Customization and warranty claims

[philharve]

Hi All

I was browsing through the forum of another MB Club this morning when my eye was caught by a thread concerning customizing, in this particular instance, the fitting of AMG body kit to a non-AMG W202 C-class. The result was strikingly good and to a high standard, the conversion having been performed by the vehicle's owner.

However, the thought then occurred to me that the owner of a customized vehicle might have difficulties making a warranty claim if the vehicle in question was not in the same condition as when it left the factory.

Let's assume for argument that a MB body kit was fitted to a youthful C-class that subsequently develops the familiar corrosion problem around the wheel arches. What is MB's likely response to a warranty claim? Will it be flatly rejected?

Can a customized vehicle, using genuine MB parts and kits, still be covered under warranty and is its market value likely to be affected compared with a standard, unmodified model?

REGARDS

Phil

 

[rf065]

Many years ago, I was in a motorcycle dealers and witnessed a row between a customer and the shop manager. It ended with the police being called and forcibly removing the customer from the premises.

He had returned his BMW to have an engine fault repaired under warranty. At some point after delivery, he must have fitted a full fairing to the bike which had to be removed to gain access to the engine. So the dealer handed him a bill for removing and refitting the fairing in order to carry out the warranty work.

He refused to pay & the manager refused to hand over the bike. It became really heated and the police told him if he returned to the shop he would be arrested. Never found out how it ended though.

Russ

 

[jberks]

Th bike shop owners sounded to be right to me. If you do something that increases their cost, I'd expect the cost to be passed on.

Anyway - I think it would all hinge on the true cause of the corrosion. My experience is that MB is pretty fair on these things. If the body kit had a causal effect then it would be reasonable for them to refuse the claim. A screw hole, drilled to hold the trim that then went rusty for example. But, if it clearly had no effect - such as an unadorned wheelarch corroding or top of the doors ala the 210 when the bodykit was a side skirt then I'd be very surprised if MB even commented. Whether they would be willing to incur the cost of matching to the extra trim though - is another matter. I suspect there will be a budget for the work and anything over that, if caused by a customisation, would be chargeable.

 

[MarkCL]

Based on past experience with friends who have had cars modified in this manner there is only one way for the warranty to be unaffected and that is for original MB parts to be fitted at an MB approved bodyshop after having most likely gone through a main dealer to get the bodykit/parts etc in the first place.

Any other addition of bodykit even by a high quality firm, is outside their legal requirement to cover. However, if the corrosion is clearly NOT associated with any aftermarket bodykit or parts (as jberks said) then there shouldn't be a problem as despite the fact that there have been parts added the rust cannot be associated with the additional extras. In any case though any warranty work would only include such parts and body kit as per the original spec as that is what is covered by the warranty, not anything that has been added afterwards unless you had gone the way of my original scenario.

Cheers,
Mark