GEN 2 Warranty

[JPete]

AMS inlet tubes void warranty? What would be most glaring thing to void? Tune? CVF intercooler ? Or the inlet tubes? Just wondering if I should wait some before messing with the tubes


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[FordTechOne]

AMS inlet tubes void warranty? What would be most glaring thing to void? Tune? CVF intercooler ? Or the inlet tubes? Just wondering if I should wait some before messing with the tubes


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Link to the product?

Modifications only affect warrantability if:

- The modification changes the operation of a factory engineered system (i.e. tune), resulting in engine failure or damage
- The modification negatively affects another factory component (i.e. poor fitting aftermarket air filter resulting in dirt being injested into the engine).

So if the inlet pipes do not change the factory design and do not contribute to damage to any other component, it shouldn't be a warranty issue. However, note that the factory air piping has a vortex generator built into it; removal of that design can cause DTCs to set as well as negatively affect engine performance.

 

[Terry]

There is no concrete answer when mods are small and innocuous - depends on too many variables. If Ford or your dealership decides to void the warranty, then you bear the burden of proving your mod wasn't responsible for a particular problem. From the post above, #2, you will be taking a risk since the mod can affect engine performance. More major mods, such as a tune, will most certainly void the warranty. What is your comfort zone on mods? Given the reliability of the 3.5L EcoBoost, my comfort zone is very small. There won't be any mods on my truck until the warranty is over.

 

[SSWIM]

There is no concrete answer when mods are small and innocuous - depends on too many variables. If Ford or your dealership decides to void the warranty, then you bear the burden of proving your mod wasn't responsible for a particular problem. From the post above, #2, you will be taking a risk since the mod can affect engine performance. More major mods, such as a tune, will most certainly void the warranty. What is your comfort zone on mods? Given the reliability of the 3.5L EcoBoost, my comfort zone is very small. There won't be any mods on my truck until the warranty is over.

Yep. Exactly. Try putting an after market IC on and having issues with the engine and see what the dealer says.

Sam

 

[Badgertits]

I’ve given something like this answer a # of times, but here goes again- from a birds eye view- ANY mod COULD void your warranty @ any time depending on your luck & the dealer’s mentality. In reality though- some of the biggest “issues” w/ the Raptor are common enough (leaky plastic oil pan, IWE failures, cam phaser rattle etc) that the dealer sees them enough they just run through the motions & get the truck diagnosed, parts ordered, repaired & on to the next one.

All that being said, IMO you need to consider a few things before pulling the trigger on performance mods- risk vs reward & $$$ per HP or “bang for the buck” if you will & decide if it’s worth it to begin with. Take a catch can for example- $400 for a decent one, requires a bunch of noticeable tubes/clamps- requires you to modify/damage existing stock parts & @ the end of the day NOBODY on here will be able to prove to you even a little bit that the catch can improves performance or even prevents a loss of performance over time. All they can do is show you frothy oil in a lil can. But- the dealer can see that & say- WTF- you’re drilling holes into your PCV introducing vapor causing vacuum leak etc etc- who knows?? Most likely won’t say anything but it’s there for the eyes to see, is a relatively expensive mod for no measureable gains, & not something you could easily remove & even if you did—some leave holes. A tune on the other hand? $650-700, gives ya 100hp/TQ, better shifting, better mileage, way more fun, can be removed in an instant, & handheld devices often double as data loggers, extra gauges, scan tools etc. What is more work for a dealer- to point @ a silly ass catch can & blame it or go through process of having tech dig through your ecm looking through data & ignition cycles the trying to blame an issue on a flasher tune that isn’t even loaded on the truck?

The other thing is - does it require modification to other stock parts or force you to put the mod in a location it wasn’t designed to be fro the factory? A CAI - that again, provides no real tangible proven performance gains, sticks out like a sore thumb, throws CEL codes in some instances & costs $350- $450+ etc or a huge ass FMIC that is visible from across the parking lot, gets rid of the grill shutters, & compromises the cooling efficiency of the block itself to me is a dumb waste of mod money- vs. stock mounted one like CVF/Wagner/Whipple/Mishimoto- dealer’s May not even notice them & even so, much like an upgraded tranny cooler- if it functions & fits as stock just to a higher level of efficiency/quality- why would dealer care? Would they care if you replaced a FOMOCO wheel bearing w/ a timken unit off rockauto? I think not.

