Posted by: charred

06/02/2006 02:31AM

Fuck the warranty. The dealership must honor the warranty unless the aftermarket part is directly responsible for the damage they're fixing. That's the law, dude. Check with SEMA and various aftermarket parts manufacturers if you don't believe me.

The warranty is NOT void by the mere installation of aftermarket products. If the dealer insists on warranty denial, call the Federal Trade Commission at (202) 326-3128.

Law: The warranty cannot be denied on the mass air-flow sensor due to the installation of an aftermarket exhaust system. If the dealer insists on warranty denial, call the Environmental Protection Agency at (202) 382-2640.

Almost everyone has heard that the mere installation and/or use of aftermarket parts will void a vehicle manufacturer's warranty. That claim appears to know no limitations and is heralded from coast to coast with no lack of certainty. In spite of having unbridled support, however, one basic problem remains: It's not true!

In looking at the potential for violating a vehicle manufacturer's warranty, it is important to remember that there are a number of different types of warranties which come with a new vehicle.

Express and Implied Warranties
The first is the warranty which is offered by the vehicle manufacturer. This is called an expressed warranty and is made by the manufacturer to assume responsibility for various things which might go wrong with the new vehicle during a stated period of time or before the vehicle has traveled a given distance.

Beyond this, however, the manufacturer is also responsible for what are referred to as implied warranties. These are not written warranties, but they exist because it is felt that if a manufacturer produces and sells a product, that product should meet certain standards. These standards are the basis of implied warranties.

Keep in mind, however, that with both expressed and implied warranties, there are circumstances where the manufacturer can be relieved of responsibility to make good on warranty claims.

Emission Warranties
The warranties we discuss most often are emission warranties. These warranties are required by, and are a direct result of, the Clean Air Act. Each of these warranties provides the consumer with certain rights and imposes on the manufacturer certain obligations. However, as in the case with expressed and implied warranties, the manufacturer may not have to fulfill those obligations under all circumstances. These are times when the manufacturer's expressed, implied and emission warranties can be voided. Let's look at when that can, and cannot, happen.

Defect Warranty
Looking first at the warranties required by the Clean Air Act, we find that there are really two warranties. The first warranty is called a defect warranty. This means the manufacturer is required to produce a vehicle which at the time of sale did not have any "defects" which would cause it to fail to meet the required emission levels for its "useful" life as defined by the law.

A manufacturer can be held liable for this warranty when a "defect" has indeed been found. If, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that a large number of a particular type of vehicle was failing to maintain proper emission levels, they might determine that the failure was the result of a defect in the vehicle.

Posted by: charred

06/02/2006 02:31AM

While it is unlikely, the vehicle manufacturer could seek to show that the reason for the vehicle's failure to meet emission standards is that all vehicles in question had been equipped with aftermarket parts - and those parts were responsible for the emission failure. If the vehicle manufacturer could prove his argument, it would be grounds to "void" the defect warranty.

The manufacturer could not, however, seek to void the warranty merely because aftermarket equipment had been installed on the vehicle. The aftermarket equipment would have to directly relate to the emission failure to void the warranty.

Performance Warranty
A second warranty required under the Clean Air Act is the performance warranty. Under this warranty the vehicle is required to maintain certain emission performance standards throughout its "useful" life. If the car fails to meet those requirements, the vehicle manufacturer is required to make repairs.

What could void this warranty? The only circumstance under which the vehicle manufacturer may void the emission warranty is where the aftermarket part is responsible for the warranty claim. The vehicle manufacturer cannot void the warranty merely because aftermarket equipment has been installed on the vehicle.

Protection Under the Law
The law relating to the other types of warranties is similar. Federal law, regulating to one extent or another, expressed and implied warranties is very clear: That warranties may not be conditioned upon the use of the manufacturer's parts or services unless those parts or services are provided free of charge. Therefore, the expressed and implied warranties cannot be voided merely because aftermarket parts are installed on a vehicle. The warranties can be voided only where the installation of an aftermarket part is DIRECTLY responsible for that failure which gives rise to the warranty claim.

Knowledge Isn't Enough
Just knowing the law may not be enough. What happens if a vehicle dealer denies a warranty claim? If the claim is in reference to a part governed by the Clean Air Act and you believe the claim was improperly denied, a call to the EPA at (202) 382-2640 would be in order. The EPA maintains a staff who looks into situations where vehicle manufacturers have failed to honor warranty claims.

If the failure to honor a claim involves the new warranty, and it appears that the vehicle dealer improperly denied the claim, the matter should be raised with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at (202) 326-3128. The FTC is responsible for monitoring compliance with the warranty law. Between these two federal agencies there should be sufficient authority to work out any warranty problems.

In addition, SEMA monitors problems associated with warranty claims to ensure that vehicle dealers are not misrepresenting the law. Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) (714) 396-0289.

Posted by: friedo82

03/05/2004 07:24AM

You need some pics to prove what you have man. Some of that is totally unbelievable. Peace

Posted by: rickt

04/10/2003 07:41AM

How do you run 6.5s @ 95 mph in the quarter mile and it takes you 6.1 seconds to get to 60 mph? Please explain.

Posted by: sebring2003

01/06/2003 04:27PM

I dont have the Xenon lights yet. I definately want them though. When I do get them, I'll probably have them installed professionally so I don't screw up my car. If you get them before me, let me know how they work.