I searched about this topic and I have seen this on a bunch of Audi / VW forums, that cars were denied warranty for one reason or another, and the car was "flagged" in the database for having a modified performance tune.

Has anyone heard of this happening with Porsche?

Contemplating the APR tune but dont really feel like playing "Russian Roulette" on a car with 4.5 years of warranty left.

Obviously this can go in either direction. If by some chance someone experiences a complete engine failure and Porsche finds out you had a tune on it, could be an issue.

I've had tunes on other cars but they werent in the same league so it makes me question if this is a chance worth taking.

 

It's definitely dealer dependent - on one end of the spectrum you'll find dealers that sell the tune, on the other end you'll find dealers that are very strict and have denied warranties over a tune. Not only is it dealer dependent, but is also SA dependent...

It's a certain risk you have to evaluate your own comfort for, thats the best answer.

 

Yes I noticed some car dealers are dealers for APR tuning. Very interesting.

I understand it's a risk that each person have to evaluate. Just wanted some feedback. Thank you!

 

My Service Manager is a complete hard *** about performance mods. I would never go there with a tuned car.

 

Porsche can run a scan and report in PWIS which will identify if the DME has been modified. The do have the possibility of flagging the car if they determine that there was a performance modification. This includes non-DME modifications such a a piggy back. My personal theory is that they maximum torque is logged similar to how over revs are logged. I have no proof to my theory.

With that being said, I have a APR tune on my car and I flashed back to stock for oil change, nothing was said to me about it. I also had a Macan Turbo that had a tune and I returned it off of lease (unpaired the COBB access port) and nothing was ever said.

With the Macan Turbo, when I retuned the car they opened up a warranty claim because somehow/someway while on the tow truck going to the dealer the front air suspension started leaking. The air suspension was fixed after I took possession of my new 911.

There is definitely a risk you have to take and nobody can guarantee that your warranty would not be compromised. After all, YOU are modifying the car.

 

I have a feeling if it was there for a blown engine they would have.

My fear is not so much the tune, as it is if something unrelated to tune fails, but engine related, and it getting blamed on the tune as an excuse. I don't think I could afford a $30k+ hit for a new motor.

 

My closing remarks.

 

I decided to pass on a tune due to warranty. There was still factory warranty and CPO. My dealer is not too mod friendly. They do not sell any tunes and both my service advisor and service manager have advised me against a tune. They did not say not to do it but it was clear they were not recommending it. Every dealer is different but I was not going to risk losing my warranty as I specifically wanted a CPO.

 

My car has 2.5 years of original warranty left and then another 2 CPO. I think Im going to pass on it too.

 

One of the first questions I asked the service advisor was regarding tunes and warranty. His response boiled down to this;

If you bring in your tuned car for service, we'll work on the car. I'm sure they will also install stuff that carry separate warranties.

If you bring in your tuned car for warranty work, the coverage decision is from PCNA, not the dealer.

So I can see them denying engine, transmission, rotating assemblies and even chassis components if you have an engine tune. You can buy a Porsche X51 powerkit (available for 991.1, not 991.2). I'm fairly certain that's authorized.

From the warranty manual:

• Unauthorized modifications or vehicles with total loss or salvage titles.
• Modifications not authorized by PCNA.

I don't think you can't commonly obtain such authorizations.

Not worth the aggro unless you have deep pockets and assume the liability for the extra performance.

 

I'm also on LI, would you mind telling me which dealer? I'm considering switching and will cancel yours off my list. Thanks.

 

I am aware of the Audi TD1 flag, many manufacturers came up with their own with the wave of the small engine turbo cars, I also don't know if Porsche has their own.
I just can't resist a tune though, and will deal with consequences. I'm more worried about the electronics on my car than the powertrain, by a very long way.

 

You have to pay to play. If you don’t feel comfortable with modding/tuning your car in fear of voiding the warranty, then don’t mod/tune your car. Every automaker, VAG especially, can detect if your car has been tuned even if you flash the ECU back to stock before a dealership visit. If you decide to pay to play, stick with reputable tuners. Powertrains, especially on modern 911s, are exceptionally built and won’t just explode from a simple tune/mod. JMHO. I’ve always modded/tuned my toys. So far so good for me.

 

I had a failure where my manual transmission car wouldn't activate the reverse lights and they almost didn't cover it under warranty because I had a numeric shifter on there. At the last minute they ended up warrantying it, but I did have a bit of a scare. Some people have good luck with mods, some don't it's truly a roll of the dice.

 

My car is a track car. There was a question about whether Porsche would warranty the replacement of the manual transmission since I use it on the truck and the car is, obviously, modified; however the engine and transmission are completely stock. The concern was that Porsche of North America would see the coilovers, wheels, roll bar, bucket seats harnesses and decals and question whether the transmission should be replaced under warranty. Ultimately, the dealership stood by me since they know the car and know that I did not modify the transmission and engine. Tranny was replaced. Modifications had nothing to do with the part to be replaced under warranty. That said, there is definitely a risk of a denial of claim