What upgrades void the warranty?
04-28-2019, 10:27 AM
#1
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SC
Posts: 65
What upgrades void the warranty?
I just got my 2019 Premium. I know I can put exhaust on it and be OK but I have heard that if I put a cold air intake on it it will require a tune which would void the warranty. Is this true?
Thanks
Wade
Thanks
Wade
04-28-2019, 11:54 AM
#2
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: LA
Posts: 1,321
Technically no but good luck convincing Ford that your non-Ford aftermarket tune didn't void the warranty if you have a failure that can be traced back to the tune. On the other hand, you can get CAI and tunes from Ford Racing and if installed by a ASE mechanic, be OK. Keep in mind that many CAI are actually worse than the stock system if the exposed air filter is now drawing air from under the hood instead of from the outside as the stock unit is designed to do. If you do enough searches you will find plenty of people who have nothing but issues after pursuing the CAI tune route and then others who profess no problems, wow lots of HP and gas mileage. I happen to fall into the factory knows best category and would waste my money on a better sounding exhaust system if you didn't get the dual mode exhaust option.
04-28-2019, 02:26 PM
#3
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2,327
GO back to the stock tune before taking it in, the CAI alone won't void the warranty.
Any aftermarket performance parts on your vehicle can cause a dealer to suspect that you either
drive the car hard or possibly race it. Although they may not void warranties, added modifications
may raise a red flag when vehicles are in for service. I was told specifically by a VW dealer, a boost
module would void the warranty. I said, well, it's a plug-n-play device, you''ll never know it was there...
An aftermarket part that part clearly caused the fault, will void the warranty, but simply having an
aftermarket part or modifying your vehicle cannot void your warranty. If the reason for a parts failure
is unclear, a dealer will usually charge you to diagnose the vehicle. If the aftermarket part was not
properly installed or a modification led to a component failure, it is within the dealer's right to void
the warranty for that part, and you will have to pay for the repairs out of pocket. If the aftermarket
part(s) had nothing to do with the repairs in question, you will be refunded the fee for the diagnosis.
IF the car did not come with a Supercharger or Turbocharger, and you add one, that will void the warranty.
No proof of regular oil changes & required services during the warranty period, will void the warranty.
This falls under the "neglect" category. Keep all your service records and receipts. If you do your
own oil changes, you need to keep the receipts for the oil and filter. It's still going to be hard to
prove you did it in accordance with the maintenance schedule, and used the right oil...
With Volkswagen, most of their gas engines use a 502.00 Euro spec oil. If they find an empty bottle
of Walmart or Advance Auto's house brand oil in the car, even the right weight, they know you were
not using SPEC oil, and will probably void the powertrain warranty. Their SPEC is crap anyway,
my former TDI was supposed to be using 507.00 spec oil, I used Rotella T6 or DELO400, and it
had 243,000 miles on it when they bought it back, all original powertrain parts. In my current VW,
I run whatever is on sale 5W40 in mine, but not house brand, I use Castrol, or Mobile one, and if they
have M1 Euro on sale, I use it. I even mix a quart or two of DELO400 5W40 to reduce blow-by. That's
a whole different story there... I used T6 in the TDI, got lots of blow by, the catch can will fill up twice
between oil changes. I switched to the $19.97 DELO400 Synthetic, it didn't fill up till the 3rd or 4th
oil change... Both of those oils for diesel motors, and not 507.00 spec...
Anyhow... If you can easily remove what you added, just do to before going into the dealer for
warranty work. It just saves you the headache of arguing with them over it...
Any aftermarket performance parts on your vehicle can cause a dealer to suspect that you either
drive the car hard or possibly race it. Although they may not void warranties, added modifications
may raise a red flag when vehicles are in for service. I was told specifically by a VW dealer, a boost
module would void the warranty. I said, well, it's a plug-n-play device, you''ll never know it was there...
An aftermarket part that part clearly caused the fault, will void the warranty, but simply having an
aftermarket part or modifying your vehicle cannot void your warranty. If the reason for a parts failure
is unclear, a dealer will usually charge you to diagnose the vehicle. If the aftermarket part was not
properly installed or a modification led to a component failure, it is within the dealer's right to void
the warranty for that part, and you will have to pay for the repairs out of pocket. If the aftermarket
part(s) had nothing to do with the repairs in question, you will be refunded the fee for the diagnosis.
IF the car did not come with a Supercharger or Turbocharger, and you add one, that will void the warranty.
No proof of regular oil changes & required services during the warranty period, will void the warranty.
This falls under the "neglect" category. Keep all your service records and receipts. If you do your
own oil changes, you need to keep the receipts for the oil and filter. It's still going to be hard to
prove you did it in accordance with the maintenance schedule, and used the right oil...
With Volkswagen, most of their gas engines use a 502.00 Euro spec oil. If they find an empty bottle
of Walmart or Advance Auto's house brand oil in the car, even the right weight, they know you were
not using SPEC oil, and will probably void the powertrain warranty. Their SPEC is crap anyway,
my former TDI was supposed to be using 507.00 spec oil, I used Rotella T6 or DELO400, and it
had 243,000 miles on it when they bought it back, all original powertrain parts. In my current VW,
I run whatever is on sale 5W40 in mine, but not house brand, I use Castrol, or Mobile one, and if they
have M1 Euro on sale, I use it. I even mix a quart or two of DELO400 5W40 to reduce blow-by. That's
a whole different story there... I used T6 in the TDI, got lots of blow by, the catch can will fill up twice
between oil changes. I switched to the $19.97 DELO400 Synthetic, it didn't fill up till the 3rd or 4th
oil change... Both of those oils for diesel motors, and not 507.00 spec...
