Warranty Concerns

Modifications that are easily reversible and undetectable are also of para-

mount importance when it comes to maintaining your new car’s warranty.

Let’s face it: Cars break. They are mechanical objects consisting of highly

complex systems, some of which fail prematurely. If a new car dealer can find

a way to void your warranty — even if in outright violation of the Magnuson-

Moss Warranty Act — you better believe that it will.

If a number of cars are suffering from, for example, a main bearing failure which

would otherwise be covered under the manufacturer’s powertrain warranty,

and your car happens to have a modified air intake — something that has noth-

ing to do with the longevity of the main bearing — you better believe that your

local dealership service center is not only going to deny the warranty coverage

that would otherwise have applied to fixing your car, but is going to log a note

in your file accessible by all dealers in your region (some can even do this on a

national level) informing them that your powertrain warranty is now null and

void, regardless of what ailments your car may have.

This activity can and should be fought when it happens. However, if you don’t

have the fighting spirit, and your modifications are not easily reversible, pre-

pare for the worst. Some cars rarely require warranty work and are a safer bet

to modify than others. However, if your make and model is known to have a

glitch or two that might need to be addressed sometime during its warranty

period, you might be better off either staying with less invasive modifications

or forgoing modifications altogether until the warranty period has expired.