Warranty Facts

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: BrianC
Many,many posts contain warranty concerns for doing this or that.

The Factory Warranty is a non issue in the US....Period. An OEM cannot void a factory warranty because you use a viscosity oil not listed.......


I'd be very careful about that. You are always on firmer ground when you use the recommended viscosity. Amsoil recommends the viscosities that match the factory recommendation for a reason.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
Originally Posted By: BrianC
Many,many posts contain warranty concerns for doing this or that.

The Factory Warranty is a non issue in the US....Period. An OEM cannot void a factory warranty because you use a viscosity oil not listed.......


I'd be very careful about that. You are always on firmer ground when you use the recommended viscosity. Amsoil recommends the viscosities that match the factory recommendation for a reason.


Yup. And they also offer their own warranty

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: dave1251
Why do I believe this is a tall tale? Because I have never had this happen to me nor have I witnessed it.



I'm a bad story teller. Thus, I am not in the habit of telling them. A quick google search of some of the items I mentioned would enlighten you.

 

[KitaCam]

Warranties never let facts get in the way of a big fail.

 

[fdcg27]

In the case of a failure that is the consequence of what could only be a manufacturing defect, like an engine with plenty of oil in the sump suffering a broken rod or cam, there can be no argument that using an oil other than recommended caused the failure, but major mechanical failures of engine components are rare.
It's when you want to get warranty coverage for certain other problems, like absurdly high oil consumption, that use of an oil other than what was recommended in the OM may bite you.
The OM language is always "recommended", never "required" and the oil recommendation always references a standard, be it API, ILSAC or one of the proprietary standards used by VW, GM, BMW and many others. Any oil meeting the grade and recognized standard recommended may be used without risk to warranty coverage.
The OM will also typically state that the use of oils other than those recommended may result in engine damage not covered under warranty.
All of the above may not even be an issue.
From what I've read here and elsewhere, unless it's pretty obvious that the FF oil was never changed or that the engine was run low on oil until it would run no longer, most manufacturers will not try to deny warranty coverage based upon the use of something other than the recommended grade.
If a UOA is done, I suspect that it would only be to disprove a theory that the oil grade used was way out of the recommended range or had an add pack bearing no resemblance to the recommended spec.
Expanding upon what Garak posted, no UOA is going to show that the 5W-30 you used wasn't dexos compliant, or that you used 5W-20 instead of 0W-20 or that you used Amsoil SSO rather than an API licensed oil and none of these choices should cause any problems anyway.
A UOA will show that you used an API 5W-20 in your BMW or a 15W-50 in your Honda and that would likely result in a denial of any warranty claim.
Rightly so.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: Rand
they can also void warranties for using the wrong transmission fluid. Sometimes the oem has the only fluid meeting the spec.


They can't void the warranty, but they can deny a warranty repair. I think there's a slim but important difference there. They have to be able to demonstrate that the product you use that didn't meet the required performance specifications caused the failure. And if they can do that, they can decline the repair. But your warranty will still be intact, and you would still receive repairs on items not related to the fluid.

 

[BrianC]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
Originally Posted By: BrianC
Many,many posts contain warranty concerns for doing this or that.

The Factory Warranty is a non issue in the US....Period. An OEM cannot void a factory warranty because you use a viscosity oil not listed.......


I'd be very careful about that. You are always on firmer ground when you use the recommended viscosity. Amsoil recommends the viscosities that match the factory recommendation for a reason.


Quote:
=Pablo
I'd be very careful about that. You are always on firmer ground when you use the recommended viscosity. Amsoil recommends the viscosities that match the factory recommendation for a reason.


Agreed, Amsoil product guides mirror OEM viscosity reccomendations. But the bottom line is, in case of a failure, the failure MUST be proven to be a result of the lubricant, the burden of proof is on the OEM, NOT the consumer, whether, it's Amsoil, Mobil, Pennzoil, or Castrol.

"not the consumer is the point"...not the brand of oil.

That is with a factory warranty. BUT, if you have an extended "aftermarket warranty, the terms could be very different. Those warranties could be service contracts or really insurance policies, which are not governed by the MAG/MOSS ACT.

They could require maintaince intervals, certain fluids, not of your choosing. In a Service contract, you have "0" protection from the MAG/MOSS Act. Beware! They are out there!!

That is the point of this thread to start with, what is a warranty, what is an extended warranty, what is a service contract? And when is one protrayed as something it isn't?

Read the mice type, you might be surprised.

Know what you really have on your vehicle. READ that MICE TYPE.

 

[CKN]

It seems to me a warranty is a warranty when the dealer/manufacturer says it is. There is a post here on BITOG on another thread about how Ford is denying warranty coverage on a plastic interior part on a guy's Fusion. In addition there are plenty of stories of warranty denial by all manufacturers about replacing motors - and then that replacement fails and they basically throw their hands up and walk away.


Where is your protection in these circumstances?

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: CKN

Where is your protection in these circumstances?


You gave painfully little detail to receive anything more than an equally vague response. You will always find 'plenty of stories' on the web.

 

[CKN]

There were plenty of warranty issues with Ford's 6.0 and 6.4 Powerstroke motors........

There are issues now on earlier 5.3 Silverado motors burning oil.

 

[TiredTrucker]

What amazes me is how so many auto owners get their colon all tied up in knots over warranty stuff and that they have to follow every punctuation point of detail or they are at risk of a denial. I have owned commercial heavy trucks and equipment for years, and have had an occasional warranty fix with them. I cannot ever recalling an OEM even asking what oil I was using, let alone reading me the riot act over it. And we are talking about engines that cost more than most people's total auto or pickup. And yes, there are specifications right in the manuals on what they recommend, but again, no one has ever even raised the question. And I have never even heard of a auto/pickup dealer ever getting all caught up in such details. Just lead a secluded 58 years, I guess.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: TiredTrucker
What amazes me is how so many auto owners get their colon all tied up in knots over warranty stuff and that they have to follow every punctuation point of detail or they are at risk of a denial. I have owned commercial heavy trucks and equipment for years, and have had an occasional warranty fix with them. I cannot ever recalling an OEM even asking what oil I was using, let alone reading me the riot act over it. And we are talking about engines that cost more than most people's total auto or pickup. And yes, there are specifications right in the manuals on what they recommend, but again, no one has ever even raised the question. And I have never even heard of a auto/pickup dealer ever getting all caught up in such details. Just lead a secluded 58 years, I guess.


Very well put, but we can't take your perspective to the extreme either. Maintenance recommendations should be followed within reason if not to the letter.