noob's warranty question
#1
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noob's warranty question
you guys don't know me, but i know most of you pretty well. i used to be a jeep FANATIC, until that fanaticism led to thousands of dollars in repairs and maintenance. i purchased a used 02 sport runner about a year ago, and almost immediately joined this forum. i've spent the last year reading and re-reading almost everything on this amazing forum, and now feel that i have the proper knowledge and questions to post in earnest. so here it is:
after going from jeeps to a toyota, i naturally purchased the extended warranty for my brand new used rig, thinking it would be a wise investment. after a year in my runner and countless hours reading all your posts, i now realize that the warranty may have been unneeded after all. my question is, what mods will void my warranty? i'm sure the coveted andymod (congrats to all involved in figuring THAT one out!) will void it, but how about suspension upgrades, especially if done by myself? or adding lockers? i spend my winters in the rockies, and my main goal is to get a bit more clearance to make it through deep snowfields. i've been able to get by (barely) with only a set of les schwab wild countries, but i've gotten stuck a few times in deep snow. aside from the tires, my runner is completely stock. any help helps. thanks fellers.
after going from jeeps to a toyota, i naturally purchased the extended warranty for my brand new used rig, thinking it would be a wise investment. after a year in my runner and countless hours reading all your posts, i now realize that the warranty may have been unneeded after all. my question is, what mods will void my warranty? i'm sure the coveted andymod (congrats to all involved in figuring THAT one out!) will void it, but how about suspension upgrades, especially if done by myself? or adding lockers? i spend my winters in the rockies, and my main goal is to get a bit more clearance to make it through deep snowfields. i've been able to get by (barely) with only a set of les schwab wild countries, but i've gotten stuck a few times in deep snow. aside from the tires, my runner is completely stock. any help helps. thanks fellers.
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There is not such thing as a mod that will blanket void the warranty. Instead, due to the "Magnuson Moss Warranty Act" (Search!) any mod that you do will only void the parts directly effected by that mod and even then, the dealer has to PROVE that the mod caused the failure they are refusing to cover.
If you do install a lift for example, that cannot reasonably void the engine warranty. It could however, be the cause of CV joints failing etc... Installing an after market stereo cannot void the the warranty on the brakes, etc...
Your best bet is to understand the act and develop a relationship with a dealer so that they know you to be reasonable and you can say the same thing about them. If you install a lift and bigger tires and then your steering rack goes out, you need to be reasonable about what the cause was and not try to get them to pay for things that you knew you were risking going into...
If you do install a lift for example, that cannot reasonably void the engine warranty. It could however, be the cause of CV joints failing etc... Installing an after market stereo cannot void the the warranty on the brakes, etc...
Your best bet is to understand the act and develop a relationship with a dealer so that they know you to be reasonable and you can say the same thing about them. If you install a lift and bigger tires and then your steering rack goes out, you need to be reasonable about what the cause was and not try to get them to pay for things that you knew you were risking going into...
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WATRD is dead on.
(And BTW that's my field - motor vehicle product defect/lemon law/warranty claim/ lawsuits.) (no, I am NOT a lawyer...)
But wait! There's More!
The original Limited Warranty is a promise, by the manufacturer, to repair any manufacturing defects that arise during the warranty period. So, for your mods to disallow any repair, the mod would have to have caused the failure. Even something you modified could still be warranteed if indeed it was clear that the failure was a defect.
BUT, you bought a used vehicle and probably do not have a Limited Warranty. Mag-moss doesn't apply. You probably have a service contract.
Different entirely. Read the contract closely. Modifications still wouldn't change things much, but how the servicing dealer deals with them might matter a bunch. The extended warranty company doesn't really care about mods, and if the service writer doesn't just stupidly put the blame on your mods, even your own modified stuff would be covered. Maybe...
(And BTW that's my field - motor vehicle product defect/lemon law/warranty claim/ lawsuits.) (no, I am NOT a lawyer...)
But wait! There's More!
The original Limited Warranty is a promise, by the manufacturer, to repair any manufacturing defects that arise during the warranty period. So, for your mods to disallow any repair, the mod would have to have caused the failure. Even something you modified could still be warranteed if indeed it was clear that the failure was a defect.
BUT, you bought a used vehicle and probably do not have a Limited Warranty. Mag-moss doesn't apply. You probably have a service contract.
Different entirely. Read the contract closely. Modifications still wouldn't change things much, but how the servicing dealer deals with them might matter a bunch. The extended warranty company doesn't really care about mods, and if the service writer doesn't just stupidly put the blame on your mods, even your own modified stuff would be covered. Maybe...
Last edited by Flamedx4; 10-02-2005 at 06:39 PM.
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thanks for the extra info flamedx4. i guess i should read a contract i signed anyway; damn i hate looking at fine print! thanks again for all your help guys!
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