After buying their dream cars, almost every car owner will consider upgrading with a body kit sooner or later. It’s the cycle of life for every car head! But for newbies who have recently purchased their very first car, there’s an issue that bugs them every time they think of upgrading: warranty.
While smartening up and boosting a car’s performance is an easy choice for car heads, keeping the car’s warranty is what makes it complicated. Everybody wants their ride smartened up and toughened up when it comes to performance. But no one wants their warranty voided, right?
In this piece, we’re tackling some of the upgrades you can do with your car and how they will affect your car’s warranty.
Body Kits
Body kits and warranties are widely debated and pitted against each other over the years. But the ACCC or Australian Competition and Consumer Commission shed some light on the matter. According to them, your car’s warranty may not be voided if:
- the body kit pieces are interchangeable with your car’s original parts
- the body kit parts can be attached to your vehicle without making any serious modifications to the car
If you’re going to repaint your car after upgrading it with body kits, some carmakers are allowed to cancel your car’s warranty.
Keep in mind that body kits are available in the market that may require certain modifications for them to be installed. These upgrades may or may not result in the cancellation of your warranty. So we suggest that you talk to your car dealer regarding your plans for body kit installation.
This way, they can advise you on how far you can go with the mods. They can also help you get away with body kit upgrades without voiding your warranty if you follow their recommendations.
Car Repairs
The ACCC also pointed out that you can choose an independent technician or shop of your choice as long as certain manufacturer specifications will be met.
For example, if some parts have to be replaced, the technician must only use genuine or manufacturer-approved parts. Even though those are just nuts and bolts, if it’s indicated in the agreement that you must use only a specific type of nuts and bolts, you must adhere to those specifications.
Another crucial part when having your car serviced is specifying the fluid brands indicated in the powertrain warranty. If you fail to remind your technicians about it, they might use the “house brands” available in the shop. Therefore, voiding the warranty.
Wheels and Tires
Some car enthusiasts are firm believers in the “go big or go home” mantra. That’s why as soon as they get their new car, they immediately look for bigger tire replacements to beef up their ride.
If you’re that type of car head, you might want to slow down a bit and look into your warranty agreement first. Because unfortunately, gunning for aftermarket wheels and tires is a valid case for warranty cancellation.
Almost every car maker does not advise replacing your wheels and tires. That’s because the suspension and drivetrain systems integrated into your car can only accommodate specific wheelsets with the appropriate configurations.
Therefore, larger wheels and tires may affect the handling performance of your car and ultimately damage the suspension and drivetrain components.
Final Thoughts
There’s a fine line between the passionate urge to upgrade your ride and the practical sense of keeping your car’s warranty intact.
If you want to muscle up your car with bodykits Australia, the only way around it is not to go way beyond the acceptable terms in your warranty. That’s why you always have to keep your warranty papers at your disposal.
It also helps to talk to your car dealers to help you understand how far you can go with the upgrades you’re planning. This way, you can achieve the style and performance upgrade you want without voiding your car’s warranty.
Featured Photo by Annika Palmari on Unsplash
