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What Mods Void Your Warrenty??


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Some claim the use of any part or fluid that comes from other than your Ford dealer will void the warranty. Others claim their dealers have installed aftermarket parts including superchargers, tunes, and (wait for it) non-Motocraft oil :runaway: , all without affecting their warranties. The answer is IT DEPENDS on a number of factors including... the mod, the failure, the dealer's attitude regarding mods, the relationship you have with the dealer, etc.

 

If you're worried about it, the safest bet is to wait until you're out of warranty to mod.

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I've often wondered exactly how that works. When a dealer makes a warranty repair to a customer's car, I imagine Ford reimburses the dealer 100% for the repair cost. It's not the dealer's fault there's a warranty issue, it's Ford's fault. So that's a pretty strong incentive for the dealer to make any and all warranty repairs that come in, easy money. I can't figure out why a dealer would hesitate to do a warranty repair even if there were mods on the car.

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... The answer is IT DEPENDS on a number of factors including... the mod, the failure, the dealer's attitude regarding mods, the relationship you have with the dealer, etc.

 

 

 

I've said this before, but it is the manufacturer that offers a new car warranty, not the dealer. The dealer does the repair and submits the bill to the manufacturer. If the dealer feels there could be a problem with getting paid, they may report their concerns to their rep and get an approval before starting the repair. No dealership has the authority to deny warranty coverage on their own. If they do try it, go to another dealer or contact Ford directly. Dealerships can also arrange an appointment with their factory rep, so you can plead your case directly. If you know for a fact that you did something that caused the problem, don't put too much time and effort into fighting it. If you know for sure that you did nothing to cause it, fight it all the way.

 

Also, a new car warranty is "bumper to bumper", by law the entire warranty cannot be voided by one situation. For example, if you do a very aggressive tune and the water pump fails, that repair cannot be denied because of the tune. If you fail to do proper maintenance on the cooling system, different story.

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I imagine Ford reimburses the dealer 100% for the repair cost. It's not the dealer's fault there's a warranty issue, it's Ford's fault. So that's a pretty strong incentive for the dealer to make any and all warranty repairs that come in, easy money. I can't figure out why a dealer would hesitate to do a warranty repair even if there were mods on the car.

 

Unless things have changed since I was in the biz, an automotive manufacturer will reimburse the dealership for warranty repairs at a steeply discounted rate. There's not a lot of money to be made on warranty repairs, it's the "customer pay" stuff that keeps the parts and service departments in the black.

 

I have seen cases with recalls that after doing them over and over some techs get so quick that they actually make some money on them.

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I've often wondered exactly how that works. When a dealer makes a warranty repair to a customer's car, I imagine Ford reimburses the dealer 100% for the repair cost.

 

Nope, unfortunately not.

 

There is "Customer Pay" and "Warranty Pay". Customer Pay is 100+% of flat rate, Warranty Pay (labor) is 75% of flat rate.

 

Parts get marked up for Customer Pay and charged at COST for Warranty Pay.

 

There is actually a completely separate person at a dealership that does all of the Warranty Pay financials. I can't remember the title but my Daughter In Law is one.

 

 

Phill

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Some claim the use of any part or fluid that comes from other than your Ford dealer will void the warranty.

 

 

 

Naw, they can't do that. That's called "A Tie In". For instance, if the mfgr. mandates a particular BRAND of oil, they have to supply it for the duration of the Warranty period. BMW mandates Mobil 1 synthetic oil and that's why BMW 'gives' the customer their oil changes during the warranty period. Merceded Benz USED TO mandate Mobil 1 and paid for the services during the warranty period but not any more.

 

The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act mandates Tie Ins under Federal Law.

 

That does not apply to a particular TYPE or GRADE of oil though and that's where Ford Motor Company/FoMoCo has you by the balls. You can't just run 5w-50 in your GT500, it has to be 5w-50 with a particular GRADE (too lazy to look it up) which only the Ford Dealers sell (Motorcraft Oil).

 

I don't have much warranty left and I use Castor Oil 5w-50, available at a discount auto parts store (which I can't remember the name of! (I think Advanced Auto)).

 

I'm betting it would be nearly impossible for the dealer to determine if my oil met their grade or not (and the burdon of proof is on THEM, not on ME).

