warranty worked voided if drop springs installed

[bee sting]

Guess what i was told at the dealership last week? Any mods to the suspension and that included drop springs would void any warranty work to the front or rear if there was a problem with any of factory suspension components,this came straight from a GM rep that attended our club meeting . He was a guest speaker and was showing all the new products that Gm will be releasing the 1st quarter of 2011 .Has anyone else heard this from there dealership?

[rtcat600man]

No. I had Rodgers Chevrolet install my Eibach springs. I was told this would not void my warranty. If I should have a problem take it back to them and they will resolve the issue.

[FEN]

My Eibach 1" spring kit was dealer installed. If the springs or improper installation causes or is directly related to an issue then the warranty will NOT cover the repair. You still have a warranty but will have to pay out of pocket for that particular repair.

[IndeedSS1]

Originally Posted by bee sting

Guess what i was told at the dealership last week? Any mods to the suspension and that included drop springs would void any warranty work to the front or rear if there was a problem with any of factory suspension components,this came straight from a GM rep that attended our club meeting . He was a guest speaker and was showing all the new products that Gm will be releasing the 1st quarter of 2011 .Has anyone else heard this from there dealership?

Technically what he was stating is true and males sense. However, those with good relationships with their service managers may have a leg up.

[Dr Jkel]

Originally Posted by bee sting

Guess what i was told at the dealership last week? Any mods to the suspension and that included drop springs would void any warranty work to the front or rear if there was a problem with any of factory suspension components,this came straight from a GM rep that attended our club meeting . He was a guest speaker and was showing all the new products that Gm will be releasing the 1st quarter of 2011 .Has anyone else heard this from there dealership?

I wonder why he said this. Since Pfadt is a authorized part from GM dealerships that they install how trhen can they turn around and void your warranty. Would be interested to hear Pfadt and Pedders take on this since they are GM APPROVED.

[IROCanSS]

Age old discussion.... Can be said for ANY part put on ANY car that wasnt there from the factory. Its a scare tactic.

[PfadtRacing]

Originally Posted by Dr Jkel

I wonder why he said this. Since Pfadt is a authorized part from GM dealerships that they install how trhen can they turn around and void your warranty. Would be interested to hear Pfadt and Pedders take on this since they are GM APPROVED.

I honestly think warranty issues will always be handled on a case-by-case basis, by the dealer in question. A lot will depend on the dealer's willingness to work with the customer, and their assessment of the root cause.

Any specific cases involving our parts should be brought to our attention. They can not void any type of general powertrain warranty with the addition of these suspension parts for example.

[Apex Motorsports]

Will This Mod Void My Warranty

Added Aug 27, 2010, Under: General Automotive




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.


So what do you do if you are illegally denied a warranty repair? According to the law, if the repair is over $25 you lawyer up and file a lawsuit in federal court. I know it may seem cheaper to just pay for the repair, but under the law the prevailing plaintiff may recover the costs of the suit including attorney fees.

[ZX1truth]

Originally Posted by Apex Chase

Will This Mod Void My Warranty

Added Aug 27, 2010, Under: General Automotive




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.


So what do you do if you are illegally denied a warranty repair? According to the law, if the repair is over $25 you lawyer up and file a lawsuit in federal court. I know it may seem cheaper to just pay for the repair, but under the law the prevailing plaintiff may recover the costs of the suit including attorney fees.

Very informative and very well said! Thank you for the clarification!

PS.....love the hot rod picture!

[bee sting]

What the Gm Rep was saying is .. anything after market installed like drop springs on the car and say a bushing -ball joint -etc goes bad, whats to say that the springs didn't cause the problem . it's not stock any more so...He said that Gm designed the components to work together as factory specs . and you added something that now has changed what Gm designed . Not exact words but i hope you get what i am saying . I guess like said above . if your in good with your dealer no worries .

[JasonK]

Why a dealership would turn away "warranty".... doesn't make sense to me!!!

[IPS Brandon]

Originally Posted by JasonK

Why a dealership would turn away "warranty".... doesn't make sense to me!!!

Because is GM declines the warranty claim then the dealer eats the bill.

Regards

[bee sting]

The dealer never said they wouldn't fix the car , it was that if there was after market parts on and that "could have" caused the failure and GM declined the claim then you as the owner pay's for the repair. It seems to me if the dealer notifies Gm there is a issue on a warranty claim they have to tell them there were non-factory parts installed .Again my dealer has never declined to install or service after market parts its just when something goes bad then .....

[axis]

Originally Posted by bee sting

The dealer never said they wouldn't fix the car , it was that if there was after market parts on and that "could have" caused the failure and GM declined the claim then you as the owner pay's for the repair. It seems to me if the dealer notifies Gm there is a issue on a warranty claim they have to tell them there were non-factory parts installed .Again my dealer has never declined to install or service after market parts its just when something goes bad then .....

We're talking about a strut/shock going bad here, not a engine, tranny, or rearend. Realistically, what can 1-1.25in lowering springs break besides a shock? I highly doubt GM is going to question warranty work on $100 blown strut, especially since there have been a few reported failures on completely stock cars.