Based on everything I read here and some limited experience, I ordered the BT Stiffner for my new Prius. Also thinking of getting one of the picklocks, at least the one for the NAV system. My question is, do those of you that have done some of these mods return to original state before bringing your Prii in for service (for fear of getting the dreaded "you've violated the terms of your warranty by doing this mod"). I.E., for something as simple as the stiffner sounds, do you remove it and put the original brace back on when it's service time or there's an issue you bring the car in for? Or should I just stop worrying and go munch out?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ZenCruiser @ Jul 25 2006, 07:45 PM) [snapback]292359[/snapback]</div> Yes. This has to be one of the most common questions on this forum. Your warranty cannot be voided by adding aftermarket goods if those items don't break anything. I have switches and holes all over my car. I point out all my new goodies to my Tech all the time. Seriously... Much out.
As Darelld mentioned, this topic has been covered at great length in this forum. A simple search will provide ample reading material. Speaking of automobile warranties and reading material - why not go to the law? Google "The Magnuson-Moss Act" and see for yourself why I believe Darell is correct. The way I read it, the burden of proof rests squarely on the manufacturer to prove your mod caused the problem. I say "Munch out" and have fun. The Prius is a great car, and a lot of fun to tinker with.
if you have a major problem you can always try removing the mod and pretending it never happened... i recommend a search as this has come up umpteen times and there's a ton of good discussion on the issue around here. good luck
Thanks for all the replies...I've posted very little in the way of questions because I've almost always found my answer by doing some digging on this site. I'm at a loss to why I didn't this time; lazines or brain fart I guess. I will check out the Magnuson-Moss act - I saw this mentioned in another post and was curious to investigate, but I believe I came across it moments before my forehead crashed into the keyboard the other night. This is a great site, thanks to everyone contributing to and maintaining it. To me, it's like a search engine for Prii, with irreverent humor thrown in along the way, along with the occassional troll. Prius + Google = Proogle