 

 

Phill

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right or wrong, my experience has been that dealers will give you a hard time if you have a custom ECU tune, in which case they may not want to do much for you. lots of mods don't require messing with the computer so those shouldn't be a problem unless they can be proven to have caused a failure. unfortunately, some of the most common and best mods DO require a custom ECU tune. of course you can re-flash the computer back to OEM when you take it in, but what good is that if your car will not run properly without the custom tune?

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right or wrong, my experience has been that dealers will give you a hard time if you have a custom ECU tune, in which case they may not want to do much for you ...

 

Well, if you mess with the tune and go to the dealer about running problems, it only makes sense that they don't want to get involved. It's a losing proposition for them.

 

Again, if you go in about something completely unrelated, that's a different story. There are a WHOLE lot of other things on the car that are covered under warranty.

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... There is actually a completely separate person at a dealership that does all of the Warranty Pay financials. I can't remember the title but my Daughter In Law is one.

 

 

 

 

Dealers must take warranty claims seriously, many have gotten themselves into financial trouble with sloppy warranty processing, only to have the manufacturer kick back thousands of dollars of claims.

 

It's understandable that they may be hesitant to cover repairs on a heavily modded car. But that doesn't mean a car owner should just roll over any time a dealer says no. If they have no right to refuse warranty service, don't let them get away with it. The average cost of warranty repairs is built into the price of every new car sold.

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well, and my point is that any mods that require a computer re-flash are going to be problematic for the owner and a dealership because you can't return it to stock unless you remove the mods at the same time, which isn't practical in most cases. the only decent workaround there is to use a ford racing kit, which comes with a tune that dealers won't scoff at. then add a custom tune to get more performance out of the same hardware when the vehicle is not in the shop. or alternatively, add mods that don't require a computer re-flash.

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well, and my point is that any mods that require a computer re-flash are going to be problematic for the owner and a dealership because you can't return it to stock unless you remove the mods at the same time, which isn't practical in most cases. the only decent workaround there is to use a ford racing kit, which comes with a tune that dealers won't scoff at. then add a custom tune to get more performance out of the same hardware when the vehicle is not in the shop. or alternatively, add mods that don't require a computer re-flash.

 

I understand.

 

If you modify the engine and go to the dealer with running problems, it's a sticky situation. If you take the car in for unrelated problems there should be no issue about the mods.

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Most have seen my issues with warranty problems. I took a perfectly fine driving GT 500 into a Dealership with a well known 1 to 2 grind and whine in the rear end issue. I was told that having a "Modified" Exhaust Voided my engine Warranty. They also opted out of doing any work on the rear or trans in fear that the fix would not be warrantied and they would have to be paid for by me. I do know that most of this was caused by a CRAPPY Service Department and even worse customer service management but the case went clear up to the Regional Customer Service Center and they seemed to have their heads up their asses just as far. My oppinion is leave it alone if you are concerned about a warranty.

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For the record, BMW recommends Castrol Oil and BMW branded oil sold by dealers is manufactured by Castrol. Of course BMW is going to use their own oil when providing no cost oil changes during the warranty period. Don't see anything in the my 2011 BMW owner's manual or warranty manual that says I will void the warranty by not using Castrol oil. The oil fill cap states "BMW Recommends Castrol."

 

BMW mandates Mobil 1 synthetic oil and that's why BMW 'gives' the customer their oil changes during the warranty period.

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Then there is the post-title program from SA which may affect the warranty. For example, the 525 HP GT350 is covered under Ford warranty, bu the drive train on the 624 HP is not. I do not know about SS GT500 mods over the 700 HP mark, especially the Shelby 1000. Looking in the Ford Racing Performance Parts catalog, you can find what Ford Racing mods that Ford will not warranty, even if it is a Ford part and put in by a Ford dealer.

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... I do know that most of this was caused by a CRAPPY Service Department and even worse customer service management but the case went clear up to the Regional Customer Service Center and they seemed to have their heads up their asses just as far.

 

Did you communicate directly with anyone (in authority) at Ford?

