Things to Note About Warranty and Post Collision Repair

When it comes to the topic of collision repair of your vehicle, many factors come into the picture automatically, as the entire issue is related to a lot of investment both in terms of money and effort. In that, the investment part takes another step towards complication, if your car is still under the warranty period, and if your loan repayment process isn’t over yet, and you have an insurer besides the entire deal. A lot of confusion can arise centering the entire process of collision repair, that will first start with choosing the auto body shop, and then about warranty and insurance claims.

The Common Misconception

The most common misconception about collision repair, warranty and insurance is that people think only the car dealers from where you bought the vehicle has the right to perform the routine maintenance and take up the repair work on a vehicle that is new and still under its warranty period. But in reality, it is a law in the automobile industry that the consumers themselves can patronize their own neighborhood or any trusted repair shop to do the work and that won’t be violating the rules of the warranty issued by the manufacturer.

The Rule

The actual rule about this is framed and institutionalized by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, where the Consumer Protection is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), that strictly prohibits every manufacturer from voiding their vehicle warranty only because the service was done from a place which is a non-dealer. On the contrary the FTC rule says that it is illegal for any dealer to deny the warranty coverage just because a vehicle owner has decided to undergo the routine vehicle maintenance or repairs to be done by someone else. Hence, if your vehicle is due with a routine maintenance that often includes services like oil changing, belt replacement, tire rotations, checking offluid and flushes, brake pads and inspections, it can be done either by your chosen service center, or even by yourself, provided you know the process, and have the required equipment for them, the dealer is not supposed to bother about the warranty and should provide you its coverage.

Materials and Parts

Many people also nurture the idea that while undergoing a post-accident collision repair, the materials used should be only OEM parts. Though for safety and sustainability reasons, OEM parts are always recommendable than the aftermarket parts, the rule does not say that using aftermarket parts will void the warranty of the vehicle. So, the dealership cannot have a say in this matter, as to which parts you are going to use for this repair work.

Things to Remember

The last thing to remember while taking your car to any collision repair center which is a non-dealer, who might be using independent aftermarket parts to replace them in your vehicle, you must keep every record and receipt in place for all the maintenance work done. This will help you while the time for claiming your warranty arises. It is only these records that will stand as a proof of whatever maintenance has been done to your vehicle and that it was done in accordance with the recommendations of your car manufacturer.