Some people do not return to the dealer for service after buying a new vehicle. Keep all receipts on any maintenance work done at facilities other than the dealership while your car is under warranty. In that specific case Ford was completely within their rights to void the engine warranty. And the point? Use the fluid the carmaker specifies in your car to keep your warranty intact. Ford specifies using 5W20 semi-synthetic oil in that particular engine hence the warranty claim was denied and the engine warranty voided. Lack of proper rod and main bearing lubrication was cited as the key cause for the engine failure. When the oil was analyzed, it was found that the lubricant didn't provide proper lubrication to the engine and was the cause of the failure. So why do people continue to use what they believe are the best fluids for their new vehicles? For example, a woman called my national radio show, crying on air that when her husband changed the oil in her then-new Ford Taurus (3.0-liter V6 engine) he used straight 30-weight, non semi-synthetic motor oil. Fluids: Use the proper fluids specified by the carmakerĬarmakers dump millions of dollars into research and development to determine the best fluids to put into their vehicles for maximum performance and longevity. Now let's take a look common errors people make that can void their warranties. And you know that, as a consumer, you have certain legal safeguards against arbitrary decisions on the part of the carmakers. Common Ways People Void Their Car WarrantyĪt this point, you know that a new car warranty is an agreement where both parties have obligations. The Magnuson Moss Warranty Act forced carmakers to prove that the failure was due to the aftermarket product. Since there was no required burden of proof on the carmaker, consumers were hung out to dry. The reason this law was instituted? Carmakers were arbitrarily voiding car warranties and refusing warranty service because the customer had installed an aftermarket product or service. Research your next new vehicle purchase here. More recently, the Federal Trade Commission provided an advisory on this same consumer issue and regulatory theme. In fact, the automaker must prove beyond a doubt that the failure was indeed caused by the installation or use of the aftermarket product. The Magnuson Moss Warranty Act addresses such issues, stating that if a customer installs an aftermarket product (it could be a fluid, filter, hard part, software.virtually anything that was not installed on or in the vehicle from the factory when it was new), and if the vehicle fails as a result of the installation or use of the aftermarket product/service, the carmaker cannot arbitrarily deny a warranty claim and/or void the new car warranty because of the installation or use of the aftermarket product. Often people install custom, non-factory aftermarket products or use certain services for vehicle maintenance. The rest of the warranty remains intact, provided nothing else was affected by your negligence.Īlso, there are often warranty issues related to the installation of aftermarket products and/or services on a vehicle that is still under a new car warranty. For instance, if you don't have the oil changed in the engine according to the suggested maintenance schedule and the engine fails as a result, the carmaker has the legal right to void the warranty on the engine. It outlines what you must do to keep your warranty in force, and a warranty can be voided in part or whole. A new car warranty is an agreement between the carmaker and the consumer. So what are the most common actions that result in a voided car warranty? What Is A Car Warranty?įirst, in order to understand your role in the warranty relationship it's vital that you understand what a warranty is – and what it is not. A portion of those people have written to me, regretting they did something to void it. Yet, there are thousands (perhaps millions) who worry that one small thing will – at least figuratively – crumple their warranty up and throw it into the waste basket, leaving the owner to foot the bill on any repairs in the near future. Nobody in their right mind would want to void their car warranty.
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