And don't even think a stock car will get you out of messes either. Michael Miller and his son developed a taste for autocrossing (driving as fast as possible through a cone-lined course) in his Honda S2000. When Miller went to purchase a brand-new Mitsubishi Evolution VIII, he spoke candidly with the salesperson and sales manager about his hobby. Although the dealer seemed to love and appreciate autocross, the dealer didn't have his back when he came in for warranty work. Two weeks after the EVO's first and only autocross event in Salt Lake City, Utah-where Miller made ten 50-second runs topping out at 50 mph-the Evolution crapped out in a Starbucks parking lot. After towing it to the dealership, Miller was shocked to hear his warranty was already proactively denied despite the fact the car had never been in for service.
The Evolution had been mostly driven on the street, did no repetitive launches or racing-except for that one autocross (if you count that as racing), which didn't break freeway speeds-had no modifications and hadn't been in for service before. So just how did someone pick out Miller's name and void his warranty? Rumors have emerged on the Internet and among driving enthusiasts that Mitsubishi has been scouring event registration lists and cross-referencing those names with Evolution VIII owners. Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. had no comment on the subject directly, but did state in a June 18, 2004 release that the company "gives the benefit of the doubt to everyone" and "Mitsubishi does not have any automated Web search system looking for Lancer Evolutions involved in race events. This is absolutely false."
So the short version of it all is, yes, the dealer will point at anything and everything to void a warranty. That's where the Magnuson-Moss Act comes back into play. The act also states companies cannot instate "tie-in sales" provisions. This means manufacturers can't force consumers to buy factory replacement brands to keep their warranty coverage unless the manufacturer provides those parts for free. This means you are free to use replacement Brand X parts. But the act also states if the parts were improperly installed or designed, then the warranty can be voided. If your high quality parts were properly installed, had nothing to do with a failure under warranty and yet were blamed for it, it is up to you to get in writing the dealer's explanation of how the aftermarket part directly caused the failure.
How will they know?If your S2000 has a rod seeing sunlight out the side of the block or if your WRX no longer has a second or third gear, you'd probably think it's a good idea to return the car to stock and take it in for warranty service. Aside from catastrophic mechanical failures, how will the dealer know the car was modified? Or maybe your car is stock, but it lays down 8000-rpm clutch drops about twenty-five times a day. Transmission work is covered, right?
It is, but not for you. The first diagnostic step is mechanical inspection. Bolts and clips that were removed and reinstalled are bound to look different than the factory fasteners. A dealership will know if you have been tampering with anything. The dealer will also perform a visual inspection of all fluids, rubber joints and tires; it's an easy way for a dealership to discover if you've been driving Ms. Daisy or driving Ms. Crazy. Plus, "if you show up with a gearbox problem and all the [gear] teeth are sitting on the bottom of the transmission, we know that's not normal," said Ang. Transfer cases and rear ends don't just spontaneously explode, and that's how warranties get denied for "racing use."
The second step is electronic. The ECU computers controlling modern cars are incredibly complex and keep track of hundreds of sensors and constantly monitor data. In the case of Subaru, Ang told us whenever a check engine light comes on, the ECU will detect a failure and begin to record data. If your engine blows and the light comes on, the ECU will record the rpm, speed and boost level at which the engine let loose. Thanks to OBD-II ports, accessing data stored in the black box is simple. Revs, throttle position, speed, boost level and water and oil temperatures can be used to paint a picture of what type of rough upbringing a car experienced. If a dealership has any inkling you've been driving the car hard, get ready to bend over. Just because a car can rev to 8000 rpm doesn't mean you're supposed to launch it at 8000 rpm and cruise at 8000 rpm on the highway-all of the time. That's considered abuse.