Anyone have any experience with Mazda and aftermarkets parts? I had an exhaust and intake done on my eclipse GS-T, and never had any warranty issues with Mitsubishi. However, my friend and his 2002 Altima have had nothing but hassling from Nissan about the intake he put on his car.

I would love to do an intake, but not at the cost of losing a warranty.

According to my dealer, the warranty would only be at risk if the mod contributed to the problem, whatever it may be.

this is a touchy question. Hopefully we can get some mazda staff for best info on this question.

I bought a Mazda Miata once and asked the service manager in Orlando this question. He didn't want to reply but finally came around. What he said is, if you were to change the intake or exhaust (using this as an example) and the suspension or something totally unrelated to the mods broke it would be covered. However if they could attribute the damage or failure to the mod it would not be covered. The tricky part from what I understood, if you do a power mod and the transmission goes for example it may or may not be covered if they think the damage occured because or the mod installed.

This is what I was told from my Mazda dealer, don't take my word on it talk to your own dealer or mazda.

As Tigster said, you should check with your dealer. But, I understand that if it is a normally replaceable part, it will not affect the warranty. For example, I put a K&N filter in the stock air cleaner on my Miata and have at least assurance from K&N that it won't affect my warranty as far as the engine is concerned. The mechanic at the dealer told me this too. I replaced my muffler with a Jackson Racing Sports muffler (on my Miata) and I know the muffler would not be covered by by Mazda. I "think" the same would apply to brake pads, for example. That is, if you replaced stock pads with Hawk or something similar and your rotors warped from some odd reason, I "think" the rotors would still be covered.:)

I believe it is illegal to declare the warranty void if you can't demonstrate that the mod in question caused the failure. That said, it all depends on how sleazy the dealer wants to be about it. In the above example, does anyone *really* think the added power of an intake would cause a transmission failure? Of course not. However I can certainly imagine certain dealers making that claim. Even if they know its bogus, how many people are going to make enough of a stink to make them change their mind?

Well...*I* would. But a lot of people probably don't even know they have an option to do so.

jds

I just got done talking to Mazda (the 800 customer service number that came on the letter) and asked them how having aftermarket mods would effect the warrenty and free maintenance, they said as long as it doesnt directly effect the problem then they will cover it and wont have any issues about the maintenance either, they just wont replace your aftermarket air filter etc...

-Chris

Each dealership is usually independent of the car manufacturer.

So before you can even cry foul, the dealer ship has the first right of refusal to work or not work on your car. This is even before warranty can come out of your mouth.

Just keep that in mind!

if thats true then what is the point of a warranty

Good faith, but if your car is scraping on the ground and leaking fluids (extreme) are they gonna touch it?

And dealers make money on warranty, but they don't like any kind of liability or denied claims when the Manufacturers regional reps come down to examine a car on the lift.

please read my thread titled :"No more warranty for you guys".
I have an aftermarket air filter on my MAZDASPEED Protege and also removed the resonator( after all emissions equipment). The head gasket blew causing the motor to seize and MNOA says it's my fault! Read my thread for better details and opinions/suggestions. I believe my thread is the most complete on this topic.

Yeah Matty P, it's not just in the Mazda world! So it sounds like they pinned you hard on that one for a very simple mod :(

you say, "pinned" like it's past tense. They are "tryinng to pin" it on me! I'm keeping hope alive. I'm also trying to get a large backing of Mazda owners who race behind me so when I go to court I can use testimonials. Keep an eye out for my thread in the next few days. I htink things are going to get very interesteing.

Yeah, I mean it to mean the current events where they "flagged" you for the simple mods.

I race on road courses a lot with street vehicles and usually highly modify the cars that I buy. If there's anything I or the community can do, please let us know!

Good luck with everything!

thanks for the support. I'm fighting this, not just for my out-of-pocket costs, but for the precident it sets for future owner/enthusiasts. If I make a big enough noise in the aftermarket vs dealer community it could be used from here on out to protect racer/enthusiasts throughout the country. When this is all said and done you can rest assured I will post full and complete details on everything that happened so that future consumers can have the tools needed to fight this successfully.

good luck is right
hang in there

"thanks for the support. I'm fighting this, not just for my out-of-pocket costs, but for the precident it sets for future owner/enthusiasts. If I make a big enough noise in the aftermarket vs dealer community it could be used from here on out to protect racer/enthusiasts throughout the country. When this is all said and done you can rest assured I will post full and complete details on everything that happened so that future consumers can have the tools needed to fight this successfully."

