Can changing your rims and tires void your new-car warranty?

Last week, I got some new kicks for my 2-week old Trailblazer. I slapped on a set of 18-inch Rota Grid off-roads and wrapped them in Goodyear’s Efficient Grip rubber after hearing great reviews on how it improves the ride and noise levels.

Still in proud-owner-and-upgrade phase, I posted it that night on my Facebook page to get a feel of what my friends thought about the new look. I was expecting the “Should have gone for 20’s” or “Prefer it in white” or “Sweet” but was more surprised about the “Hey, won’t that void your warranty?” type of comments.

It seemed quite a few were under the impression that changing tires and rims will void a new car warranty. I assured them that because I maintained the exact same size and specs as the stock rims and tires, I was perfectly covered. Then came the horror stories.

“I was denied warranty once for changing my horn!” One very annoyed reader wrote. “I was told that placing a backup camera will void my warranty” said another. The others are best left in my private inbox as the STAR have a swear jar in the office that I do not feel like donating this week’s pay to.

So what is acceptable and what is not? Well that is almost as tricky to answer as “Do I look fat in these jeans?” So I decided to put a good friend and extremely respected dealer on the spot to tackle this very touchy issue.

The following is a transcript of the live chat I had with Gus Camacho, who is the VP and General manager of Autocirculo Corporation, which operates five Peugeot and nine Kia dealerships in Metro Manila.

JD: Is it true that changing your tires and rims can void your warranty? Where do you guys stand on that?

GC: “Some manufacturers are stricter than others. We sell two brands, Kia and Peugeot; I can tell you that Kia is bit more lax than Peugeot. But when it comes to rims I don’t think it matters that much. I will cite the 508 as an example, you can fit that with either 17, 18, or 19-inch rims without us making a fuss, but if you chip your car then that’s a different issue altogether.”

JD: Fair enough. But what about things as trivial as a horn or a back-up camera?

GC: “I don’t think the horn should be an issue as well as long as the capacity doesn’t change or are within safe parameters. Once again, Kia is a bit more lax on aftermarket stuff like GPS navigational equipment, back-up cameras and entertainment stuff while Peugeot will not allow it at all unless it has been pre-sanctioned as safe. It’s just that the platform of Peugeot is very advanced and has a lot more sensors and modules that can be affected by voltage fluctuations.”

JD: Seems legit. But let’s say you changed bulbs from halogen to HID, and your transmission or engine blew, would you hold them to it? I understand the electrical part, but if it is seemingly unrelated?

GC: “Haha! I’ve heard this before. Let’s just say with European cars always be careful, because changing your lights could cause faults in the system and affect your ECU. But not naman the transmission, haha. To be safe, you should always have the car diagnosed for faults when installing aftermarket parts. Especially on European cars.”

Personally, I have always placed a great deal of value on the relationship you have with your dealer. I have found that so long as you’re reasonable and transparent, a dealer will do all they can to retain your business. This is not Meralco we’re talking about here; dealers have competition and make the bulk of their income on the long-term relationship they have with you. Yes there are some shady ones out there, but so long as you have the power of choice, find one that will bend over backwards to try and win you over.

So if you plan on doing anything to your car, talk to them. Try and bring this up as early as possible. Preferably before you sign five years of your life away to a bank. You know what they say about marrying the girl, you marry the family? Well it is no different with your dealer. It’s a 3-5 year relationship, if not longer. So choose them as wisely as the product, because in the end, they’ll stick with you when things go wrong.