Magnuso-Moss Warranty Act (1975)

[X5Ghost]

Thought you guys should know what this warranty says:

"Magnuso-Moss Warranty Act (1975)-Title 15-Chapter 50-section 2301-2312 US Federal Code:
Federal law prohibits new car dealers from denying warranty service solely because routine scheduled maintinance was performed at an independent repair facility."

Now the next time the dealer tries to BS you, you know what to come back with. Happy service visits

[Chip]

1975..? are you sure its still in effect?

[X5Ghost]

Why wouldn't it? Do acts have expiration date?

[lanbrown]

Originally Posted by X5Ghost

Why wouldn't it? Do acts have expiration date?

Yes some do as a way to make sure laws that are dated are not still on the books. This one is still in effect though.

[Wagner]

That one should be still in effect. When I was modifying Honda's guys use to claim this at service joints all the time and get warranty work done.

Example: just because you ran nitrous on your motor, doesn't mean a ball joint in the suspension should dissolve quicker (I know you can argue that it would because the person is most likely racing the vehicle, but that doesn't hold up).

[JCL]

Given that this is an international board, it is worth noting that this only applies in the US.

Since BMW includes scheduled maintenance in the US, for the duration of the warranty period, I am not sure why the scheduled maintenance would be done by another party in any case. Sure, you could go elsewhere and pay for it, but would you?

The Magnuson-Moss act allows warranties to be limited or full, it just states that the manufacturer must state clearly what the terms are. So, the warranty can still be limited in many ways, if it is clearly stated. There are also a few permitted tie-in sales provisions. An example that is permitted would be the requirement that fluids meet BMW specs, if BMW can show that the vehicle requires fluids with those specs.

The most common claim under this act seems to be related to aftermarket mods, as WagnerX5 describes. Nitrous in the engine doesn't impact a ball joint, agreed. I also like the note about racing; many warranties are void if the vehicle was raced. With a BMW, a frequent issue here is electrical mods, aftermarket stereos, etc. Batteries going flat without obvious causes can often be traced back to modifications made to the vehicle wiring, especially given the complexity of the wiring on the X5. In those cases, the justification of vehicle modifications is often used by the manufacturer to deny warranty.