BoxerGT2.5

I recently took my car in for service at a local Mazda dealership for a cracked AC button and they apparently took it upon themselves to provide a courtesy inspection. Soon after I had gotten a call that they voided my warranty for having a midpipe w/no cat. So for those who take their car in for service....remove the damn thing every stinkin time. Even if you don't think they'll be puttin on a lift.

mysql101

the cat shouldn't have anything to do with the defrost button..

mazdaexe

wow, soz to hear that. They voided ur whole warranty?

Mugatu

iTrader: (1)

wow, how would they justify the mid pipe causing your **** to break? that's bullsh!t.

BoxerGT2.5

No joke...like I said...they took it upon themselves to give me the 5 million point inspection?? I'm "F" pissed now!!!!! I didn't get this from my Subie dealer. I replaced the cat in my uppipe, downpipe, and then the 3rd with a high flow and they basically told me that if it causes a prob they'll tell me...then it will be my choice to remove it or live with it. But not void my friggin warranty.

BoxerGT2.5

Yes the whole damn thing....I have nada. I could have a rotor fly out of the hood and they'd say thats nice.....

Tayninh

That's a pretty bad dealership to look for a reason not to replace a little button. I mean COME ON!! we paid big bucks for these cars and they get picky in replacing a $4.00 button. My guess on the price but you get the picture. I would try another dealer and Remove the non-stock stuff. Does the warranty say anything about changes in exhaust systems? My car is two weeks old and I have not read the warranty yet.

czr

iTrader: (3)

Take it to another dealer and try again. It is business that they are losing...And I didn't mean just about the ****, any other warranty issues that pop up not related to exhaust.

devoid

Go back to the dealership and tell them its against the law for them to void the warranty like that. Under the law they can only void warranties on parts replaced, thus you replaced your cat, therefore, you no longer have a warranty on your midepipe or cat (cause they're not mazda parts). I'll search around for the specific law and post it back up here for you, but this is a case of the dealer screwing you and not knowing jack about valid reasons to void the warranty. You can easily argue this. (PS - my dealership knows everything I'm doing to my car, and the only warranty I void is the parts I take out/replace.) IE if I replace the radio, it doesn't void the warranty on the engine, 1. that's just stupid, 2. the law says they can't do that.

Tayninh

It's "joe the lot lizard" trying to push you off to do warranty work. I certainly would consider another Mazda dealership. Try telling your sales person this. They might help depending on how long ago you bought a car from them. If there isn't another one around you, perhaps you should see the general manager there and tell them you think this is not fair to you at all and that they should reconsider. I have not read the warranty yet but look for clauses (if they exist) that would give them reason to void the entire warranty. I don't think a cat back would do it.

devoid

Found it! the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975

http://www.impalaclub.com/naisso/magmoss.htm

Hope that helps you. Slap that in the face of the service department, and I'm sure you'll give them a little shake. Especially the idea that their actions are punishable under the law.....

BoxerGT2.5

They did replace the button....they inspected the car after the fact. The basically told me (which I knew) that removing the catalytic converter is against the law and likewise Mazda could void the warranty for tampering with emissions regardless.

Tayninh

that's interesting that they looked at the car after they replaced the button. I guess they heard the exhaust a little louder and wanted to see what all the noise was about. Perhaps they had way too much time on hand to do investigative work. I would think removing the Cat killed the emissions warranty. I would put the cat back on though. Does your state do emissions inspections yearly? In Colorado they sure do and they look under to make sure the car has a cat no matter what year the car is or what it looks like.

BoxerGT2.5

Illinois does emission testing every 4yrs for newer cars. I have yet to verify this but they claim that MNAO was notified and given my VIN number???

s13lover

I think that a midpipe would warrent a void of warranty b/c that is a critical part of the emssions control and OBD II system. The motor can't keep itself in check and running properly without the cat on an OBD II car. Its not like replacing a factory part with another one.

But still I'm sorry to hear of your lose.

