Tadge Addresses Concerns About Potential C7 Warranty Issues Caused by GM Performance Parts

Early last month came news of a list of GM Performance Parts for the Corvette Stingray that Chevrolet was going to offer. Cooling-enhancing vents, upgraded brakes, hardcore suspension components, and many more. Really promising stuff. The only problem was the fine print that raised serious questions about how the upgrades would impact C7 warranties.

Forum member AliZ51 did a fine job of asking one that many of you wanted answered as well:

“GM performance part group is finally on the move and we are hearing one announcement after another with regards to the release of new components. This is great until we read the disclaimer and that all these parts would/ will void the powertrain warranty. How can GM justify voiding a powertrain warranty even for a carbon fiber cover?”

Tadge Juechter, executive chief engineer of America’s sports car, was kind enough to answer it. Turns out that the words in the catalog that featured the parts were in need of some tweaking. Many of the parts won’t affect New Vehicle Limited Warranty or Powertrain Warranty coverage at all, but some restrictions do apply to those components that alter the intended uses of the C7 or “take the vehicle out of compliance for public road use.” Going forward, Chevrolet will make the limits clear to prospective C7 GMPP buyers so they can decide whether or not they want to install the hardware.

Tadge went on to address specific components:

-Secondary Radiator and 600w fan – this was a misprint in the catalog – there are no warranty restrictions on these parts. These will not void the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
-Carbon fiber braces – these parts are intended for off-road use only. Our long term, 10 year corrosion testing is not complete and therefore warranty claims for corrosion at the attachments of the brace to body will be restricted. The remainder of the factory warranty is intact.
-Z51 brakes for Stingray – in this kit, the mass dampers were removed from the stock Z51 pads in order to fit inside of the base Stingray wheels. Mass dampers are used to tune the system for brake noise, and therefore this kit is not warranted for noise performance. The remainder of the factory warranty is intact.
-Z06 brakes for Z51 – this application is for off-road use only because the stock Z51 wheels do not fit over the Z06 brakes. We cannot test or certify to all of the potential solutions. Any failures occurring as a result of the non-production wheels selected by the customer would not be covered. The remainder of the factory warranty is intact.
-T1 suspension kit – this suspension kit is designed for off-road, racing use only. Generally speaking we expect vehicles equipped with the T1 content would also be outfitted with track slicks and raced, both of which do void the general vehicle warranty.

He also mentioned the next version of the catalog will be updated accordingly. I have a feeling many of its pages will be dog-eared in record time.

Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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