Warranty & Aftermarket Modifications?

In think it is pretty clear to me and probably the vast majority of people.

Perhaps I am reading it wrong.

"Toyota state in their policy...
Your warranty does not cover parts that fail because:
• your vehicle has been fitted with non-genuine parts, not made or supplied by Toyota;
• your vehicle has been modified from Toyota factory specifications (for example, conversion to LPG operation, addition of a turbocharger, or installation of oversize pistons or valves) unless the modifications are Toyota approved and installed"

Which part is confusing? All seems black and white to me, especially the bit about "has been fitted with non-genuine parts" or "your vehicle has been modified from Toyota factory specifications".

What I find even more interesting is that you are seeking comments from a forum on a warranty offered by a manufacturer.

Imagine telling Touyota "Oh, yeh these guys on exploreoz said that............."

The only place to get confirmation is Toyota. I am sure they will not follow any advice you get from this forum

Hi Alex
I do not know what Toyota want for the upgraded warranty, as nothing is for free these days and it is another way of extracting more money from you, and in most times is not worth it. As far as vehicles go, most of the well known names should stick by you in case of something out of the norm. If it was me, I would keep your money and stick with the standard 3 year warranty.

Cheers

Stephen

I don't have first hand knowledge with Toyota, although I bought my first Landrover brand new and had numerous non-standard modifcations.

I had a couple of warranty issues that were honoured, but the modifications would not have had any bearing on the warranty problem.

Check with Toyota (and expect different answers from different people on different days) however I suspect that if you can demonstrate a warranty problem that was not caused, or could have been caused by a modification than it shouldn't be a problem.

Mind you, I'm not sure that extended warranties offer great value, versus the cost, especially as they usually have a number of exclusions.......

Good luck with it....

If you are intending to have the GVM increased, I presume you are having that carried out prior to the initial (1st) registration. The company providing and carrying out the upgrade will have to (obviously) provide and install a plate to the vehicle indicating that the work complies with all ADR requirements and that they are licenced to perform ADR upgrades/changes. As for warranty on such work, if the company you are dealing with is reputable then I'm sure they will be providing you with specific details of coverage encompassing their work/modifications. Discuss your concerns with them and I feel they will be inclined to assure you that their product is designed in a manner or to a standard so the it does not impinge upon any such warranty as issued by Toyota etc. Mind you, if you are purchasing a vehicle that is obviously not up to or you are using it for reasons far in excess of that as intended by the manufacturer then you may be in trouble. You might then be faced with the question of 'onus of proof'. That is they will try to prove that your actions or modifications contributed to the failure or alternatively you will be trying to prove that they didn't hopefully with support from any provider of any upgrades or modifications carried out on your vehicle. Know what I mean. Good luck with it.

Good old Wizard1, always offering excellent advice...

IMHO I doubt Toyota would honour the warranty if say you had a GVM increase upgrade and your bearings failed. They could easily say failure was due to the upgrade not from a Toyota defect.

AFAIK even adding extra fuel filters can void your warranty if you have a fuel related problem and then claim.

However, I'm fairly certain mobs like ARB claim their suspension products do not affect vehicle warranties. Not sure how they work it. Maybe they design their products with a lot of consultation with the manufacturers and hence have developed a MOU?

Suspension changes (springs and shocks) by itself do not increase GVM. Sometimes it entails chassis reinforcement.

As it says "Älterations approved by Toyota"


SO if it was me I would take documentation of your proposed alterations and take them to TOYOTA and get APPROVAL IN WRITING.

If they wont do it you are on your own...

Alex

Further to my earlier comment on extended warranties. You might like to take a read of the following submission by the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association to the Consumer Affairs in August 2009.

AAAA Submission - After Market

Regards
The Landy

Alex,
I doubt Toyota would honour the warranty if the failure had anything to do with the modification. The company who did the mods should be responsible for that. The only painful thing I can foresee occuring is when something fails in proximity to the mod and both toyota and the mod people blame each other for the failure.

R.

Re warranty after aftermarket mods, Toyota would look for a way out like any other manufacturer.

But look at the past history of the 79series. They have had the same chassis and suspension for the past 10 years and it has been very common for Govt and Mining buyers to increase GVM from 3300kg to 3700kg. This mod is done without any modification to the chassis and is available from multiple suspension companies. I have never heard of an issue with this modification. Unlike many other 4wds, they have fully floating axles so can carry the weight and the chassis does not bend or crack.

I personally think extended warranty on this vehicle would be a waste of money.Mine is 7 years old and done 146,000k and has never had problem that would qualify for warranty. Sure the latest models have a V8 and airbags, but everything else is the same as my vehicle.