Have any of you had any issues with warranty due to modifications?

Discussion in 'Renegade Modified Tech' started by Nerd76, Apr 8, 2018.

  1. Nerd76

    Nerd76 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2018
    Messages:
    15
    Location:
    Las Vegas
    I haven't done anything major to my 2017 Toaster Trailhawk just yet but I have big plans for a lift, wheels, etc, all that good stuff. But I was told to watch out for warranty issues with the dealership if I add anything to the Jeep. When buying the Jeep, I emphasized that I will be using it for heavy off-roading and will be lifting it and such and the financial manager told me that I wouldn't need to worry since they offer lifts also, and they install them. He said that they will only cover what is put on and bought by them. Which is fine, if my aftermarket lift goes bad, I don't expect Jeep to cover it.
    My real worry is if *god forbid* something goes wrong with my tranny, and they deny warranty coverage because they said the lift, or the tires are what caused it?

    My question is, have any of you experienced these types of issues? I'd like to hear about it.

    Peace and thanks Toaster community!
     
  2. Custm16

    Custm16 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2016
    Messages:
    41
    Location:
    Wisconsin
    I have a 2 inch lift, wheels and tires. I have a vibration at high speed and they won't continue looking at it until I put the factory wheels and tires back on. but that's it. they haven't refused any service
     
    Nerd76 likes this.
  3. Nerd76

    Nerd76 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2018
    Messages:
    15
    Location:
    Las Vegas
    I see, I see. If that's the case, I shouldn't be that worried.. What kind of work did you get done for them to tell you to put your factory tires on?
     
  4. Corrupt_Reverend

    Corrupt_Reverend Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2017
    Messages:
    110
    Location:
    California
    It’s going to vary from one dealer to the next.

    There are actually laws that prevent a dealer from denying a warranty claim due to unrelated mods. The problem is that most people don’t know that, and some sketchy dealers try to take advantage of that.

    However, if you have an issue like a CV joint go out after installing a lift, it likely won’t be covered since the lift likely contributed to the failure.
     
    Nerd76 likes this.
  5. Nerd76

    Nerd76 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2018
    Messages:
    15
    Location:
    Las Vegas
    Right. That's kind of what I figured. What I'm more worried about is the more serious stuff like a tranny or something. Let's say they deny my warranty if my a/c ever goes out and they blame it on my lift and tires. I'd be pissed! I'm really gonna look into this law that you're talking about. That could be worth some research
     
  6. MasterG

    MasterG New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2018
    Messages:
    6
    Location:
    Seattle, WA
  7. Nerd76

    Nerd76 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2018
    Messages:
    15
    Location:
    Las Vegas
    Interesting. So I called Mopar directly and asked them about my situation and the dude told me that anything above a 1.5 inch lift can void a lot more warranties than a 1.5 inch lift would (which he says will still void warranties).... it's very discouraging since I purchased the highest extended warranty package with my dealership...
     
  8. MasterG

    MasterG New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2018
    Messages:
    6
    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    I think the law is intended to ensure common sense is applied to evaluating warranty claims. If you put a 2" lift on your car and then have suspension issues, it's clearly not Mopar's responsibility to fix it since you modified the geometry beyond what Mopar intended. On the other hand, if your engine throws a rod, they can't say your warranty is void because you put halos around your headlights, etc.

    It's important to understand what you're changing when you modify your car. You shouldn't expect your warranty to be valid for things that you changed or the things directly affected by that change.

    So when your dealership says the lift "voids warranties", I think they mean that it would void the warranty on the components related to your suspension. The warranty on your power seat or your air conditioning is absolutely not going to be affected, and it'd be against the law for them not to honor that portion of the warranty. At the end of the day, all warranty claims are evaluated by Mopar and not the dealership.

    When I say Mopar, I mean FCA/Fiat/Jeep, whatever you want to call them.
     
    chartied and Corrupt_Reverend like this.
  9. Nerd76

    Nerd76 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2018
    Messages:
    15
    Location:
    Las Vegas
    Right. That's what I was thinking also. I've just heard some horror stories that scares me. My worst fear is if I'm having tranny problems (which I hear these 9 speeds has a lot of issues..) and they deny me of a fix due to tires and a lift ...
     
  10. kirame2

    kirame2 Member

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2017
    Messages:
    39
    Location:
    Florida
    Recently had a overheat issues related to fan starting to fail, and dealer tried to blame winch blocking airflow even though none of the grill is blocked. More FCA excuses and copouts cause they refuse to do a recall on cooling fans.
     
  11. Nerd76

    Nerd76 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2018
    Messages:
    15
    Location:
    Las Vegas
    sorry to hear that! Those are the types of stories that worry me. These dealerships are shady!
     
  12. red/green hawk

    red/green hawk Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2017
    Messages:
    146
    Location:
    New Mexico
    My tranny was warrantied after I had a lift and new tires. Took them forever to do it and a lot of complaining on my side. Plus I was having problems pre mod too.
     
  13. Nerd76

    Nerd76 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2018
    Messages:
    15
    Location:
    Las Vegas
    That's my worst fear! But I'm glad they eventually took care of it..
     

Share This Page