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I've said this before, but it is the manufacturer that offers a new car warranty, not the dealer. The dealer does the repair and submits the bill to the manufacturer. If the dealer feels there could be a problem with getting paid, they may report their concerns to their rep and get an approval before starting the repair. No dealership has the authority to deny warranty coverage on their own. If they do try it, go to another dealer or contact Ford directly. Dealerships can also arrange an appointment with their factory rep, so you can plead your case directly. If you know for a fact that you did something that caused the problem, don't put too much time and effort into fighting it. If you know for sure that you did nothing to cause it, fight it all the way.

 

Also, a new car warranty is "bumper to bumper", by law the entire warranty cannot be voided by one situation. For example, if you do a very aggressive tune and the water pump fails, that repair cannot be denied because of the tune. If you fail to do proper maintenance on the cooling system, different story.

I cant agree more than 100000% with this. I had a dealer try to deny me warranty work so I went right to GM and the dealer immediately called me back and did everything short of sucking me off to take care of me! One thing I will say with motorcycles at least the big 4 jap manufactures, if you do not do your 600 mile service at an authorized dealership it voids your warranty because at that point is when we put it in the system to validate your warranty. Not sure if there are any auto manufactures that do the same.

 

I believel Mobil 1 was the first one required to be used to maintain manufactures warranty, Chevy for the vettes, Porsche and another manufacture also claimed this.

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Most have seen my issues with warranty problems. I took a perfectly fine driving GT 500 into a Dealership with a well known 1 to 2 grind and whine in the rear end issue. I was told that having a "Modified" Exhaust Voided my engine Warranty. They also opted out of doing any work on the rear or trans in fear that the fix would not be warrantied and they would have to be paid for by me. I do know that most of this was caused by a CRAPPY Service Department and even worse customer service management but the case went clear up to the Regional Customer Service Center and they seemed to have their heads up their asses just as far. My oppinion is leave it alone if you are concerned about a warranty.

I'm not one to throw around the MM Act but it looks like you have an excellent case with your situation. That's what the act was created for.

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MM act is a running joke in law school. After getting denied for a plug falling out of my transfer case in the raptor, Im done being worried about "their" warranties. If its a major problem, Ill fight for it if I didnt cause it. If not, its not worth the aggravation.

 

Incidentally, if you own a raptor, and you've driven it off-road, you have technically voided your warranty. Nice, huh?

 

I would assume track events and such are the same rationale. God, the dealers in my part of Texas suck.

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Did you communicate directly with anyone (in authority) at Ford?

Yes. I was told by this Dealerships OWNER Chris to give them a chance to make things right.... He didnt. His supposed Service Director Dion, all about helping.....Didnt. Heather Racik with the regional customer support center basically accused me of driving my car too hard, or maybe it was the previous owner, told me my car was modified, and basically after I mentioned the MM act didnt seem to care at all. I asked for proof that the exhaust damaged the trans and rear end and was told take it back to the MAZDA dealership where I bought it. Now who in here wants a Mazda dealership to do transmission and rear end work on their Shelby's?

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Yes. I was told by this Dealerships OWNER Chris to give them a chance to make things right.... He didnt. His supposed Service Director Dion, all about helping.....Didnt. Heather Racik with the regional customer support center basically accused me of driving my car too hard, or maybe it was the previous owner, told me my car was modified, and basically after I mentioned the MM act didnt seem to care at all. I asked for proof that the exhaust damaged the trans and rear end and was told take it back to the MAZDA dealership where I bought it. Now who in here wants a Mazda dealership to do transmission and rear end work on their Shelby's?

 

And people working at dealerships wonder why they have such bad reputations.........

 

Their bad reps made me a LOT of money over my career in the Auto Repair business.

 

 

Phill

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Yes. I was told by this Dealerships OWNER Chris to give them a chance to make things right.... He didnt. His supposed Service Director Dion, all about helping.....Didnt. Heather Racik with the regional customer support center basically accused me of driving my car too hard, or maybe it was the previous owner, told me my car was modified, and basically after I mentioned the MM act didnt seem to care at all. I asked for proof that the exhaust damaged the trans and rear end and was told take it back to the MAZDA dealership where I bought it. Now who in here wants a Mazda dealership to do transmission and rear end work on their Shelby's?

That sounds more like you were dealing with people at the dealership and regional service levels, which is barely anyone in authority at Ford... I'd try calling SVT and rattling some trees in Ford corporate... May get you a better response.

