Warranty-Safe Performance Mods

[RobB]

Greetings community,

I recently added a roof wrap and a cold air intake. I’m eager to start working on actual performance mods though, but I want to make sure I don’t void the warranty. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated!


Thanks in advance!

 

[2020FordRaptor]

Greetings community,

I recently added a roof wrap and a cold air intake. I’m eager to start working on actual performance mods though, but I want to make sure I don’t void the warranty. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated!


Thanks in advance!

Oh man this is the number one most nieve question to ask, but I’ll give you the scoop. Any aftermarket part has the possibility to void warranty. Any aftermarket part can void warranty when and only when it is proved to have caused the problem. A lot of people always ask, “will these mods void warranty,” and I always say, maybe. Any aftermarket part usually won’t cause any problems. A dealer will see any after market parts you do to the car. Some people have dealers that don’t care, others have gotten lucky because dealers don’t look at it. If you’re just going in for simple oil change, they won’t care, but any major repair they put everything under a microscope. If you’re worried about warranty, don’t modify, if you are willing to take the risk, you won’t ever look back. Keep in mind, If you have problems with your car, they’re going to come up with or without any aftermarket part. If you decide to go down the rabbit hole, here’s my modding guide:

https://www.explorerst.org/threads/explorer-st-modding-101-guide.7324/

 

[roycereal]

No such thing as warranty-safe mods really. All have some risk.

 

[RobB]

Yeah, this is the first new car I’ve ever purchased outright with zero miles. I’m not too concerned about the internal components, just more about the electronics and computer systems, which can get pretty expensive. I’d rather put the money I’d spend on electronics toward acquiring a Mustang GT350 or something similar. I appreciate the advice, though!

Oh man this is the number one most nieve question to ask, but I’ll give you the scoop. Any aftermarket part has the possibility to void warranty. Any aftermarket part can void warranty when and only when it is proved to have caused the problem. A lot of people always ask, “will these mods void warranty,” and I always say, maybe. Any aftermarket part usually won’t cause any problems. A dealer will see any after market parts you do to the car. Some people have dealers that don’t care, others have gotten lucky because dealers don’t look at it. If you’re just going in for simple oil change, they won’t care, but any major repair they put everything under a microscope. If you’re worried about warranty, don’t modify, if you are willing to take the risk, you won’t ever look back. Keep in mind, If you have problems with your car, they’re going to come up with or without any aftermarket part. If you decide to go down the rabbit hole, here’s my modding guide:

https://www.explorerst.org/threads/explorer-st-modding-101-guide.7324/

 

[RobB]

No such thing as warranty-safe mods really. All have some risk.

Noted ☑️

 

[2020FordRaptor]

Yeah, this is the first new car I’ve ever purchased outright with zero miles. I’m not too concerned about the internal components, just more about the electronics and computer systems, which can get pretty expensive. I’d rather put the money I’d spend on electronics toward acquiring a Mustang GT350 or something similar. I appreciate the advice, though!

You’ll probably never experience any problems that any aftermarket part could cause but you never know what stock part could go out and dealer pin the blame on you.

 

[enphor]

24' here and already did downpipes, exhaust, IC, and have ZFG tuner on the way. I was on the fence and was going to wait a few years. I even purchased the extended warranty. Decided on the IC right off the bat and figured how can they deny warranty providing the engine with safer air intake temps? Then said F it and hated the fake engine noise generator and wanted to hear real engine noise and did the exhaust system. I figure how can they deny warranty letting the exhaust leave the engine more freely? But sure the dealer can try anything, so always a risk. The tune is the big one for me, if the engine frags it is easy for them to blame the tune.

All that being said, I decided to not wait. I want to enjoy the vehicle for all the time that I have it and not think about every time I get in it that there is some kind of countdown clock to fun a few years from now. Only thing left is the ZFG tune which is coming in the mail today. IC,pipes, exhaust installed and I couldn't be happier, it really changed my whole driving experience not only from how it doesn't deflate power after a hard pull due to heat soak, all the way to the amazing sound from the thermal system. I can't wait to go for a drives now! Tune will bring it all together and be the final piece for me (maybe).

As always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. If your engine frags and you can't replace everything back to stock before getting it to the dealer, can you afford a new block and install? Bolt on stuff is fairly easy to return to stock and the dealer wouldn't know otherwise. Big one is the tune, they can clearly see the computers were modified from stock even if you re-program back to stock settings. Warranty stuff like electronics, body, etc a tune can't be blamed on. Pretty much looking at the powertrain as the big risk there.

