WarEagleFL

I am new to the forum so I appologize if these questions have already been answered!

I recently bought a 2014 2WD and have been thinking about getting a lift/leveling kit in order to facilitate slightly larger tires. I have been reading through the forums and have noticed a lot of positive feedback about certain brands (Rough Country, AutoSpring, etc.). I have also noticed a few people who are unhappy with the way it rides after the modification as well as having a lot of problems down the road. This brings a few questions to mind that I couldnt quite find on other posts.

1. I want to raise my truck at most 3 inches. Has anyone found a kit that minimally affects the ride without causing long term damage to the truck? I use my truck mostly for small projects and driving to work.

2. I purchased the extended warranty and was told problems directly relating to the lift will not be covered. However the mechanic did say that I might be able to get away with fixing some problems associatied with accelerated wear down the road. Has anyone had any experience with a lift under warranty?

techrep

iTrader: (1)

3" will cause problems with tie rod ends and ball joints premature wear due to the angle's they will be placed at...most recommend 2.5 max. Have the Dealer install the level and it may be covered on your warranty...and a leveling spacer on top of your coil over should not effect your ride quality...the bigger tires may...

topper0108

After-market Accessories Do Not Effect New Vehicle Warranties
There’s a common myth circulating amongst vehicle owners and dealership personnel – according to some “experts,” adding after-market parts will void a new vehicle’s warranty. This is completely false. While it is true that an after-market part could cause a problem that isn’t covered under warranty, it’s against federal law to void a warranty because someone uses an after-market part.
The Magnuson Moss-Warranty Act
The Magnuson-Moss warranty act is a federal law enacted in 1975 that makes it illegal for auto manufacturers (or any manufacturer of consumer products, for that matter) to void a warranty simply because the owner of the vehicle adds an after-market product to a vehicle. The law states that manufacturers have to repair a vehicle problem UNLESS they can prove the problem was caused by an after-market part.
The Magnuson-Moss act also makes it illegal for manufacturers or dealers to require “tie-ins” as a condition of your warranty. Dealers and manufacturers can not require you to service your vehicle at the dealership as a condition of your warranty, nor can they require you to use certain brand name parts for your maintenance or repairs.
In other words, the Magnuson-Moss act says:
1. Warranties can not be voided simply because an after-market part is used on your vehicle.
2. Warranty repairs can only be denied when it can be proven than an after-market part caused the failure.
3. The burden of proof is on the manufacturer – the dealership must show that a specific after-market part caused a problem in order to deny a warranty claim.
4. When an after-market part is the cause of a specific problem, only the warranty for that problem can be denied. Other, unrelated problems are still covered under warranty.
5. The dealership or manufacturer can not require consumers to use a particular brand of part or require service to be completed at a specific location as a condition of their warranty.
Situational Examples
Example #1:
You install an after-market lift kit on your new 4×4 pickup. 2 years later, your truck (still under warranty) requires new front ball bearings. The dealership must prove that the ball bearings wore prematurely as a result of your after-market lift kit. Otherwise, they must replace the ball bearings under warranty. In this case, the dealership would likely try and show that the kit was either a) installed incorrectly or b) pushed the factory suspension beyond reasonable limits.
Provided that the kit was designed for your vehicle and correctly installed, it’s very difficult for a dealership to prove that your lift kit is the cause of your problem. Therefore, this situation would be covered under warranty.
Moral of the story: Dealers can’t just say that your after-market part caused a problem – they have to be able to prove it.
Example #2:
You install a nitrous oxide boost kit on your new truck. Unfortunately, the kit was installed incorrectly and the first use causes a major engine problem. When you take your truck to the dealership, they determine that your nitrous system was not installed correctly and therefore caused your engine problem. Because it’s clear the engine problem was caused by your after-market part, the engine problem is NOT covered under warranty.
Moral of the story: Make sure that whoever installs your after-market parts knows what they’re doing. Don’t work with an installer that you don’t have complete confidence in.
Example #3:
You pay to have an after-market stereo installed in your vehicle, the but the stereo is too powerful for your truck’s electrical system, and as a result your truck’s alternator fails as a result a few days later. When you bring the truck to the the dealership for diagnosis, they determine that the alternator failed because of the after-market stereo. At this point, the dealership informs you that any further repairs to the electrical system will not be covered unless you remove the after-market stereo.
This is perfectly legal. However, if any other parts fail on this truck that are NOT related to the electrical system – like the engine, transmission, suspension, etc. – your warranty is still in full effect.
Morals of the story:
1. Make sure that the after-market parts you install on your vehicle are designed for your vehicle. If you put the wrong part on your truck, you will have problems that probably won’t be covered under warranty.
2. Just because you have an after-market part that causes a problem, that doesn’t void your entire warranty.
Bottom line: After-market parts can not void your warranty. However, after-market parts that are either not designed for your vehicle or that are installed incorrectly can cause warranty problems. So, be sure to buy after-market parts from reputable companies, and make certain to follow use and installation instructions carefully. Follow these rules, and your warranty

ExpresswayFord

And who is responsible to pay for extra time involved to check if the fault was caused by the aftermarket parts (if applicable)?

techrep

iTrader: (1)

whoever wants to challenge it

zacharyz

Magnuson Moss-Warranty Act.......most people are really naive. You lift your truck. You have transmission problems. Dealer says lift caused problem and we won't cover it. You say prove it. They laugh at you and say we don't have to. You scream and stomp your feet. They laugh more. You want your truck fixed? You pay for it. Then you hire an attorney. Just for him to be retained you pay 2,000. Then he sends a letter that won't be replied to. He then researches laws at $400 an hour that you will pay for. You go to court. Costs you another 10k in fees. Fords lawyers devour your pathetic little guy. You lose. Or by some random stroke of luck you win. Well you may get your money back but you wasted 2 years of your life and definitely spent money you won't get back and probably gave yourself a ulcer. Pay to play. Bottom line it's always a risk! I'm married to an attorney(unfortunately) so I know.

funmoneypit150

iTrader: (4)

Please be informed when replying to a thread on here. There have been countless people that have had warranty issues with aftermarket products. This is your second post? Do you have the money to fight Ford's lawyers? I doubt it. Ford can and has voided warranties on a vast amount of aftermarket products. If you install a leveling kit and then your CV's go out, they are going to say it was the leveling kit period. Can you prove it wasn't?


How does that go; Gee, I read it on the internet so it must be true!

tanked_darren

This guy ^^

boomer85

I had my transfer case go out in my 14 1,300 miles or so after my lift 6" suspension. I fought with ford and the lift company and the lift installers for 3 weeks. 3 warranties covering my powertrain and each blamed the other party. Long story short I paid out of my own pocket for the transfer case... My truck had <13,000 miles on it at the time. Pay to play is right you may get luckyvand ford may cover it but they don't have to if the find a reason not to

drsuess23

I was concerned about warranty issues with leveling/lift kits as well. I opted to have the dealer I purchased my truck from install my 2.5" auto spring kit after I talked to both the service manager and finance manager about my concerns. They both said pretty much the same thing - the decision to honor warranty ultimately lies with the dealer you take your vehicle to for service but they usually will honor it IF (1) you have a dealer do the install, preferably the one you purchased the vehicle from and (2) you can't go over 3" of total lift. But like zacharyz said and many others will tell you, it really doesn't matter whether or not your truck is modified or who modified it or when. Your warranty is nothing more than legal fluff to make you feel better about spending a ****load of money on a steel box and if Ford doesn't want to fix whatever problem your vehicle has for whatever reason, you're basically screwed