got my 5k checkup today at longo. service rep told me that my cf hood voids the toyota warranty (yr warranty) covering the engine. And the trd springs voids the warranty covering suspension and anything below the car. So he said that I only have the warranty covering the interior. BS? any recourse on end?
You service rep is either lying SOS or incompetent. Modifications have no legal effect on the warranty unless the mod could have legitimately contributed to the problem. That said, if a dealer makes a nonsense claim about your mod causing a problem that it couldn't have caused, it then is up to you to prove the dealer wrong by going up the Toyota chain of command, going to arbitration or court. His CF hood comment is pure nonsense. His spring comment would have some merit if the springs might have conceivably contributed to a related suspension component failing early. Many people believe the Magnuson-Moss act protects you from such nonsense, but it won't prevent the dealer placing false blame. It is only a tool to help you get things straightened out later and courts and arbitration are always a crap shoot.
Total BS. Based on the Magnuson-Moss Warranty act (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt192.shtmhey) they would have to prove that the modification caused the part to fail. "The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act makes it illegal for companies to void your warranty or deny coverage under the warranty simply because you used an aftermarket or recycled part. Still, if it turns out that the aftermarket or recycled part was itself defective or wasn't installed correctly, and it causes damage to another part that is covered under the warranty, the manufacturer or dealer has the right to deny coverage for that part and charge you for any repairs." also see: FTC Validates Right to Install Aftermarket Parts | Specialty Equipment Market AssociationI can't see any way in which a hood would cause damage to your engine in a way in which it would void the warranty. The TRD springs are produced by Toyota themsleves, so that would be a hard one for them to fight as well. The only conceivable things I can imagine the springs causing to fail premature are possible a shortened life on your struts and possibly CV boots. These are probably exempted from your warranty as wear items anyway. This act has been in place since 1975. So, unless your dealer has lived in a hole for nearly 40 years they should be fully aware of this. Your recourse is to go to a dealer that isn't a total A$$.
Speak to the service manager and talk to him about a bad service writer. I have the Plus package from TRD and the dealer loved it and the service guys took pics , they did not deny any service.
We need a section that has 100 sticky threads. This comes up twice a week. Nothing beats the raw amount of new threads asking about the best hitch for their Prius.
thanks for the comment judgeless. good suggestion. after reading previous posts here, i asked about the warranty and the act. he promptly sent me to talk to his boss. after a couple minutes later, the rep came back and told me that my warranty was still good if i only changed the hood for the engine. but they wouldnt cover alignment issues because the springs werent stock. the rep tried to smooth things over by saying that theyre willing to do service but if only they get reimbursed by toyota. i asked him why the warranty doesnt alignment because its trd springs. he tried to tell me that deviating from oem/stock voids warranties (eg: "hid voids lighting"). And this info came directly from his boss shop foreman. I believe that the rep was reasonable and the foreman was ill-informed or stubbornly wrong. Thanks for all the responses. Time to look for an alternative to the factory machine of longo.
Call toyota customer care and report the shop, they are frauds. You can buy your car with the TRD springs , they cover them.
It would have shortened this whole thread if you had said that the service writer had gotten corrected by his boss. If your TRD springs lowered the car, that effected alignment so you would have tough time getting alignment taken care of under warranty. If your alignment is out in a way that could be blamed on lowering the car, the M-M Act would do you no good. Also the M-M Act doesn't prevent a dealer from denying a claim for any reason. If the dealer improperly denys a warranty claim the M-M Act can be used in your favor but since it involves a car company and the legal system, there are no guarantees. Once the dealer denies a claim, the ball is in your court.
I wrote everything as it happened at the dealership. Without everyone's input, it would have been a different story.
Try Carson Toyota they sell and install a lot of aftermarket parts and TRD Parts. Bottom line is a lot of it falls on what the dealer wants to push through for you. As already stated if they deny a claim they have to prove that your modification caused the failure.
That is a good point, if the dealer installed the parts for you he is much less likely to try and wiggle out of warranty coverage for bogus reasons.
Thought Id add this from the TRD Web Site on TRD Parts and warranties Trd SporT parTS Trd SporT parTS inSTallEd bY a dEalEr TRD Sport Parts are warranted for 12 months or 12,000 miles from the date of installation or for the balance of the new car warranty in force on the date of installation, whichever is greater, when TRD Sport Parts are installed by an authorized Toyota or Scion Dealer. Superchargers carry the same warranty, but the coverage is 12 months or 12,000 miles from the date of installation or the balance of the new car 5 year, 60,000 mile powertrain warranty in force at the time of installation. This warranty does not cover maintenance services such as replacement of brake pads/linings and clutch linings. This warranty does not cover noise, vibration, cosmetic conditions and other deterioration caused by normal wear and tear. TRD customers are responsible for ensuring that the use of any TRD Sport Part complies with all applicable federal, state or local laws, regulations and ordinances. Trd SporT parTS noT inSTallEd bY a dEalEr TRD Sport Parts installed by anyone other than an authorized Toyota or Scion dealer are warranted for 12 months or 12,000 miles from the date of purchase only and the warranty coverage is limited to the replacement value of the TRD Sport Part. Superchargers carry the same coverage. This warranty does not cover maintenance services such as replacement of brake pads/linings and clutch linings. This warranty does not cover noise, vibration, cosmetic conditions and other deterioration caused by normal wear and tear. Part failure caused by improper installation by anyone other than an authorized Toyota or Scion dealer may void the TRD Sport Part warranty, the new vehicle warranty or both. TRD customers are responsible for ensuring that the use of any TRD Sport Part complies with all applicable federal, state or local laws, regulations and ordinances
