There's been a lot of talk lately about how modifying your car will affect your warranty. In this article I'm going to discuss this concern primarily as it relates to the Neon SRT-4 community, but some of this information is very general so read on even if you don't own one.

So why all the talk about Neon SRT-4 warranties? Well.. quite simply there is a problem inherent in having a car this sporty for a price point around $20,000. Innumerable young drivers can get into the car. For most of these kids it is by far more powerful than any other car they've owned, if not the only car they've owned. This not only breeds inexperience on the road, but it also breeds inexperience under the hood. Many of these young owners will inevitably break something on their car either through abusive driving, or flat out screwing something up with a poorly installed modification.

For this very reason, Dodge began receiving a torrent of warranty requests. Many of these requests were for items broken due to poor modifications, and in many of those cases, the owner would try to hide this by removing the offending modification from their car. A while after the release of the car, Dodge released a document to dealers detailing common SRT-4 modifications and how to determine if they had been removed prior to bringing the car in for service. Dealers understandably got skeptical about modifications, and in some cases began claiming warranties were voided by mods or flat out refused to work on modified cars altogether.

So what are you going to do if your dealer voids your warranty or won't work on your car? Well, the first step is to arm yourself with knowledge. Your warranty can be viewed on Dodge's website. The most important snippet in this case, is the following..

Now, on this page you can clearly see that modifying your car DOES NOT, by itself, void your warranty. However, the booklet states that any problems CAUSED by your modifications, are NOT covered under your warranty. This means if you install an aftermarket part and break your car,.. you are not entitled to a warranty. An example of this would be installing a boost controller, and setting it too high, causing engine damage. In this example, the problem was caused by your modification and Dodge is free to charge you for the repair. However, if you install that boost controller, and then your air conditioning stops working, Dodge will have to cover that under warranty because the boost controller does not in any way affect your air conditioning.

Also note that Mopar Performance Parts (any Mopar part with a part # starting with P) do not carry any warranty whatsoever. However these parts still do not void the warranty of your car under any circumstances.

Now,.. if this does not convince you, on the next page of the warranty booklet, does explicitly lists modifications that WILL void your warranty.

As you can see,.. the only modifications that will void your warranty are tampering with the odometer or installing aftermarket air conditioning.

The Magnuson-Moss Act reiterates the fact that aftermarket modifications will not void your warranty by stating that a manufacturer cannot void a warranty based on using aftermarket parts unless they can prove that the part caused the problem. Also, in the case of replacement parts(oil,brake pads, etc), a manufacturer cannot void your warranty for using alternate brands UNLESS they provide the part to you at no charge.

Knowing this information is your first step in "dealing with your dealer". Always remember to stay calm and don't cause a scene if the dealer is reluctant to fix your car under warranty. Show them that you understand these documents and your rights under federal law. Request that they put their proof in writing, and if necessary, contact the manufacturers customer service department directly.

Click For Print Version: Modifying Your Car and It's Effect On Your Warranty