Good luck. But I think if you read the warranty info you'll find that "racing" will exclude any failures from warranty coverage.

ok, again, thanks for the support. Make sure to read all of this thread before posting something that would've obviously come up several times before! Just because the owners manual says it will void the warranty doesn't mean it voids the warranty. Their pamphlet does not override exsisting federal law. They would have to prove that the racing I did was the cause of the problem. Also, I was not racing when the motor blew. The CEL illuminated (random multiple misfires---probably due to my aftermarket air filter!! ) and then POP. I'm glad that I was able to pull the code out of the car BEFORE it went to the dealership. I'm going up there this week and I want to physically see if the code is still active in the computer. I also want to make sure it's still being parked inside after it's already been vandalized.

Another starter topic.....Do you guys know they (trussville mazda, who you people seem to love) are STILL trying to get MY insurance to pay for the vandalism that happened under their supervision?? Any advice on this topic??

MODS MAKE THIS A STICKY PLEASE:


Consumers Bill of Rights

Your Rights to Personalize Your Vehicle

ARTICLE ONE: You have the Right to buy high-quality, reliable aftermarket performance and specialty parts, accessories and styling options.

ARTICLE TWO: You have the Right to use high-quality aftermarket parts and know that your new car warranty claims will be honored. In fact, your vehicle dealer may not reject a warranty claim simply because an aftermarket product is present. A warranty denial under such circumstances may be proper only if an aftermarket part caused the failure being claimed.

ARTICLE THREE: You have the Right to install and use emissions-legal aftermarket performance parts without incurring hassles and onerous procedures during state vehicle emissions inspections.

ARTICLE FOUR: You have the Right to actively oppose any proposed (or existing) laws or regulations that will reduce your freedom to use aftermarket automotive parts and service or will curtail your ability to take part in the automotive hobbies of your choice.

ARTICLE FIVE: You have the Right to patronize independent retail stores and shops for vehicle parts and service. The U.S. aftermarket offers the world's finest selection of performance and specialty parts, accessories and styling options. These aftermarket products satisfy the most discriminating customers seeking personalized vehicles for today's lifestyle.

The foregoing message is brought to you by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA). If you would like our guidelines on what to do if your new car warranty is denied, call SEMA's Fax-on- Demand service, 909/396-0182, ext. 750 and request document #904 or check the Warranty Denied? section of our web site.

Also goto this link to get more information if your warranty is denied. No need to ask here, when you can search and read it here. http://www.enjoythedrive.com/content/?id=8124

here is the search page on warranty issues. http://www.enjoythedrive.com/search/default.asp

Remember SEMA is a group who fights for our rights to modify our cars without penalty. to visit the site itself and look around goto www.sema.org or www.enjoythedrive.com

And finally the link to the Magnuson Moss act. http://www.mlmlaw.com/library/guide...es/undermag.htm

Useful info, thanks. I might also add that we have consumer protection under the law to modify our vehicles without voiding the warranty, from the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975. See this link for more info, and the specific verbiage: http://www.impalaclub.com/naisso/magmoss.htm

Im new to this Club so if this has been posted already im sorry. I spoke with my dealer today and they said depending on the aftermarket part that is put on it the warranty will be void. for example. if i put on shocks then the shocks are void. exhaust then the exhaust is void. but if i but on the rotary extrem intake it will void the whole engine warranty. Has anyone else found this to be true? Thanks in advance.

Yes. Unfortunatly, this is true according to the warranty dept. at my Mazda dealer. They told me the exact same thing. But, I am calling Mazda tommorrow. I will post the answer as soon as I get it.

J:mad:

There is a law about this, the dealer can only void the warranty on parts the aftermarket accessory is applied to. So all of this is valid, the intake affects the whole engine. :( Sucks huh?

