[polishmadman]

Ok I am so tired of hearing this question with every mod someone does to their car. Here's the answer to that question.

Yes and No. No, they can't just void your warranty because you change something on your car. Yes, they can if the mod is the cause of whatever the problem is on your car. Will they try to find a way to void the warranty? You're taking it to a dealership to get fixed, they need to make money. If they can void your warranty and make you pay 100's of dollars to fix it, they will. I'm not saying they all will, but I haven't been to a repair shop that didn't try to make as much money as they can.
I believe you should remember.....

DOING ANY MODS TO YOU CAR CAN VOID YOUR WARRANTY.

 

[jarret_g]

I hate people that say that things will "void" your warranty.

basically a dealer has to prove that your mod caused the breakdwon.

So if you put a CAI on your car but your radio breaks.......they still fix your radio.

Just because you put a CAI or a short-shifer on doesn't mean your entire warranty is "void". Now if your transmission goes and they can prove that it was the short shifter that caused in then that's another story but there is no such thing as a "void" warranty....it's a case by case basis.

A dealer makes money on warranty repairs too. The sent it to Kia and Kia pays the dealership.

 

[ryude]

Yes, they have to prove it. In my experience, proving tends to mean, "The catalytic converter went out due to increased air caused by your installation of an aftermarket cold air intake."

They don't have to prove shit, and in my experience, ALL mods void warranty. You can cite sources all you want, but when it comes down to it if you bring your car in modified you will be turned down for warranty work. I've actually been refused warranty work on a stereo unit due to a cold air intake "Messing with the electrical system."

That's why I take warranties with a grain of salt, if they cover it, good, if they don't, well I didn't expect them to anyway.

 

[[email protected]]

Just like tax court where the burden of proof is upon you to show that you did in fact pay your fair share of income taxes, it is also upon you to prove that your mod did not damage the working components of your car. Do you really think the dealer is going to take time out of his day to argue with you whether your mod did damage or not? The dealer can and usually will simply say 'nope' its not covered under warranty mr.smith - the amount to fix this will be $...dollars". It is hard enough to get the dealer to cover 'legitimate' warranty issues - much less questionable mod warrantly issues. There are hundreds and thousands of angry customers from every make and model dealership that are infuriated that their warranty was denied for truly legitimate issues. I just Googled "BMW did not honor warranty" and 44,000 hits came up....

 

[ForteGT2]

You'll find people keeping referring to the Magnuson-Moss Act (I think I spelled it right) that is supposed to protect you and your warranty. This act does not protect you from modifications to your car -- it protects you if you use normal OE-like aftermarket replacement items such as sparkplugs, filters, oils, mufflers, wiper blades, tires, etc. Think of it this way: if you alter the way the car is sold to you it can void the warranty, if you just replace worn out parts with normally listed replacement parts then you have the Act to use against them if they refuse to warranty it. Another way to put it is: if you sold something to someone and they repaint it would you cover the new paint? I think the answer is no. The dealers don't have time for an engineer to come to each case to make a decision on warranty work.

Of course, a dealer also knows if their customer is worth covering or not...I have known dealers who covered the engine warranty when the customer was using a NOS nitrous kit and blew a head gasket. Cool dealer!

If you want to install items on your car talk to your dealer to see what they think -- I checked with mine about the aftermarket intakes. Service manager was honest...if I fry my ECU with an aftermarket intake they won't cover it. Too bad -- I want to make my Koup into a "show" car but I'm not about to give up the 5/10-year warranty to do it!!!

 

[WandersX]

Essentially you could un-mod your car though right? Never proving that it was actually modded past the original. So it would be tough to say your CAI caused your voided warranty when the car you bring in has the original parts....

 

[jarret_g]

Another way to put it is: if you sold something to someone and they repaint it would you cover the new paint? I think the answer is no. The dealers don't have time for an engineer to come to each case to make a decision on warranty work.

In that case...true, repainting your car would void the paint warranty...but it wouldn't void your powertrain warranty, or your comprehensive warranty...just the paint.

The same as if you put a new head unit in your car...that won't be covered under your warranty and if your steering wheel controls stop working then you can bet they won't be covered either but everything else warranty related should remain intact.

 

[jarret_g]

Essentially you could un-mod your car though right? Never proving that it was actually modded past the original. So it would be tough to say your CAI caused your voided warranty when the car you bring in has the original parts....

And then you would be arrested for fraud.

 

[firefighter73]

I need work on mine tomorrow. Im going to remove the switchback turns just so its not like a warning for them to look elsewhere. The engine is making a very loud knocking sound, its under powered, and the tranny is delayed. But my dealership are fucking crooks anyway. Like i said before. THEY smashed my car and tried to give it back with the bumper hanging off and the hood bent

 

[ryude]

Hey guys, don't post on the forums that you're going to un-mod your car. The Admins have posted several times that they will ban members talking about that.

 

[ForteKnight]

If you rebaged your done on your trans and engine Warranty

 

[WandersX]

I said essentially.... ? Why is this topic so touchy for everyone? Everyone jumps at the first chance to prove another wrong or make them feel guilty... I have already met some great people because of the forums and for some reason I feel like people just need to relax...

