Mod with Confidence
Thread Starter
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 19
From: New York, NY
Mod with Confidence
You can imagine my tremendous relief and satisfaction on reading the following:
According to the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, a vehicle manufacturer cannot void the warranty of your vehicle due to an aftermarket part unless they can prove that the aftermarket part was the cause or contributed to the failure of the vehicle (15 U.S.C. 2302(C)). It’s always best to work with a performance-oriented dealership, but no matter who you choose, you’re protected by the law.
Mod the world, baby!
Rennlist Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 341
Likes: 21
From: South Carolina
Wow, that's a lot of reading and I'm no lawyer, but I would imagine that it probably specifies somewhere in that sea of words that the aftermarket part must be used in a way consistent with normal maintenence or part replacement, which would mean that turbochargers and the like wouldn't count.
And whose to say that they CAN'T prove that something you added to make your car go faster, even slightly so, didn't go over the operating conditions for which a failing part was designed?
IMO, stuff like this is such a crap-shoot. If you are going to mod you car, there are many other things that come into play concerning a warranty besides just using aftermarket parts.
And whose to say that they CAN'T prove that something you added to make your car go faster, even slightly so, didn't go over the operating conditions for which a failing part was designed?
IMO, stuff like this is such a crap-shoot. If you are going to mod you car, there are many other things that come into play concerning a warranty besides just using aftermarket parts.
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,851
Likes: 0
From: Montreal, Canada
Manufacturers are very smart and sometimes they fetch very far. They like it alot when you play with the suspension cause it touches a vast majority of parts and its eazy, to blame on the fact that a stiff suspension can stress alot of parts surrounding it. I don't know to what extent that law can protect you but one thing for sure, if something ever happens related or not with aftermarket parts, be prepared for a fight.
Thread Starter
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 19
From: New York, NY
It is reasonably certain that the law generally refers to after-market replacement parts. For example, using a different brand of air or oil filter cannot be considered a violation. However, using a supercharger on a NA car would clearly be outside the design scope of the engineers' intended purposes and open you up to liability in the event of a problem.
But Alan, you're right, Porsche has deep pockets. It's probably best to speak with an authorized dealer beforehand (if you're under warranty) before doing extensive mods to the engine.
But Alan, you're right, Porsche has deep pockets. It's probably best to speak with an authorized dealer beforehand (if you're under warranty) before doing extensive mods to the engine.
