I keep hearing about Ford voiding warranties and blah blah blah...

Well, I'm going to BOLD key phrases. If you read and understand... you can see it even states in the Ford letter to dealers that the modification must be proven to cause any warranty related damage before they can void your warranty.

Ford Cannot void warranty just because you have modifications done. Period.


To: All Ford and Lincoln Mercury Dealerships
Subject: Aftermarket Modifications – Warranty Cancellation

BACKGROUND
Aftermarket companies (referred to as "tuners") attempt to increase an engine's torque and power output beyond the design limits which may cause powertrain failures. This is often accomplished by modifying the engine calibration (referred to as "chipping") but may also include modifications or adjustments to other components. Per the Warranty Guide that is provided to the customer and the Warranty & Policy Manual, failures resulting from modifications are not warranted by Ford Motor Company.

All powertrains are subject to warranty cancellation if a modification causes a failure. For the 3.5L EcoBoost technical service bulletin TSB 10-2-6 was published to enable your technicians to determine:

If a powertrain failure resulted from an unauthorized modification
If the engine, transmission, or entire powertrain warranty should be cancelled
Per the inspection process included in this TSB a Ford Motor Company inspector may assist with this analysis. When the inspection process clearly indicates that a failure was caused by an unauthorized modification/alteration the repair should not be completed under Warranty and, using the following process, the vehicle's remaining Engine, Transmission, or Powertrain warranty should be cancelled.

WARRANTY CANCELLATION PROCESS
To initiate a warranty cancellation on an affected vehicle, submit a warranty cancellation request form through FMCDealer.com. This on-line form can be accessed as follows:

FMCDealer.com
Select Parts & Service tab
Select Warranty Administration & Parts Return
Select Warranty Cancellation / Reinstatement Request Form
Complete and submit this form on-line.

Once the warranty is cancelled an OASIS message will advise all dealerships that the vehicle is no longer eligible for warranty coverage

 

I'm not an expert but I thought this all fell under that Magnuson Moss Act. I know we modify the heck out of our sportbikes for closed circuit track days and they can't deny warranty work on our motorcycles. Well, they can deny it but if you mention Magnuson Moss they usually come around.

 

I used to be a Service Writer and Service Manager for KIA and Mitsubishi. They work exactly the same way. It all comes down to the District and/or Regional Manager. They ultimately decide if a Warranty Claim is or is not approved.

I've seen a customer hot rod an Eclipse GT until the Clutch seized up at 8,000 miles. The Tech proved the damage was due to the customer. Mitsubishi still covered the repair. I'm not saying Ford will do the same. But, the Customer isn't always at fault and neither is the Manufacturer.

We all take a chance when we mod our vehicles. But, it's good to know that Ford is attempting to do the right thing and take care of their customer's.

 

That is the same as it has always been. The problem is,who does the one making the decision work for? Ford, of course and my dealer service manager advises that you had better have NO tuner on any Ford vehicle or it will be very difficult to get any powertrain warranty work.

 

Exactly Jim, this is nothing new from everything I have read on here.

 

I bolted a supercharger onto the 4.6 in the 1998 F150 STX I had years ago. It was the same then as it is now. I metioned to the service department that I was doing this mod. I asked them how they would handle warranty claims. They told me that we would cross that bridge when we came to it.

I had warranty work done on that truck twice. There was never any mention of the supercharger, or any of the other mods. The warranty issues weren't related to my mods, so they honored them as if it were a stock truck.

There is a risk with modding. You could end up having to pay for some repairs yourself. That's something you should be aware of before modding your truck.