So that’s the route I’ve taken. Went w/ a “conservative” Gearhead tune that actually addresses the tranny & does it well, going w/ a CVF IC in the summer when it actually would help (live in MA), not touching the intake since the stock one is plenty good, could care less about the catch cans b/c they’re expensive eye candy & have yet to be proven to be a benefit of any kind....& let’s say they amounted to an avg of 20hp & 1/2 mpg “saved” that would otherwise be “lost” over the course of day, 75k miles w/o one....even if that’s true (which again- has yet to be proven) - I’m thinking my tune makes up for that negligible progressive power/efficiency loss & then some.

Lastly- I got an extended warranty despite knowing I may tune the truck knowing a) very slight chance tune could interfere w/ something in powertrain warranty down the line, but b) MUCH more likely the extended warranty is useful for something like an IWE system failure, moonroof problem, infotainment problem, etc.

In a nutshell- stock mounted tranny coolers & intercoolers, reputable tunes, deaver/icon leaf springs, upgraded adjustable coil overs, catbacks (altho I think stock is best), I think are good risk vs reward bang for the buck mods

CAI’s, turbo adapters, external BOVs, catch cans, & giant FMICs - in my opinion, are in the other category. Not worth the risk or my $$$ for what I “gain” I would also say the red neck cheap ass “lift kits” that are essentially metal or rubber blocks, or the expensive ass collars,
To me are also in that category.

 

[JPete]

I’ve given something like this answer a # of times, but here goes again- from a birds eye view- ANY mod COULD void your warranty @ any time depending on your luck & the dealer’s mentality. In reality though- some of the biggest “issues” w/ the Raptor are common enough (leaky plastic oil pan, IWE failures, cam phaser rattle etc) that the dealer sees them enough they just run through the motions & get the truck diagnosed, parts ordered, repaired & on to the next one.

All that being said, IMO you need to consider a few things before pulling the trigger on performance mods- risk vs reward & $$$ per HP or “bang for the buck” if you will & decide if it’s worth it to begin with. Take a catch can for example- $400 for a decent one, requires a bunch of noticeable tubes/clamps- requires you to modify/damage existing stock parts & @ the end of the day NOBODY on here will be able to prove to you even a little bit that the catch can improves performance or even prevents a loss of performance over time. All they can do is show you frothy oil in a lil can. But- the dealer can see that & say- WTF- you’re drilling holes into your PCV introducing vapor causing vacuum leak etc etc- who knows?? Most likely won’t say anything but it’s there for the eyes to see, is a relatively expensive mod for no measureable gains, & not something you could easily remove & even if you did—some leave holes. A tune on the other hand? $650-700, gives ya 100hp/TQ, better shifting, better mileage, way more fun, can be removed in an instant, & handheld devices often double as data loggers, extra gauges, scan tools etc. What is more work for a dealer- to point @ a silly ass catch can & blame it or go through process of having tech dig through your ecm looking through data & ignition cycles the trying to blame an issue on a flasher tune that isn’t even loaded on the truck?

The other thing is - does it require modification to other stock parts or force you to put the mod in a location it wasn’t designed to be fro the factory? A CAI - that again, provides no real tangible proven performance gains, sticks out like a sore thumb, throws CEL codes in some instances & costs $350- $450+ etc or a huge ass FMIC that is visible from across the parking lot, gets rid of the grill shutters, & compromises the cooling efficiency of the block itself to me is a dumb waste of mod money- vs. stock mounted one like CVF/Wagner/Whipple/Mishimoto- dealer’s May not even notice them & even so, much like an upgraded tranny cooler- if it functions & fits as stock just to a higher level of efficiency/quality- why would dealer care? Would they care if you replaced a FOMOCO wheel bearing w/ a timken unit off rockauto? I think not.

So that’s the route I’ve taken. Went w/ a “conservative” Gearhead tune that actually addresses the tranny & does it well, going w/ a CVF IC in the summer when it actually would help (live in MA), not touching the intake since the stock one is plenty good, could care less about the catch cans b/c they’re expensive eye candy & have yet to be proven to be a benefit of any kind....& let’s say they amounted to an avg of 20hp & 1/2 mpg “saved” that would otherwise be “lost” over the course of day, 75k miles w/o one....even if that’s true (which again- has yet to be proven) - I’m thinking my tune makes up for that negligible progressive power/efficiency loss & then some.