Tayninh

That's pretty sick that a dealership called the cat removal to the Cat police. What is wrong with that dealership? Do they have a law there that tells them notify the cat police when someone removes the cat? That sounds rather sick to me. I would not remove the cat anyway due to the on-board sensors and other emission components but still I can't believe a dealership did that. Sounds pretty serious then. So if your warranty is voided can one get it back again if they fixed the problem. I would think Mazda would send him a warning letter or tell him to put the cat back. I don't think it should be a closed issue either.

Tayninh

I think we need a warning note out to everyone to tell them not to remove the Cat or the warrranty can be voided.

expo1

It's not Mazda's job to inform owners that they have to obey federal and state laws.

Having said that what a “good” dealership should have done is take you aside and say “ Hey I see you removed your cat, I would put it back on. If we see your car again with no cat I will have to report it to Mazda and they will void the warranty”.

silver1.3

That totally sucks for you. I cants see how they can void an intire warranty. They would have the prove the cat caused the button to break, and then could only void the work to the button.

On related matters, my brother just returned a lease of his WRX. He had a piggyback chip, down pipe, muffer, shifter and a few other items. He returned the car and got into a new Legacy GT. He gets a call a few days later from the dealership saying that they cant sell a car thats been modified and does he still have the parts. He did, now check this out:

1. They took off all his parts - ALL - and returned them to him - no charge.
2. The replaced all the factory parts - ALL - no charge to him.
3. Here's the kicker- they lowned him an SUV to take his parts back home so he wouldn't get his new Legacy dirty

now he can sell all his old stuff - and he didn't even have to go through all the work to take the stuff off.

On ANOTHER related issue. If you have a lease and you modify your car with MAZDASPEED parts can they void your warranty and can you return the lease with the parts?

Tayninh

right and right comments after mine. I meant a warning to those RX owners that removing your cat will cause enough problems that its never worth it to remove a Cat. Yes, I know full well about removing the Cat but apparently there are some out there that don't know perhaps. Unless one has a pre-cat vehicle, they are pretty much out to remove it unless its used on a race track but the RX is not a car for drag racing and in my opinon too expensive and new to be treated as a race car only and not street driven.

G8rboy

Agreed- if you want to play around with things like engine management (CZ) or emissions control (going catless), you really have to understand the price if you get caught. However, I still don't think what this dealership is doing is legal- it should only be an issue if he needs future warranty work that /could/ have been caused by the lack of a cat... but the fact that he removed a federally required device makes this a much trickier issue than say an aftermarket intake or exhaust. They'd probably shoot you on the spot in California. A warning from the service tech would have gone a lot farther towards good relations with their customers... btw, which area dealer was that?

DreRX8

Sorry to hear about that--I removed the precat on my 3rd gen and replaced it with a downpipe (illegal) but the car still passed emissions. I no longer had Mazda warranty so I didn't care about that.

Tayninh

wow! that's amazing that a dealership took off the mod parts and put back on the original stuff. He was very fortunate then. I had a leased vehicle this year and it will be my last. I was warned by the dealer that it had to have brand new tires on it and no door dings and no carpet tears!! Almost a new car after 4 years then. So its amazing that dealership did all that for him. I did not lease my RX although one dealership tried too. I think its impossible to have a car for four years without one door ding. I do not ever want a ding on the RX so I don't take it to stores and mauls. It gets driven and is put in the garage at night. Its a shame we have to be so protective for our RXs when other people out there could care less about your car and so open their doors and bang right into it without the slightest care. That's why I try to stay away at all costs parking lots.

silver1.3

I hear ya, I always have a "battle plan" when it comes to parking. I always look at worst case scenarios - I must be mad!!! :D

I've had 4 cars in 6 years - so I'm on a 30 month lease. IF I decide I want to keep it then I'll probably return it and just by a new one.

Griffin

My dealer does a full checklist inspection every time I bring it in so I'm not surprised by that and in fact appreciate it since their footing the bill for a while. But...Mazda covers the warranty not the dealer. That said you have to get past the dealer to have the work billed to Mazda. If you don't like the outcome I'd go back to stock and try to use another dealer for future warranty work and be gratefull if you squeak by..