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.
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