Lastly- I got an extended warranty despite knowing I may tune the truck knowing a) very slight chance tune could interfere w/ something in powertrain warranty down the line, but b) MUCH more likely the extended warranty is useful for something like an IWE system failure, moonroof problem, infotainment problem, etc.

In a nutshell- stock mounted tranny coolers & intercoolers, reputable tunes, deaver/icon leaf springs, upgraded adjustable coil overs, catbacks (altho I think stock is best), I think are good risk vs reward bang for the buck mods

CAI’s, turbo adapters, external BOVs, catch cans, & giant FMICs - in my opinion, are in the other category. Not worth the risk or my $$$ for what I “gain” I would also say the red neck cheap ass “lift kits” that are essentially metal or rubber blocks, or the expensive ass collars,
To me are also in that category.

Well said and appreciated...


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[pbtjrlmrt]

AMS inlet tubes void warranty? What would be most glaring thing to void? Tune? CVF intercooler ? Or the inlet tubes? Just wondering if I should wait some before messing with the tubes


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I'm not sure it's been made as clear as possible. It is against Federal Law to void a warranty. There is no wiggle room on this point. Federal law required manufacturers to honor their warranty. The exception is for specific repairs related to after market modifications. In that case the manufacturer must prove that the modification directly caused the otherwise covered failure. It's possible that the dealership/repair shop/or even Ford itself will try to wiggle out of a specific repair but the idea of voiding your entire warranty would be illegal. As far as a specific repair being denied due to a modification you have recourse through the legal system if you are sure that the modification was not the root cause. If it was the root cause then you assume the risk and probably don't have an issue with that. Tunes are probably the riskiest modification and 5star tuning offers a supplemental warranty for 60k 5yr for any denied claim due to any part they sell.

 

[Badgertits]

I'm not sure it's been made as clear as possible. It is against Federal Law to void a warranty. There is no wiggle room on this point. Federal law required manufacturers to honor their warranty. The exception is for specific repairs related to after market modifications. In that case the manufacturer must prove that the modification directly caused the otherwise covered failure. It's possible that the dealership/repair shop/or even Ford itself will try to wiggle out of a specific repair but the idea of voiding your entire warranty would be illegal. As far as a specific repair being denied due to a modification you have recourse through the legal system if you are sure that the modification was not the root cause. If it was the root cause then you assume the risk and probably don't have an issue with that. Tunes are probably the riskiest modification and 5star tuning offers a supplemental warranty for 60k 5yr for any denied claim due to any part they sell.

I disagree big time. The “riskiest modification” is like I said- stuff that can be seen & is installed in a position/manner such that it causes modifying factory parts.

Guy got his front diff warranty voided for having aftermarket front springs, for instance, which I thought was a stretch.

Let me ask you this- are you tuned? Have you ever had a factory warranty effected/denied due to a tune on a vehicle? Do you know someone who has?

I’m not new to this game- wayyyy too many vehicles over the years that I modified & typically the type of people to mod a vehicle are also the type to really care about their vehicles (ie: gearhead) so also more apt to bring to dealer & gripe about little issues getting em fixed etc.

Here’s a list of vehicles I had tuned & also had warranty work performed (many including drivetrain) - 3x GM 1/2 ton pickups (all of em had warranty work done), ‘04 GTO, ‘08 G8 GT, ‘03 corvette Z06, ‘98 Camaro SS, ‘11 Audi S4, ‘17 Audi A4, Honda CBR 600 & Yamaha R1, & now an ‘18 Raptor

Tell us about your personal experience modifying vehicles & having warranty work done.

Btw- patently disagree as well that in the event a dealer does wanna void a portion of your warranty that it’s so easy to just fight it or get a lawyer...this right here makes me believe you got ZERO experience dealing w/ this stuff.

 

[pbtjrlmrt]

I disagree big time. The “riskiest modification” is like I said- stuff that can be seen & is installed in a position/manner such that it causes modifying factory parts.

Guy got his front diff warranty voided for having aftermarket front springs, for instance, which I thought was a stretch.

Let me ask you this- are you tuned? Have you ever had a factory warranty effected/denied due to a tune on a vehicle? Do you know someone who has?

