drive while your car sits broken. It is pretty easy to prove that any added power can cause undue stress on any part that is used in getting power to the ground so be careful and talk with your dealer...
Question: I just wanted to put out there a list of mods, and if anybody with experience or knowledge could put their two cents worth in I would appreciate it. Out of all these mods, which ones if any will break the warranty:
steeda underdrive pulleys
steeda timing adjuster
tri ax
gears(410)+speed cal
magnaflow x-pipe w/o cats
magnaflow catback system
Answers: Ive read reports of all of those voiding warranty except for the catback....I read a paper from ford a while back that said you can touch anything behind the last set of cats so that would make the catback good. It also depends on your dealer reputation but if your that worried over mods you better only put on the catback. Chances are they'll never find the gears but if they have to go in there for some reason your driveline warranty is probably history. If its bad enough they can void your whole warranty, if its something lilttle they can void certain parts. Its stupid, like me and you and a thousand other people know a shifter makes a tranny last longer but try getting most dealerships to believe that. Goodluck with your mods and try to find a good dealership.
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Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act gives specific rights to the customer. This is the so called lemon law but also strenghtens the consumers stance in regards to aftermarket installs.
This act covers not only written but implied warranties, therefore these parts don't constitute a void of the factory warranty. The dealer service-writers/techs are not barristers, and are ususally ignorant of the act. Do your homework, search the web and dig just a little deeper than the lemon law aspect and you will find your answer or better yet the ammunition to hammer them when they try and deny your claim.
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Its completely up to the dealer as to what they "want" to cover! My '97 had tranny problems from day one. I took it back to the original dealer 3x for the problems wanting them to replace the tranny, they wouldn't even consider it. I even carried all of the TSB's from back then with me, they still wouldn't budge. I then installed an SVO SC and Bassani-X pipe + 3.55's. One month before my warranty expired it started grinding intermittently when shifting into 5th. I went to a different dealer closer to where I work. I took their Transmission tech for a ride and showed him what it was doing and he said "yes you need a new tranny". I told him I had some aftermarket parts on the car and asked him if it would matter. He initially was concerned about the x-pipe but when I told him it was a bolt-in he calmed down, he was worried it was welded in. He then told me "we're here to service your car, we make money when we service your car. We don't seek out ways to turn business away!"
Needless to say I take ALL of my business to that dealer now, parts, service, warranty! I'll also go to them when I'm looking for a new one........
Your warranty will not cover items/parts that the dealership had determined were caused by an aftermarket part. Aftermarket parts also include Ford Racing parts. They have the right to turn away customers that have modified their cars for warranty work. For example, if a customer has modified their [GT] engine with a Bullitt intake from Ford, the dealership has the right to refuse warranty work if the idle is incorrect. Keep in mind, this does not affect the warranty coverage if the power mirrors don't work. Warning though, you ARE at the discretion of the dealership so kissing a little butt helps. I have heavily modified my 94 GT before it was 9 months old and had no problems getting warranty work and it had a ton of work done to it. They even replaced the transmission after 2 years after the modification but they have records of me complaining about the trans before the modifications. The dealership told me that they do have the right to refuse the trans claim but did it anyhow.
Think about it, why should Ford pay for parts and labor for something someone else did???
__________________
Here it is in black and white:
"The law relating to the other types of warranties is similar. Federal law, regulating to one extent or another, expressed and implied warranties is very clear: That warranties may not be conditioned upon the use of the manufacturer's parts or services unless those parts or services are provided free of charge. Therefore, the expressed and implied warranties cannot be voided merely because aftermarket parts are installed on a vehicle. The warranties can be voided only where the installation of an aftermarket part is DIRECTLY responsible for that failure which gives rise to the warranty claim."
This was taken directly from the 'Magnuson Moss Warranty Act of 1987'
It all boils down to how friendly the dealer is with mods and if the warranty work is directly associated with the aftermarket part
And if you have the time, money, and longevity to fight it if they refuse warranty
Hope this helps :coolman:
Question: Warranty Issue
What mods can I do to my stang with out voiding my warranty ? I just bought an black 02' GT 5spd and really want to start tinkering with her. I got about $1500 to spend and would appreciate some suggestions from some of you experienced Mustang owners since i'm new to this and don't know alot yet.
