I get a little concerned when dealers play on people's fears of having thier warranty voided regarding installation and use of aftermarket accessories. I especially have a problem when Dealers tell customers they could have thier warranty voided (or even reduced) by installing FACTORY accessories themselves. :x

The truth of the matter is that there are laws protecting you from such Dealers...

Federal law sets forth requirements for warranties and contains a number of provisions to prevent vehicle manufacturers, dealers and others from unjustly denying warranty coverage. With regard to aftermarket parts, the spirit of the law is that warranty coverage cannot be denied simply because such parts are present on the vehicle, or have been used. The warranty coverage can be denied only if the aftermarket part caused the malfunction or damage for which warranty coverage is sought. Disputes in this area usually boil down to arguments over facts and technical opinions, rather than arguments over interpretations of the law.

Please take the time to read "The Consumers Bill of Rights" at: http://www.enjoythedrive.com/content/?id=8123

Know your rights, and don't be afraid of your Dealer. :)

eMass - Well done bringing this issue up and into the light. when i first joined this club, i remember reading about a dealership refusing to pay for a warranty claim an Electronic Control Module (ECM) because the owner had an aftermarket stereo installed. That was really rubbish since the audio system circuit is not connected to the ECM (at least this what I could find on every wiring diagram I looked at). If it had been me, i would have sued the dealership if I am correct or i would have sued the stereo installer for running the circuitry thru the ECM. Either way somebody besides myself would have paid for that ECM.