Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (know your rights against dealership warranties and mods)

read it. learn it. live by it. if you are going to be modding and tuning your vehicle, know your rights when it comes to dealerships and their warranties.

can we have this stickied?


In order for a part to void your warranty, the dealership (or whoever is working on the car) has to prove that one (or combination of) of the aftermarket parts caused the issue at hand. Look up all the info you can find on the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act.

Here's a link for more info:
http://autopedia.com/html/HotLinks_LemonMM2.html
This is a link about how it affects modifications:
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-2669.html
In other words, if a mod you made didn't do the damage, you can't be held
responsible and the warranty still stands. Dealerships will still moan
about it though and it will make it more difficult to get warranty work
done. If you have simple bolt ons, just to make it easier on yourself, take
them off before visiting the dealer. Otherwise, let them know you know the
law.


alf

this is Universal where ever you live right?

jhayregz said:

this is Universal where ever you live right?

Click to expand...

yes, this is federal law here in the good-ole United States. ive tried searching google for some Canadian provisions but i was unable to locate it, im sure Canada has theyre own laws about it as well.

Nevermind...
[edited for redundancy]

alf said:

read it. learn it. live by it. if you are going to be modding and tuning your vehicle, know your rights when it comes to dealerships and their warranties.

can we have this stickied?


In order for a part to void your warranty, the dealership (or whoever is working on the car) has to prove that one (or combination of) of the aftermarket parts caused the issue at hand. Look up all the info you can find on the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act.

Here's a link for more info:
http://autopedia.com/html/HotLinks_LemonMM2.html
This is a link about how it affects modifications:
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-2669.html
In other words, if a mod you made didn't do the damage, you can't be held
responsible and the warranty still stands. Dealerships will still moan
about it though and it will make it more difficult to get warranty work
done. If you have simple bolt ons, just to make it easier on yourself, take
them off before visiting the dealer. Otherwise, let them know you know the
law.


alf

Click to expand...

I agree dealers should be held to this standard, but in reality it is a bioch to get it done. I know of a handful of people who have fought this and ended up out big $$ and not a lot better off. Great in theory, bad in practice.

If I were truly concerned about warranty I would not mod my engine or exhaust. Too hard to get coverage. Find me one person who has succesfully used the MMA in court and won, without being out big time lawyer fees.

BTW, my MINI is way beyond normal, I do worry a bit, but it hasn't stopped the modding habit yet...

azmcs said:

Find me one person who has succesfully used the MMA in court and won, without being out big time lawyer fees.

Click to expand...

I'll be the first if need be.... Feel free to share stories of success/failure, they could be useful.

*shrug* I don't know, I just posted it just incase something happens to anyone.

I don't care for warranty, ill keep moddin tee-hee, but to those that are worried.

alf

Here in the home of Hockey, zippers and some arm they use in space, I'm not sure of any such act. Not to say it doesn't exist, but I'll have to do some research. However, having worked in motorcycle dealers in another life, I know that they will always try to point fingers at something you did to try to release them from the warranty. Not to say things haven't slipped by the manufacturers, I wouldn't rely on this info as some sort of arguement in your defense.

While I had considered brand h at one point in time, I wanted to put a Jackson Racing supercharger on it if I purchased it and asked some very specific questions that got very vague answers. They basically said that if there was any way to tie the mod to the failure, they would try to make it stick and void the warranty.

This is why I bought a factory turbocharged car: warranty.