I am a Ford man through and through, but I have to admit I have a genuine concern about my Lightning and it's durability. For that reason my truck is staying stock also, I've already had 3 fairly big issues with it:

Front end rebuilt due to popping sounds/handling issues (can't find the sheet but basically the whole frontend was done).
Power steering totally replaced, the gearbox/hoses were all leaking...
And just recently a fuel pump going bad which was replaced (as part of their trying to figure out why my truck doesn't always start right up), and the supercharger belt tensioner was also replaced (was causing a very loud knocking sound).

All of these I'd hate to have had to pay them for, the last issue they kept my truck for 3 days trying to figure out why it wouldn't start easy all the time (still doesn't btw, sometimes fires right up, sometimes takes 7 cranks, I got some BS answer about octane and winter gas but going to keep an eye on it and see how it goes). Imagine if I did not have a warranty, this last event would have been 3 days worth of labor charges! This is all with just 25k miles on it, it's never been to the track and I drive pretty easy really with only a few WOT hits from time to time, it's never been WOT for a 1/4 mile even.

Now had I succumbed to modding my truck, like I so DESPERATELY want too with a chip or a pulley, none of this would have been covered I can guarantee, even though all of it would have relatively nothing do with those two mods. To be honest, with the trouble I've had so far, I am thinking about leaving it stock and reviving my 90LX 5.0L for my play toy. At least I can work on it easily, and heck a total engine buildup would cost less then 1/2 what it would for a shortblock for the L. Sucks, but it might be what I do, I have the 6/60k warranty also on the L and don't intend to mod till it's gone for fear of new things that might happen. I'm honestly kicking my butt some for buying the L and not just putting my money in my 5.0L, imagine a 5.0 with $30k worth of mods heh. Don't get me wrong, I love my truck, I just hate the fear of modding it and losing an engine or tranny, that'd be such a waste of cash!

Anyway, my point is, warranties get voided sometimes and that sucks but it's just life. However, they shouldn't be able to totally void your entire warranty for mods like a chip and pulley. Yes they can void the engine/trans warranty that's fine, but what about everything else that has little do with it? How is it ok they can void everything's warranty?

Sorry to hear about your friends truck, it was a bad situation all together, I don't think they should replace the engine or anything, my main point is it's not always so cut and dry with these warranty voiding issues.

 

Jon
j/k btw

 

This kind of thing isn't a Ford onlt issue

All car manufatures will, or try to do the same thing when someone mods a vehical and then has problems. I know people who have chevys, hondas, subarus, that have had their waranties voided because of mods they installed.

 

Hehe, ok maybe I fibbed a bit, it's probably been WOT for 1/4 mile a few times, but my point is its not WOT from every stoplight (pre-Lightning drag racing tickets do that too ya ).

Don your also right it's not just Ford, it's everyone. In fact I actually think Ford is one of the better ones about it. I have heard about a brand new totally stock Corvette having it's warranty voided because the dealer was at the track when he went to see what it ran. I've also know a guy that had his warranty voided on his firebird just because he showed up with his drag radials (mind you those are perfectly street legal) for standard service work

 

This is why I'm getting a new Vette, fast as hell bone stock wiht eh standard c6 now and if you want more theres LIGENFELTER performance right in IN who will give you whatever you want power wise with a warrenty to go along with it!

 

sell me your rims.....

 

no, sell me your rims, he already has chrome 20's.... I know you hate to see my Lightning roll on silver 18's. Besides they look at home on a 99 Red Lightning.....

 

my 20s are gone... I got slicks and skinnies now!!!

 

Oh *****... You're good for a 13.7 now

 

My biggest concern with the warranty problems isnt that they choose to void them because of Mods-rather its the inconsistency with which vehicles are repaired. For instance, a truck with the standard chip/pulley/filter mod could be taken to 10 different dealerships and get 10 different responses ranging from a total void of the warranty to the problem getting fixed with no questions asked.

In my case, the mere possibility of a warranty void will keep me from modding my truck.

 

No your wrong.....
















maybe a 13.5!!!!!

 

No one hates what Ford is trying to do more than I do. I fought them for two months because they wanted to void my warranty for mods. I can't believe some of you think you should remove mods and screw Ford into paying for something that was not their fault. This is Stealing!!!!! When my truck screwed up I left my mods on. I did not expect Ford to pay if it was my fault the truck screwed up. Turns out my first motor had no wrist pin clips on the number one piston from the factory. Ford paid and even though it took way to long to get a new motor, I'm happy now. I agree with someone from a post above.....this is just like insurance fraud! Now Ford is also not living in the real world. I was told when I picked up my truck with the new motor installed that if I came back for warranty repair and the headers were still installed that my warranty would be denied! That is horse *****! I want to pay for any repairs that are caused by any mod I install. I do not want to pay if the motor was not even put together correctly at the factory.


Jerry

 

 

At the end of the day in all this. I hope the young fella learns a lesson by having the right attitude towards his truck, Ford, and what's right & honest in Life.



Rich

 

When I bought an SVT vehicle I paid a premium. That premium was for the years of R&D that went into building a high performance truck built with high performance parts.

Cheap crappy rods are not high performance...

Heads with 3 threads are not high performance...


So, yeah if a mod blows my motor because of an inferior FORD part being used in a high performance application...then I feel FORD should admit some responsibility.