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If you are asking "Can this void my warranty?" please read

Discussion in 'General Tundra Discussion' started by GODZILLA, Jan 18, 2020.

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  3. Warranty? What's that?

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  1. Jan 18, 2020 at 8:15 PM
    #1
    GODZILLA

    GODZILLA [OP] Hail to the King, Baby.

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    Greetings fellow Tundra enthusiasts.

    Sorry for the long post, there is a link at the bottom for those that say TLDR.

    I have seen lots of people worrying about "voiding" their warranty by adding this mod or that, or how dealerships have warned them against mods and stating that it "voids the warranty." I've seen these fears on the forum and experienced a dealership telling me my warranty would be void if I did X with my car. I thought I would try and share some information on the subject to alleviate some fears about warranties. Knowledge is power, and all that.

    Manufacturers were very predatory with warranties in the past. They would promise great warranties, but use all kinds of crap to get out of honoring them. To curb this the Federal Government stepped in to protect the consumer with the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act if 1975. If you are good with legal-ese you can google it up and read the actual act. If you're not fluent, there is a link at the bottom of this post.

    You should know your warranty is not an all or nothing, intact or void, item. Putting a mod on your vehicle doesn't magically allow the manufacturer to "void" your warranty, even if that mod does cause problems. I know, sounds crazy, but it's true!

    Using your warranty is similar to using insurance. You are putting in a claim, and that individual claim may be approved or denied, but the warranty is not void even if it is denied. In order to deny your claim they must show that your aftermarket part was the cause of the issue.

    For example, if you put an aftermarket catback exhaust on your truck, and your transmission fails 500 miles later, they cannot deny the warranty claim on your transmission because your exhaust did not cause the failure. However, if you put in a supercharger on the truck and the transmission fails, they might be able to show that the additional strain did the damage. In either case, any further problem covered under warranty can still be claimed.

    It is also in the Magnusson-Moss Act that the warrantor's word is NOT absolute or final. You can dispute denied claims. There are stipulations, and if you are in this situation you would be well served to read the act itself, and/or seek legal council.

    Anyway, I hope this is useful to somebody, and maybe lowers some people's blood pressure when they think about their mods and warranties. Go out there and have fun in that Tundra!

    Here is a link to the Federal Trade Commission's website that deals with car warranties, and it's written in plain english for those of us that don't speak legal-ese.
    https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0138-auto-warranties-routine-maintenance
     
  2. Jan 18, 2020 at 9:13 PM
    #2
    groverdill

    groverdill New Member

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    This is all fine and good, however they will still deny it and then you will have to sue. Most of us cant/wont afford that shit
     
    SomeGuy4 likes this.
  3. Jan 18, 2020 at 9:24 PM
    #3
    GODZILLA

    GODZILLA [OP] Hail to the King, Baby.

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    Did you check the link? From the link in the original post:
    "Complain. If you think a dealer's service advisor denied your warranty claim unfairly, ask to speak with a supervisor. If you still aren't satisfied, contact the manufacturer or go to another dealer. You also may wish to file a complaint with your state Attorney General, local consumer protection office, or the FTC."
    Nothing here costs you any money, but it may get them to take another look. You are also not restricted to taking warranty issues to the dealer where you made your purchase.

    This thread is purely here to provide information. Choosing to read/use it is entirely up to the individual.
     
  4. Jan 18, 2020 at 9:31 PM
    #4
    groverdill

    groverdill New Member

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    I have gone thru this with a 2007 Chevy Trailblazer, this was back in late 2007 and I did file a claim. I didn't hear back about the claim for over a year (18 months if I remember correctly) and by then then I fixed the problem out of pocket and moved on from that car. In my experience they have all the power and everyone who choses to mod should proceed with care and thought.
     
    GODZILLA[OP] likes this.
  5. Jan 18, 2020 at 9:33 PM
    #5
    GODZILLA

    GODZILLA [OP] Hail to the King, Baby.

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    Trying not to mod it
    Absolutely agree that care and thought should be taken, especially if you only have one vehicle. I'm sorry you had a crap experience.
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2020
  6. Jan 18, 2020 at 9:49 PM
    #6
    Black Wolf

    Black Wolf Bigfoot Hunter, Sasquatch too, but not Yeti

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    I've never ever worried about modding and never had any warranty issues modding my 4X4's.....going on 48 years so far.......I must be lucky I guess

     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2020

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