Help me understand
#16
04-01-2002 | 02:34 PM
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: SF Bay Area
By entire warranty, I mean just that - some dealers will try to refuse coverage on ANY warranty issue because of mods. But they're wrong.
For example, if you change your intake, they can't refuse to replace a faulty radiator hose. If you change the chip and pulleys on your engine, and it blows, if the cause turns out to be a failed oil pump, they are obligated to fix it under warranty. For them to deny coverage, they must be able to prove the failure was a direct result of the modification.
It all boils down to how hard you're willing to fight 'em if they deny your warranty claim.
For example, if you change your intake, they can't refuse to replace a faulty radiator hose. If you change the chip and pulleys on your engine, and it blows, if the cause turns out to be a failed oil pump, they are obligated to fix it under warranty. For them to deny coverage, they must be able to prove the failure was a direct result of the modification.
It all boils down to how hard you're willing to fight 'em if they deny your warranty claim.
#18
04-01-2002 | 04:51 PM
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 1,462
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio, Texas
In a perfect world
The problem is that most mod-averse dealerships will void your whole warranty because they know that the chances are slim that you will actually sue them. Moss-Magnuson doesnt mean a thing until you get into court. Customer-paid work is done at $60/hr. Factory work is done at $40. So, that's an extra $20/hr to the dealership if they can make you pay for it. Lets say you win your suit, and collect 5K. That's 250 hours of extra work by their tech. If the average repair is 10 hours of work, then they make money as long as less than 1 in 25 people sues them AND wins. Even if you leave and have your warranty work done elsewhere, the dealer has just freed up 10 hours of his tech's time to work on more profitable customer-pay work. Also, on customer-pay tickets the dealership is more likely to be able to tack on extra items that the factory would disallow.
#19
04-01-2002 | 05:43 PM
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: SF Bay Area
That's exactly right, Nathan - They do it because they know they can get away with it.
A little personal observation: This issue is much less prevalent in the BMW enthusiast community (at least that I've seen, and I've been a BMW nut for many years). Why? Because we BMW-heads are, for a large degree, accomplished whiners, and are too tight to sit still for that kind of treatment.
Yes, that may be a bit of an oversimplification, but I think if people would start bitching to Ford directly about it, they'd straighten out the dealers a bit. Also, if people fought it, it would no longer be of financial benefit to the dealers to pull this scam.
JT
A little personal observation: This issue is much less prevalent in the BMW enthusiast community (at least that I've seen, and I've been a BMW nut for many years). Why? Because we BMW-heads are, for a large degree, accomplished whiners, and are too tight to sit still for that kind of treatment.
Yes, that may be a bit of an oversimplification, but I think if people would start bitching to Ford directly about it, they'd straighten out the dealers a bit. Also, if people fought it, it would no longer be of financial benefit to the dealers to pull this scam.
JT