Warranty Invalid?

[hammerman]

My daughter is nearly 19....she has just bought a 2 year old Fiesta, Someone has persuaded her to put a K&N air filter on it.
Now I have no problem with this but would this invalidate the 3 year extended warranty we got for her if something went wrong with the engine.... or even the insurance, knowing how these companies would try to get out of anything.

Any help appreciated.

[bhg481]

If she gets a major engine problem the warranty people could argue that it was due to the air-filter not doing its job properly but problems with other parts of the car shouldn't be affected. It's worth checking with the insurance people whether the cover is affected; they might argue it affects the power or performance of the car. Safer to check with them than find out it's not covered if she has an accident.

[Buenchico]

While it's usually easy to answer questions about 'statutory rights' (because they're laid down in law), it's far harder to give definitive answers about warranties because it really comes down to "read the small print". (i.e. it's entirely up to to the issuer of the warranty to determine what it covers and any exclusions which might apply).

However it's hard to see how a warranty provider could get out of their obligations if there's no clear link between the fitting of the filter and a problem which later arises with the car.

Further, although the K&N website is very careful not to make any unproven claims about improved fuel economy, the manufacturers seem perfectly happy to make a categoric statement that fitting their product "Will NOT Void Vehicle Warranty":
http://www.knfilters.co.uk/filtercharger.aspx

[TWR]

2 Year old car! use the Original component, these warrantee company's look for any avenue to back down paying for a repair.

[Hopkirk]

If it is just the filter element, I don't believe the insurance company would be interested.

However if it involved changing the air filter box and fittings, that would count as a modification.

[ToraToraTora]

It should not invalidate the warranty but these companies will use any ruse to get out of a claim. K&N filters are a performance part to increase aspiration but in small fiesta I doubt it will be noticeable. So I wouldn't bother if I was her.

[sapelesam]

From small acorns. Whoever is suggesting that she modifies her car, probably a 19 year old male, will probably "persuade her" to do more mods. I know from experience that she won't listen to her parents, find her last weeks article of a young couple who died from carbon monoxide poisonong in a dangerously modified Fiesta.