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Lift kits and warranties

4K views 28 replies 18 participants last post by  thaduke2003 
#1 ·
Hey I guys I have a 2008 Unlimited and was wondering if I added coiler spacers or any type of lift if it would void the warranty. Some people said Chrysler wont cover the driveshaft and other stuff because of the angle change. If you guys know can you let me know.
 
#2 ·
its an ongoing, touchy, dealer discretion thing. The warranty paperwork (read it several times forward and back) says that in no way will a lift/tires/any mods (other than disabling the odometer) void the warranty. It only says the warranty will not cover your aftermarket parts and any breakage/failure caused directly by the add ons.

The problem is trying to convince the dealer that your 35" tires and lift did not contribute to your premature failure of (insert part here). So yes, most likely if you lift your Jeep, put the drive angle at a higher angle, and it breaks, they will say that the lift components directly caused the failure. Also most breaks/failures that happen while off-roading could be considered non-warrantied because they werent there and cant say for a fact if it was your driving, the obsticle or the part that was to blame.

ALWAYS wash up before you take it in. IMHO they would be much more likely to deny the warranty claim if a mud/dirt covered Jeep rolls in rather than a nice clean rig. Also try different dealers if one says they wont warranty it. Another might. So far the only thing I can speak of from personal experience is that hydro locking your engine and sending a rod through the block is not under warranty.
 
#4 ·
My dealer stated that anything 4" and under will not void the factory warranty or the lifetime warranty. But that is my dealer that was probably just trying to sell me a new one.

My advice...don't be suprised if something does break and they don't fix it.....(from personal experience)
 
#5 ·
Not a lift kit issue, but I went to the dealer for the long crank time TSB last week and asked them to take care of a wicked rattle in the dash. The told me it was the outter cowl just under the windshield and due to the fact I had installed "aftermarket" lights on the a pillar they could not warranty it! Apparantly the wires running under the cowl for the lights made the warranty null and void. The beauty of the whole joke is, THEY WERE DEALER INSTALLED! When I told him this they looked it up and sure nuff, dealer installed when I bought the damn thing. The guy looked at me sheepishly, then said, "it'll be 10 minutes while we replace all the fasteners holding it down."

What a crock. I have yet to find a stealership within 50 miles of me that is worth a ****.

There is one on the way out to my MIL's that has a bunch of lifted 09 jeeps out front for sale. I bet they would be more empathetic, to bad they are about 65 miles away. :(
 
#6 ·
My dealer said the same thing about the 4" lift. He said they install them all the time. Just make sure you take it to the same dealer for service. I have noticed (from my Subaru days) that each dealer will have their own tolerance for modifications. It is the dealers call if they consider it a warranty issue or not.
 
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#7 ·
I’ve had pretty good luck. I’m lifted with 37s, aftermarket drive shafts and re-geared and have had a t-case replaced and a locker replaced under warrantee (as well as a few odds and ends that could not be related to mods). The only claim I had rejected was when I drilled a hole in the top of my fuse box and hit a relay, which was clearly my fault :shaking::laughing:
 
#24 ·
FWIW I just swapped my gears out to 5:13. In the process I managed to tear an inner axle seal and snap a little clip off the locker plug.

Took my lifted/beadlocked/35s etc etc etc rig in to the dealer for an oil change (cause it came with the purchase). They fixed the axle seal and put a new locker plug in under warranty. They asked before hand who swapped the gear set and I told them I did. They had no issue with it and did the warranty work without question.

What dealer are you guys going to? I haven't had a problem that needed warranty work yet, but I'm thinking whatever dealer your going to would be a good one.
 
#8 ·
FHMan, they're selling you poo. ANY lift kit will void the warranty on the driveshafts and most suspension bits EXCEPT a dealer-installed Mopar kit. Period.
Now, there is some gray area to be played with. We are a pretty laid back dealership, and will try to work with you. If it's blatantly obvious that your modifications are at fault, and you blew a driveshaft, you're probably out on your own. A U-joint goes bad ONCE, and we'll take care of you (probably). You come in once a week with blown U-joints, and it's out of your pocket- Mark W.
 
