What Voids Your Car Warranty? Here’s What You Need to Know.

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Your car warranty is a guarantee from the brand that for a certain period of time, they would repair and fix any defects or malfunctions as long as it is covered under the stipulated terms and conditions.

Different carmakers have different warranty periods and terms but most brands out in the market generally provide 3 years of car warranty. So, when it comes to your beloved car, the last thing you’d want to do is to void your car warranty.

There are so many things that could potentially invalidate it. Even the slightest modification to your car can deem your car warranty invalid. If you are unsure on what voids a car warranty, read on!

What is Car Warranty?

A car warranty is an agreement between the carmaker and the consumer. It outlines the terms and conditions that a consumer must follow in order to maintain their eligibility in receiving protection of the purchased car from the carmaker. In other words, a car warranty is a guarantee that you won’t have to pay for any faults or issues with your car within the agreed period of time.

Generally, car warranties can be voided in parts or as whole. For example, if you don’t changed the engine oil according to the suggested maintenance schedule, and the engine fails as a result, the carmaker has the legal authority to void the particular warranty for your car engine. They could make you pay for the repairs involved. However, the rest of your car warranty remains unaffected, given that the rest of the parts of your car are perfectly fine and are not affected by your negligence.

A car warranty has plenty of dimensions and nuances to it, so it’s pretty subjective in that sense.

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What is covered and what is not?

Your car warranty generally covers the important parts of the car – the engine, transmission, air-conditioner and other accessories of the car. However, typical car warranty does not cover the items that are subject to normal wear and tear, like batteries, tyres, seats, brake pads and windshield wipers.

One thing to note, car warranty is usually designed to work in tandem with your car insurance. While the car warranty covers all of the unexpected failures of car parts, a car insurance covers accidental damage, loss or theft. That being said, damage caused by accident or misuse is not covered by a car warranty.

What Can Void A Car Warranty?

Well, we all know that the cost of car services through the authorized dealers is definitely hefty. So, let’s take a look at the common errors people make that can void their car warranties.

1. Using non-conventional tyre combinations, or modifying the suspension

Ever notice how some people make drastic changes to their car by modifying the car tyres, rim lights, adding on car spoilers? It has been an ongoing trend for decades that people would actually go all the way out and spend thousands just to make the car flashier. Some owners even make dramatic suspension modifications using extreme lift or lower kits, ultimately compromising the vehicle platform.

This will cause steering, suspension and drivetrain problems eventually. Whether or not you’re a fan of car modifications, you should be aware that in the event of a warranty claim related to such systems, the carmaker has legal right to deny such claims if the car failure is due to these installations.

2. Not using the right car fluids 

The most important thing that keeps your car running, apart from a healthy car engine, is the proper fluid pumped into your car. Different cars have different specifications for the car fluids – some require petrol while some require diesel instead. Understanding your car’s fluid requirement is crucial because if you use the wrong fluid for your car, you may find yourself in a breakdown situation.

For instance, if your carmaker specifies petrol and you happen to fill your tank with diesel instead, the first thing that you will notice is that you won’t be able to start your car. Now try to imagine the ordeal that you will have to go through just to get the wrong fluid out of your car. Terrifying isn’t it? The worst part – if the failure of the car engine is caused by the improper use of car fluid, your carmaker or authorised dealer has the legal rights to just void your car warranty entirely.

3. Car Mishandling

There are so many ways for people to mishandle a car – from racing of any type to off-roading. Generally, anything apart from normal operation of the car can be considered as misuse. The reason behind this is that you can’t possibly drive a sedan car on steep cliffs that are meant for proper four-wheel-drive cars or SUVs in general.

Even when you have a car designed to go off-road or for racing purposes, there is still a potential risk of voiding your car warranty. This is because when you drive a non four-wheel-drive car in challenging conditions, the chances that all the struts are excessively worn out due to the washboard roads are higher.

While the above serves as just some examples, car owners should always read all the fine print on their car warranties to thoroughly understand its coverage. This is to avoid any subsequent disputes when you go for your next service. That said, if you feel that you have been unfairly treated for your car warranty claims, always make sure to seek advice from your carmaker or go to another authorised car dealer altogether.

At ROGER, we are working to launch car maintenance service to our customers. In the near future, you will be able to plan your car servicing schedules easily with just a couple of taps. No more annoying waits on the phone or being passed around from teleoperator-to-teleoperator.

Download our app today and experience its convenience. We are also happy to provide our professional advice if you ever encounter some car warranty issues. Stay tuned for more updates on our car maintenance service and don’t miss out!

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