Exhaust & your warranty

[rage-wrx]

This is the reply I got from SOA when I asked them if installing an SPT exhaust myself would affect my warranty

Dear XXX:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. I hope that you are enjoying your 2011 WRX, XXX.

Installing genuine Subaru parts designed and offered for your 2011 WRX will not void your warranty. Some SPT parts are sold "as is" without any warranty coverage and others only have a limited parts warranty.

The SPT exhaust, part number D441SFG400, is new for the 2011 WRX 5-door models. This is the only SPT exhaust that we would recommend for your vehicle. If you were to install an SPT exhaust not designed for your specific WRX and any problems arise, the warranties on your vehicle would not cover the repairs. The same would be if you were to install the SPT exhaust yourself and any problems arose caused by improper installation.
Thank you for the opportunity to be of service. If you need any future assistance, please let us know. Have a great weekend, xxx.

Sincerely,

John J. Mergen
Subaru of America, Inc.
Customer/Dealer Services Department

[jd92677]

Sounds like a reasonable response, exactly what I would have expected

[patrickfromnm]

yeah im not surprised by this. all it really says is "sure you can do it yourself, but we will use that against you later on..."

[Rexfiend]

If your just installing an exhaust, I know it wouldnt void your warranty. How could an aftermarket exhaust literally cause damage to your car?? Unless proven by them, I dont see how it would be possible unless not tightening down bolts correctly and the exhaust comes flying off damaging other parts of your car. I love how dealers and them try to stick with their own manufactured parts stating warranty is still good. Its just a way they can get $$ on the side. No exhaust will void warranty unless you installed like a 7" straightback exhaust on a stock motor lol

[SD_GR]

If your just installing an exhaust, I know it wouldnt void your warranty. How could an aftermarket exhaust literally cause damage to your car?? Unless proven by them, I dont see how it would be possible unless not tightening down bolts correctly and the exhaust comes flying off damaging other parts of your car. I love how dealers and them try to stick with their own manufactured parts stating warranty is still good. Its just a way they can get $$ on the side. No exhaust will void warranty unless you installed like a 7" straightback exhaust on a stock motor lol

OK let's run through this scenario and see what could happen; I'll be the guy with the modded exhaust:

Me: I have a warranty claim.
Dealer: Your exhaust is modded. Go pound sand.
Me: But the Magnusson-Moss Act and this and that and the other protects me because SEMA said so, and this and that and the other.
Dealer: Go pound sand.
Me: But you have to prove it's the part, you can't void my warranty, you can't this or that or the other.
Dealer: [Well, you can guess at this point...]

So now what? I sue them? I complain to the BBB? To the United Nations? To whom?

Who is going to fix my car in this scenario, and when?

[teflon_jones]

^ +1 and by exhaust we need to stick with just the axleback if we want to have a conversation about anything to do with warranties.

[patrickfromnm]

If your just installing an exhaust, I know it wouldnt void your warranty. How could an aftermarket exhaust literally cause damage to your car?? Unless proven by them, I dont see how it would be possible unless not tightening down bolts correctly and the exhaust comes flying off damaging other parts of your car. I love how dealers and them try to stick with their own manufactured parts stating warranty is still good. Its just a way they can get $$ on the side. No exhaust will void warranty unless you installed like a 7" straightback exhaust on a stock motor lol

First of all it doesnt "void" your warranty, all SOA and your dealership can do is deny your claims. Second of all, if you even touch your car the wrong way and they know about it they can also deny a claim. When i bought an SPT exhaust for my WRX i asked if i could just install it myself and save myself the labor fee because i wanted to put that hundred dollars toward something else and i was told that would cause warranty problems if something went awry. This is just my dealership though, i obviously cannot speak for every dealership in america because some will be more lenient than mine.

[rage-wrx]

Since starting this thread I have wised up ,& gone & got me an axleback.I am so glad I didn't get that SPT I was looking at.Now in the rarest of the rare likelihood of something happening I can just throw on the old exhaust & take it to the dealer.

[SD_GR]

First of all it doesnt "void" your warranty, all SOA and your dealership can do is deny your claims.

How do these two outcomes differ? It seems the car remains broken in both cases.

The SPT stuff carries a written warranty (the only kind that matters) and that mentions installation I believe.

[xFalleNx]

The SPT stuff carries a written warranty (the only kind that matters) and that mentions installation I believe.

Only if it was installed by the dealership though. I guess that is understandable though. Obviously Subaru trusts their techs over random Joe Consumer working in the back yard.

[EJ257]

How do these two outcomes differ? It seems the car remains broken in both cases.

A voided warranty would imply that the contractual agreement between owner/SoA is no longer in place.

[teflon_jones]

This is the reply I got from SOA when I asked them if installing an SPT exhaust myself would affect my warranty

Dear XXX:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. I hope that you are enjoying your 2011 WRX, XXX.

So did you take over for Vin Diesel and Ice Cube? Somehow I don't see a Subaru as a secret agent car.....

[AmateurX]

Am I missing something? As long as you "follow the instructions", what could possibly go wrong? (I'm embellishing a smidgen.) But seriously, isn't it just a few bolts, gaskets, and hangers?

And to Rage, why even bother with an axle-back at all?

[teflon_jones]

Am I missing something? As long as you "follow the instructions", what could possibly go wrong? (I'm embellishing a smidgen.) But seriously, isn't it just a few bolts, gaskets, and hangers?

I think people are talking about worst-case scenario, but I'm with you. There's really nothing that can go wrong.

And to Rage, why even bother with an axle-back at all?

Sound, sound and sound. That's why I put an axleback on my STI.

[Born2Board]

I'm debating whether or not to get an extended warranty for my new WRX arriving next week, and convos like this worry me since I'm considering getting a non-SPT exhaust installed by someone other than a Subaru dealership (Nameless Performance cat-back installed by my trusty mechanic down the street).

Thoughts?