Dealers can tell truck is tuned after revert to stock?

[BlownGP]

Many people have and won. There are cases posted all over the net that show dealers denying warranty for this and that. After investigations into cause of failure, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act always came into play and if it was proven the modification (or tune) was proven not to be the cause, the manufacturer was forced to do the warranty work.

Is it a law? No. It is a precedence that guides legalities regarding accountability for manufacturers.


I had a 2001 Silverado in the Summer of 2001 - bought it with 21 miles on it. At 600 miles, it caught fire. Total loss. The fire started in the instrument cluster while driving at night with the lights on. The ONLY mod I did was a set of lighter wheels. Repair/replacement thru GM was denied because of the modification. After multiple investigations, it was determined the cause was a 22ga wire with a 20amp fuse where a 16ga wire and a 7.5 or 10amp fuse should have been used. They were forced, under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act to cover damages, even though they were trying to get the investigators to believe that wheels that were 14lbs lighter than factory created a reduced resistance in the electrical system that governed power to the cluster lights...

Just depends on the circumstances and the dealer, but don't except anything because of the MMW.

Fact is, dealers arent playing around with people tuning there cars anymore. Look at what's happening to the C7 Z06, granted it's not a truck but GM flat out has said if you want the most out of the Z06. You will need to consult a aftermarket tuner but if you do your warranty is voided.

 

[Hemi450hp]

This is always up to your specific dealer. If 1 gives you a hard time about it, then go find another dealership to give your money to. There are plenty out there that would rather get paid to fix your truck whether it is under warranty or not.

 

[Pull Ya]

I know that I am old and have old school ideas but what ever happened to personal responsibility and personal integrity. If you buy a tuner and as a result of the tuner you break something or blow something up, I think you should man up and pay for it. If you can afford a tuner you should be able to pay for any damage it causes. Just one old guys opinion.
Jay

 

[Hemi450hp]

Jay, I absolutely agree with you. The problem is that there are a lot of dealerships out there that look for any excuse possible not to warranty your truck regardless of whether your aftermarket part caused a problem or not.

 

[Pull Ya]

Matt,
Your right. If you install a tuner and your electric door locks quit working then I think the dealership has the responsibility to fix that problem, or any other problem not related to the tuner. But if it is apparent that one of your mods cause a problem and as a result broke a part normally covered by your warranty, I think you should pay that cost if there is no question that the failure was caused by your mod. I hope that explains it better.
Jay

 

[xrsman]

All comes down to the old expression "you pay to play". If you want more power you're risking giving up warranty. All depends on how much you care about that warranty lol. That being said if something went wrong with my truck I'd try to get it warranted first, if denied than I'd pay for it. Chrysler makes a lot of money of your truck purchase, they'd still be making money if they had to replace your engine. Plus with how the ******** screwed me on the rusting for my 2011 (which was completely their fault for providing a faulty product) I'll get whatever I can from them before I have to pay.

 

[620mac]

Ok so with all this considered, will a hemifever tune really do anything so dramatic as to reduce longevity, or cause major issues? I do take good care of my truck, and am very good with the maintenance too. Basically, are they ok long term as long as you're not an idiot?

 

[RLJ10X]

Why wouldn't the dealerships want to cover warranty repairs? (Rhetorical question).

The bill gets paid. Dealership service dept makes money.

Customer is happy.

I'm kind of lucky in that the local dealership is made up of mostly Good Old Boys. They put my CAI, and 4.10 gears in my truck for me. In the Mustang, they helped me put in the tuner, and installed the alum driveshaft and LCAs.

 

[Hemi450hp]

Ok so with all this considered, will a hemifever tune really do anything so dramatic as to reduce longevity, or cause major issues? I do take good care of my truck, and am very good with the maintenance too. Basically, are they ok long term as long as you're not an idiot?

It wont. There are plenty of us that have been using Hemifever's tune for years now without any issues. Don't deliberately abuse the truck, and you wont have anything to worry about (this applies to both tuned and stock trucks).

 

[Lawhand]

It wont. There are plenty of us that have been using Hemifever's tune for years now without any issues. Don't deliberately abuse the truck, and you wont have anything to worry about (this applies to both tuned and stock trucks).

does this apply to Long-tube headers and a hemi fever tune? hehe

 

[Hemi450hp]

That applies to just about any mod short of boost. My crew cab has every Bolton you can buy, and I have yet to have a single issue with the motor or tranny. As long as you do your regular maintenance, and don't pretend to be Ricky Bobby everywhere you go, these trucks are very durable and will hold up great.

 

[VPRPWRD]

I know that I am old and have old school ideas but what ever happened to personal responsibility and personal integrity. If you buy a tuner and as a result of the tuner you break something or blow something up, I think you should man up and pay for it. If you can afford a tuner you should be able to pay for any damage it causes. Just one old guys opinion.
Jay

Best post on this thread. You gotta pay to play and if you can't afford the potential negative effects of mods, leave it stock.

 

[WulfGang]

That applies to just about any mod short of boost. My crew cab has every Bolton you can buy, and I have yet to have a single issue with the motor or tranny. As long as you do your regular maintenance, and don't pretend to be Ricky Bobby everywhere you go, these trucks are very durable and will hold up great.

agreed

I've had a LOT of cars in my life and NONE of them have given me the reliability and performance that my (DS HEMI FEVER TUNED) RAM has.