Does installing after-market products void the warranty?

Hi all,

I have a 2024 limited and ordered the cat shields from Cali Raised. Does installing them void my warranty? If I install raptor lights do they void the warranty?

Thanks

 

Welcome. It will really depend on the warranty issue.

Example 1: You have cat shields, with no other mods, and your OEM head unit goes out. Since the cat shields are only a cosmetic item, it would be impossible for the dealer to find that they caused the OEM head unit to go out.

Example 2: You have just installed raptor lights, with no other mods, and now your car won’t start. The dealer can find probable cause to deny your warranty claim if they suspect that an electrical issue, from the raptor light install, caused the fault.

 

Thank you. Makes sense... I'll skip the lights until I'm passed the warranty period.

 

Welcome to the forum from North Carolina via Modesto.

 

Pretty good example from steel.
It is dealer dependent though and how far you take it. With enough money, you can’t prove
X caused Y to fail.

 

Hey welcome here OP,
Good questions.

Install them both.
C'mon, warrantee wait period is too long, you could get hit by a bus before then.
Cat shields are easily reversible so give er.
Just send it on the Raptor lights they draw next to nil, and install videos are all over YouTube!
Goodluck

 

Yes

 

Your engine and tranny are as solid as they come. The rest can break and can be fixed. Enjoy your modified rig.

 

Steve Lehto breaks it down pretty good. But it's the magnuson moss warranty act. His YouTube has a few vids also.


http://lehtoslaw.com/will-modifications-void-new-car-warranty/

 

I'd be more concerned that someone might steal my catalytic converters, causing a $2k - $3k repair bill than whether a dealership would even notice or care that you added more protection, using 8 existing bolts. I've read of some dealerships selling a 4R with cat shields added...

Raptor lights, on the other hand, seem to have the potential to cause electrical issues and I wouldn't bother, but that's just me.

 

When dealership was forcing me to buy extended warranty, I told them that I will be doing a lot of mods to the car. He stopped.

 

Steve Lehto’s channel is pretty awesome to listen to while working. Good recommend link!

 

Welcome.

 

Not unless the mod causes a failure and the dealer will simply refuse to cover the repair. They don't stamp your windshield with VOID.

 

Unfortunately Dealers may choose not to honor a warranty once a related aftermarket part is installed.
Toyota head office might refuse to pay for that repair.
For Raptors install, use Tap-a-fuse for a non-essential item like KDSS.
Towing fuse etc...

Buy only Toyota/Lexus Warranties.

 

I work for Audi warranty, and while it's obviously a different brand, I can tell you how we handle warranty repairs.

Each warranty job has a labor code attached to it. For example; coolant pump has labor code 1955. Thermostat has labor code 1958. A tail light has a labor code of 9431 and a fog light is 9467.
So you can see that they are grouped according to their type. Engine cooling related as 19 and exterior electrical as 94. When a vehicle that has been modified comes in, say they had an ecu tune. It gets connected to diagnostics. If the tune is detected, the vehicle will get flagged. Once flagged, you cannot remove the flag. However, it doesn't mean you can no longer repair under warranty. Audi has made it simpler for us and they created a chart. So for ecu tuning, Audi has determined which labor groups can be applied and which are not covered. For ecu tuning, they will say most engine related labor groups will not be covered and anything tied to drivetrain. But, if a headlight goes out, it can still be covered by warranty. And any safety related campaigns and recalls can also be performed.

I'm not sure how Toyota does it, and I hope to talk to their Warranty Administrator one day to find out.

 

I got an extended warranty ( Toyota Care 10Y/100K:I know it is probably not worth the money, but having the peace of mind that if there are any big issues, it should be covered helps relieve any anxiety. ), mainly for the things I will not be making mods on.

My 4Runner is mainly a daily driver. It is for the truck-like stuff of a suburbanite dad. On occasion, I may want to go camping or play in the mud.

Any Mod I use will just be to personalize my runner. This is one of the reasons why I got the last of the Gen 5 Models. There is so much stuff out there; my choices are endless. I got the red one because it stands out. I want it to stand out even more, I do not want it to be boring.


I would like to add raptor lights and other lights inside and outside. That warranty makes me a little reluctant. I am more afraid of the hassle of proving that minor tweaks didn't cause damage.

I will first replace the 20v port in the front with the Toyota genuine dual USB port. It looks like an easy installation, and I should be able to do it myself. However, the dealer charges $170/hr for labor, and I will not pay that much for such a simple job for fear of voiding a warranty.
If I were to get a cat shield, I would just have the dealer install the Toyota one. I'm too old to climb under the truck.

After that, I will look at interior LEDs, hatch, and approach foot lighting upgrades. All of these are just replacing what came standard in the car. I can't imagine any of those things causing issues. I believe those things would be covered under the warranty act mentioned above.

I guess I am saying all this because I can relate to the OP. I just spent a fortune on a truck that I love, and my goal is to make it last as long as possible. That being said, I also bought the 4runner to customize it, to have the ability to go off-road, and because it is reliable.

Why have the truck if I am afraid to use it? If Toyota refuses a warranty because of the minor changes they will have a fight on their hands. From what I have seen, they are pretty reasonable. (Dealerships, not so much)

 

Hi, did the cali raised cat shields fit your limited without any problems?

 

It is my understanding that you can't install the cat shields if the XREAS system is still installed. Cali Raised indicates the shields are not compatible with the Limited trim.

 

I installed an aftermarket rear window controller (up/down and hatch pop buttons). Recently, had rear wdw motor fail and get replaced by dealer n/c. I have the Toyota 10y warranty! Don’t know if it helped. But, I did tell service rep in advance. Also, I live on the west slope in CO and spend lots of time in Moab. Rep told me they cleaned out a 1/4’+ of moon dust as well. Maybe being honest helped as well!

 

Let me know how the installation goes. I also have a Limited trim but didn't buy this cat shield because the X-REAS hydraulic lines are in the way. Why didn't Cali Raised release a version that works with X-REAS, I have no idea.

 

Answer to this is complicated. Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act protects against voiding of warranty, but unfortunately in many circumstances it is up to the dealership to interpret it. For anything clear-cut unrelated, such as honoring engine warranty after you lifted the car, you warranty is safe. For other issues, such as tuning engine and then having differential failure, it is up to the dealer. One of the reasons dealership sometimes doesn't like doing warranty jobs is because warranty pays reduced/fixed hours rate. If they have better work and are the issue is not a straight-forward, then they would rather do that.

For your specific mod, you are likely safe. However, I'd remove shields prior going to the dealership if you ever have catalytic failure work done under warranty.

 

I have Raptors no Issues.
However, I would only install easily removed mods.
Just in case a factory warranty issues occurs.

Can just uninstall before Dealer visit.

 

I bought the Cali-Raised Cat Shields for our 2024. They are still in the garage waiting for me to get around to it (I'm waiting to time it for our 1st break-in oil change around 1k). I also want to spray some woolwax while I'm under there.

I am not hesitating to install them. If I'm paranoid about a warranty issue related to anything exhaust, I will remove them before taking it in. Other than that, they will stay on for anything else.

To me, the risk of cat theft is higher than Toyota voiding a warranty because of their existence.

I may wait until the initial warranty is expired before doing anything else to car. I am getting the itch to upgrade the stereo only because I had 2 amplifiers (set of Polk components and 1 12) in our older SUV that this replaced.