Glad it worked out for you brother.

Always remember, the dealer cannot just void your warranty on any part of the car just because you have an aftermarket part. In fact, the dealer can't void your warranty for any reason - only Porsche can do that. The dealer can refuse to service your car under warranty. But if you demand that a Porshce representative be sent out to review your case, the dealer must make the request and the rep will come out. The rep will then look to see if the aftermarket part is really the cause of the problem that you want fixed under warranty. Becuase Porsche knows that the enthusiast market is a large part of their consumer base, the rep won't be looking for any excuse to deny servicing the car - like the dealer might do. The rep should be objective on the matter - whereas the dealer has a conflict of interest. As a result, the reps word is usually final on warranty issues - even if the dealer has an internal policy that conflicts with the reps opinion.

I have only heard of one case going so far as to have a Porsche rep come out, and that was a blown engine. In that case, the rep determined that the aftermarket parts were NOT to blame and replaced the entire car.

The law is on your side when it comes to aftermarket parts. If it wasn't, the dealers could build a monopoly based on their own parts and services. Imagine a world in which a dealer could void your warranty at will on your entire car if you changed a spark plug that wasn't made by the dealer? You would be forced to buy the dealer-made or licensed parts. Then there would be no competition in the marketplace and the dealers would make crappy stuff and could charge whatever they want. That is why monopolies are strictly against the law. As a result, the federal government has enacted uniform laws that protect you from such anti-competative practices. If you are ever interested, with respect to warranties, the law is called The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. 2302(C)) and reads in relevant part as follows:

"No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumers using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade or corporate name..." (15 U.S.C. 2302(C)).

This federal law regulates warranties for the protection of consumers. The essence of the law concerning aftermarket auto parts is that a vehicle manufacturer may not condition a written or implied warranty on the consumers using parts or services which are identified by brand, trade, or corporate name (such as the vehicle maker's brand) unless the parts or service are provided free of charge. The law means that the use of an aftermarket part alone is not cause for denying the warranty. However, the law's protection does not extend to aftermarket parts in situations where such parts actually caused the damage being claimed under the warranty. Further, consumers are advised to be aware of any specific terms or conditions stated in the warranty which may result in its being voided.

It is really just common sense - if you put an aftermarket camshaft in your car, and the camshaft goes bad, the dealer isn't responsible for repairing the aftermarket camshaft. But if your convertable top stops working, the fact that you have an aftermarket camshaft can't possibly be used as an excuse not to fix the top under warranty. The problems with the top must have been caused by the camshaftt - which is highy unlikely and would be nearly impossible to prove. The main idea is this: Any warranty refusal would have to be related directly to the aftermarket camshaft or anything damaged by that part. It is the dealer's burden to prove this - not yours. And it is not an easy thing to show. They will normally spend more money proving that you voided your warranty than they would to just fix the problem. Dealers will normally only get stubborn on extremely obvious or eggregious cases.

That dealer is still a punk and I would still take the car elsewhere for any future needs.

 

Brother, I am going to print out your post and keep it in my glove box- Word!

On the upside, they did do a very good job on the warranty work and even fixed my seat leather for free (previous owner scratched the driver's seat all to hell), so now my seat looks like brand new, cant even tell! I'll go check out Pacific Porsche next time, but I have not heard awesome things about them either..

 

Dealers are pretty much the same wherever you go. If you are armed with the right information, then dealers will usually snap into line. But remember - the law is always a double-edged sword. If you use it against them, then they will likely use it against you. The warranty laws cut both ways but were designed to protect consumers - not dealers. Real problems arise when consumers are not aware of their rights. That is when the system breaks down. The dealer isn't going to tell you about federal laws meant to protect you from getting taken advantage of. It is not in his business interest to do so. Now that you have some of the relevant knowledge, you won't be one of those who gets taken.

Good luck with your awesome car!

DISCLAIMER: Of course, before anyone goes out and relies on any legal opinion, they should check with their own attorney and the laws in their jurisdiction.

 

Roger that, and thanks again. BTW your TT looks awesome.

 

Barrister, you are the man, thank you for your insight that helps all of us!

 

Need to make nice with SA.

 

sweet to know your P-car no longer has a rap sheet. & Barrister, that is some sweet info you let us in.

 

Barrister to the rescue again. Can't rep you anymore bud.

The Porsche dealer here routinely install aftermarket wheels on cars sitting on their floor. Most of the time they do a piss poor job at it though.

 

[QUOTE=vtgts300kw;154632]Barrister to the rescue again. Can't rep you anymore bud.

+1

DISCLAIMER: Of course, before anyone goes out and relies on any legal opinion, they should check with their own attorney and the laws in their jurisdiction. the law is in your blood man