how does getting warranty VOID work?
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: Freehold N.J. / Topsail N.C.
how does getting warranty VOID work?
i was just wondering how exactly the warranty gets voided, as far as putting on performance parts...i keep reading that a cat back exhaust wont do anything, but as soon as headers go on, its voided...now does that mean the whole warranty is screwed or just the exhaust wont be covered anymore...so if i bring my car in with headers out to a full exhaust and something internal is wrong in the engine,or my clutch is slipping or whatever, they wont even work on the car?is that correct?or does that particular part you replaced with aftermarket get voided?some insight would be nice cause i have the extended warranty on my 05 coupe MN6 THANKS!
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 38,314
Likes: 35
i was just wondering how exactly the warranty gets voided, as far as putting on performance parts...i keep reading that a cat back exhaust wont do anything, but as soon as headers go on, its voided...now does that mean the whole warranty is screwed or just the exhaust wont be covered anymore...so if i bring my car in with headers out to a full exhaust and something internal is wrong in the engine,or my clutch is slipping or whatever, they wont even work on the car?is that correct?or does that particular part you replaced with aftermarket get voided?some insight would be nice cause i have the extended warranty on my 05 coupe MN6 THANKS!
Headers can affect a number of things so the dealer has a lot of leeway in denying engine repairs if you show up with headers.
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 70
Likes: 2
From: Jacksonville Florida
It really depends on the dealer and the tech from the dealer you are working with. I called around and talked with friends until I found a dealer in my area who is mod friendly before I had the headers put on my car. I just had the clutch replaced under warranty. I didn't catch the posts about the clutch fluid needing replaced so often if you were doing hard launches. So a couple of hard launches with my clutch not working right and the clutch plate was fried. Anyway I explained it all to my mechanic at the dealer and they replaced the primary and slave clutch cylinders and the clutch plate itself. To top it off my mechanic was nice enough to put on an LS7 clutch since there was no price difference to them. He also called me while he was working on it and told me to order a remote clutch bleeder extension and installed that also. So now I can bleed the entire clutch system from the engine compartment. So as I said it really depends on the dealer. Yes the clutch plate is a wear item but if it fails because of other design issues that should be covered under warranty, but it is real easy for the dealer to argue that. Anyway that’s just my experience.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,171
Likes: 4
From: Columbia Maryland
There is a federal statute (the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act) that prohibits a dealer from voiding the warranty, or not covering repairs under warranty if you have installed aftermarket parts on your car. The only exception is if it can be proven that that the aftermarket part caused the failure. The law is very clear in that the dealer must "prove" that the aftermarket part caused the failure in order to deny warranty coverage not just "suspect". If you have been denied warranty coverage you can file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commision which administers enforcement of the Act. You will still probably have to hire an attorney and sue the dealer in civil court to get you money back for the repairs.
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dumm...e/id-2669.html
https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.s..._ORG_CODE=PU01
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dumm...e/id-2669.html
https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.s..._ORG_CODE=PU01
Safety Car
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,770
Likes: 3
From: 3rd planet from the sun
I don't understand all the legal jargon....you may be right and supported by the law but if the dealer you take the car to, tells you to take a hike....what do you do? Hire a lawyer and chase GM around for a few years? In the long run you end up spending more for a lawyer than what the repair costs. Mods are risky business when it comes to warranty coverage. The dealer is no different than a insurance company - they take your money then find creative ways to tell you you don't have coverage. Ask the Hurricane Katrina victims......
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,611
Likes: 5
From: Thousand Oaks California
i was just wondering how exactly the warranty gets voided, as far as putting on performance parts...i keep reading that a cat back exhaust wont do anything, but as soon as headers go on, its voided...now does that mean the whole warranty is screwed or just the exhaust wont be covered anymore...so if i bring my car in with headers out to a full exhaust and something internal is wrong in the engine,or my clutch is slipping or whatever, they wont even work on the car?is that correct?or does that particular part you replaced with aftermarket get voided?some insight would be nice cause i have the extended warranty on my 05 coupe MN6 THANKS!
- Dealer advises his General Motors District Vehicle Manager (DVM)
- Dealer takes photos
- Dealer writes a repair order documenting the condition of the vehicle
- DVM sends documentation to the warranty block coordinator at the Dealer Business Center (DBC)
- The coordinator determines if the condition is cause for a full warranty block, partial warranty block or no warranty block
- If a warranty block decision is made, the data is entered into the Vehicle Information Systerm (VIS) of which all GM dealers have access
- The information is also entered into the Warranty Information Network System (WINS) preventing claim payment
Outside of General Motors, the State DMV can issue a salvage title. This always leads General Motors to effect a FULL WARRANTY BLOCK.
Last edited by calemasters; Jun 10, 2007 at 03:37 AM.
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