__________________
Magnaflow O/R X, Magnaflow Catback, JLT RAI
Answers: It totally depends on the dealer doing the warranty and what they'll let slide. Some let a lot go, some don't. When I had my firebird I took it in for burned out cats and the service manager told me to take it home and remove the aftermarket lid from the airbox before he'd do the warranty work. Some dealerships are up tight like that, some aren't. There's not much you technically can do to the car that wont void the warranty. You can't make it much faster at all...although, if you threw some gears in there must dealers probably wouldn't know. Cat back exhausts most dealers will let slide as long as the stock cat pipe is in place. They'll overlook air filters and such but take it off if the car's going in for MAF related warranty work. If you mod the suspension that wont void the warranty on the engine/tranny/rear.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If a dealer works on a modded vehicle, they can and will void the warranty at their will if they feel that the part could/can contribute towards any premature failure, excessive wear, drivetrain, suspension, or electrical problems. You'd have trouble arguing with them considering they have the upper hand. And lets face it....many people DO try to take advantage of dealerships and warranties when something breaks on their car due to them racing and/or adding performance parts. I have seen it time and time again... last one was a guy with a 99 or 01 Cobra that broke his axle at the track racing...and he took it to the dealer to try to get it repaired under warranty!. I remember seeing posts in this forum from people doing similar things trying to take advantage of the system.
When I help out at my buddies local mustang shop.. I ALWAYS tell customers that modifying their vehicle could risk having the dealer void their warranty and that it is the inherent risk involved with modifying any vehicle. Some dealers are mod friendly, some are not, if you want to play the game and hot rod a car.. you gotta be willing to give up or lose your warranty.
The dealers don't have to prove anything. If the car's modified in any way to increase acceleration all of the car's parts are now enduring stress above and beyond what they were when the car left the factory and that fact alone can void the warranty on everything. They can and do void warranties at their own free will. Many dealers will let a lot a lot slide, but technically they can void the warranty for anything that increases performance that's not factory or dealer installed. I almost had the warranty axed on my Firebird for an aftermarket airbox lid. I'm sorry but the statement "you can pretty much do anything" is asinine. Try putting a blower on your car and take the car in to the dealer and tell them to replace the transmission under warranty.
Wow, I have had different experiences. Seems the dealer worked on my 99 cobra with LT's, o/r shorty h, flowmasters mufflers, 4.10 gears, steeda shifter, SHM chip, mac cai and I had warranty work done 3 times.
I have seen other people take in their highly modded vehicles for warranty work and they got the work done.
It's called learn the law and when they try and **** with you, bring the game. There are so many dealers that try this, but when you bring the law, which SHOWS RIGHT IN THE LAW, they must prove that a part you added caused the premature failure. Hell bring a lawyer if you have the means and you want to fight it. Too many people do not get tough with dealership and they walk over you. I seen it plenty of times working for the dealerships.
I have seen engine work warranty denied due to DR's on the car. I seriously doubt the Nittos caused so much stress that the IAC motor had a failure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't know if you've had vastly different experiences because you said you've seen warranty work denied due to drag radials on the car. That's the point I was trying to make about uptight dealers. I never denied that some dealers wont let a lot slide. I know some dealers are very mod friendly, I was just making the point that a lot aren't. I can believe the story about the tranny being rebuilt under warranty with a turbo on the car but that wouldn't be a common occurrence at the majority of dealers across the country. I was making the point to the original poster that you can get burned when you start modding a car. I wouldn't want him to go buy an exhaust and gears for the thing and then blow his shortblock and have a huge problem. Even if you do get aggressive with the dealers more often with not you're fighting an uphill battle against a company with a multibillion dollar auto manufacturer on their side.
I talked to the ford service manager at my dealership and he said to me that they wouldn't get to sticky on basic bolt ons like suspension work, exhaust, gears, intake setups etc., but if I start pissin around with the electronics or the internals like cams for example they would void my warranty. He said to me they could get me a chip and not void the warranty but I don't know what ford has to offer. I had my eyes on the Diablo Tuner. Don't know if its good just heard good things about it. Thanks guys for the info, it really helps me because i'm a mustang newb. I have already learned alot just reading through this forum. Peace
It all depends on your dealer but any kind of pulley swap or chip/tuner and you are done. Some dealers will warranty it if you pay them to install the aftermarket parts but not chips/pulleys.
Some folks have had their warranties voided for tire particles in the wheel wells on a stock car. Some for just a K&N Filter in the stock air box. Typically, catback and CAI are safe. Anything else is a gamble. Magnusson Moss doesn't mean much if you don't have the $$$ to fight Ford in court over it and another vehicle to drive while your car sits broken. It is pretty easy to prove that any added power can cause undue stress on any part that is used in getting power to the ground so be careful and talk with your dealer...