I doubt that my rotary will have any problems with it, but, that is why I will save all my old parts and if needed, just put it back the original way. They should not void on an airfilter! That is BS.

J

this is only true if the dealer can show how the aftermarket part caused the problem.

The old trick of getting around this is to reinstall the stock parts, if you have to take the car in for warranty repair! they have to be able to prove that the specific aftermarket part caused the damage, and if it's not there, they can't prove it!

Well i think as of this summer i will change the exhaust but wait on the intake due to the fact that im brand new to the rotary world >:) I love the car just want the extra umf

Well i had a 96 supra tt moded up nice about a year after i bought it and my toyota dealer never ever gave me a problem.Get in good with the rotary mech at your local dealer.Hes the trigger man believe it or not.Toyota only had for the most part one or two mechs that knew the supra.The same one always worked on my car,and he stood behind me on anything that broke.

mazda will not void the warr. if you put parts on your car(like an intake) to help it breath better. i work for mazda and i just asked our mechanics.

A friend of mine is the Service Manager at the dealership I bought my 8 from and I ask him if i were to put a new air intake on the car would it void my warrenty. He said it would only void it if the problem was something related to the air intake. But never the less, considering it only took me likea 30 min to put it on, i'm gonna just swap it out witht ehorginial when i go get service everytime or at least till i get tired of doing that. haha

Good hunting guys!!! You are all on the ball and really know your stuff! Especially Omicron!

J

Originally posted by Omicron
Useful info, thanks. I might also add that we have consumer protection under the law to modify our vehicles without voiding the warranty, from the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975. See this link for more info, and the specific verbiage: http://www.impalaclub.com/naisso/magmoss.htm

I love when people post that!

You do also have to remember that each local dealer service is independent of MNAO.

They can simply refuse to work on your car, and it never becomes a warranty issue. This is very important to understand, and it will vary from dealer ot dealer.

Hi,

In some respects I can understand the example of using a RE Intake voiding the powertain warranty. I know it is extreme (hehe), but since it replacing a very central device (the MAF Tube) that is responsible for measuring a very important part of the engines operations (the amount of intake air demanded by the engine), then any subtle changes could give false readings, and in the extreme case such false readings could lead to the PCM making incorrect decisions on certain operatational conditions, and how to handle them.

Hyperthetical: What if "ModX" caused the computer to lean out the mixture to a dangerous degree? What if it caused the computer to pump less oil than is necessary into the intake to lube the seals?

Just trying to rationalise this a little. If you do your mods wisely, then you won't / shouldn't have problems. I hope we have similar statutes here in Australia to those quoted above.

Cheers,
Hymee.

Well, if the hypothetical failure mode can be reasonably explained by the mod, then sure, they would be within their rights to decline warranty coverage. However, I don't think it should allow them to make a blanket statement that since the intake mod could conceivably affect powertrain performance, all warranty on the powertrain is null and void.

As for the dealers refusing to work on a car, I don't see the logic in it for them to do that. They get paid by Mazda for doing warranty work...if the warranty will cover it why do they care?

jds

I work for a dealership. We have the right to refuse any work that comes through our door, regardless of being in warranty or not. As for aftermarket parts voiding warranties...it varies.

If you put a new header and exhaust system on your car - any emissions related items (ie o2 sensors, cats, mufflers) are voided from the warranty.

If you put, say a cold air intake on the vehicle, the mass air flow sensor will be voided from the warranty.

Bolt on additions are not a big deal, its the deep mods that you need to worry about. This isnt such a big deal with the 8's because you cant change the camshafts or pistons to get more compression. If you dramatically alter a system, then it becomes a problem. Fuel managment systems will void any fuel realted issues.

I know I have personally run into this concern many times. MazdaSpeed Protege owners are the biggest contributors to this issue. I dont know the full facts on this, but from what I understand that if you put a cold air intake onto a MSP, the engine is no longer covered, but everything else is.

