Performance mods and your warranty

[Steel Streak]

I Bought a 2007 300C two weeks ago and purchased a lifetime warranty. I asked the service manager about the CAI(did not mention the programmer) and he stated that I needed to go to the Chrysler warranty website for the answer.----aaahhh he did seem to enthusiastic about the Mod. Also, I have read a few negative comments on cooler tstats.. Some say that it could reduce engine life. I wanted to add an 85 degree tstat but those remarks scared me. Does anyone know if this is true and would doing so void the warranty???



I have a Diablo Predator and a AFE II on order. However

[nobleblack626]

I really don't like dealerships lol. I have a good mechanic and i'm decent at sourcing parts I need. I had a warranty with the 01 chrysler lhs. Let's just say it wasn't worth it. This time around I have the warranty that came with the car but i'm still modding it. If there are any issues i'll take it to my mechanic. Funny part is it's a lot cheaper and easier that way.

I've talked to other people and it seams that dealers find that as an easy cop out. In one case I knew a dude who got it from the dealer with the stuff on and another where he got it from the dealer and had them put it on and they tried to screw him.

[NMG]

Originally Posted by JMatt

It that case, you have to use the ol' noggin, and it still doesn't take a lawyer. Just start asking the common sense questions when you get to question the DCX witness:

1) Do you have a degree in mechanical engineering?
2) How many burned pistons have you seen as a result of swirling from an aftermarket intake?
3) How did you determine that "smirling" caused the problem?
4) What are the other possible causes of a burned piston?
5) How did you eliminate those causes for this particular problem?
6) Please explain the physics that allows "swirling" to cause a burned piston.

etc., etc., etc. If you want to get technical (but this may require a lawyer to understand the law well enough) typically it will require an expert witness, as opposed to the lay-witness, to even testify as to causation of a mechanical failure. Thus, unless DCX brings a professional witness, with an engineering degree and a whole lot of additional qualifications, you could simply challenge the witnesses qualifications as an expert, and keep them from even testifying.

(for you other lawyers on the site, yes - I am vastly oversimplifying my answer on this part).

Bottom line: It isn't nearly as scary, difficult, or rare for the consumer to win the argument as many people would love for you to believe. SEMA fights for all of us "modders" regularly, and the auto mfgs. like to try to scare people.

As mentioned above, this is all relative but how much $$$ will it cost the consumer to get to this point ?

Most dealers would not even mention the mods, unless it was clear cut that these caused the problem. If someone was willing to go this far to protect their "rights" this is all good and well, but if that same person has modified thier vehicle, and these modifications have caused this problem, then why is it the responsibility of the vehicle manufacture to cover repair costs?
Shouldn't the manufacture of the aftermarket part be held responsible for selling a product knowing it "can" void a new vehicle warranty.
So to simply put it, the resposibility is put back on the owner of the vehicle. The question is.
Will you risk your "rights" and modify your vehicle, or simply wait until the warranty expires ?