@ jarret g ....like.... omg ..........I had no idea that was fraud! -__- Seriously? Come on buddy.... Who are you?

 

[caroach]

@ jarret g ....like.... omg ..........I had no idea that was fraud! -__- Seriously? Come on buddy.... Who are you?

It is fraud according to the definition of fraud, however that may not mean it is illegal. Laws on what actually constitutes illegal fraud vary depending on where you are.

I think what we all need to keep in mind is we make changes to our cars to make them exactly the way we want them. We all know there are potential consequences when we do this. If what we do causes an issue we need to be prepared to pay for that fix ourselves. If you can't afford to fix the potential problems, then you should be leaving the car the way you bought it.

 

[jarret_g]

It is fraud according to the definition of fraud, however that may not mean it is illegal. Laws on what actually constitutes illegal fraud vary depending on where you are.

I think what we all need to keep in mind is we make changes to our cars to make them exactly the way we want them. We all know there are potential consequences when we do this. If what we do causes an issue we need to be prepared to pay for that fix ourselves. If you can't afford to fix the potential problems, then you should be leaving the car the way you bought it.

This forum should have a facebook "like" button. I agree.

I plan on putting a CAI on my car in the spring and if my car get's hydro locked then i realize that i'm paying for it.....i won't try and take it off and act stupid and cost my dealer thousands of dollars in warranty costs when it was clearly my fault (despite how much i hate my dealer).

And Wanders...sorry if i came off like a prick, but there have been lots of posts and warnings by mods about people stating "just take off the mod and pretend as if nothing happened".

 

[polishmadman]

If you rebaged your done on your trans and engine Warranty

I wouldn't doubt that they would. I've heard of stupider(is that really a word) things voiding the warranty. I'm just tired of looking at a mod topic and someone always post," will that void the warranty?" If people are worried about the warranty being voided then don't do it, because it can. Almost anything can!

 

[TurboKits.com]

Exactly, this is the best advice you can give. We sell our intakes and exhaust to Kia Dealers and they install them and they do NOT void the warranty because of it. We just brought our Turbo Koup back to the dealer we got it from to show them the progress we have made. The service manager was interested in offering our intakes and exhaust at that dealership too. Best bet is to be honest with your service manager about the mods you are considering...

If you want to install items on your car talk to your dealer to see what they think --

 

[Sosuke]

I talked to my service manager yesterday (Jeff Smith Kia) and he told me that as long as they install it the warranty would not be voided. I'm sure they'll stiff on labor charges but the extra cost will save on some headaches I'm sure.

 

[P-51]

This is all about money.

A dealer makes money on warranty repairs too. The sent it to Kia and Kia pays the dealership.

True, but the OEM's make more money when a customer pays than the OEM. When the repair is done under warranty, the OEM gives the parts to the dealer, and pays a certain repair time, and a certain hourly rate.

However, when a customer pays, the repair time for the same job is longer, the hourly rate is higher, and the dealer sells the part to you at a greatly marked up price.

That is why the dealers are incentivized to deny warranty claims any time they can. They're also incentivized to state "no problem found" whenever they can.

Just like tax court where the burden of proof is upon you to show that you did in fact pay your fair share of income taxes, it is also upon you to prove that your mod did not damage the working components of your car.

No, that is not true. The Magnusson-Moss act states that it is up to the dealer or OEM to prove that the part in question damaged the vehicle. The problem is, to force this law into effect, you have to take it to court. Most consumers do not push the issue for fear of the legal costs. While the golden law is true (He who has the gold, makes the rules), the reverse is also true. The OEMs usually cave soon as the legal route is pursued. They will spend a fortune fighting it in court.

SEMA SAN - SEMA ACTION NETWORK

This act does not protect you from modifications to your car -- it protects you if you use normal OE-like aftermarket replacement items such as sparkplugs, filters, oils, mufflers, wiper blades, tires, etc.

That is not true. The law does not distinguish between a cold-air-intake, or an OEM-style replacement system. Again, legally, it's up to the OEM to prove the aftermarket part, whether high-performance or not, caused the problem.

And then you would be arrested for fraud.

The police would never come knocking on your door for something like this.

I think what we all need to keep in mind is we make changes to our cars to make them exactly the way we want them. We all know there are potential consequences when we do this. If what we do causes an issue we need to be prepared to pay for that fix ourselves. If you can't afford to fix the potential problems, then you should be leaving the car the way you bought it.

While it is definitely immoral to reverse mods, it's equally immoral to deny warranty claims without cause. In my opinion... the two balance eachother out. For every guy who reverses a mod, there's a grandmother somewhere who was denied warranty coverage because she couldn't find the reciepts for her oil changes.

Exactly, this is the best advice you can give. We sell our intakes and exhaust to Kia Dealers and they install them and they do NOT void the warranty because of it. We just brought our Turbo Koup back to the dealer we got it from to show them the progress we have made. The service manager was interested in offering our intakes and exhaust at that dealership too. Best bet is to be honest with your service manager about the mods you are considering...

More evidence that this is all about money. If Kia, or the dealer get to mark up the parts, and make money off the install, they're more than happy to take the infinitesimally small risk that a CAI will damage a transmission.