[JoNo87]

Hi guys.

I was looking into upgrading my car audio system when someone mentioned to me that it might void the warranty if i replace the speakers, install an amp/sub etc.

Can someone please shed some info on this? I'd really like to make some improvements without risking the warranty...

Thanks in advance!

 

[OzSLS]

Ring your dealer and ask, different dealers (and countries for that matter) will react differently. Also depends which part of the car needs warranty repair.

 

[JoNo87]

Yeah i probably will give my car dealership a call next business day.

Was just curious on what people had to say on this issue as i have noticed others have gone ahead and modified their sound systems.

I am in Australia / Victoria and was referring to any electrical issue the car might have in the future. Obviously not engine related.

 

[imay]

Generally, anything that the modified component "may" interfere with voids that item's warranty. Where does that start and finish? Ask your service manager.

 

[TJ85]

It all depends on the dealer. It will void your warranty regarding audio components. If an electrical fault happened though and the upgraded audio system was a cause of it then Kia wont follow through with your warranty. If your alternator does give way the dealer may refuse to cover it in warranty due to extra strain that a sound system will have on the car.

Also some manufacturers warranty wont cover all areas of the audio components. Some only cover the headunits and the wiring but not the speakers. Other companies dont offer any warranty regarding their audio components as they have them down as wear and tear items.

 

[ron1004]

I'm not convinced that it's the dealers call, because you could always go up the chain to the corporate office.

Adding accessories wont void warranty, but what happens when you find you cannot start your car, dead in the water, the dash lights don't even come on - you take it to the Kia dealer and they spend three hours tracking down the electrical fault and it ends up being caused by the after-market device installed by you - they would obviously bill you for that, and the question is, would you then accept that charge?

 

[OzSLS]

I'm not convinced that it's the dealers call, because you could always go up the chain to the corporate office.

Adding accessories wont void warranty, but what happens when you find you cannot start your car, dead in the water, the dash lights don't even come on - you take it to the Kia dealer and they spend three hours tracking down the electrical fault and it ends up being caused by the after-market device installed by you - they would obviously bill you for that, and the question is, would you then accept that charge?

that's the way it works here in Australia. The way it also works with some dealers in particular is if they can link any work you did in any possible way to the warranty issue, no matter how far fetched it is, they'll do it to get out of covering it for free. This is not exclusive though, as said by a few it varies from brand to brand and dealer to dealer, here at least.

 

[conwelpic]

Yeah i probably will give my car dealership a call next business day.

Was just curious on what people had to say on this issue as i have noticed others have gone ahead and modified their sound systems.

I am in Australia / Victoria and was referring to any electrical issue the car might have in the future. Obviously not engine related.

that's why its always a good idea to fill out your location and details of what you are driving, so that it shows up with every posting.

 

[marleyfan61]

Generally speaking the dealer must clearly demonstrate that the modification you made to your car was the cause of the problem. They cannot simply refuse to cover all electrical issues just because you installed speakers. A properly installed amp cannot damage your alternator. Laws vary, but most countries have laws which protect consumers from companies using tenuous loopholes to avoid warranty coverage.

 

[ron1004]

Generally speaking the dealer must clearly demonstrate that the modification you made to your car was the cause of the problem. They cannot simply refuse to cover all electrical issues just because you installed speakers. A properly installed amp cannot damage your alternator. Laws vary, but most countries have laws which protect consumers from companies using tenuous loopholes to avoid warranty coverage.

I'm sure that most dealers don't have a problem with that, as long as the owner accepts the bill if/when he does demonstrate that the end user modification was to blame.

The typical scenario is the owner saves money and goes the DIY route, and is loathe to pay the high dealer price to fault find a problem that could end up being non-warranty.

 

[OzSLS]

Generally speaking the dealer must clearly demonstrate that the modification you made to your car was the cause of the problem. They cannot simply refuse to cover all electrical issues just because you installed speakers.

but in Australia, some will!

i'm not saying Kia will, in fact they're very good with this type of thing, but other brands/dealers have been known to go to lengths at times.

 

[JoNo87]

Only signed up yesterday still to fill it out lol will get on it!

 

[imay]

Example: I drove a Holden Astra convertible from new. Complained about the wear marks on the fabric roof whenever I was at the selling dealers (got a 6mth service included in the deal) and always the same comments: "That's normal wear and tear. Can't do anything about it."
Happened to pass another Holden dealer and decided to drop in to see about something else. Mentioned the roof wear issue (with 1 mth left on warranty), service manager came outside to inspect, advised that he would need to involve a Holden rep to inspect it, rang me 3 days later and asked me when was it convenient for me to have my roof replaced! Took 1.5 days and cost $0. Saw the invoice - Holden picked up a bill for $4500+.
It pays to ask around the dealers. Don't stick with what your seller says.

 

[TJ85]

but in Australia, some will!

i'm not saying Kia will, in fact they're very good with this type of thing, but other brands/dealers have been known to go to lengths at times.

Mitsubishi!! They are pricks for it down here. They are c-bombs for it and have it worked down to a fine art. They have ways of screwing you over down here; some dealers have dealer special models (dressed up base model Lancers with a few non genuine parts on them), if anything goes wrong with these special ones the buyer gets screwed over as only that specific dealership they got the car from will honor the warranty. Go to another dealer and they refuse to honor any warranty claims you may have.

Ive known heaps of Mitsubishi owners who have done modifications to their cars and the dealers have refused warranty claims. Even in areas completely unrelated.

Kia is pretty good though.

 

[OzSLS]

gotta love it!

i won't be modding this one anyway, i have with previous new cars but i'll be waiting for warranties to expire before doing anything this time

if i can resist.

 

[JoNo87]

gotta love it!

i won't be modding this one anyway, i have with previous new cars but i'll be waiting for warranties to expire before doing anything this time

if i can resist.

I thought about waiting for the warranty to expire but dont think i can wait 5 years... lol damn kia's generous 5 year warranty!

 

[Bullxyz]

Was planning on adding an external amp myself. Decided against it having the same warranty concerns as OP.

Waiting for Crutchfield to offer a more powerful aftermarket radio that plugs in without any rewiring. Hopefully one will be manufactured for my Rio (with UVO).

 

[ApXWingman]

I was going to wait until the warranty was up as well, but I don't think that I can wait that long. I talked to my dealer about modding my car and affecting the warranty. I was told my the manager that as long as the mod is not the cause of the issue, then it will not effect the warranty. If the mod is the cause or part of the cause then I would have to pay for it in full.

Depending on the mod, as long as you are careful and sure it will not cause any isssues, you should not have anything to worry about.