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Will Level or Lift Void Warranty?

strickland604

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strickland604 Enthusiast

strickland604

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The biggest part that I don't understand is if it causes problems and supposedly voids the warranty then why is the same dealer that telling me this installing the same product on some of their own trucks and charging the customers for it. I went back up to the same dealer that told me this and looked at the trucks they put the RC level/lift on and none of them state anthing on the window stickers about warranty being voided for options that they added. I wonder if when they sell the trucks with the add ons if they tell them what they told me?

Hootbro Enthusiast

Hootbro

Posted
Posted

The biggest part that I don't understand is if it causes problems and supposedly voids the warranty then why is the same dealer that telling me this installing the same product on some of their own trucks and charging the customers for it. I went back up to the same dealer that told me this and looked at the trucks they put the RC level/lift on and none of them state anthing on the window stickers about warranty being voided for options that they added. I wonder if when they sell the trucks with the add ons if they tell them what they told me?

 

The reality is that the selling dealer who installed the lift kit is in theory "assuming" the warranty on their work and anything related to it they will cover. The problem is if the buyer moves or takes his now lifted truck to another dealership, that new dealership does not have to honor the other dealerships work on the installed lift and can now lay claim of denying warranty for any affected part.

 

The other dirty secret is that the selling dealer who installed their lift before sale, will not be so critical if you bring it back with issues and will probably just bill GM corporate on the sly for "warranty" work when they should suck it up themselves at the dealership level.

 

So in short, it is an unfair double standard between buying a truck with a dealer installed lift and you either bringing in a self installed lift or asking them to install your kit after the fact.

 

Dealer lifted trucks are pure profit for the dealership and there is never a shortage of "Mall Crawler" types that will gladly pay out the gate and finance the extra over inflated kit cost at initial sale.

gmc1 Enthusiast

gmc1

Posted
Posted

Well put hootbro. That's as it was described to me by the guy who sold me my truck. Your not a GMC dealer in Houston are you...?

Hootbro Enthusiast

Hootbro

Posted
Posted

Well put hootbro. That's as it was described to me by the guy who sold me my truck. Your not a GMC dealer in Houston are you...?

 

No, not quite. Been around enough to know the game though.

 

Many buyers get confused when they go on a dealership lot and see these dealership lifted truck and think just because the big GM corporate sign is on the front of the dealership, everything the dealer does must be covered under the GM corporate warranty umbrella when it is not. Buying a dealer aftermarket installed lifted truck is actually opening up two warranty paths with the buyer, one to the selling dealership for what they installed and cannot be transferred to another dealer, and the remaining unmodified part of the vehicle that is assumed warranty by GM corporate and covered at any appropriate GM dealership.

 

So when question arise of a buyer wanting to install after the fact the same parts as a dealership would do, it becomes a "do as I say and not as I do" from the dealership. It is one thing for a dealership to sell overprice fabric protector or pin-striping, but another when it involves something as complicated as a lift kit that is substantially altering the engineering specs of a vehicle. GM corporate really should clamp down on this with their dealerships but probably never will until the right case of van load of Nuns is killed by a improper dealer lifted vehicle and the right lawyers get involved.

  • 3 years later...
jetfxr27@gmail.com Enthusiast

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Posted
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I polled the 4 dealers in town. Different answers from all 4. Ranged from not a good a idea (insert horror stories), to yes, however it will void suspension warranties if connected, to no problem at all. :lurk::lurk:

 

Definitely YMMV. Even with the ones above telling me [X], theres no guarantee they won't change their position when I go in for service.

  • 6 months later...
Crobinson16 Enthusiast

Crobinson16

Posted
Posted

So basically it's saying that a leveling kit could cause you to be denied warranty coverage for any related suspension components. For that fact I suppose they could go a far to say your power steering components as well. " Installed kit caused excisive wear on said parts."

Z45 Senior Enthusiast

Z45

Posted
Posted

Anything you modify or change on a vehicle less routine maintenance items, has the potential to cause warranty concerns when problems arise in areas where these parts can have an affect.

Crobinson16 Enthusiast

Crobinson16

Posted
Posted

I just bought a new 2017 and I would like to level it. I keep thinking about how could they deny a warranty for any front end suspension part because of a spacer. I know that they could but You are not changing the factory range of motion with in the factory components.

MaverickZ71 Senior Enthusiast

MaverickZ71

Posted
Posted

Id say it depends on the dealer, if you bought the vehicle there, and if youre willing to lawyer up to force their hand.

 

If you buy a lifted or modified new vehicle, be sure to get any modified warranty details in writing!

 

I have heard my dealers service department tell people that their warranty is void because their vehicle was modified elsewhere with non-GM parts.

 

I had the TSB for the infamous AFM oil burning problem performed at my GM dealer just before my warranty ran out. When I went to pick it up, they tried to make me pay for the work, because I had an aftermarket Stant locking gas cap. The gas cap was correct for my vehicle, and I believe Stant made the OEM ones. They said the gas cap could have affected how the truck ran and caused the problem. What a load of crap! The gas cap has nothing to do with the oiling system! EVERYTHING else on the truck was bone stock, down to the AC Delco oil filter and wiper blades. I was getting really POd and they finally relented and charged it to warranty or goodwill after the sales manager told the service manager that our family is friends with the owner of the dealership. In my opinion, the lengths that post-bankruptcy GM is willing to go to try to deny problems or pay for warranty repairs is despicable!

  • 2 weeks later...
Jason Patterson Enthusiast

Jason Patterson

Posted
Posted
On 2/3/2014 at 4:05 PM, hollis092 said:

It doesn't matter what it is (tune, new gears in rear end, lift, level, etc.).
It has to be proven that the upgrade in question directly contributed to the failure of a warranted part for the warranty to be voided.

I know, replying to an old post.  However, this statement is fundamentally wrong. 

 

The dealer doesn't have to prove chit, you do.  If they deny a transmission replacement due to your lift, you have to prove that it didn't cause the issues.  They just say "Denied, your lift kit caused the issue."  Now you have to try and prove them wrong.  Big difference.  

Sour_Squirrel Enthusiast

Sour_Squirrel

Posted
Posted

I bought my 2017 Sierra with a level lift from the dealer.  They told me my factory warranty would still be good for the entire truck except for those parts relating to the lift.  However I have a equivalent third party warranty company covering those parts relating to the lift.   

Sonin theory (??) my entire truck is still covered under warranty whether it be GM or the third party warranty company.  However if I should ever need to make a warranty claim with this company I'm curious if they'll honour any claim I may make.  I've had real bad experiences in the past with such warranty companies where I had to fight and prove why they should have to pay for it !!

but I was reassured by my dealer that this warranty company was not like that.  

On a side note I have never needed any warranty work on any vehicle I've owned.  The repairs come after the warranty period expires....! 

 

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