We dont care if you put aftermarket mods on your car, all we car about it is what it is effecting. Its extreme, but a Cold Air Intake can do more damage than what people think. Its probably never happened and never will, but think about it. You increase the air flow, the mass air flow sensor fails and starts sending the wrong signals to the PCM which in turn sends the wrong signal to the the O2 sensor which in turns starts thinking the emissions isnt right for the air coming in and then adjusts by putting more fuel into the engine, thus causing a flooding problem. ITS EXTREME I KNOW! Dont say it will never happen, because I know it wont, Im giving an example is all. :)

The one thing that will void your warranty completely, just so you all know, is if you alter or modify the frame in any shape or form. This includes screwing into it. Mazda does not like the frams being messed with at all.

Your warranty will not be voided by mods, just certain aspects of it. Again....

If you put an aftermarket radio into your car and you have problems with the electronics, the dealership will charge you or send you to the place that installed the radio.

If you drop a full exhaust and your o2 sensors go bad, it wont be covered.

If you drop a turbo into and the engine blows, they will send you the 7G estimate and ask how you would like to pay :)

Its a fine line...do as the other people have recommended. Before you drop a mod on your car, ask the dealership. I'm sorry to say this, and please dont be offended, but we have peopel come in all of the time saying " I saw on the internet...." wanting something done and then get mad when we (the dealership) have never heard of it before and cant verify the concern. Just remeber not to believe everything you see on here. Ask your dealership first. I deal with you guys on a daily basis, and I actually give this webaddress out to my RX8 customers so they have some referencing to do. These sites are what makes my job easier, because I can look and say " Oh, well people are having problems with this, I will have to keep an eye out for this in the future " At the same time though, I get that one guy who is having a problem and he is upset, so he starts bad mouthing the car, the dealership, MNAO, and (I have seen it here) starts making stuff up to get pity on himself.

I tell with MNAO everyday. I have seen those guys go to extremes to get things done. You may not like what they have to say, but they arent trying to BS you around. I personally take anythign they tell me to heart, because so far they have not let me down on anything once. Just ask, its so much easier that way. If you want, feel free to ask me flat out...just send me a personal note and I will try and answer to the best of my ability.

Not all of use service guys are out to get your money and rip you off. I would like to help you guys out as much as I can. Its not official Mazda word, just word from someone who understands the operation behind warranty work.

I will apoloize now if I upset someone, irrated someone, or my facts are wrong.

- Snyder

Sorry about the typos....got a new keyboard lol

I apreciate your feedback, but it's varied from dealer to dealer for me. My salesguy said that stuff like a FM tuned addin for the radio would be OK for example, but when I put in a XM Commander (simple FM passthrough) they stated it voided my ENTIRE console electronics system, including the red LCD that started to display corruption issues afterwards. And I didnt even touch the part.

I have no sympathy for dealers now. Say one thing to get the sale, yet then turn around and stick it to ya afterwards for believing them. There probably stand up guys in the service department that would just fix it like they should, but with the higher ups making the decisions they do, it insipres no confidence in me. Even worse, when I said, what the hell, lets see what happens, I was quoted an entire new stereo plus labor for the repair.

I got pissed off, pulled it out and fixed the problem in 4 minutes with a soldering pen.

"Snyder" Im confused how did you post under my SN?

motegi,

I dont know what happened. I havent been online in awhile, but I got it taken care of. Sorry about that, I didnt even notice it until you said something. I dont pop on here very much anymore. I will keep an eye out for that from now on.

its ok. Sorry to take the Thread OT. Just confused and scared me a little. No biggie.

I spoke with my local dealer about adding a turbo to my baby and they said that they would warranty it at their dealership. So long as I had them install it of course. The only problem I have with this would be that I have an extended warranty for up to 8 years and what happens if I move out of the area? I would have to drive my car back to this dealer any time I needed warranty work. My understanding is that if it is a MazdaSpeed upgrade it has been tested by Mazda and that when the upgrade is dealer installed the new modification or upgrade is then covered under warranty. Please correct me if I am wrong.

If it is an aftermarket turbo that the dealership wants to install and they say they will warranty it, thats something the dealership is doing. Chances are...YES you will have to drive back if you move out of the area. Are you sure that they are keeping the factory warranty or are they just warranting the turbo? That is a fine line that is in your dealerships hands. We [my dealership] dont do aftermarket installations unless its from Mazda. Now if its a Mazdaspeed part, then it should be covered by the warranty if you get a turbo installed. That wont void it.

