Warranty and Modifying delemma

This is the gist...

We've been discussing this on another forum as well. 1st of all I'm not going to be argumentative about this, just stating the facts from the dealers view point & trying to be unbias as possible. Keep in mind that this is only one particular dealership, one particular service dept, & one particular service advisor, so it may vary as you frequent other dealerships. In the end, the people you are dealing with will make he difference.

If you have a particular part that is under warranty & the dealer can not prove that it failed as a direct result from a specific modification that you made or by lack of/improper maintainance that you had preformed elsewhere (other than the dealer), they are required by law to replace that part if it is still under warranty according to their guide lines.

If you have an internal engine part that fails due to the boost being increased & the dealer can prove this is why the part failed, then they have the right to decline that repair. So, to answer your question, yes turning the boost up to 30psi could cause the decline of a repair, esp since Hyundai, in this case, has disclosed that the engine could only take up to 29psi of boost.

Hyundai has promoted these engines as tuner friendly, but that does not mean they intend to warranty it if it is modified. I will say this though, Hyundai is pretty lax with regards to mods done on their vehicle brand compared to most other manufacturers. Minor mods such as CAI's & catback exaust hardly ever cause a decline on a repair. When they do, it is usually due to the customer installing or having installed the airflow meter/sensor in backwards after a CAI installation. Which I can't fathom since there are arrows on the part showing the direction in which the air should be flowing.

Part of the reason Hyundai has such a small turbo installed on the 4 cylinder & the boost turned down is so they can warrant this engine 10yrs/100,000 miles. They also did it so people would have a reason to choose the 6 cylinder over the turbo4. Finally, of course is fuel economy. So if you plan on turning the turbo up, don't count on Hyundai warranting the engine. Although, I'm hoping if we are still using the factory turbo, we install a better flowing I/E, have the turbo turned up, then the vehicle tuned, that this will not void our warranty.

This will be the 1st time that I've had the opportunity to deal with Hyundai's warranty regarding turbos. So, it is new territory for me. I am happy that the factory turbo itself will covered 5yrs/60k miles from my understanding, unlike most manufacturers 3/36 basic (bumper to bumper) warranty.

I've been working as a Hyundai service advisor for the same svc dept for over 10yrs & I can tell you this, I know Hyundai makes good, dependable, quality cars & parts that last a long time as of late & I trust this GenCoupe will be no different. In fact, I think it will be built even better/stronger than anything else thay the have built up to date, due to the fact they know we as consumers are going to be hard on both these engines, transmissions, suspensions, & brakes. They do not want word of mouth going around that they make weak parts after all this time, money, & energy they have spent trying to get their tainted past cleared up. In fact, if you compare the 3.8L V/6 being used in the GenCoupe to all the other variants being used in other Hyundai vehicles (Entourage, Veracruz, Azera, & even Genesis sedan) there is alot of difference. Block thickness & cooling jets on the underside of pistons, just to name a couple.

With that said, one of the 1st things I'm doing after the break in period & my 1st oil change at 3,750mi, is to switch to Mobile1 synthetic oil. Second, I will take my car down to the dump & put it on the scales & have it weighed with a 1/4 tank of gas. Third, I will take the car to be Dyno tested at Buschur or where ever I intend on having my tuning done. Fourth, I will purchase I/E & install parts. Fifth, I will return to Buschur to have the turbo turned up & vehicle retuned. Sixth, I will have vehicle dyno tested again to see my gains. I hope at this point the I'm still under warranty, but I am not counting on it. I will then roll like that for a year or two before doing any other engine mods.

Eventually, I will purchase the rest of my go fast parts , install them, retune, & dyno again at Buschur etc....
Note: When I replace my turbo with a GT35r, I don't expect Hyundai to warranty my engine if this caused it to fail.

With that said, I'm actually a rather easy service advisor to get along with. I win the quarterly award for highest CSI for my region (south east) on a regular basis & for good reason, I take care of my customers, I'm honest, & unbias. My job is to represent the dealership & the customer, so I'm a mediator of sorts. I have 7yrs of college in the environmental field, but continue to do this because of my love of cars & the care for my customers. Most of my customers have told me if I ever dared leave that they would follow me to what ever dealer I went to. If I left the field, they said they would be out of sorts. So, I'm still here doing what I do, even though I'm burnt out. If anyone ever has a question regarding a Hyundai or it's warranty, please just ask. That's what I'm here for & it's better to know prior to rather than aft.

Sorry, so long winded, but I thought this was a topic that needed discussing in depth.:zzz:

bosco72 said:

I called Hyundai's main office and asked about my tib.The lady told me that the car is still under warranty if the parts are for that car.She said you can't get a honda CAI and put it on or ect.Now i heard with the Genesis if you use the aftermarket parts that they want you to use then the warranty is still good.

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A CAI for a Hyundai or Honda will not vary much from each other as far as form & function. A CAI purchased from Hyundai & installed by a Hyundai svc dept can't be claimed to be incorrect part for car or installed incorrectly. The warranty is good whether you use parts provided at a Hyundai dealership or where ever you get them, as long as they don't cause damage to another part from their installation or operation. Hyundai will not void your warranty for having after market parts installed, it's against the law to do so. But, if a part you install causes failure of another part, then that part is not covered under warranty.

Nakatalee said:

IMO, one more things to consider, this car is built during the economy trouble. I believe that means something (cheaper parts, cutting cost here and there). Hyundai is a business, so income always comes first. Marketing mean sales, they will market the car anyway they want to get sales, again in this kind of economy condition. I would get to know more about the dealer before you make the purchase. Sales department and service department is like dogs and cats.

as for warranty, i would not count too much on warranty if you are modding you car. The dealer will find ways to make money, again in this kind of economy. If it's possible, could any of you please post some maintenance cost numbers? I have a feeling they gonna charge higher for the maintenance of this car.

The cure for all this is the economy and it won't be until at least 3 years from now.

But this is just my opinion.

Peace.

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I have to disagree w/your point regarding this car being built in a difficult ecomomic time leading to the use of cheaper parts. One thing I've learned about Hyundai is they are not going to use sub-par parts whlle trying to build their reputation & instill trust into the consumer. The only way they would use "cheaper" parts is if they are of the same build quality as the more expensive parts, but are simply as a lower cost.

I do agree however that Hyundai is in business to make money, as all business' are. But they, like other business' have been doing will find areas that they can cut fat w/o effecting their product or the customer's perception of that product.

I totally agree w/getting to know your dealership sales & svc depts prior to making purchase. You may even find a sales dept better at one dealership & a svc dept better at another. I can't vouch for most dealerships, but can say for myself, that I have been very understanding in these economic troubled times. I have not put as much emphasis on routine svcs.

Don't be afraid to mod your car but, remember when ever you do that the question will pop up if it pertains to the concern.