#13 · (Edited)
FHMan, they're selling you poo. ANY lift kit will void the warranty on the driveshafts and most suspension bits EXCEPT a dealer-installed Mopar kit. Period.
I've worked on 1 Jeep (a 2D X) with a dealer installed lift and it was a real half-assed job.
It was a 2.5" spacer lift and ALL they did was throw spacers above the springs.
That's it.
Nothing at all to address the shocks, sway bar links or brake lines! :shaking:
If I remember right it *may* have had front bump stop extensions.
They installed that and a set of 33" tires and aftermarket wheels.
 
#9 ·
My crappy dealer who can't fix my tranny has several Jeeps with 4 inch lifts and 35's for sale, new. Everytime I bring mine in they ask if its lifted, I say no, It is a Rubicon and that's how they look. Then they say, "well it looks lifted, we'll have to check before we agree to fix the transmission under warranty"
I am holding off on Mods until it works in stock form for at least a month.
 
#12 ·
The link I am posting is not always followed by the manufacturers but it may give you some firepower if you are having problems with a dealer. Hope it helps someone.

MAGNUSON-MOSS
 
#15 ·
Hello Guys, new owner of an 09 Rubi Unlimited here and loving it.

In my newfound jeep fever, I've been looking at so many options from a 2.5" lift to a full 4" setup (obviously wanting the latter). Assuming that Chrysler survives their current ordeal and our lifetime warranties stay intact, I have a different question for those that might be in the know...

All the questions I see on this matter are whether lift kits will VOID the warranty in general. Everyone should be well aware of the answer by now. However, a related question is can a 4" lift be grounds for voiding t-case/tranny/locker/engine warranty work? The catch phrase of the Magnuson Act is "directly caused," which may be open to interpretation. The coil spring and misc brackets causing the lockers to go bad is a far stretch in my mind, but having 35" tires causing the lockers/tranny to go bad might hold water. So, what about the following scenarios?

Scenario A: 4" lift, stock wheels/tires, bad tranny/eng/t-case/lockers. warrantable?

Scenario B: 4" lift, stock wheels/33" tires, bad tranny/eng/t-case/lockers. warrantable?


In both of these scenarios, you'll notice that tire size is the variable. Am I wrong in assuming that Scenario A is warrantable? In Scenario B, I highly doubt that installing 33" tires over the stock 32" is going to invalidate any warranty related to the drivetrain. But, if 33" is ok...is 34" ok? What about 35"? Is there some kind of consensus or is it completely dealer dependent? Chrysler is footing the bill so there must be some kind of corporate guideline on this...

Thanks for any additional insight you guys might have on this... The answers here could determine if I just stick with a coil lift and 33's or go the full 4" lift with 35's...
 
#16 ·
I hate dealerships, I hope the all go bankrupt and get a sense of customer service. I am not talking about replacing my drive shaft after I have lifted it, clearly drivne over the Rubicon etc, that is obviously my issue, but the other stuff is just crap! I had a moron tell me that "these things are really no meant to do hard trails, just fire roads and such" I look at him and just laughed! I have a steering box go bad (before I put my suspension system on) I came in and showed the monkeys, then stated that I was going to be putting a new system on. I came back in afte the lift and spoke to the same monkey who looked me in the face and say, "no, that is caused by the lift!!!! " I darn near threw him in a choke hold and shoved my bat up his +ss! This is just crappy cutomer service. I had to contact JEEP and explain the issue, prove my documentation (which they had in their system) before the repalced it. Then thes asswipes wonder why they are in the tank! Again, I hope the damn liberals see the light and dont force the government into building crappy rigs with even crappier customer service. Again, I eagerly wait the day for bankruptcy which in turn will lead to restructure and hopefully better customer service----oh, did I mention I have purchase three freaking jeeps?
 
