He's Dead Jim! Engine Warranty Denied! Help!

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Hello everyone. I have a 2013 Sprinter Van with a 3.0 Diesel. It has 26k miles and the engine threw a rods and made hole in the block.

Dealer blamed this collapsed aftermarket filter to it's not covered under warranty.

Does this look like it could have caused this to happen?

What do I do?

 
You have a dealer trying very hard not to honor his warranty. Did your oil monitor ever indicate a problem? My guess is no and now he just has two warranty issue to resolve. Call the Factory get them involved.
 
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I don't believe a warranty can be denied unless "factory" filters are supplied free to the vehicle owner and required to maintain warranty. Just like they cant require factory oil, as long as the oil, filter, etc meet specs for that specific vehicle it meets warranty requirements.

You may need to take them to court?
 
Also, that doesnt look "collapsed", it looks slightly compressed from being installed into the canister, just like most canister filters pictures I have seen on BITOG.
 
That should be against the magnuson moss act, no?

A collapsed oil filter wouldn't have made the engine throw a rod. There wouldn't be much contaminates to do much harm. If anything, the particles would only embed into the bearings . It's either a loss of oil pressure/flow that would spin a bearing or a manufacturing flaw of the rods or bolts.
 
Originally Posted By: porschepilot
Does this look like it could have caused this to happen?


As others have said ... no, a filter having wavy pleats is not going to cause any engine to blow-up. If some of the media tore off and went inside the engine to cause an oil flow problem, then it's possible it was the filter's fault. Was there any missing media from the filter?
 
Will using 'aftermarket' or recycled parts void my warranty?
No. An 'aftermarket' part is a part made by a company other than the vehicle manufacturer or the original equipment manufacturer. A 'recycled' part is a part that was made for and installed in a new vehicle by the manufacturer or the original equipment manufacturer, and later removed from the vehicle and made available for resale or reuse. Simply using an aftermarket or recycled part does not void your warranty. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act makes it illegal for companies to void your warranty or deny coverage under the warranty simply because you used an aftermarket or recycled part. The manufacturer or dealer can, however, require consumers to use select parts if those parts are provided to consumers free of charge under the warranty.

Still, if it turns out that the aftermarket or recycled part was itself defective or wasn't installed correctly, and it causes damage to another part that is covered under the warranty, the manufacturer or dealer has the right to deny coverage for that part and charge you for any repairs. The FTC says the manufacturer or dealer must show that the aftermarket or recycled part caused the need for repairs before denying warranty coverage.

Scott
 
On my daughters 07 Beetle a few aftermarket filter brands have looked like that. !00,000+ miles later..No problems with the 2.5 engine. Plastic center tube is not collapsed.
 
Originally Posted By: boulderdentist
The FTC says the manufacturer or dealer must show that the aftermarket or recycled part caused the need for repairs before denying warranty coverage.


100% !!

They would have to PROVE the filter caused the failure - beyond all doubt.
 
FWIW, I ran a fleet of over 400 3.0L Sprinters 2009 MY to 2013 MY.
Quite a few were in the 200,000 mile range, always specced OEM oil filters.
Never lost an engine.
Used 15,000 mile OCIs on Mobil1 "M" 5W-40 229.51 oil.
Expensive oil changes, no doubt.
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: boulderdentist
The FTC says the manufacturer or dealer must show that the aftermarket or recycled part caused the need for repairs before denying warranty coverage.


100% !!

They would have to PROVE the filter caused the failure - beyond all doubt.


If the dealer determined it was the aftermarket filter's fault, it's possible they would tell the guy to go after the aftermarket filter maker for damages and repairs.
 
Check the make and part number of this filter. If correct number, then proceed to escalate to corporate or filter maker. Most all oil filter makers claim meets OE specs, reputable makers. The filter also may have to have been bought retail. They can refuse whatever they want to. The problem is the customer probably has to get a lawyer, and those don't come cheap. Hope turns out well.
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I have that engine. Filter looks ok but is not pushed all the way into the housing. That would give you un filtered oil for how many miles?? It looks like a Fram, made in Austria. Who changed the filter? Bad installation.
 
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