![]() If the aftermarket parts had nothing to do with the repairs in question, you will be refunded the fee for the diagnosis.Īny aftermarket performance parts on your vehicle can cause a dealer to suspect that you either drive the car hard or possibly race it. If the aftermarket part was not properly installed or a modification led to a component failure, it is within the dealer's right to void the warranty for that part, and you will have to pay for the repairs out of pocket. However, if the reason for a parts failure is unclear, a dealer will usually charge you to diagnose the vehicle. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act states that a dealer must prove that aftermarket equipment caused the need for repairs before it can deny warranty coverage. The saving grace for consumers is the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975. Some dealerships may say, for example, that just because you have a performance part such as a cold air intake on the car that the whole vehicle warranty is void, says Loren Wong, a car enthusiast and a former warranty administrator for BMW and Acura. Although many dealers would have you think otherwise, simply having an aftermarket part or modifying your vehicle cannot void your warranty. This aspect of warranty coverage has a great deal of gray area. The Ridgeline's repairs were eventually covered under warranty as a one-time goodwill gesture, but not without our being persistent and pleading our case to Honda and the service manager. We explained to the service advisor that this 4WD truck was doing what it was designed to do, and that the washboard road should not have caused the struts to fail. The inspection by the dealer revealed that all four struts were blown out and needed to be replaced, a service not covered under warranty on the grounds that the struts were excessively worn. On the way home, he noticed the ride was unusually bouncy, and took the truck in for service. One of our editors was driving a 2006 Honda Ridgeline when he came across a washboard dirt road, and followed it for a number of miles at speeds of 10-15 mph. ![]() We found this out firsthand when we took one of our long-term test cars to Death Valley, California. Though these may sound like conspiracy theories, you may want to think twice before competing in your car.Įven when you have a vehicle designed to go off-road, there is still a large gray area when it comes to warranty repairs. If you scour Internet message boards, there are plenty of articles noting how dealers and automakers monitor racing events (and even attend events to record license plate numbers) in order to deny warranty service the next time those cars come in for service. Even if there is no proof but just signs of abuse, your warranty claim may be denied. Some automakers will void your entire warranty for these infractions, and this decision is typically left to the discretion of the warranty administrator. Potentially, anything outside of normal operation of the vehicle can be considered misuse. You can also reach out to us at the ‘contact us’ link at the top of this page.This term can be interpreted in broad ways, and often includes racing/competition of any type, overloading the vehicle or off-roading. ![]() If you have any further queries, please review the below FAQs. Failure to do so may result in your claim being assessed as ineligible. It is important that you respond to any email request received promptly, and before any deadline referred to in the email. Registrants should closely monitor their email (including junk and spam folders) for any communications regarding individual claims. If we require any further information or documentation in order to assess your claim, we will reach out to you via email. We will provide status updates on this website, for the benefit of all group members. This includes reviewing claims received, assessing the eligibility of registered group members, calculating the amount to be distributed to each eligible group member, and distributing compensation. The Court has appointed Epiq Systems Australia Pty Ltd to administer the settlement ( Administrator). ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |