Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act Explained

By Mike Cote - November 22, 2018

Can a Dealer Void My Warranty? Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act Explained

Whether you’re shopping for a replacement exhaust system or in the market for an aftermarket cold air intake—and you’re worried about your vehicle’s warranty—have no fear. AT is here to give you the 4-1-1 on the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which protects consumers from being wrongfully denied warranty coverage when they customize their rides.

If you’re an auto enthusiast, chances are, you’ve heard the myth that modding your ride with aftermarket accessories automatically cancels your warranty. While this may be true in certain circumstances, you shouldn’t take this as an absolute. According to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a vehicle manufacturer cannot void the warranty of your vehicle due to an aftermarket part unless they can prove that the aftermarket part was the cause of or contributed to the failure of the vehicle (15 U.S.C. 2302 (C)). This means that a vehicle’s warranty cannot be “voided;” the dealer can only deny a claim if the stock part failed due to damage or unreasonable use.

Summary

When accessorizing your vehicle with aftermarket parts, your warranty claim cannot be automatically denied, nor can your warranty be voided, if you install non-OEM parts in your vehicle. The burden is on the dealer to prove the aftermarket parts caused the failure.

For example, if your windshield wiper motors fail, your vehicle’s warranty claim can’t be denied because you installed aftermarket windshield wipers that are different from OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts. Similarly, if a wheel bearing fails or a fan belt snaps and you have an aftermarket exhaust installed, the dealership would have to prove the exhaust system caused the bearing failure or the belt to snap in order to deny a warranty claim. In these types of scenarios, the dealership should have no reason to deny your claims.

In addition to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, you also have SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) working to protect your rights. Because SEMA represents U.S. aftermarket wholesalers, retailers, distributors, and manufacturers, they often keep car manufacturers in check by supporting legislation that prevents dealership service providers from denying warranty coverage. This means dealerships have become less stringent when it comes to aftermarket parts that modify performance or suspension.

Tips & Tricks

At AT, we only sell reputable brands that thoroughly test their products to ensure your vehicle stays in “the safe zone.” Most of our performance parts are bolt-ons, which give you nice performance gains without requiring major modifications or internal engine work. In all reality, you shouldn’t have any problems due to the installation of the parts we sell. But, here are a few pointers to avoid some potential pitfalls.

• Make sure you install the part properly. Carefully follow the installation guides and make sure you check any tolerances.
• Educate yourself on the parts you’re installing; that’s half the fun of working on your vehicle.
• If the part is outside your comfort zone, have a professional install it for you.
• If you need to go to the dealership for any type of warranty issue, choose them wisely, as they will vary in how they handle warranty claims. Check the Internet for reviews to see how they handle problems.
• If you’ve modified your vehicle with performance parts, it’s always best to work with a dealer that is performance-oriented. In smaller towns, you may not have a choice of dealerships, but rest assured that you’re still protected by the law.
• Also, if you have a performance tuner installed, it’s not a bad idea to program your vehicle back to stock to ensure the dealer doesn’t accidentally reprogram your ride.
• Simply arm yourself with the knowledge contained on this page, and go in with a smile. No service department wants to deal with (or help) an irate customer. If they don’t want to cover your claim, simply ask them to prove what caused the failure and get it in writing. Remember, legally, you’re protected under the Magnuson-Moss Act.

History of the Magnuson-Moss Act

Passed in 1975, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is a federal law that governs warranties on consumer products. Under this Act, sellers and manufacturers of consumer products must provide consumers with detailed information about warranty coverage. Sponsored by Senator Warren G. Magnuson of Washington and U.S. Representative John E. Moss of California, this Act affects both the obligations of warrantors and the rights of consumers under written warranties.

Purpose of the Magnuson-Moss Act

The Act’s purpose is to help consumers understand their products’ warranties and to make these warranties enforceable. In essence, this statute was created to protect consumers from deceptive warranty practices and provide clarity regarding warranties on consumer products. To comply with the Magnuson-Moss Act, consumers should obtain complete information about warranty items and conditions and compare warranty coverage before any purchase. The Act also provides the Federal Trade Commission with a better means to protect consumers while strengthening the incentive for companies to perform their warranty obligations in a thorough and timely manner. While all consumer products are not required to have warranties, if one is given, it must comply with the Magnuson-Moss Act.

Definitions

• The term “consumer product” means any tangible personal property which is distributed in commerce and which is normally used for personal, family, or household purposes (including any such property intended to be attached to or installed in any real property without regard to whether it is so attached or installed).
• The term “Commission” means the Federal Trade Commission.
• The term “consumer” means a buyer (other than for purposes of resale) of any consumer product, any person to whom such product is transferred during the duration of an implied or written warranty (or service contract) applicable to the product, and any other person who is entitled by the terms of such warranty (or service contract) or under applicable State law to enforce against the warrantor (or service contractor) the obligations of the warranty (or service contract).
• ... (and more definitions)

Rules and Regulations

The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act includes several rules and regulations aimed at protecting consumers and ensuring that warranties are fair and transparent. Some of these rules and regulations include:

• Warrantors must clearly and conspicuously disclose the terms and conditions of warranties before the sale of a consumer product.
• Warrantors must provide warranty documents to consumers at the time of sale.
• Warrantors must ensure that warranties are easy to understand and written in plain language.
• Warrantors must not disclaim or modify implied warranties, such as the implied warranty of merchantability.
• Warrantors must perform warranty repairs within a reasonable time and without charge to the consumer.
• Warrantors cannot void warranties based on the use of aftermarket parts, unless they can demonstrate that the aftermarket parts caused the product defect.
• Consumers can bring civil actions to enforce warranties and may be entitled to recover attorney's fees if successful.

Conclusion

The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is an important piece of legislation that protects consumers and ensures that warranties are fair and transparent. If you're considering modifying your vehicle with aftermarket parts, you can do so with confidence, knowing that your warranty rights are protected by this federal law. Just remember that it's up to the dealer to prove that any aftermarket parts you've installed caused a failure in order to deny a warranty claim. So go ahead and customize your ride to your heart's content!