Modifying and warranty Void

a90_tay

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as we all know Toyota has been harping On about this car being a base for the tuning community

What we also know is many companies warranty becomes void when tuning or altering a vehicle

How does this sit with Toyota I wonder? Would be extremely contradictory to void a persons warranty when modifying a vehicle that was built for that very purpose

If acceptable I wonder where the boundaries are. Can’t imagine they’d be happy with keeping a warranty on a 750hp version
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XtremeMaC

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Dealer I went to had absolutely no idea on this. Gave me the traditional Extended Warranty booklet. Upon asking a similar question as yours, she looked quite puzzled :D
I think some don't even know what the vehicle looks like to begin with :) None of the price/warranty/etc. folders she looked had any info about the car...

I'd assume Toyota nor any other OE for that matter would ever accept the liability and coverage of any tune. The investigation alone into these would require a dedicated task force, i.e. FEA fatigue analysis, CFD flow analysis, etc... Why would any OE throw money at an investigation for a part from any supplier.. Supplier's could and should include "tested vigorously and warranty x years", but that still couldn't even begin to tell anyone what happens when 10 aftermarket parts come together and behave... You change the dampening on the suspension, then let's say your engine mount went kaput because of harsh vibration/excitation, then engine failed or something.. Why would Toyota honor warranty on that...

Anyhow, in short, it's a big NO. Call me negative or whatever, this is the absolute truth..
 

dgh

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as we all know Toyota has been harping On about this car being a base for the tuning community

What we also know is many companies warranty becomes void when tuning or altering a vehicle

How does this sit with Toyota I wonder? Would be extremely contradictory to void a persons warranty when modifying a vehicle that was built for that very purpose

If acceptable I wonder where the boundaries are. Can’t imagine they’d be happy with keeping a warranty on a 750hp version

I think it's a stretch to say the Supra was built for the very purpose of being modified. Yes, Toyota knows it will happen with some owners, and they have built it so that it's modifiable friendly, but I doubt any of them would claim its purpose is to be modified. To do that would open up this issue of warranty that you are bringing up, and it would also be an argument that the car isn't very good as it stands from the factory - which is not the reality Totota wants to convey. Instead, they have played this modifiable card to appeal to a broader group, including those who have/will modify it, and it also appeases somewhat those critics who say the performance is not up to par.
 

scoates

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If acceptable I wonder where the boundaries are. Can’t imagine they’d be happy with keeping a warranty on a 750hp version
From my understanding on how Toyota UK dealt with warranties on modified GT86s it was along the lines of if the parts you installed caused the failure then you're not covered. For example say you install coilovers and wheels, and the engine blows, that should be covered, but if you install a turbo system and the engine blows, you're out of luck. Even that though I think depends on individual dealers but that seemed to be the way they took it from what I've heard. I'd have thought they would do similar with the Supra as well.
 

E4EVL

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From my understanding on how Toyota UK dealt with warranties on modified GT86s it was along the lines of if the parts you installed caused the failure then you're not covered. For example say you install coilovers and wheels, and the engine blows, that should be covered, but if you install a turbo system and the engine blows, you're out of luck. Even that though I think depends on individual dealers but that seemed to be the way they took it from what I've heard. I'd have thought they would do similar with the Supra as well.
^ this. Warranty work has to be authorised and can be audited at manufacturer level. A dealer is just a franchisee and they can in theory bend the rules but not break them. If you modify a car and the mod/s have a direct impact on what has broken, tough. Pay to play.

There is a press video where someone asks directly about the warranty after discussing all the vents and cut outs in the chassis for bracing and cooling mods etc and I can’t remember if it was Akio or the chief engineer but they say they will not cover warranty on it.
 

thedude

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If they wanted to, they could pick a partner and install in their own dealers - like Jeep used to do with AEV and BMW does with DINAN. In both cases the warranties stay intact.
 

A70TTR

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There are good and bad dealers, and that plays hugely into whether they are level headed in covering a vehicle under warranty. When in doubt, these people should be calling corporate when the dealer isn't treating them fairly.