I’m not new to this game- wayyyy too many vehicles over the years that I modified & typically the type of people to mod a vehicle are also the type to really care about their vehicles (ie: gearhead) so also more apt to bring to dealer & gripe about little issues getting em fixed etc.

Here’s a list of vehicles I had tuned & also had warranty work performed (many including drivetrain) - 3x GM 1/2 ton pickups (all of em had warranty work done), ‘04 GTO, ‘08 G8 GT, ‘03 corvette Z06, ‘98 Camaro SS, ‘11 Audi S4, ‘17 Audi A4, Honda CBR 600 & Yamaha R1, & now an ‘18 Raptor

Tell us about your personal experience modifying vehicles & having warranty work done.

Btw- patently disagree as well that in the event a dealer does wanna void a portion of your warranty that it’s so easy to just fight it or get a lawyer...this right here makes me believe you got ZERO experience dealing w/ this stuff.

LOL...I'm not doing all your research for you but since you seem ignorant of the law and your rights here are a few links:


The law:
https://www.sema.org/sema-enews/2011/01/ftc-validates-right-to-install-aftermarket-parts
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0138-auto-warranties-routine-maintenance

A couple examples of Tunes causing warranty denial:

"Guy got his front diff warranty voided for having aftermarket front springs, for instance, which I thought was a stretch."

Front springs can change the geometry of the axles. Depends on the failure and the spring used but obviously proceed at your own risk.


"Let me ask you this- are you tuned? Have you ever had a factory warranty effected/denied due to a tune on a vehicle? Do you know someone who has?"

Yes I'm tuned. Not had a warranty issue because I've not had an engine issue but if I did...depending on the failure I'm prepared to pay plus I bought the Tune Warranty that covers if a claim is denied due to the tune. I've pasted a couple examples of tunes causing an engine warranty to be denied and there are others.


"Btw- patently disagree as well that in the event a dealer does wanna void a portion of your warranty that it’s so easy to just fight it or get a lawyer...this right here makes me believe you got ZERO experience dealing w/ this stuff."

Read the law. Plenty of information out there. Never said it was easy just letting you know your rights under the law and that you have recourse if a claim is denied that obviously isn't related to a particular mod.


My personal experience includes tuning...have one on my truck now, CAI, IC, Catch Can, Stereo upgrade and I accept the risk and again...I bought the warranty that covers any denied claim due to any of my upgrades except the stereo. It's reasonable that my mods could cause damage that stock parts wouldn't have and I accept the risk but at the same time I also understand I have rights under the law that can be defended if Ford or the dealership goes to far in assigning blame although I don't expect that to happen. I've purchased a special warranty available at stage3 motorsports that covers any denied warranty action for 5yr/60k just in case and for peace of mind.

My truck has purred along for 9k perfect miles all modded up and I don't expect any issues. I am however prepared to pay the price in case something does crop up and could be related to one of my mods and also prepared to legally fight if they were to deny something that is clearly not related to a mod because I have legal rights protected by law at the federal level under the Magnuson-Moss warranty act.

with all due respect to your personal feelings and your extensive experience it doesn't change the facts, the law, your rights or your risks when it comes to modding your vehicle and making a warranty claim.

My personal opinion is that most mods carry very little risk of causing a failure and most warranty claims will be honored. There will be exceptions for sure on both accounts. If you can't afford to pay then don't play is my basic operating approach when modding.

 

[Terry]

I had the warranty on my 2008 Chevrolet 2500HD with Duramax/Allison voided because I tuned it and added an aftermarket exhaust. It's hands down the best truck I've ever owned and I still have it. 98,000 miles and never been back to the dealer except to have a faulty four wheel drive switch replaced. I'm hoping the Raptor can match the reliability of the Chevy. Looking at the problems with these Fords, I'm a little skeptical that it will be. It has a five year, 60,000 mile warranty and I'm not taking any chances with arguments about what does or doesn't void the thing. If I do have problems during the warranty period, I'll trade the truck for something else before I have to pay anything out of pocket. It's easy for armchair lawyers to give their sage advice on forums like this, but it won't be as easy as they say when the service manger tells you your pricey repair isn't covered because you modified the truck and the warranty doesn't cover it. If that happens you'll need a real lawyer to take the claim to court and I don't think you'll find one that won't charge for the service up front and even then won't guarantee you'll win the case.