Question: I just wanted to put out there a list of mods, and if anybody with experience or knowledge could put their two cents worth in I would appreciate it. Out of all these mods, which ones if any will break the warranty:
steeda underdrive pulleys
steeda timing adjuster
tri ax
gears(410)+speed cal
magnaflow x-pipe w/o cats
magnaflow catback system
Answers: Ive read reports of all of those voiding warranty except for the catback....I read a paper from ford a while back that said you can touch anything behind the last set of cats so that would make the catback good. It also depends on your dealer reputation but if your that worried over mods you better only put on the catback. Chances are they'll never find the gears but if they have to go in there for some reason your driveline warranty is probably history. If its bad enough they can void your whole warranty, if its something lilttle they can void certain parts. Its stupid, like me and you and a thousand other people know a shifter makes a tranny last longer but try getting most dealerships to believe that. Goodluck with your mods and try to find a good dealership.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act gives specific rights to the customer. This is the so called lemon law but also strenghtens the consumers stance in regards to aftermarket installs.
This act covers not only written but implied warranties, therefore these parts don't constitute a void of the factory warranty. The dealer service-writers/techs are not barristers, and are ususally ignorant of the act. Do your homework, search the web and dig just a little deeper than the lemon law aspect and you will find your answer or better yet the ammunition to hammer them when they try and deny your claim.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Its completely up to the dealer as to what they "want" to cover! My '97 had tranny problems from day one. I took it back to the original dealer 3x for the problems wanting them to replace the tranny, they wouldn't even consider it. I even carried all of the TSB's from back then with me, they still wouldn't budge. I then installed an SVO SC and Bassani-X pipe + 3.55's. One month before my warranty expired it started grinding intermittently when shifting into 5th. I went to a different dealer closer to where I work. I took their Transmission tech for a ride and showed him what it was doing and he said "yes you need a new tranny". I told him I had some aftermarket parts on the car and asked him if it would matter. He initially was concerned about the x-pipe but when I told him it was a bolt-in he calmed down, he was worried it was welded in. He then told me "we're here to service your car, we make money when we service your car. We don't seek out ways to turn business away!"
Needless to say I take ALL of my business to that dealer now, parts, service, warranty! I'll also go to them when I'm looking for a new one........
Your warranty will not cover items/parts that the dealership had determined were caused by an aftermarket part. Aftermarket parts also include Ford Racing parts. They have the right to turn away customers that have modified their cars for warranty work. For example, if a customer has modified their [GT] engine with a Bullitt intake from Ford, the dealership has the right to refuse warranty work if the idle is incorrect. Keep in mind, this does not affect the warranty coverage if the power mirrors don't work. Warning though, you ARE at the discretion of the dealership so kissing a little butt helps. I have heavily modified my 94 GT before it was 9 months old and had no problems getting warranty work and it had a ton of work done to it. They even replaced the transmission after 2 years after the modification but they have records of me complaining about the trans before the modifications. The dealership told me that they do have the right to refuse the trans claim but did it anyhow.
Think about it, why should Ford pay for parts and labor for something someone else did???
__________________
Here it is in black and white:
"The law relating to the other types of warranties is similar. Federal law, regulating to one extent or another, expressed and implied warranties is very clear: That warranties may not be conditioned upon the use of the manufacturer's parts or services unless those parts or services are provided free of charge. Therefore, the expressed and implied warranties cannot be voided merely because aftermarket parts are installed on a vehicle. The warranties can be voided only where the installation of an aftermarket part is DIRECTLY responsible for that failure which gives rise to the warranty claim."
This was taken directly from the 'Magnuson Moss Warranty Act of 1987'
It all boils down to how friendly the dealer is with mods and if the warranty work is directly associated with the aftermarket part
And if you have the time, money, and longevity to fight it if they refuse warranty
Hope this helps :coolman:
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Technically they can void a warranty for an o/r pipe, I would suggest keeping the stock one and swapping if you ever have a major warranty issue. I've taken my car in for minor work without swapping anything and have had no problems before though.
ok well i will just have to keep all the stock stuff i take off and if i ever have a major problem just swap ot back on like "magic"...thanks guys and does anyone know a mod friendly dealer in the O.C. area?????
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