Do mods void my warranty?
These are just some simple facts I have gathered that may help answer some questions for some of you. I also have an attorney reviewing our warranty to give more insight. I will add his insight as I get it....
The following are extracted from a Service Information Bulletin issued to BMW dealerships:
"Warranty does not apply to the following:
Modifications of the vehicle or installation of any performance accessories or components attached to the vehicle which alters the original engineering and/or operating specifications or which result in damage to other original components, electrical interference, electrical short, radio static, water leaks, or wind noise.
In addition, the warranty coverage may be null and void in the following situations:
...if the vehicle identification number has been altered or cannot be read, if the odometer has been replaced or altered and the true mileage cannot be determined, the vehicle has been declared a total loss or sold for salvage, or if the vehicle has been used in any competitive event.
In general terms, the BMW Warranty on a component is void due to modification where the modification, alteration or installation of an aftermarket part was directly responsible for the failure.
Installation of an aftermarket part or accessory does not necessarily void the vehicle warranties. The scope of possible alterations is very large and therefore a listing of all situations would be impossible. Common sense must prevail and in a questionable situation the retail center staff should be asked for assistance by calling the Warranty Department....
For example, a vehicle with a modified engine control module still retains all warranties provided and may in fact have additional coverage from the aftermarket supplier. A repair is not covered by BMW warranties if the modification has contributed to or was directly the cause of the failure.
When unknown, modification of a vehicle can complicate troubleshooting and may result in multiple repair attempts. Over the years, BMW NA has been supplied with the VIN numbers of some vehicles which have reportedly been modified...."
1. Pages 32 and 33 of the Service and warranty Information Manual .This is
your warranty. It is light because most on the warranty is regulated by
federal and state law. It is not what BMW or the dealer decides
2. http://www.sema.org/main/semaorghome.aspx?ID=50096 – SEMA overview of
warranties. I strongly suggest you get involved with SEMA, SAN (SEMA Action
Network), and SEMA PAC. SEMA is like the NRA or AARP for car enthusiast.
3. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act – very dry reading but here are some
useful Summations
http://www.sema.org/Main/SemaOrgHome.aspx?ID=50100
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson-Moss_Warranty_Act
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/warranty.shtm
4. Your state law. State laws will only ADD extra rights. They will not take away any of the federal rights.
Some information was from e90post the rest I found on my own.