Im thinking of adding a AEM cold air intake, and a Magnaflow exhaust system to my 2004 mazda 3. Will I have any warranty issues? I've heard mixed answers from people and want to know if anyone actually knows.

 

I called up a dozen different dealerships to find out if that i installed a CAI, would my warranty become null and void. 1/3 said yes, 1/3 said no, 1/3 said i dont know... not satisfied- i called up mazda customer service found on their website. I talked to a very nice guy who took the time to read the legal paperwork for me so I could get a definite answer - what he told me was that it is very, very blurry. A dealership can actually refuse to service your car and say its not under warranty anymore if you have a problem...if they do that, its up to you to appeal it. When you appeal the dealership decision, it goes to the District Service Manager - he is the "judge and jury" on the issue...he will review why your engine blew up and decide wether it was the cold air intake that caused the problem.

The guy at thecustomer servicemade it sound like the idea of adding a CAIisn't reallyterrible, what he said to me was that I shouldnt play with the suspension while its underwarranty because then they will definitely notbe in my corner. Personally...Cold air intakes sound too risky...with an 18k dollar car, to risk it by putting on a CAIis in my opinion stupid. Mazda itselfcant even tell you ifyour car would be covered by warranty...that should tellyou something right there.

If you get a CAI....i recommend getting the Mazda Speed one....its335 dollars but-it was made by Mazda for your car...all i hear about on these forums are how people with Injen and AEM and other major manufacturers have problems with their CAIs triggering their check engine light. Personally,I like the safety and security of my dropinK&N filter..moreboring than a CAI? yes....will it void my warranty? not a chance in hell... plus -ive had no problems to date...

Another thing to keep in mind....an interesting point that my friend at mazda made was that if you decide to slam your car, put racing decals on it and do a bunchof ricey or racecarish crap to it, they reserve the right to void your warranty based on looks alone....they deem that the car was used "in a manner that doesnt constitute normal driving conditions."...becareful...the wording of these warranties is very loose ...basically so they can tell you to stick it when your engine craps out...

make smart practical decisions and not the little boy racer decisions...

 

thanks for your help, ill definately keep that in mind and talk with my local dealer before adding anything. And as for adding stickers and ricer garbage, that definately isn't what im going for.

 

yeah no problem, just to clarify , by "playing with suspension" i meant lowering it and things of that nature - my whole feeling is that you cant trust these dealerships because there is no definite answer for anything...if you spend more on the mazdaspeed intake, it may just be worth it...hell I would have if i didnt already have my K&N filter...i just dont feel like dropping another couple hundred to pick up a handful of horsepower....i figure that you can only go so fast - and the cost factor just turned me off to the idea...goodluck bud

 

ok, my 2 cents.
according to my dealership, if you lower ur car, you will void the suspension warranty.
an intake, if linked to ur problem, will void the warranty....
ie, the mass air flow sensor is buggered up = warranty void
my engine appears to be leaking oil = warranty fine
see what i mean??

just make sure u talk to your dealership first.

 

Doesn't anything you do to your car void the warranty? I mean, my dealer told me if I take my mazda to another mechanic for an oil change I should save the receipts so that my warranty would not be void... by that logic that means I can't even change the oil on my own car let alone add anAEM cold air intake. BTW, I'm assuming you are moding your own car.

 

i'd have someone do it that knows a litle more than me....but from what it seems most dealers will just be stupid about any aftermarket parts

 

It isa litigating world out there these days and many companies are protecting themselves w/some ridiculous rules (by their Lawyers, of course.)
Manuals and dealer regs are left gray and open so they might take advantage of them w/o the courts overturning a decision they'd made. Youonlyhave to look as far as your owners manual to figure that out.
Mine is 70 some pages full of legal disclaimers!! You could make a game of how many pages actually DON'T have @ least one disclaimer on it.
If you mod, you take a chance on squelching your warranty and being responsible for damages or regular repairs. It's the cross us car guys have to endure these days.

BTW: Nice work Mike!!

 

wow thats rediculous. stupid legal crap i guess. I was thinking about a K&N short Ram air intake i found but now it really dosne tseem wotth it. Thanks though you guys may have saved me alot of money in the future