What voids a car warranty?

Key points

• A tampered odometer and salvage title will void your car’s warranty.

• Racing, off-road driving and lack of maintenance can cause denied claims.

• Read your warranty booklet and use the vehicle correctly to maintain coverage.

Your car came with a factory warranty for a certain time and mileage. Some things — such as tampering with your odometer — can void a car warranty, while others — such as failing to maintain the car — can cause certain claims to be denied.

It’s important to read the terms carefully to know what voids a car warranty. “Be sure, as a consumer, to understand what exactly is covered and if there are any exclusions and requirements like taking your vehicle in for service at certain intervals,” said Michael Chung, senior director of market intelligence for the Auto Care Association.

In this article, we’ll cover the situations that can void the warranty in whole or in part. We’ll also cover what can void a plan from an extended car warranty company since there are slight differences.

What voids a factory car warranty?

Only a couple of things completely void your car warranty: a tampered odometer and a salvage title.

An accurate odometer is vital to showing the true age of the engine. A car with fewer miles has a better value in the market, so nonreputable vehicle sellers commit odometer fraud to boost resale values. Car warranties cover repairs up to a certain mileage, so if the odometer isn’t correct, there’s no way to know the car’s true mileage.

Even if you unknowingly purchased a car with an altered odometer, the factory warranty is void. Wherever a car gets titled or registered, the owner reports the mileage. State DMVs and vehicle history services like Carfax have access to this data. Mechanics can check for odometer fraud, so any warranty claim will be denied.

The other big issue is a salvage title. This means the car has been damaged beyond its market value and declared a total loss. Whether it was totaled from an accident, major breakdown, vandalism or environmental damage doesn’t matter. The manufacturer’s warranty will be void even if you or someone else rebuilds it.

What can disqualify a car repair from warranty coverage?

Many situations would cause certain warranty repair claims to be denied. Here’s an example. Let’s say you take your car out onto some back roads to try drag racing with friends. Your vehicle isn’t meant to take that type of stress, so your car breaks down. It turns out you cracked a piston, so you’ll need a major repair or even a new engine.

The warranty won’t cover the engine repair because you used the vehicle outside of the car manufacturer’s specifications. That said, the warranty still functions for other systems of the car as long as it’s in effect. An air conditioning malfunction doesn’t have anything to do with racing, for example, so that would be covered.

Here are some more situations that can cause certain repairs to be denied:

• Improper maintenance: Your claim could be denied if you perform DIY and use improper fluids or parts.
• Lack of maintenance: Failing to perform regular maintenance on the vehicle can cause breakdowns that aren’t covered.
• Misuse: Damage from off-roading or racing won’t be covered.
• Modified components: Aftermarket modifications aren’t covered under the original warranty, nor any damage those parts may cause.
• Overloading: Towing more weight than specified can lead to a noncovered breakdown.
• Remapping: Remapping or “chipping” the engine involves rewriting software on the electronics control unit to boost performance. This modifies the vehicle and voids warranty coverage on the powertrain.
• Accident damage: If a vehicle system breaks down because of an accident, the auto warranty company won’t cover it. However, your car insurance company may cover it depending on the accident and type of coverage you have.

What voids an extended warranty?

Everything we’ve mentioned above also applies to extended car warranties — a tampered odometer or salvage title can void them, and things like improper use or lack of maintenance can cause claims to be denied.

One difference between an extended and factory warranty is that the extended warranty usually won’t cover preexisting conditions. In other words, if your engine light comes on, you can’t buy a plan after the fact and have it cover the repair.

Extended warranties also become void if your automotive manufacturer has voided your factory warranty for any reason.

How do you avoid denied warranty claims?

You don’t have much control over a voided warranty if your odometer has been tampered with or the car has been declared a total loss. But there are a few things you can do to get the most out of your warranty and avoid denied claims.

Read the warranty

The first step is to carefully read the fine print of the entire warranty, whether it’s a manufacturer warranty or an extended warranty. Pay close attention to the exclusions section, as this will tell you what can cause a claim to be denied.

You might be surprised to find even bumper-to-bumper warranties don’t cover everything. These warranties cover mechanical defects in workmanship and materials, so the warranty provider won’t cover things such as glass, upholstery or wearable parts such as brake pads.

Keep up on maintenance

Maintenance is one thing in your control. Be sure to do routine maintenance according to manufacturer specifications in the owner’s manual or in your car’s computer system. This includes regular oil changes and more in-depth services at milestones, such as 60,000 miles.

Keep your receipts so you can show the car has been properly maintained even if you didn’t go to the car dealership for service.

You are allowed to service your vehicle yourself if you have the training. It won’t void the vehicle warranty. But you should log each service, including the mileage, type of service and products used.

What if your claim is denied?

If your claim is denied, find out why the warranty won’t cover the claim. If the reason is part of the exclusions in the contract, there’s not much you can do. But if you think the claim was wrongly denied, you can contact a dealer supervisor or file a complaint with your state’s Attorney General.

Final take: Do what you can to keep the warranty in effect

If your title has a salvage brand, the warranty is void. In the case of a tampered odometer, a mechanic will let you know if that’s happened and if it voided your warranty. Otherwise, keep up on maintenance and avoid extreme driving to keep your warranty in good standing.