The content of the article:
- Service station selection
- Routine maintenance work
- Incorrect operation of a technical device
- Spare parts and consumables
- General condition of the car
- Optional equipment installed without the knowledge of an authorized dealer
- Chip tuning and other design changes
- Traffic accident
Buying a new car attracts a car enthusiast not only by the fact that the technology is new, but also by the manufacturer's warranty obligations. Many believe that this is a kind of protection against all problems that can happen to a technical device throughout the entire warranty period.
But do not forget that there are a number of circumstances, as a result of which the dealer has the right to remove the car from the warranty ahead of schedule.
Service station selection
The biggest controversy is when a car is not repaired by an authorized dealer. It is no secret that the working hours in the service station at the official dealers of car brands or in a certified service center are sometimes, to put it mildly, above average. The desire to save money can result in the cancellation of the car warranty.
On the forums of motorists, you can find a lot of stories about how car owners, having found themselves in a similar situation, went to court and ultimately defended their case: the car was returned under the manufacturer's warranty.
But still, before resorting to the services of an unofficial car service, you should think about the advisability of such a decision: after all, you will still have to spend money on lawyers in court, and no one will give a 100% guarantee that they will win the case.
Routine maintenance work
Mandatory vehicle maintenance must be carried out after a certain mileage. Most often, this figure is 15 thousand kilometers or one year of operation. If the car has exceeded the maximum service mileage limit or the maintenance period, the manufacturer has the right to refuse the car owner to provide warranty service for the car.
Incorrect operation of a technical device
If the car owner misuses the car, violating the instructions and rules of operation, the manufacturer can also remove the car from warranty service. In such cases, the refusal of warranty service is often a violation of the rules for the use of an automatic transmission.
For example, if the driver ignores the recommendation to put the gear lever in neutral while stopping the car, and as a result the gearbox breaks down, no one will most likely repair or replace it under warranty. Perhaps the warranty for the car itself will not be revoked, but repairing or replacing an automatic transmission will cost so much money that even keeping the warranty for everything else will no longer please the car owner.
A similar situation may arise if the representatives of the manufacturing plant prove that the car was operated under increased load. In this case, the warranty can be canceled for maintenance of the chassis, transmission and engine.
It is unacceptable to use the warranty car in sports competitions - this is also an unconditional reason for canceling the warranty.
Spare parts and consumables
"Native" consumables and spare parts that are sold by dealers can be several times higher in price than similar materials and spare parts in third-party car dealerships and auto parts stores. This can make the car enthusiast want to buy cheaper consumables. This can be done, but do not forget to ask the seller for a certificate of conformity and make sure that the purchased materials and consumables are listed in the list of recommended varieties and brands declared by the manufacturer.
If you purchase parts from other than the original dealer, it is better to keep documents accompanying the purchase and copies of certificates of conformity in case there is a need for warranty repair of equipment.
General condition of the car
The manufacturer requires the owner of the car under warranty to strictly adhere to the operating rules. When going on a trip, the driver is obliged to check the tire pressure, oil level, and the presence of a sufficient volume of all technical fluids.
Modern cars also have fairly stringent restrictions on the use of grades of fuel and engine oil. If you systematically violate the instructions of the manufacturers, the car will not only soon fail, but the car owner will also be denied warranty service on a completely legal basis.
It is also useful to listen carefully before driving to see if the engine is making any extraneous sounds. At the slightest suspicion of a malfunction, it is better not to delay and not hope for "maybe", but immediately contact the official representative of the brand in order to carry out repairs on time before the problem has grown to impressive volumes.
Optional equipment installed without the knowledge of an authorized dealer
This case is somewhat similar to the situation of contacting third-party service stations. On the one hand, the dealer has no right to prohibit the car owner from installing an alarm system on the car. On the other hand, the installation of electronic equipment falls under the definition of "making independent changes to the current design of the car", which means that the dealer may still try to refuse warranty service.
There are two ways out of the situation: either until the end of the warranty period, refrain from making any changes to the design of the car, or again try to defend your rights in court.
The facts of making changes to the vehicle design incompatible with the warranty service include:
- adjusting the design of the car's suspension system;
- installation of additional headlights (daytime, fog), replacement of lamps in headlights;
- introduction of additional relays and on-board computer control units into the electronic circuit of the car;
- installation of decorative accessories in order to improve the external design of the body;
- mounting a music center in the car;
- installation of additional acoustic speakers;
- replacement of wheels, in particular - for a larger diameter or for the same diameter, but with different technical characteristics;
- the use of forged or light-alloy wheels.
Chip tuning and other design changes
If, after purchasing a car, the owner has a desire to increase the power of the unit by means of chip tuning, the manufacturer has the full legal right to remove the car from the warranty. This point seems absolutely logical and undeniable. By declaring a certain engine power and threshold characteristics of speed and acceleration, manufacturers take into account all safety parameters and standards of harmful emissions into the atmosphere. Trying to get the car to give out higher characteristics, homebrew engineers are unlikely to take into account all the consequences of their actions, which means that the manufacturer will no longer be responsible for the car with the changed characteristics.
All attempts to replace wheel disks, to understate the suspension, to transfer the car to gas equipment fall into the same category.
Traffic accident
As a rule, after the car has had an accident, it will be removed from the warranty. Manufacturers motivate this by the fact that even with a small accident, the consequences may not be completely eliminated, hidden defects may remain in the mechanism, which will lead to problems in the future.
Often, car owners try to hide from official dealers the fact of getting into a small accident. But if the specialists of the official service station succeed in proving the fact that the car has got into an accident, the cancellation from the warranty will occur without fail.
The statistics of refusals from warranty service demonstrates the following trends in the automotive market. Manufacturers of expensive car models care more about their image and dealer's reputation, so they try not to bring the proceedings to court.
But in relation to budget models, dealers are not so loyal. If you have problems with warranty service, keep in mind that local dealers can often interfere with warranty repairs on their own. In this case, you should try to contact the main dealer of the car brand in the country or the manufacturer. This method is often more effective than litigation.
