My most recent modded vehicle was an Audi S4, and though I never had any problems, there was a lot of talk about the dealers attempting to "void" the warranty as a result of modifying the vehicle, in some cases from the most subtle modifications (ie. intake, exhaust, etc.)

As I'm already putting together my wish list for my Z which hasn't even been delivered to the dealer, I was hoping to get some insight on whether nissan has taken the same stance. I'm not going to forced induction for a while, but has anyone had problems with intakes, exhaust, ECU adjustments, etc., leading to warranty disputes?

Thanks in advance.

 

Do a search and you'll find this talked about a lot...

Bottom line is the dealership would have to prove that your 3rd party aftermarket part caused the problem in order for them to void the warrenty.

Of course when you replace the factory exhaust with a 3rd party one, the exhaust system is no longer covered by factory warrenty, but the rest of the car still is.

Only exception to this, is if you buy Nismo Type S products from nissan, then the factory and extended warrenty will cover these parts.

 

Thanks for the response.. I will do some research on the topic in the forum.. I absolutely agree that it is on the dealer/Nissan to show that it is the modification that caused the problem regularly covered by warrantly.. I guess my question is better articulated as do the nissan dealerships / nissan generally look for the mods, and try to utilize them as reasons for not honoring the warranty, or do they more regularly fix the problem??

My context is trying to work out my mod. schedule..

Thanks again in advance for any insight.

 

Depends on which dealership you go to.... the majority will probably try and say the mods void the warrenty, which you will end up fighting with them for weeks before they do anything.... but there are a few good dealerships out there that are performance minded and will help you out if something goes wrong....

 

EXACTLY. Some do not want to be bothered with a modified car so they try to use that as an excuse. My dealer whom I didn't even buy the car from has not given me any problems when I bring it in for minor fixes. (mostly stuff I do not have the time to fix). One thing that you can do is try to develop a dialog with the service manager. Get your oil changed at the Dealer (if you think that you can trust them) and talk to the Service Manager while you are there. Let him/her know what you are doing or plan on doing and try to gauge their reaction. My feeling has been that if they feel that you are not going to do a hack job when modifying the car they are OK with it to a point. Some dealers will even install aftermarket parts so it pays to ask.

 

Yeah, get a good relationship with a particular service manager. They'll be more inclined to help you out if something comes up.

I believe there is something in the warranty about "altering" the car. The warranty covers stock items so replacing something will void that part of the warranty. But if that parts leads into something else that breaks....the dealer will most likely claim the mod as the culprit.

It might be worth your while to visit the service dept and ask them a few Q's about their stance on modding.