It doesn’t matter if you are dealing with a factory warranty or an extended warranty, there are certain things that you are obligated to do for it to remain valid. Although extended warranties are a bit more strict with their requirements, there are things that will void a vehicle warranty on a brand new car as well. Below are tips for keeping your car warranty valid regardless what type you have.
Keep Your Receipts
If you don’t have receipts showing that you have had required basic maintenance done on your vehicle, you cannot prove that you have taken care of it. It is very easy for a service department or a warranty provider to say that a repair is needed because the vehicle didn’t have regular oil changes, filters changed, etc.
While you may think that because you take your vehicle to the same dealership for all repair and maintenance work that you don’t have to keep receipts, this is untrue. You never know when computer systems will crash, dealerships will close, etc. Keep your receipts for everything, this will help when it comes time to trade the vehicle in or sell the car as well.
Do Not Modify the Suspension
It can be very tempting to put wider tires on a sports car or lift a 4WD and add extra-large, rugged off-road tires. Unfortunately, this will void your warranty. Lifts and lowering kits compromise vehicle designs because items are modified such as vehicle undercarriage parts, alignment angles, axle bearings and other drivetrain components. Of course, this can all lead to drivetrain, suspension and steering problems.
Do Not Exceed Towing Capacity
Not all vehicles are designed to tow and those that are have a maximum tow capacity that must be respected if you want to keep your warranty valid. Understand that vehicles designed to tow have increased cooling systems, more supportive rear frames to support the hitch, auxiliary trans oil cooling, powerful brakes so you can safely stop the load, stronger suspension and proper wiring so you can power the trailer’s lights.
If you try to tow with a vehicle not created for this purpose, you will likely experience overheating of the transmission and/or engine, suspension and frame damage, wiring problems and worn out brakes. Not only that, you put your life and the lives of those on the road around you at risk. Just don’t do it!
Do Not Modify Performance
Power chips and turbo boosts are leading causes of warranties being invalid when the vehicles ends up in the service department for blown head gaskets. Not only that, do you know how many cars have caught on fire because of nitrous injection kits? If you manage to get out of the car alive, not only will your warranty be void, insurance companies will not handle these claims either.
Use the Right Fluids
Your vehicle requires specific fluids for components to function properly. If your engine requires semi-synthetic oil and you give it something different, chances are, your engine is going to fail because of lack of lubrication. Warranty providers most certainly are within their right to not cover repairs when improper fluids are used.
Philip is a writer for an extended car warranty website that helps consumers find the best deal on a warranty for their vehicles.
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