 

[roycereal]

Tunes definitely give the best bang for your buck performance-wise, but yeah they're risky for warranty. Tough call. Maybe wait til you're closer to warranty end?

 

[BrooseDaMoose]

Modding is always a risk but most dealers are not going to care. They have to be able to prove the aftermarket part caused the failure. Tuning is always a warranty killer though. If you read through your warranty it states that it voids the warranty. If you put on an aftermarket exhaust or an intercooler and say something goes wrong with the transmission, they are not going to try to say it's because you added them that it failed. The bottom line is, if you are going to play, be in a position to pay.

 

[UNBROKEN]

Adding performance mods without a good tune to account for them is a waste of time and money. The torque based engine management will not add anything without being told to. Add an exhaust if you want to change the sound. Add a CAI if you want to look at it under the hood. Add whatever you want…it won’t hurt anything to do so…just don’t expect them to add any power because they won’t.
You can always add the Ford Performance tune…but that won’t address any other additions either.

 

[bluesnake01]

Adding performance mods without a good tune to account for them is a waste of time and money. The torque based engine management will not add anything without being told to. Add an exhaust if you want to change the sound. Add a CAI if you want to look at it under the hood. Add whatever you want…it won’t hurt anything to do so…just don’t expect them to add any power because they won’t.
You can always add the Ford Performance tune…but that won’t address any other additions either.

Slight disagree there with a bigger IC outside of numbers. Car wont feel sluggish on those 90+ days even stock nor heat soaked after a lil run.

 

[UNBROKEN]

Slight disagree there with a bigger IC outside of numbers. Car wont feel sluggish on those 90+ days even stock nor heat soaked after a lil run.

That still doesn’t add any power. It will let you use what you already have longer by not pulling timing.

 

[Old Turnkey]

The Magnuson-Moss act of 1975 puts the onus on the manufacturer/dealer to prove a non OEM product caused a failure in order to deny a warranty claim.

 

[UNBROKEN]

The Magnuson-Moss act of 1975 puts the onus on the manufacturer/dealer to prove a non OEM product caused a failure in order to deny a warranty claim.

Man don’t even start that old wives tale again.
Ford can connect any aftermarket part you install to something else in 1/2 a second and when they do that’s the end of the hunt. Ford even put out a manual of sorts of things for dealers to look for. Lots of people say they have great relationships with their dealer but in a major failure Ford will send a rep and if they say your mod caused it….you’re done.
Oh you’ll sue them? Great….thats what everybody says. Enjoy your years long court battle while you have to pay for a car you can’t drive…because they have more and better lawyers than any of us will ever have.

 

[2020STAWD]

Depends on Dealer. My ST was in for a vibration in the front while reversing and they diagnosed it as my Driveshaft actuator failing and they also found an oil pan leak. All repaired under my extended warranty and only thing they mentioned was my rear shocks are bad. My ST is lowered, intake, downpipes, exhaust., I ask are they sure my shocks are bad I just put them on in May. They sent pictures and mentioned I should go with.PIU rear shocks since I am lowered.

 

[BeyondEOD]

If you’re serious about keeping the powertrain warranty you should only do suspension, exhaust for sound, and brakes.

If you want to maintain some sort of powertrain warranty and add “some” power, have your dealer install the Ford Performance Tune.

You can also run a proper tune from one of the vendors here and test your luck if something goes south. Stay completely out of the e30-e50 world just in case you end up having to take the car to the dealer. If you have a full tank of e50 and need to de-tune that will be a hard one to explain.

 

[2020FordRaptor]

Man don’t even start that old wives tale again.
Ford can connect any aftermarket part you install to something else in 1/2 a second and when they do that’s the end of the hunt. Ford even put out a manual of sorts of things for dealers to look for. Lots of people say they have great relationships with their dealer but in a major failure Ford will send a rep and if they say your mod caused it….you’re done.
Oh you’ll sue them? Great….thats what everybody says. Enjoy your years long court battle while you have to pay for a car you can’t drive…because they have more and better lawyers than any of us will ever have.

This is exactly my thought process. Ford would be able to attribute anything to whatever problem. So many electronics and crap that it’d be hard to fight them on it. Unless you have a dealer who’s going to fight Ford and show them it didn’t cause the problem, which is extremely rare to find that great of a dealer, that claim is going to be denied for big ticket items.