What Upgrades VOID the Warranty?

[Taw0193]

As the title says, What upgrades do you know of that can VOID the warranty and what ones won't VOID it? I am looking into doing several upgrades but I don't want to do anything that will potentially ruin the warranty.... Help me out guys!!! Thanks!

[Lil' Nasty]

Every dealer is different but a tune will void your powertrain warranty...now say if you get a tune and your window motor goes out, the dealer would have to fix it bc the tune didn't affect that.

What are you looking to do?

[pocketcthulhu]

from my personal experience Cai's and exhaust upgrades won't void your warranty for anything past that Id talk to your service manager at least in my case they were very helpful and friendly.

also franklin is right, it's not a blanket warranty there's general which covers the body and paint and seats and stereo and so on and the powertrain which is Very easy to void when you start playing around.

[Taw0193]

I already have a CAI and exhaust is on the way, but I was looking at other possibilities. I am new to this so to be honest I don't know what else there is to do. Any suggestions?

[its a syn]

Ported throttle body will eliminate the dead spot on WOT, Black Ice-olater good for 25-30 hp cools intake manifold, Trifecta tune or IPT tune adds HP and makes everyone play nice together. RX catch can with breather will eliminate oil blow by that creates deposits. That is some of the most common bolt ons and all will void some or all of warrenty. With that said I have had mine like this for 30,000 miles and everything is running great!

[Apex Motorsports]

This is a question we get asked often and is a major concern for many people as they start down the road of modifying their vehicle. Search the web and you will find plenty of answers from the internet “experts”, but as usual most of them totally incorrect. So, what is the correct answer? Despite all the bad information out there, it is pretty cut and dry because there is federal law on the matter. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. 2302(C)) regulates warranties and protects the consumer. This legislation was enacted in 1975 in response to widespread deceptive warranty practices in many industries. Here is how SEMA summarizes things:

The essence of the law concerning aftermarket auto parts is that a vehicle manufacturer may not condition a written or implied warranty on the consumers using parts or services which are identified by brand, trade, or corporate name (such as the vehicle maker’s brand) unless the parts or service are provided free of charge. The law means that the use of an aftermarket part alone is not cause for denying the warranty. However, the law’s protection does not extend to aftermarket parts in situations where such parts actually caused the damage being claimed under the warranty. Further, consumers are advised to be aware of any specific terms or conditions stated in the warranty which may result in its being voided. The law states in relevant part: No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumers using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade or corporate name… (15 U.S.C. 2302(C)).

So in short, this means a service department or automotive manufacturer can not void your warranty simply because you have installed aftermarket parts or have modified your vehicle. They can, however, deny a warranty claim if they can prove the issue in question was a direct result of the installed part or modification. Unfortunately, plenty of people have stories of going to a dealership service department with a warranty issue and being denied because they have modified their vehicle. There are definitely shady service departments out there who will try to get over on their customers if they can, but this is illegal and it is up to the customer to know the law and stand up.


Here is an example of what can not be denied:

You install a supercharger in your vehicle and a month later your drivers side window stops working. The supercharger has no impact on your electric window motor, therefore, the repair should be covered.

Here is and example of what could be denied:

You install a supercharger in your vehicle and a month later your clutch is toast. The additional power created by a supercharger can easily overpower a stock clutch and lead to the repair not being covered under warranty.


Things are a lot tougher when you start talking about tuning. The tune in your ECU (Electronic Control Unit) controls every aspect of the engine’s operation: fuel and ignition maps, variable valve timing, rev limits, speed limiters, and many other functions. From the factory your car’s tune is set pretty conservatively in an effort to strike a balance between performance, emissions, fuel mileage, and reliability. Air/fuel ratios are generally a little rich and ignition timing is generally retarded to reduce the likelihood of detonation. Rev limits are set low to reduce wear and stress. And on and on it goes. Adjusting many of these setting will result in more power and better performance but, like almost all performance upgrades, it is a give and take. A leaner fuel map and advanced timing will add power but leaves you more vulnerable to detonation. A higher red line allows you to run out a little longer but at the cost of additional wear and an increased risk of a catastrophic failure. An experienced professional tuner is capable of writing a well balanced customized performance tune, but the OEM manufacturers (AKA: the guys who are ultimately on the hook for the warranty) see it differently.

The OEM manufacture’s stance is that a change to the stock tune exposes the engine and drive train to unknown and untested stresses that can negatively impact reliability. Because of the unknown consequences of this additional stress it is their policy to cancel all remaining engine and drive train warranty. Below is a PDF copy of the GM service bulletin laying out their policy on the matter.