#17 ·
^ You, sir, have some anger issues :)
It sounds like you're past due for a new dealership.
As a dealer rep, I often find it hard to give much credence to most peoples' arguments, when, often enough, when I ask if they tried a different dealership, or at least complained to management about how they were treated, the answer is virtually always "no."
Not ripping on you, dude- just saying- if they're crapping on you that badly, MOVE ON! There is more than one Jeep place in Cali, I'm pretty sure :) Find one where they're more laid back and understand what a Wrangler is and what it's for- Mark W.
 
#18 ·
Judging by some of the posts here, I believe there is much confusion regarding vehicle warranties. Here are some things to consider.

1) Your vehicle's factory warranty is just that. A warranty between you (the vehicle owner) and the factory, not you and the dealership. (Beware when purchasing secondary warranties. Make sure it is an authentic factory warranty.) Dealerships don't make as much profit on warranty repairs and many will try to convince you a particular issue isn't covered under the warranty. Once you have paid for the repair, the factory can not help you. While the factory does have influence over dealerships, the factory can't force the dealership to do anything, including service your vehicle under warranty. What the factory can do, prior to any work being performed, is agree that a particular problem should be covered under warranty and help you to find a dealership willing to perform the work as such. Remember, both the labor and the parts come from the dealerships pocket until the dealership is reimbursed for the expense. I suggest calling the factory customer service number before taking any vehicle in for warranty work, whether it be a broken radio knob on a Dodge Neon or a Jeep suspension component.

2) Many so called Mopar performance parts are in fact, not Mopar. They are instead made by other companies and sold as Mopar parts, if they exist as a Mopar part in the first place. Go ahead and call your dealership and ask them for the Mopar part number for a lift kit, then call Mopar direct and ask them for details (parts list, instructions or anything else) and see what the factory has to say. I have yet to see a part number for a factory lift kit. Mopar does have a part number for a winch though. If you ever see such a winch, you'll never know it is a Mopar part as it is made by Warn. Again, beware what the dealership tells you, call the factory customer service number if you have any questions.

3) Some dealerships are simply better at honesty than others. This shouldn't need any further clarification, although it is sad. I would be willing to bet that dealerships in smaller or more rural areas are better at honesty and customer service than many dealerships in large cities that simply don't care about repeat business.

4) To be fair to dealerships, some people expect some things to be fixed under warranty that are painfully obviously not covered. Anyone who works in customer service in any field can attest to unreasonable expectations by customers.

5) Always call the factory customer service number first, even if a particular problem is your own fault. They may cover the cost of the part even though they don't have to. The factory can not commit to the labor being covered, however, as they service technician who will be paid to perform the work is an employee of the dealership, not the factory. If you have purchased multiple vehicles from a particular dealership, you may even get them to give you a break on the labor in the hopes of retaining you as a customer, just be patient and don't make unreasonable demands.
 
#20 ·
FWIW I just swapped my gears out to 5:13. In the process I managed to tear an inner axle seal and snap a little clip off the locker plug.

Took my lifted/beadlocked/35s etc etc etc rig in to the dealer for an oil change (cause it came with the purchase). They fixed the axle seal and put a new locker plug in under warranty. They asked before hand who swapped the gear set and I told them I did. They had no issue with it and did the warranty work without question.
 
#21 ·
Wow, some of you guys know of dealerships that allow lifts, under 4", to be covered under warranty. Well, sadly, I was told, by the dealership that my wife and I bought our JKs from, that, anything over 2" and not installed at their dealership WILL VOID WARRANTY.


I will take this information, and information from another thread about lifts voiding the warranty and do some research. With 10 Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep dealerships, within close proximity to where I live, I will find out what the general consensus is.

More to follow....
 
#22 ·
I just had the TSB for Squeal-Like Sound From Front Axle Pinion Gear Flange And Seal done on my JK yesterday. Also had the TSB for 3.8L Engine Oil Seepage Due To Front Timing Cover Surface Porosity done at the same time.

Not even sure they noticed my modest lift. Didn't pay a cent.
 
#23 ·
^ Umm, no, you shouldn't pay a cent for warranty work. Or for SOME TSB work. Recall and free-TSB work can't be "voided" by a lift kit, unless one of the replaced suspension parts is what was addressed by the recall/TSB- Mark W.
 
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