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Using Auto Warranty to Get Free Repairs You Are Entitled to Receive
KEEPING YOUR PART OF THE
BARGAIN
For the manufacturer to keep its part of the bargain under the terms of
the warranty and fix your car for free, you must assume some responsibilities,
which are as follows:
- You must not cause damage to
the vehicle through alteration, misuse, or accident. Furthermore, you
cannot expect the manufacturer to pay for damage caused by environmental
conditions. Examples include damage caused by collision, fire,
theft, vandalism, driving over curbs, overloading the vehicle, racing,
tampering with an emissions system, using contaminated or improper fuels
and fluids, exposure to the elements, hail, bird droppings, road salt,
tree sap, flying stones, earthquake, flood, or windstorm.
- You must not cause damage by
installing parts in the vehicle that are not authorized for use by the
manufacturer. To be 100 percent safe, therefore, ask any technician
who works on your car to use parts that bear the name of the vehicle
manufacturer or substitute parts that are acceptable to the manufacturer.
Often, substitute parts manufactured by nationally known companies are
acceptable, but not always. So be careful. An example of this is the
oil filter authorized by Toyota for use in some of its engines. Toyota
recommends that only an oil filter carrying the
Toyota name be used—not even one made by any of the wellknown
oil filter manufacturers should be used. Read your owner's manual. It's
the only way to know whether you are safe in using parts made by companies
other than the manufacturer
of your car. Remember: Using a part that is not authorized is reason
enough for a warranty claim (other than an emissions systems warranty
claim) to be denied.
- Parts and services needed to
keep the vehicle in sound condition, and parts that are subjected to
normal wear and tear, are not normally covered by warranty. Thus, they
are not replaced free of charge. Owners usually must pay for such things
as oil changes, cleaning and polishing of the vehicle, tire rotation,
lubricants and fluids, engine tune-ups, filters, windshield wiper blades,
brake pads or linings, and clutch linings.
Some manufacturers, however, provide extended warranty coverage that
includes routine maintenance and replacement of worn parts.
- You must not cause damage to
the vehicle by failing to maintain it in accordance with instructions
in the maintenance schedule. Misinterpretation of a maintenance schedule
is not an excuse. It's in this area that many car owners falter, which
results in warranty claims being denied by manufacturers.
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