Hey guys,

I am thinking about a G35 sedan purchase. I am not into mod-ing or any of that, but I have a bit of a problem. I currently have a 2001 Audi A6 2.7T with the Bose premium system. I was thinking seriously about a TL or a G35, but when I listened to both cars (the standard ELS load in the TL and the Bose in the G35), they both sound pretty crummy compared to my A6's audio system....appearently Audi and Bose did a great job on the Audi's....I guess the point is that I am spoiled by what I have and I am a bit of an audiophile.

So because I don't plan on driving this A6 for the rest of my life, I am trying to figure out what to do about the sound system if I buy a G35. I have read a lot on this board about people replacing the speakers, amps, and such. I don't need a sub you can hear down the street, just a good system for listening to my CDs and sat. radio. The question is this, if I were to take a new G35 to a custom shop and have the speakers replaced, what does that do to the car warranty? Does the Infiniti service shop void your warranty? Thanks.

 

By law, your warranty can only be voided on the parts that can be reasonably proven to have been damaged by your mods. i.e. if your radio goes and you have added an aftermarket amp / speakers, you might have a hard time getting a new one under warranty regardless of the cause, but if your transmission goes and all you did was replace the speakers, your warranty will cover it.

I would ask your dealer its stance on mods and if they can recommend an audio installer, this won't really change the law, you'll still be covered regardless of what the dealer tells you, but it will make getting warranty repairs easier. Also, with infiniti, you can go to any Infiniti dealership for repairs, so if one gives you the run around, you can always go to another one.


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Thanks, god_of_cpu! Is this law federal or state-dependent? So people don't really get problems from the dealers, even if an electrical problem were to arise? Do people get really good result by replacing just the speakers? Do most dealers know of and work with good custom shops? Can anyone recommend a good custom shop in the Wash DC area?

Thanks!

 

Dealers don't like to honor your warranty even if your car is bone stock. People will have problems from dealers regardless of what you do to the car since dealers will try to find everything and anything to blame, once in a while they are correct, but if you complain long enough and theres not a strong case that you caused the problem they will fix it. In my experience most reputable dealers will not give you additional problems if you install a simple amp and speakers. If you go with a professional installer who will garuntee the work he does, there is very little risk of having to pay for repairs for things that happen after your mods.

This is from another site and deals specifically with warranties although it seems to be aimed more at engine mods.

Federal law prohibits a dealer from voiding your warranty just because you are using aftermarket equipment, with only two exceptions: the warranty can be voided if the aftermarket part causes damage or adversely affects the emissions or the emissions system. In recent documents produced by the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association), a trade association-representing specialty automotive parts manufacturers, and the following quotes have been extracted:

"The vehicle manufacturer is not allowed to void the vehicle warranty just because aftermarket equipment is installed on the vehicle. This protection for consumers is the result of a parts self-certification program developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA).

"Under the program, if a parts maker completes the EPA process of self-certifying its parts, the vehicle manufacturer cannot void the warranty even if the certified part has failed and is directly responsible for the warranty claim. In cases where such a failed aftermarket part is responsible for a warranty claim, the manufacturer must arrange a settlement with the part manufacturer, but the new vehicle warrant is not void under the law.

"If the failure to honor a claim involves the new-vehicle warranty, and it appears that the manufacturer is improperly denying a claim, the incident should be reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC is responsible for monitoring compliance with the warranty law; the agency's telephone number is 202/326-3128."

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Thanks!!!!