GM 09-06-04-026A


If you get a tune and then have an engine or drive train problem you are most likely going to have a serious uphill battle. The thing to keep in mind is that the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. 2302(C)) still applies. The issue must be a direct result of the tune. If they can not make that connection then they have to honor the warranty. If they can you are on your own.

A tune is absolutely necessary for anyone looking to make more power. My advice is to focus on other aspects of your vehicle until you are prepared to take responsibility if an issue were to arise. Once you are, the sky is the limit. Feel free to hit me up anytime you have questions. That is what I am here for.

[Taw0193]

Thanks! I think I feel a bit more comfortable about doing some minor upgrades until the warranty is gone. One it is used up I will probably take the plunge and start tinkering with the big stuff :-) Thanks again!

[pocketcthulhu]

[HopeRidesAlone]

Also it depends on what the problem is and how much of a known issue it is like i just had a timing chain done under warranty because they know there is an issue with them.

[SBMARO'11]

Originally Posted by Apex Chase

This is a question we get asked often and is a major concern for many people as they start down the road of modifying their vehicle. Search the web and you will find plenty of answers from the internet “experts”, but as usual most of them totally incorrect. So, what is the correct answer? Despite all the bad information out there, it is pretty cut and dry because there is federal law on the matter. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. 2302(C)) regulates warranties and protects the consumer. This legislation was enacted in 1975 in response to widespread deceptive warranty practices in many industries. Here is how SEMA summarizes things:

The essence of the law concerning aftermarket auto parts is that a vehicle manufacturer may not condition a written or implied warranty on the consumers using parts or services which are identified by brand, trade, or corporate name (such as the vehicle maker’s brand) unless the parts or service are provided free of charge. The law means that the use of an aftermarket part alone is not cause for denying the warranty. However, the law’s protection does not extend to aftermarket parts in situations where such parts actually caused the damage being claimed under the warranty. Further, consumers are advised to be aware of any specific terms or conditions stated in the warranty which may result in its being voided. The law states in relevant part: No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumers using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade or corporate name… (15 U.S.C. 2302(C)).

So in short, this means a service department or automotive manufacturer can not void your warranty simply because you have installed aftermarket parts or have modified your vehicle. They can, however, deny a warranty claim if they can prove the issue in question was a direct result of the installed part or modification. Unfortunately, plenty of people have stories of going to a dealership service department with a warranty issue and being denied because they have modified their vehicle. There are definitely shady service departments out there who will try to get over on their customers if they can, but this is illegal and it is up to the customer to know the law and stand up.


Here is an example of what can not be denied:

You install a supercharger in your vehicle and a month later your drivers side window stops working. The supercharger has no impact on your electric window motor, therefore, the repair should be covered.

Here is and example of what could be denied:

You install a supercharger in your vehicle and a month later your clutch is toast. The additional power created by a supercharger can easily overpower a stock clutch and lead to the repair not being covered under warranty.


Things are a lot tougher when you start talking about tuning. The tune in your ECU (Electronic Control Unit) controls every aspect of the engine’s operation: fuel and ignition maps, variable valve timing, rev limits, speed limiters, and many other functions. From the factory your car’s tune is set pretty conservatively in an effort to strike a balance between performance, emissions, fuel mileage, and reliability. Air/fuel ratios are generally a little rich and ignition timing is generally retarded to reduce the likelihood of detonation. Rev limits are set low to reduce wear and stress. And on and on it goes. Adjusting many of these setting will result in more power and better performance but, like almost all performance upgrades, it is a give and take. A leaner fuel map and advanced timing will add power but leaves you more vulnerable to detonation. A higher red line allows you to run out a little longer but at the cost of additional wear and an increased risk of a catastrophic failure. An experienced professional tuner is capable of writing a well balanced customized performance tune, but the OEM manufacturers (AKA: the guys who are ultimately on the hook for the warranty) see it differently.

The OEM manufacture’s stance is that a change to the stock tune exposes the engine and drive train to unknown and untested stresses that can negatively impact reliability. Because of the unknown consequences of this additional stress it is their policy to cancel all remaining engine and drive train warranty. Below is a PDF copy of the GM service bulletin laying out their policy on the matter.


GM 09-06-04-026A


If you get a tune and then have an engine or drive train problem you are most likely going to have a serious uphill battle. The thing to keep in mind is that the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. 2302(C)) still applies. The issue must be a direct result of the tune. If they can not make that connection then they have to honor the warranty. If they can you are on your own.

A tune is absolutely necessary for anyone looking to make more power. My advice is to focus on other aspects of your vehicle until you are prepared to take responsibility if an issue were to arise. Once you are, the sky is the limit. Feel free to hit me up anytime you have questions. That is what I am here for.

the dealer car warranty doesnt cover clutch damage period any ways.