I was wondering, do aftermarket parts void the warranty? I know that with exhausts only the warranty is voided for the exhaust, but what about like audio systems and stuff? If something went wrong with your battery, (it dying) it seems like Mazda could just blame it on your sound system and make you pay for the entire cost of the problem. So, my question is, do aftermarket parts, including intakes, superchargers, car audio systems, etc. void the warranty on your car?

 

The judgment on voiding a warranty is usually made initially by the dealers personnel and, based on some of the postings on this forum, that can be a very arbitrary judgment with some dealers. Generally, if the dealer deems that the aftermarket installation has caused a problem for which a warranty repair is sought, the dealer will not repair under warranty. In fact, some dealers will tell you, incorrectly so, that your entire warranty is voided for installation of single aftermarket item.

But like I said, this can be a very arbitrary judgment and if you don't agree with the dealers judgment, you may become involve in a lengthy dispute with the dealer and/or with Mazda corporate. It's best to find a dealer service department that is ultra customer friendly to avoid such disputes. They do exist, but are apparently pretty rare.

 

Thanks for the info. Will someone please let me know what their experience has been with warranty voiding, if any? I really would like to know if this could be discussed. I would really appreciate it.

 

Warranties should not be voided just because you have a particular mod...it violates The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. There is a member here however, who had his warranty voided for the simple fact that he posted he'd driven his car over 100 mph! (this being the most extreme case we've seen...)

Mods:
-I would imagine if you started doing heavy stereo modifications it could void most / all of your electrical component warranties. ie; you started blowing fuses, batteries, etc.
-Supercharger would most likely void your warranty
-Intake should not affect your warranty. Again, the dealership would have to prove that the intake caused a part to fail (that wouldn't normally fail with the oem piece)

 

Ok, what about something as simple as clear corners? If something went wrong electrically, and they blamed it on the wiring from the clear's, you'd be screwed. Granted, I serioulsy doubt that that could cause anything to go wrong, but it just seems like in order to save some $$$$, the Mazda dealerships could just blame it on that. And then, you are screwed because there is nothing you can do about it to dis-prove it without going through some huge blown-up deal (i.e. going to MazdaUSA) which would be a total pain in the *** and I'd rather just avoid it altogether.

 

What wires? Clear corners are plastic covers.

 

^^^ yeah.

now you're getting a little bit paranoid

 

Haha, ok sorry. I guess I am paranoid to some extent though. Almost as paranoid as a cop pulling me over for my tint.

 

^^^ Sounds like you are tempted to change the motto in your avatar. Do be careful in choosing mods which are not likely to have any warranty implications. For example, it sounds like many members are holding off on the superchargers until the 50,000 milestone is past. Clear corners--OK. Major engine mods--NOPE.

If you are interested in reading about others experiences, (such as the infamous "100 mph abuse issue), searching for "void warranty" should bring up a bunch of threads discussing the issue.

 

Well, you can hardely call clear corners a mod, but I guess. I just added a sub though, and it was a terrible experience. He built the box too big, it was too loud, I needed the money and so I sold it. It was a major pain. I just don't want to get the clear corners, not be able to install them, or when I do install them they don't look right, and then be up a creek.

 

If you are uber worried about losing your warrenty over aftermarket parts, your best bet is to simply talk to your dealership service manager about the parts you are interested in ahead of time. Find out what thier concerns are. I have a handful of mods (intake, exhaust, midpipe, pulleys) and I still have my 8 regularly serviced at the dealership.

 

Will my Mazda dealer install clear corners since the new RX8's are coming with them stock? I may be able to even purchase these through Mazda. Then, I would feel much better about it.

 

the new RX-8's are NOT coming with clear corners. (at least not those coming to US)

Zoom Zoom, I think your best course of action is to just purchase Mazda performance accessories. As long as you buy them from Mazda (or an authorized dealer) and have them installed by your service department, you should never have to worry about warranty issues.

 

I will personally slap you if you ask your dealership to install clear corners on your car. It takes about 5 minutes to install them and your dealership is likely to charge you $40+ for labor to do it.

 

I purchased mine from Rotary Extreme (with the stealth bulbs). Once you have them, all you need is a cross-tip screwdriver.

 

i agree with jedi, if your afraid of voiding warranty, just buy the mazda or mazdaspeed accessories, those can't possibly void your warranty