Anyhow... If you can easily remove what you added, just do to before going into the dealer for
warranty work. It just saves you the headache of arguing with them over it...
Last edited by 08'MustangDude; 04-29-2019 at 03:07 PM.
04-28-2019, 06:46 PM
#4
Moderator
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Michigan again!
Posts: 8,579
First of all, Ford warranties the car that Ford built. When you modify the car it is no longer the car that Ford built. If that modification is determined to be the cause of any failure, warranty coverage for that repair will be denied; one would not expect Ford to warranty the radio if you replace it with an aftermarket radio system. But the aftermarket radio would not be the cause of an engine failure so the warranty on that part is intact.
Setting the car back to stock, or removing all of the mods, isn't enough. Ford knows what to look for that shows mods, and they can tell if you flashed the ECU.
And before someone says, "but Magnusson Moss says they have to prove it". Yes Ford does and they do that when they send out a field engineer who looks the car over, checks the ECU, looks for other signs of "abuse" and modification. Then declares, "this car was modified and the modification caused the failure. It's not our fault and no warranty coverage."
Their proof is now ended. Ford doesn't have to go to court and prove they are right, all they have to do is tell you their determination. It is then upon you to start the lawsuit and find your own engineers and experts to provide the proofs that you, as plaintiff, need to establish to support YOUR lawsuit.
Setting the car back to stock, or removing all of the mods, isn't enough. Ford knows what to look for that shows mods, and they can tell if you flashed the ECU.
And before someone says, "but Magnusson Moss says they have to prove it". Yes Ford does and they do that when they send out a field engineer who looks the car over, checks the ECU, looks for other signs of "abuse" and modification. Then declares, "this car was modified and the modification caused the failure. It's not our fault and no warranty coverage."
Their proof is now ended. Ford doesn't have to go to court and prove they are right, all they have to do is tell you their determination. It is then upon you to start the lawsuit and find your own engineers and experts to provide the proofs that you, as plaintiff, need to establish to support YOUR lawsuit.
04-29-2019, 08:24 AM
#5
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 44
As JimC says, it depends on the modification and the failure. I don't know of anything that would void then entire vehicle warranty, but you can certainly void parts of it.
As an example, I have a FP catch can on my PCV line. If I have a failure in the ABS system, no one will care about the catch can, and the warranty for the ABS remains in place. If I have a PCV failure, they may well claim it's due to the catch can.
The bigger the mod, the bigger the potential for a wave off of the warranty. If you put a supercharger on the car and the ABS fails, it's not likely they'll blame it and the ABS warranty remains in place. If you snap a driveshaft, cook the differential, score a piston, or likely have just about anything else fail along the drivetrain, Ford will probably put the blame on it.
As an example, I have a FP catch can on my PCV line. If I have a failure in the ABS system, no one will care about the catch can, and the warranty for the ABS remains in place. If I have a PCV failure, they may well claim it's due to the catch can.
The bigger the mod, the bigger the potential for a wave off of the warranty. If you put a supercharger on the car and the ABS fails, it's not likely they'll blame it and the ABS warranty remains in place. If you snap a driveshaft, cook the differential, score a piston, or likely have just about anything else fail along the drivetrain, Ford will probably put the blame on it.
04-29-2019, 01:40 PM
#6
Gentleman's Relish
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 13,090
First of all, Ford warranties the car that Ford built. When you modify the car it is no longer the car that Ford built. If that modification is determined to be the cause of any failure, warranty coverage for that repair will be denied; one would not expect Ford to warranty the radio if you replace it with an aftermarket radio system. But the aftermarket radio would not be the cause of an engine failure so the warranty on that part is intact.
Setting the car back to stock, or removing all of the mods, isn't enough. Ford knows what to look for that shows mods, and they can tell if you flashed the ECU.
And before someone says, "but Magnusson Moss says they have to prove it". Yes Ford does and they do that when they send out a field engineer who looks the car over, checks the ECU, looks for other signs of "abuse" and modification. Then declares, "this car was modified and the modification caused the failure. It's not our fault and no warranty coverage."
Their proof is now ended. Ford doesn't have to go to court and prove they are right, all they have to do is tell you their determination. It is then upon you to start the lawsuit and find your own engineers and experts to provide the proofs that you, as plaintiff, need to establish to support YOUR lawsuit.
Setting the car back to stock, or removing all of the mods, isn't enough. Ford knows what to look for that shows mods, and they can tell if you flashed the ECU.
And before someone says, "but Magnusson Moss says they have to prove it". Yes Ford does and they do that when they send out a field engineer who looks the car over, checks the ECU, looks for other signs of "abuse" and modification. Then declares, "this car was modified and the modification caused the failure. It's not our fault and no warranty coverage."
Their proof is now ended. Ford doesn't have to go to court and prove they are right, all they have to do is tell you their determination. It is then upon you to start the lawsuit and find your own engineers and experts to provide the proofs that you, as plaintiff, need to establish to support YOUR lawsuit.
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