Check with the dealership about the aftermarket turbo warranty...there may be some catches in it. It might be a situation where the turbo is covered, but you voided the warranty on the engine. Dont quote me on that, check with them!

Let me know what they say....

"The Magnusson-Moss Warranty - Federal Trade Commission Improvement Act of 1975 protects consumers from such fradulent activity by new car dealers. Under this Act, aftermarket equipment that improves performance does not void a vehicle manufacturer's orginial warranty, unless the warranty clearly states the addition of aftermarket equipment automatically voids your vehicle's warrany or if it can be proven that the aftermarket device is the direct cause of the failure. The easiest way to check this is to look in your owner's manual under, "what is not covered". Under Magnusson-Moss Act a dealer must prove, not just vocalize, that aftermarket equipment caused the need for repairs before they can deny warranty coverage. If they cannot prove such claim-or offer an explanation- it is your legal right to demand compliance with the warranty. The Federal Trade Commission (202.326.3128) administers the Magnusson-Moss Act and monitors compliance with warranty law."

i saw this on rx8club a feew months ago and saved it to word, i dont know the thred it came from.

SnyderMazz,

I will check with them when I go in for my next oil change. The dealership owner has a couple of heavily modded cars so I am guessing that they are just personally going to cover that kind of work. I am sure that my warranty would be at risk which is why I am waiting on MazdaSpeed.

there is more to that Federal Warranty Act than just that portion of it. There are portions that read like this....

"......This means that buyers have four years in which to discover and seek a remedy for problems that were present in the product at the time it was sold. It does not mean that the product must last for four years. It means only that the product must be of normal durability, considering its nature and price......"

the way I read this is " you bought the car stock, you turn it into a race car with modifications and it ruins something, there is no warranty becase you didnt buy it that way. " - but again I dont make the rules, just follow them.

Its all in how you see it. That is quoted directly from the FTC website

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/warranty.htm#understanding


Im all about doing modifications, dont get me wrong. I have done them on my car as well as other peoples cars. I do the street racing scene on occasion, so Im not anti-racing by any means. I know that APC makes crappy parts and that JDM parts are the ideal parts to have...If I had an RX8, I would be where you all are at. But I see warranty issues everyday and get asked this question on a daily basis. This is my ultimate advice for everyone....check what is covered and what is not covered. If the warranty from Mazda says " NO TURBOS " and you put one on - you void it. The Protege Speeds say " NO MODIFICATION OF THE INTAKE SYSTEM " - Cold airs, direct airs, and ram airs will void the system - K&N filters on the other hand will not, because you are not modifing the intake system, just the filter. Mazda RECOMMENDS that you use Mazda air filters, but is not apart of the warranty. Air Filters are an example of " wearable items " as well as brake pads, rotors, clutches, fuel filters, and tires. According to the " Warranty Act ", if a place sells you a vacumn they cant tell you " If you use an aftermarket vacumn bag, the warranty is void " ..... they can only recommend that you use THIER bags. The catch to that is, if it is written in the warranty that you can only use that particular vacumn bag, then you have to or the warranty is void. Check the warranty rules and regulations and you will be set. The warranty act is just a guide line for people to base thier warranties off of - read the stuff on the link above and you will see. Should answer a lot of questions and solve some issues.

If you have particular issues or want to ask if something will void or is allowed, send me a private message and I will look into it. As I have stated in several threads before, this is a learning process for me as well...so the more you guys ask the more I get to learn.

THIS SHOULD CLARIFY THINGS...........http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/warranty.htm

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/warranty.htm

Turbo Matty P

I'll get myself flamed for this - but it sounds like if the repeated backfires can be reasonably blamed on the aftermarket intake then the damage is not covered by the warranty.

In your own words, "The CEL illuminated (random multiple misfires---probably due to my aftermarket air filter!! ) and then POP."

Sure sounds like cause and effect.

John

Originally posted by Killerking1964
THIS SHOULD CLARIFY THINGS...........http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/warranty.htm

Sure it clarifies the act. But in automotive, it gets complicated.

