Mods and Factory Warranty
 

Hello,

Has anyone had warranty work denied due to car mods on a warrantied car?

Local dealer said work has to be approved and done by nismo or auth shop.

Have you had them ask for documentation for mods?
Thinking of setrab oil cooler, adjustable clutch pedal, short shifter and still CAI.

It would suck to have to remove the cooler and CAI for service work.

Thanks,
jb
2014 z

Read this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson–Moss_Warranty_Act

Cite as needed and keep a copy handy.

I should add that you can't expect a dealership to go to extra work to work around your mods if it would take more time than normal. The above is aimed more at denial of claims for spurious reasons.

Uh actually, the issue is addressed by Nissan's written (aka express) warranty, which excludes warranty coverage for:

Failure to operate the vehicle in accordance with the
OWNER’S MANUAL

 Misuse, such as using the vehicle to tow
 Failure of a component not covered by warranty
 Racing and competitive driving
 Theft, vandalism, fire, or flooding (including engine
water ingestion)
 Accident, collision, being towed
 Repairs performed by anyone other than an authorized
Nissan dealer
 Glass breakage, unless resulting from defects in
material or workmanship
 Normal wear and tear, including dings, dents, chips,
or scratches
 Damage caused by any automated or manually operated
car wash or by using a pressure washer

Nissan also excludes warranty coverage for:

DAMAGE OR FAILURES DUE TO ALTERATION
OR MODIFICATION
This warranty does not cover damage, failures or corrosion
resulting from or caused by:
 Alteration, tampering, or improper repair.
 Installation of non-Nissan approved accessories or
components.
 Improper installation of any Nissan approved aftermarket
accessory or component.
 A vehicle whose odometer mileage has been altered,
or the odometer repaired or replaced and the
actual vehicle mileage cannot be correctly and readily
determined.

Hence, if the Nissan dealer believes that the repair issue was caused by abuse or improper installation of an aftermarket part, Nissan can deny the warranty claim. Remember, the intent of any warranty is to cover "factory defects" for a limited period of time after purchase. The intent of any warranty is not to provide free repairs to your car. With that said, warranty claims are very fact dependent and depends on the dealer.

Your dealer is blowing smoke up your a**. Find another dealer.

They might chose to do as they please, but they cannot legally deny a claim solely on what they "believe"'per se, but must be able to reasonably link the modification to the failed part that would otherwise be covered.

This isn't to say the original poster won't get an initial denial, but that doesn't mean it's the final word.

Thank Guys! Great news
 

I had ECU issues with a mini cooper the dealer removed my trailer hitch harness.
Said had to to troubleshoot of course that wasn't the problem. Loose connector on bulkhead.

Thanks and the mods are on order
 

To build it to a occasional dd/track day car that Nissan doesn't deliver yet for the z platform

THIS!

They will deny warranty because they know most people wont be willing to hire a lawyer to go after them. It takes time and money.

One thing I confess to knowing about is what the relationship is between car owner, dealership, and corporate management. Do dealerships do better by NOT denying claims as they get paid by corporate? What pressure does corporate put on dealerships to deny claims? Does corporate audit warranty work and do they deny reimbursement to dealerships if they feel work was wrongly covered under a warranty?

I think knowing what the incentive structure is might be helpful. I once had a dealership suggest one of my claims (non-Nissan) couldn't be done under my warranty. When I showed them some legal text they were more than happy to cover me and didn't seem miffed. They seemed to genuinely not understand costumer protection law.