Voiding the waranty?

[ecnal]

Before I go and start modifying my Yaris, I'm wondering - will mods void the waranty?

I'm not going to add performance mods to this car. No sway bars, shifters, turbos, etc. So I'm not worried about those.

I'm talking adding power locks, a sound system (nothing huge), fog lights and cruise control.

Is the general census that the dealer probably won't say that it's a waranty issue so long as it isn't directly related to the reason you're bringing the car in?

For instance, if my yaris throws a rod or something, they can't be like "well, your aftermarket door locks obviously caused this", right?

[SilverBack]

As long as you use only Toyota parts, you're warranty is still good. But if you buy other brand names from the dealer (like the sound system), you're still covered

[ecnal]

But using aftermarket parts would void it? Because I reckon that the Toyota parts for putting in power doors are a tiiiinyy bit pricier than aftermarket.

[SilverBack]

Unfortunately yes, aftermarket would void it. I know it sucks, but whaddya gonna do...

[Bob Dog]

My understanding is that Toyota must demonstrate that a modifiction caused a problem to void the warranty. A bad electrical install could imaginably cause problems with the ECu, a turbo could cause internal engine damage etc..

[SilverBack]

They oughta make that a sticky

[kmf123kmf]

While the Magnusson Moss Act protects you in these cases, the problem is that the dealer can always just go ahead and claim that some random modification you made is the cause of the problem and refuse to honor the factory warranty.

At that point it's up to you to complain, point out the Magnusson Moss Act, and get them to either produce evidence that they are correct or yield and honor the warranty.

In the extreme scenario, this could mean taking it all the way to court, but I would guess it rarely gets that far.

Even when the law is on your side, it's sometimes your own responsibiity to see that it's enforced.

[AlexNet0]

While the Magnusson Moss Act protects you in these cases, the problem is that the dealer can always just go ahead and claim that some random modification you made is the cause of the problem and refuse to honor the factory warranty.

At that point it's up to you to complain, point out the Magnusson Moss Act, and get them to either produce evidence that they are correct or yield and honor the warranty.

In the extreme scenario, this could mean taking it all the way to court, but I would guess it rarely gets that far.

Even when the law is on your side, it's sometimes your own responsibiity to see that it's enforced.

You dont have to go to the same dealer you bought it from, either. A Toyota warrantee is a Toyota warrantee no matter which one you go to. Toyota still pays the dealers to do the work.

If you made some minor mods and your engine fails, if they try to claim voided warrantee, make sure that whoever you go to shows you exactly how and why.