Ford has a history of denying warranty claims for cars that have been raced or abused said:
Ford has every right to deny claims if the car has been raced or abused. Most of us with modified stangs are proud of our rides and don't race or abuse them. Racing or abusing can also be done with stock mustangs. It seems the most important point isn't about modifying, it's about abusing.
Ford has every right to deny claims if the car has been raced or abused. Most of us with modified stangs are proud of our rides and don't race or abuse them. Racing or abusing can also be done with stock mustangs. It seems the most important point isn't about modifying, it's about abusing.
You are correct, but if Ford finds you modified the computer, they can and will deny warranty work. The computer on the '05's control so many more operational functions on the car then ever before.
They do not have to prove anything other then you changed their programming. Chips always voided warranty work, why does anyone think that re-programming the EEC will not void warranty.
This is not a bolt-on part you are talking about, so the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act will not cover this, no matter what people think.
Intersting stuff guys, thanks for all your insight
Im getting my mustang in may and am interested in modding it slightly
I guess i really wont be able to mod it unless the dealer i get it from is performance friendly
oh well its way faster than my current car so its still going to be nice
It is not because you have 30 more horsepower that makes it abuse. It is the tune. If it were safe to make 30 more horsepower with just a tune, Ford would have done it from the factory. They can and will successfully argue that your tune was unsafe and caused the engine to break.
um, i think ford didn't go for the extra 30 hp so that the penny pinchers can fill up on 87 octane and to make the engine a little rich for condition variances. But yes, they will void the powertrain warranty.
Then what are you going to do to make your car faster?
Can't touch the engine including belts, air induction and F/I or internal work
A H/C filter removal needs a tune
Headers need the engine block to be raised or k member dropped (basing this off 99+ models)
You can't touch the rear end for gears or any other drivetrain mods
You can get away with a mid pipe and a catback, and SOME appearance mods (I see the glassroof mod ruining some warrenties in crashes)
I will be surprised if you get 30hp from a midpipe back. Now there are exceptions, talk to your dealer and see what they let slide.
I think its funny how many people think you just make some little mod and gain all kinds of horse power. I guess with the older Mustangs, Ford did not push the performance as much as the 05. So HP gains were easier to find, cold air intake, performance exhuast, pipes, etc. I think its pretty clear by now the Ford and most all makes are pushing the performance as much as thier budget will allow before it leaves the factory. I know I have read that changing the stock exhaust just changes the sounds but nets no addtional HP becasue the stock exhaust is so free flowing.
So I said all that to say this, you might get 30 more HP from a tune, but I really dont think it will be quite that much, and if it was that easy to get 30 more HP I think Ford would have gone ahead and specified premium fuel and gave us the extra 30.
I'm happy with the 300 ponies I have and even more with my regular fuel. I know if I was driving the Nissan 350Z or the Mazda RX8 I test drove I would have to use preium fuel .
I think if I ever do add any engine mods it will be after the warrenty is out, and Im sort of board with the performance or wishing I had one of the new SVT models I cant afford.