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If you are a petrolhead, you love anything related to your vehicle, including modding, customizing, and upgrading it. You love to express yourself with your vehicle and create something unique that no one else has.
But you may be an enthusiast who wants a new vehicle. Something with that ubiquitous new car smell, something that will give you peace of mind knowing that you won’t have any issues anytime soon. Something that comes with modern horsepower, modern fuel efficiency, and… a warranty.
A warranty gives you great peace of mind, especially for a commuter you’ll stack miles on daily or a luxury car known for its expensive repairs. But you’ve probably heard that aftermarket modifications can and will void your factory warranty. This may seem like a huge burden for enthusiasts like you who are into customizing their vehicles.
Image: Nissan USA
The manufacturers make it sound like you’re throwing the warranty away when you fit any aftermarket part or upgrade. But the whole subject is a gray area, not that black and white.
Back in 1975, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act was passed by Congress. The Act protects customers from being wrongfully denied warranty coverage when they use aftermarket products and parts on their vehicles.
Luckily for us car guys, the warranty act covers performance and cosmetic upgrades as well. You cannot automatically have your warranty voided altogether just for using aftermarket parts. Dealerships need to prove that the aftermarket part or parts in question are the direct cause of the failure.
The Act can help you out in many situations, but you cannot go crazy and expect to have your warranty intact. So don’t expect to have your coverage still if you slap on a big turbo kit on a naturally aspirated engine, and the connecting rods fail.
But if you follow a few rules and modify your car smartly, you can add performance and curb appeal to your ride without voiding your factory warranty.
Basic Mods & Upgrades
Stick to basic mods. A bolt-on supercharger kit might give incredible extra power to your engine, but it will add stress to almost any internal part of your engine. Extensive upgrades will void your warranty, and the act won’t help here.
Image: Acura Newsroom
Wheels, tires, and suspension upgrades are great ways to improve the handling and looks of your vehicle. Plus, changing out your wheels and tires will not add stress to anything. In most cases, it will reduce unsprung weight, so it will actually decrease stress on some suspension parts. The same goes for upgrading the suspension too. Springs, shocks, or sway bars do not alter anything other than the handling of your vehicle.
Braking upgrades are also great for improving your vehicle without touching the warranty. Big brake kits add killer looks and improve performance while not tying into a bunch of other components. If something fails on your car, it’s quite impossible to tie that back to the braking system.
Quality Parts and Proper Install
Make sure you shop for high-quality components and install (or have them installed) correctly and cleanly. Do not skimp on these. If you need a warranty claim, you have to convince the dealership.
Showing up there with a rusty, half-baked muffler delete mod, don’t expect them to be nice to you. But if you have a shiny, polished, top-quality cat-back exhaust system, the dealership probably won’t even raise an eyebrow.
Can You Increase Power Without Voiding the Warranty?
Power mods are where things get a little bit tricky. Simple bolt-on mods like an intake kit or a cat-back exhaust probably won’t void the warranty altogether. You can always return to stock with bolt-ons, and if you have concerns about voiding the coverage, you can reinstall stock parts for peace of mind.
Image: Ford Performance
ECU tuning gives you the best power for your money in modern turbocharged or supercharged engines, but flashing the ECU often voids the warranty. It is very easy for the dealership to argue that any powertrain or drivetrain-related issue could be because you have added power by changing the software of the ECU.
One way to overcome this is to go the piggyback tuning route. Piggyback tuners are plug-and-play modules that intercept sensors like the boost pressure and/or MAP/IAT sensors to change the sensor data. The modified signals trick the ECU into changing boost pressure, timing, and air/fuel ratio for performance gains.
Since piggyback modules do not alter the ECU directly, they often do not leave diagnostic flags. You can easily unplug them before going in for dealership work, keeping your coverage fully intact.
Best Hassle-Free Mod: Fukin Tuned Throttle Response Controller
Fukin Tuned throttle response controller is the best plug-and-play performance mod that plays well with your manufacturer’s warranty. While it does not add horsepower, it does improve your ride’s performance and your driving experience. Fukin Tuned unlocks your vehicle’s real power by eliminating throttle lag and allowing you to access all the power under the hood.
The best part is, Fukin Tuned does nothing to factory electronics other than the throttle position sensor. It does not interfere with the ECU or occupy the OBD II port, so it does not leave flags that can be scanned by the dealership. For total peace of mind, you can unplug it when it’s time for dealership work.
Fukin Tuned throttle response controller connects directly to the throttle position sensor and remaps the sensor signal for instant throttle response. It gives you four modes and 36 settings to customize the pedal feedback to your liking. You can smooth it out for efficiency or sharpen it up for high-performance driving. It is completely wireless, so all you need to do is pull up your phone, launch the app, and switch modes instantly.
Plus, the built-in Anti-Theft mode creates an extra layer of security. You can disable the gas pedal completely through the app, and even if someone breaks into your car and somehow starts it, they won’t be able to drive off. You can stay confident when you leave your car unattended in remote places, parking lots, or even your own driveway.