Purchased Tokico HP struts and shocks from Stillen on 5/09. At the same time, I purchased Eibach springs. Today, the struts and shocks are shot. Contacted Stillen, and they stated Tokico has rescinded their lifetime warranty. Furthermore, should I wish to pursue warranty coverage, Stillen rec. contacting a Tokico Rep. I contacted the Tokico Rep., and he instructed me to advise Stillen that it was OK for me to initiate/claim warranty replacement coverage.

Today, Tokico's website clearly states the Lifetime Warranty. In addition, warranty claims should be initially processed by the reseller, not Tokico. It is dumbfounding that a customer needs to call Tokico, and then advise the reseller that he/she received authorization to process warranty claim. I am very disappointed.

 

thanks for the heads up...... good luck

 

lifetime warranty doesn't literally mean "forever" most of the time. It's usually means general expected life of the product under normal driving conditions. Any tracking, auto-crossing can void your warranty.

i.e. many tire companies have lifetime warranties on their tires. This does not mean you can sit and do burnouts all day long and expect replacement under warranty or run a set of tires for 150k miles and expect new tires from them. It just won't happen.

I'm not sure what your situation is but did you purchase your products before they rescinded their warranty? If so, I would expect them to honor it as long as they haven't been "raced/tracked"

Go with Koni Yellows, I'm very happy with them as I'm sure many others are.

 

So why does Tokico su*k?. I bet if you took your time to read their warranty procedure, you would have found that. Very few people care to read those stuff but usually they state them clear. Anyway good luck

 

So did you contact Stillen again and explain what the Tokico rep told you? Unfortunately in todays world you often have to jump thru hoops to get claims filled.
Sux but I wouldn't get all worked up, as often as this happens, you're either gonna give yourself a stroke and die early, or have breakdown and go on a killing spree.

 

Tokico sucks because they should have contacted its own authorized reseller about such policy.

Tokico should NOT market these shocks as a good shock for lowering springs. They are not, despite a shorter piston length. They are also not superior to OEM as they claim. They are just factory-grade shocks with slightly different specifications.

 

arnt hp's just oem replacements? i thought the d-specs were for lowering?

 

i thought lifetime means forever as long as the original buyer of the product still has the car.

 

Usually not the case. Gotta read the fine print

 

Stillen's customer service issues aren't anything new.

As for Tokico, the rep should have done you a favor but the shocks are of good quality - just depends on the application. For example, I've got D-Specs wiith the Eibach Pro-Kit and no issues whatsoever.

 

I've never had a problem getting a shock warrantied by Tokico unless the shock shaft is scratched or the shock body is dented/damaged. If Stillen won't come through you can send them to me and I can send them on to Tokico. The most you'll get back will be WD cost, plus you'll have to pay shipping both ways since I'm not the original selling dealer.

IMHO, HPs are a poor choice on a 350Z. Save your money and buy some D-Specs.

 

Don't forget the term "limited" as used in "limited lifetime". It means a lot

 

I understand your point. Very frustrating. I do a lot of research on this site from comments and reviews before buying any Z products. Very helpful.
That is what led me to choose D-Specs over HP. Very happy with them

 

last time i called Stillen to ask a question on a product that i bought from different vendor, right after i said, "i purchased it from a different vendor", he said "you need to contact the vendor you purchased from." then something like "we can't help you if you didn't purchase from stillen". WTF it's a stillen product. I called the vendor and just like i thought, they couldn't answer my question. Told me to email Stillen manager or somethin.

 

http://www.hitachi-hap-la.com/tokicogasshocks/faq/

- Q: Does TOKICO offer a warranty on their products?
A: TOKICO offers a limited lifetime warranty for all of our performance shocks purchased for street use. Products used or designed for competition are not covered under warranty.

- Q: How do I make Warranty Claim?
A: You need to have your original proof of purchase and make a claim with the business that you originally purchased the product from. If they are no longer in business, you will need to work with another authorized distributor near you.

I will take the Tokicos to Stillen and initiate the warranty process, as per directed by the Rep. I'm very fortunate to live only a few miles away, and will be able to talk with them in person. I am not banking on this, but will keep you posted on status. For the time being, I am shopping for replacement struts and shocks. Thanks for your input and suggestions.

 

all this over some $250 struts?

 

ya, if you lowered your car, you should have been on D spec's I ran those on a 2.5 in drop for 3 years and zero problems and handled awesome

I guess when you cheap out you may get mad, haha

 

$250 is a lot you know. That's a day's wage for most of us here!!!

 

Oh, by the way, Tokico would not honor warranty for shocks purchased from an unauthorized retailer, such as sellers on eBay, small start up auto parts companies that distribute products through warehouse drop shipping, etc.

Always buy from an authorized retailer unless the price is extremely good.

 

I am sure our sponsors here are authorized dealers in the stuff they sell. I always buy from them to support the site.