Mod's That Wont Void Warranty

[alfredoleffew]

Hi All,
Just purchased my first ever Tacoma which is my first ever brand new vehicle (all priors have been used or certified used).

Someone please educate me on what I can and cannot touch in terms of what voids the warranties??

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[gpburdell]

In the US at least, vehicle warranties aren't a monolithic thing that is only valid or void.

instead, it comes down to whether or not your modification could've caused the failure, in which case warranty coverage might be denied.

Example: you install a lift and huge heavy tires.

If you then have a problem with an axle it might not be covered. If your seat heater fails, it would be covered since lift/tires couldn't affect that.

 

[goin2drt]

In the US at least, vehicle warranties aren't a monolithic thing that is only valid or void.

instead, it comes down to whether or not your modification could've caused the failure, in which case warranty coverage might be denied.

Example: you install a lift and huge heavy tires.

If you then have a problem with an axle it might not be covered. If your seat heater fails, it would be covered since lift/tires couldn't affect that.

This up here and also you can read up on this if you are in the US.
Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act - Wikipedia

 

[ridetime]

Hi All,
Just purchased my first ever Tacoma which is my first ever brand new vehicle (all priors have been used or certified used).

Someone please educate me on what I can and cannot touch in terms of what voids the warranties??

The list would be too extensive but here are some examples.

Big Tires and lift kit:
If the dealer determines that your lift/tires M A Y have caused or contributed to suspension component wear/issues, overheating transmission, abnormal tire wear, drivability issues (hunting for gears, sluggish acceleration etc.), inability to properly align the vehicle they can refuse to warranty your claim.

Exhaust mods: (third party) Drivability issues, check engine lights, droning at highway speed could be refused and blamed on your exhaust.

ECU tunes like OTT. Anything that goes wrong with the engine/trans/ECU, pretty much anything could be blamed on this one.

Aftermarket audio: any electrical or factory head unit issues would be your fault.

Aftermarket bumpers with park sensors. Yep your fault if they don't work.

Grill replacement= most likely no warranty on those parts if there are calibration issues.


Just know this: If you make any modification that a dealer could even remotely blame for a problem with your vehicle they can and probably will refuse to help you.

Now for the folks that will say...But they can't do that because of the
Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act . I would say just watch them.

Sure you can obtain legal counsel and fight it in court (or try anyway) but at what cost? How much are you willing to sacrifice in time/money to fight it? Don't forget Toyota has unlimited time and funds to fight back. They do this all day every day. You and your lawyer, not so much.


Happy modding!

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