That doesn't mean things will change, but more often than not it will as long as its a legitimate concern.
 

KeshyMKV

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From what I am feeling and seeing out there, I wouldn't recommend modifying the Supra and hoping to have full use of your warranty if needed.

That one owner who has a stock Supra who just put it in Dyno mode to dyno it stock, was denied warranty to replace his steering rack.

So if that is what we are working with from dealers, expect things to be worse, unless you really want to push back and fight for warranty work with back and forth with dealers.

-V
 

Dannyvandelft

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There's a HUGE difference between adding a strut brace, a catback etc, and changing the engine mapping. The former won't affect warranty, while the latter will.

The Magnussen Moss warranty act means nothing. YOU still have to lawyer up to fight the dealers denial of a warranty claim.
 

LS3Twins

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Bottom line is that if you are worried about warranty coverage leave the tune alone. You're probably safe with a catback and intake but any type of tune will most likely be found and if you do have to go through the process of filing a suit you may end up regretting it. That same money could have been used for a built motor. If you're like me or others that accept understand the risks then find yourself a very reputable tuner and you shouldn't have to worry. Never ever ever skimp out on the tune. I don't care if I have to drive the car 8 hours to get to them because I don't have to worry about if the tune was safe. I have been using reputable tuners for almost 20 years and never had an issue with a tune.

I have always accepted the fact that if I did lose an engine that I wouldn't be at the dealership looking for answers if the car was tuned. My parents had a 2012 328i that lost the engine at 55k miles in 2015 and it was completely stock. They had a hell of a time getting it replaced and had to go through multiple levels of management to get anything done. This was 100% covered in their warranty but the dealership still wasn't going to cover it. 2 months had gone by and they agreed to replace the engine which took about 3 weeks. They were out of a vehicle for basically 3 months on a warrantied part.

Most dealerships are going to try their hardest to not pay for anything but that comes down to you making sure to stand your ground. Make legitimate claims and provide reasons why the modifications you did would absolutely not have anything to do with the defective part. If they still don't do anything then either pay for it yourself or contact a lawyer. If you decide to contact a lawyer just understand it will cost you thousands and a ton of your own time. Also be aware that Toyota's lawyer may be well versed in this type of thing so do your research.
 

mkhank7865

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I bought the 7 year 100k and asked the general service manager, I asked him about this and he basically said he would have to prove my mods caused the failure and said he would be reasonable. like for a DP it probably wouldn't be a big deal but i would assume an ECU reflash would. wondering if they can tell with a piggyback if its been installed.
 

Dannyvandelft

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I bought the 7 year 100k and asked the general service manager, I asked him about this and he basically said he would have to prove my mods caused the failure and said he would be reasonable. like for a DP it probably wouldn't be a big deal but i would assume an ECU reflash would. wondering if they can tell with a piggyback if its been installed.
First off, the "7 year, 100k" warranty, or any extended warranty at car purchase is the biggest sham there is. You don't know if you will own the car that long. You might be bored with it in 2 years. It might get totaled and you buy something else instead, and so on. After your base warranty expires you get 5000 letters in the mail asking if you'd like to buy more warranty. Anyway, the manager was just blowing sales smoke up your ass. If you blow your engine, and it has an aftermarket tune on it, they WILL deny the claim. Extended warranty or not. An aftermarket intake and (catless) downpipe usually requires a tune these days so those go hand in hand.
Since you bought the extended warranty, don't do anything that messes with the ECU, intake, or catalytic converter. A catback is fine.
Lowering springs MIGHT get your warranty claim denied if you blow a shock, that's dealer dependent usually. But cosmetic mods and mods that don't alter the powertrain are usually safe.
 

ec15

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The Magnussen Moss warranty act means nothing. YOU still have to lawyer up to fight the dealers denial of a warranty claim.
That wouldn't stop me from asking how one is related to the other.
 
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a90_tay

a90_tay

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No warranty pay out because of dyno wtf
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