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MM act is a running joke in law school. After getting denied for a plug falling out of my transfer case in the raptor, Im done being worried about "their" warranties. If its a major problem, Ill fight for it if I didnt cause it. If not, its not worth the aggravation.

 

Incidentally, if you own a raptor, and you've driven it off-road, you have technically voided your warranty. Nice, huh?

 

I would assume track events and such are the same rationale. God, the dealers in my part of Texas suck.

++ for Victoria

3 ford dealers all owned by the same guy good luck.

Last time and i mean last time the 07 was in for warranty on the radio. I ended up paying for a reman unit myself and still trying to figure where that 6x7 piece of dense white foam should be put back in my car. At the end of the service fiasco with the ford dealer, the service writer and I went outside to talk and after admiring my car for a bit told me he had to take my car to the sound shop and was very careful driving it. He then said "you should not bring your car here for service; the guys here have no Ideal how to work on a car like yours". well at least there is one honest person working at a ford dealer in Victoria.

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  • 1 month later...

That sounds more like you were dealing with people at the dealership and regional service levels, which is barely anyone in authority at Ford... I'd try calling SVT and rattling some trees in Ford corporate... May get you a better response.

 

Well, mine is bone stock and 2 months old, not even 2000 miles and they are spending weeks on my transmission grinding sound. They are just terrible terrible terrible about service. Dealerships are scared to touch it without Ford's say-so and Ford insists it's not a problem if they can't figure it out. You guys tell me if you think this sounds like a problem. It's mild acceleartion in 4th gear at 2500 RPM

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  • 1 year later...

Guys, does anyone know if the addition of an oil separator/catch can like Bob sells will void the Ford factory warranty on my '14 GT500? I have a friend with a newer F150, and he says he read that adding the device will void his Ford factory warranty...

 

Steve

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Guys, does anyone know if the addition of an oil separator/catch can like Bob sells will void the Ford factory warranty on my '14 GT500? I have a friend with a newer F150, and he says he read that adding the device will void his Ford factory warranty...

 

Steve

 

Nothing you do can automatically void a vehicle warranty and especially the completely warranty.

 

If you add a modification that can be proven to harm some specific part, it would be up to the Mfgr. to prove it was the cause. The burdon of proof is on THEM.

 

I can't think of anything a vapor separator could do to harm *any* system on your car so I can't see it harming anything on your car.

 

In short the answer is "no".

 

 

Phill

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Nothing you do can automatically void a vehicle warranty and especially the completely warranty.

 

If you add a modification that can be proven to harm some specific part, it would be up to the Mfgr. to prove it was the cause. The burdon of proof is on THEM.

 

I can't think of anything a vapor separator could do to harm *any* system on your car so I can't see it harming anything on your car.

 

In short the answer is "no".

 

 

Phill

 

I agree that the addition of an oil separator should not be an item considered to harm anything, but it is an item that "could" be considered to be tampered with on the emissions system. The warranty below does not limit to "harm" done to the system...............I believe this is from 2007, I doubt the emissions laws or Ford warranty has become more lax since that time?

 

 

EMISSIONS PERFORMANCE WARRANTY COVERAGE

If owner’s vehicle is registered in a state where the state or local government has an EPA-approved inspection and maintenance program, you may also be eligible for Emissions Performance Warranty Coverage for 2 years or 24,000 miles (whichever occurs first).

Under the Emissions Performance Warranty, Ford Motor Company provides coverage, including labor and diagnosis, for 8 years or 80,000 miles (whichever occurs first) for the following emissions parts.

  • Catalytic Converter
  • Electronic Emissions Control Unit (ECU)
  • Onboard Emissions Diagnostic Device

 

Under Emissions Performance Warranty Coverage, Ford Motor Company will repair, replace, or adjust - with no charge for labor, diagnosis, or parts - any emissions control device or system, if all of the following conditions are met:

  • Vehicle is maintained and operated according to the instructions on proper care in the Owner Guide, the Scheduled Maintenance Guide, and this booklet.
  • Vehicle fails to conform, during the warranty coverage period of 2 years or 24,000 miles (whichever occurs first), to the applicable national EPA standards. For specified parts listed above, the coverage period is 8 years or 80,000 miles (whichever occurs first).
  • There is a possible penalty or sanction under local, state, or federal law because your vehicle has failed to conform to the emissions standards. (A penalty or sanction can include being denied the right to use your vehicle.)
  • Vehicle has not been tampered with, misused, or abused.