The biggest separation that people do NOT understand is that the Dealership, where service and warranty labor is performed, is separate from Mazda North America Operations (MNAO).

If you come in with an intake, and the dealer doesn't like, they have the RIGHT to refuse to look at, or even work on or diagnose your car. Even if you wanted to pay them, and they didn't like what they saw, the could still do that!

This is all before warranty consideration. If you get denied for something like that... go ahead, call MNAO. I can guarantee that they will be empathetic. The might even call the service manager to see what's up. But the only thing they will be able to recommend is to.... visit another dealer!

I'm really getting tired of typing up this scenario. I just need to make a page and point people to it.

Snyder, you are right about the K&N not voiding the warranty. My dealership says that a cold air intake on the 8 is not recommended but it was something to do with the MAFS. So that's why I went with the K&N typhoon. Also, K&N will fight for you if the dealership refuses warranty because of their product!

Originally posted by syntrix
If you come in with an intake, and the dealer doesn't like, they have the RIGHT to refuse to look at, or even work on or diagnose your car. Even if you wanted to pay them, and they didn't like what they saw, the could still do that!

Contradicts -
Under Magnusson-Moss Act a dealer must prove, not just vocalize, that aftermarket equipment caused the need for repairs before they can deny warranty coverage. If they cannot prove such claim-or offer an explanation- it is your legal right to demand compliance with the warranty.
The stealership's franchise license will be in jeaperdy if they don't comply. I think to many people are letting the stealership bulley them into paying for service they are ritefully due. An intake that changes out the stock air box but leaves all proper sensors such as the MAF can not void the engine warrenty. They may say that in hopes that you cave in, but your lawyer will trounce them and they'll settle before it comes to that. If you're a moron and over oil your K&N which is the only way to damage your MAF and that causes the motor to go, not only will that be easy to prove but you shouldn't be modding a car if you're that stupid. No simple bolt-ons provide enough power to even cause somthing to fail in the motor. So I don't want to hear it.
the way I read this is " you bought the car stock, you turn it into a race car with modifications and it ruins something, there is no warranty becase you didnt buy it that way. " - but again I dont make the rules, just follow them.
well no shit shrerlock, but an intake and exhaust isn't close to a "race car". In fact, the reason those add power is by helping the motor brethe better. An engine is just an air pump, the easier it is to move the air from one spot to another "frees" up power, it dosen't "add" power persay. Now FI adds power by multiplying the standard atmospheric pressure going into the motor. FI should void any warenty in which the car was sold without such an application.

I know I'm late to this thread, and I haven'r read it all, but did you contact SEMA? They are great at helping out enthusiasts in this regard.

All this talk of possible voided engine warranties has me worried about my SR Motorsports intake. I'm tempted to remove it, but I do not want to loose the performance I gained from it.

What does Racing Beat have to say about their intake they are designing I wonder? If Mazda voids the engine warranty from the use of an aftermarket intake, won't this kill the aftermarket companies desire to continue making parts available for us?

No, it won't kill it, because there will always be people who buy aftermarket in spite of potential warranty loss (like me), or people who wait until their warranties are up and then start modding their car. Either way, there will always be a market.

Yes, I believe your right about that point. I did find thru the SEMA website a pretty detailed description of what to do if warranty is denied, thanks to the idea from NAVILESRX8 above. It took me here:

http://www.enjoythedrive.com/content/?id=8124

I'm still not sure if I should keep my intake on or not - any ideas?

is it really not legal for a dealer to void a warranty due to an aftermarket part if they cant prove it was the part that caused the damage? cuz i have a plugged cat and i only have 55000 miles and the mazda dealer i went to wouldnt even look at it cuz they said its not the cat its just my typhoon intake and exhaust messing up and that i have to take those off. what do you guys think?

mazda just replaced my engine bc of low compression and didnt make a fit of ne of my mods and i have bhr coils ap underdrive pulley magnaflow exhaust rb ram air duct and hks intake

this thread is 5 years old..

hmmm, looks like i need to find a new dealer to start going to with all the problems i seem to be having with my dealership.