Can I Take My Car to A Different Dealership for Warranty Service?

Buying a car with a warranty provides unparalleled peace of mind, which is often rare in the secondhand market. One of the biggest reasons people buy a best new car warranty is the warranty that comes with it. Dealerships often make a lot of money from these claims and servicing. Every oil change and tyre rotation is another check that the dealership will receive from the Car manufacturer. These dealerships often even make the bulk of their money from these things and even make you think that you have to come to them, otherwise the warranty might be deemed invalid. Well, I have some good news for you. If you have bought a new car with manufacturer warranty, then there is no need to sweat where you should take it. Just go where you are comfortable taking it to and get it serviced.

Here are some tactics that car dealerships used to make you come only to their place.

Scaring into submission

Dealerships often scare the customer into coming back to them. They often use things like if you do not come to them for the warranty check, then the warranty will void. They make it so that anyone other than the dealership even tries to unplug a screw, then your warranty will be deemed fully invalid and will no longer be usable. Do not believe this and you can go wherever you want. There is also the tactic that modern cars are too complex and that shops do not have the equipment and the expertise to handle what the dealership can. If you own anything other than a Tesla, then you are ready and have your work done at any place you want other than the dealership. If your dealership is in another city or the state, go to the nearest dealership and get your car serviced from there. We promise you that nothing is going to happen to that precious warranty.

The law is your friend

Remember how I said that Dealerships use the phrase that newer cars are very complex and difficult to repair for roadside shops. Well, this was the case way back when European car makers used to withhold necessary apparatus from 3rd parties so that the cars would only come to their Dealerships for repairs and servicing. Well, some people did not see too kindly at this and a multitude of lawsuits were filed for the right to repair and then a Legislation was passed called the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. This Act ensures that it binds all the Automakers to let the customer have the choice of any repair work at any place of their choosing and they were not only to rely on the manufacturer for this work. This opened ways for third parties to get the equipment and let the customer choose where they want to service their car. This law also ensures that if there is a specific grade of oil or a part that has no aftermarket options available to the customer, then the automaker will have to provide the part for free so that the customer may install it anywhere they want.

Details are important

With the right of repairs, a word of advice is that you should remember to document each and everything that you have done with your car. Just imagine if you fed your car a grade of engine oil that was not suitable for it. Well, your car manufacturer might cite it to void your warranty. You will only make this mistake if you just “wing it” with all your repairs. So document every single thing you did outside of your dealership with the proper receipts saved with you.

Conclusion

Now why would one actually want to get their car serviced from anywhere else? Well, there are a lot of reasons one might be compelled to. There are many people that have bought a car from one place and then have moved somewhere else. These people have no option other than getting their car serviced at the nearest and most convenient place for them. They are also others that might live right next to where they have bought their cars, but they are actually sick of getting pushed extras which they do not want or need. I can actually sympathize with those people, and I fall in that bracket. Then there are those people who actually know how to work on a car and enjoy doing it themselves. But whichever category you might fall in, remember, that car is yours and you decide where it gets its work done. The Law also agrees with you, so do not sweat if you can or cannot get the car serviced anywhere else. One thing that you however should do is keep everything documented so that no one could make up things to void your warranty.