Note that the warranty period begins on the Warranty Start Date .

 

 

^^^^Just a thought...............the addition of anything emissions related which includes the PCV system, "could" be considered tampering with the system. To be safe, I would remove it when the under warranty vehicle needs to make a visit to the dealership.

 

 

There was also a list of emissions items that are covered for a much longer period of time, but I did not add that to this post.

 

 

R

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Specifically, which can and can't you get.

 

My two-cents…

 

First thing you need to do is go talk to your service manger at your local dealer or wherever you get your warranty work done. Ask him/her what modifications would void the warranty.

 

The bottom line is this; you can modify your vehicle how you like. However, if the modification causes the malfunction or mechanical breakdown of the vehicle, part, etc. then that particular part(s) will not be covered under the warranty.

 

Just because you modify parts of your vehicle doesn’t mean your entire warranty is voided. (Again talk with your service manager)

 

If you don’t get the answer you want from your routine service manager, then try another dealer if that is possible.

 

There was a Federal act in the 1970s that outlines your rights to modify your car. I forget the particulars. But just because you use Pennzoil oil versus Ford’s Motorcraft oil doesn’t mean the warranty is voided.

 

And lastly (I don’t know about Team Shelby) but there are other Forums (Mustang) out there that have Ford reps trolling the forums about issues. You can always find one to see if they can be of assistances. I have seen it work, I don’t think I have seen anything negative about them…

 

 

Oh, if you are not mechanically inclined and let someone else do you work like me. Then I usually just let the dealer take care of it. In this area the prices for labor are all the same, plus I try to use some type of Ford or Ford associated/authorized part when I mod the vehicle…

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I agree that the addition of an oil separator should not be an item considered to harm anything, but it is an item that "could" be considered to be tampered with on the emissions system. The warranty below does not limit to "harm" done to the system...............I believe this is from 2007, I doubt the emissions laws or Ford warranty has become more lax since that time?

 

 

EMISSIONS PERFORMANCE WARRANTY COVERAGE

If owner’s vehicle is registered in a state where the state or local government has an EPA-approved inspection and maintenance program, you may also be eligible for Emissions Performance Warranty Coverage for 2 years or 24,000 miles (whichever occurs first).

Under the Emissions Performance Warranty, Ford Motor Company provides coverage, including labor and diagnosis, for 8 years or 80,000 miles (whichever occurs first) for the following emissions parts.

  • Catalytic Converter
  • Electronic Emissions Control Unit (ECU)
  • Onboard Emissions Diagnostic Device

 

Under Emissions Performance Warranty Coverage, Ford Motor Company will repair, replace, or adjust - with no charge for labor, diagnosis, or parts - any emissions control device or system, if all of the following conditions are met:

  • Vehicle is maintained and operated according to the instructions on proper care in the Owner Guide, the Scheduled Maintenance Guide, and this booklet.
  • Vehicle fails to conform, during the warranty coverage period of 2 years or 24,000 miles (whichever occurs first), to the applicable national EPA standards. For specified parts listed above, the coverage period is 8 years or 80,000 miles (whichever occurs first).
  • There is a possible penalty or sanction under local, state, or federal law because your vehicle has failed to conform to the emissions standards. (A penalty or sanction can include being denied the right to use your vehicle.)
  • Vehicle has not been tampered with, misused, or abused.

Note that the warranty period begins on the Warranty Start Date .

 

 

^^^^Just a thought...............the addition of anything emissions related which includes the PCV system, "could" be considered tampering with the system. To be safe, I would remove it when the under warranty vehicle needs to make a visit to the dealership.

 

 

There was also a list of emissions items that are covered for a much longer period of time, but I did not add that to this post.

 

 

R

 

 

Robert,

 

You are mixing up Emissions Warranty with Manufactures Warranty.

 

Two different things.

 

BTW, the Emissions mods can get you into legal trouble too.

 

 

Phill

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