Advantage Camaro: Mustang Track Use Voids Warranty

[brt3]

Chevy is a LOT more straight-forward about this, it seems to me:

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

Racing Your Mustang Will Void Its Warranty, Despite Line Lock
BY Nelson Ireson NELSON IRESON

The 2015 Ford Mustang holds a lot of promise: independent rear suspension, a turbocharged four-cylinder engine option, and a completely new structure--all huge boons to the sports car fan. But what if your Mustang enthusiasm tends toward the straight strip variety? There's plenty to love there, too, from the 5.0-liter V-8 in the GT to the recently announced line lock feature that makes burnouts easier.

But if you should choose to drag race your 2015 Mustang, know that you'll void the warranty.

What, you ask? How? Why?

After noticing some fine print at the bottom of Ford's video announcing and explaining the line lock feature, which read "Racing your vehicle will void your warranty," Motor Authority decided to follow up and see just what that meant.

Basically, it means exactly what it says: race your Mustang and you can expect the warranty to be void.

But what, exactly, is racing? Brian Cotter, global Mustang communications coordinator, wrote via email, "If you are using this feature in an actual race (ex. at a drag strip vs. your neighbor’s Camaro) this would create a problem from a warranty standpoint."

Cotter further explained, "[T]here is nothing wrong with testing the capabilities of the Mustang in a non-race environment. You could, for instance, test your quarter-mile time on a closed-course. This would be permissible because you aren’t competing against any other car OR against a predetermined time, etc."

Still not quite satisfied, we asked for clarification, noting the enthusiasm with which Mustang chief engineer Dave Pericak and stability control engineer Scott Mlynarczyk when talking about the new line lock system offering a feature that allows Mustang drivers to maximize their performance at the track.

In the video, Mlynarczyk says, "We had one goal in mind, with the Mustang user who takes this to the track, and to provide a feature that we haven't seen out there in the field before."

Pericak adds more color to the idea, "Mustangs have a huge heritage of going out on the track. Our customers take it out on the weekends, they have fun with it. So, line lock is another example of where we're going to allow our customers to do what they want to do. They want to take this car, they want to go to the track, they want to have fun, and this is going to allow them to do that. It's going to be another advantage when you're on the track versus the [inaudible]."

You'd be forgiven if you heard that and thought it meant Ford had given its blessing to Saturday night grudge matches at the local strip. But you'd be wrong.

The line lock feature was clearly designed to help Mustang buyers to extract maximum performance "when you're on the track versus" just about anything. But using the feature for that intended purpose voids the warranty.

To be clear, simply using the line lock feature on private property, or even at a drag strip provided there's no competitor in the other lane or a purse on the line, will not void the warranty.

Cotter clarified in his e-mail, "Racing (ex. in a bracket-style competition at a drag strip) would be an issue; testing the capabilities of the Mustang at a test-and-tune day where there is no incentive for fastest quarter mile times (etc.) is permissible. You can have plenty of fun at a track without entering the realm of 'racing.' Issues would arise when you are specifically competing against other cars 'wheel to wheel.' Testing the capabilities of the Mustang is not an issue."

[Faster12]

Doesn't that just make Mustang fans all the more excited?! Well that entire conversation seemed a bit ambiguous. You can test the cars capabilities but not when doing so against another car? So if you get on a closed track and push your car to it's limits, that's somehow different from doing the same thing when other cars are on the track? Well I'm the first to say I don't know everything, but what I'm reading here begs one question? How will they know the difference?

[brt3]

The ambiguity of Ford's statements on this would drive me nuts. Contrast this with Chevy and the Z/28: Chevy is extending the factory warranty on the Z/28 to include track use – and has been very clear that the company stands behind the full performance capabilities of the car. I don't know what Ford's done in the past on things like the Boss 302 Laguna Seca, but Chevy is taking the better course on this...

[radrace19]

I don't think they would be able to and neither could you unless you had video of the exact time of failure.

Ford could tell you to prove you were not racing against another person. If you show a time slip you are void any way I would guess.

[shaffe]

Camaro pretty much has this same vague wording in its warranty book does it not? This is quoted from a member here

"The New Vehicle Limited Warranty
does not cover damage caused as
the result of any of the following:
. Collision, fire, theft, freezing,
vandalism, riot, explosion,
or objects striking the vehicle
. Misuse of the vehicle such as
driving over curbs, overloading,
racing, or other competition.
Proper vehicle use is discussed
in the owner manual.
. Alteration, modification,
or tampering to the vehicle,
including, but not limited to the
body, chassis, powertrain,
driveline, software, or other
components after final assembly
by GM."

[brt3]

There have been a LOT of articles like THIS ONE, that mention things like this:

"If that wasn’t enough proof that Chevy believes the Z/28 is a true track machine, think about this. General Motors will provide you full warranty service even if you cane your Camaro at the local track. There are essentially no other manufacturers that will cover your engine explosion in turn 6 at VIR."

There's another thread about this in this forum located HERE

[shaffe]

Originally Posted by brt3

There have been a LOT of articles like THIS ONE, that mention things like this:

"If that wasn’t enough proof that Chevy believes the Z/28 is a true track machine, think about this. General Motors will provide you full warranty service even if you cane your Camaro at the local track. There are essentially no other manufacturers that will cover your engine explosion in turn 6 at VIR."

There's another thread about this in this forum located HERE

I got my info from the thread on here about the guy whos friend's 1LE warranty was tossed bc he was autocrossing.

The way I read it is both Ford and Chevy are saying "track" use is ok. you want to go a test your car and driver abilities thats fine, but "race" competitively is a different story.

[McRat]

Line locks are easy to install and cheap.

Or just do the 3-foot-shuffle. Get some water on the tires, roll out of the box onto the concrete apron, take it to 6000 rpm in first with the clutch in, drop the clutch and hold the brake enough to stop the car, but no more. When you think you've gotten them hot, let go of the brake, and slowly lift the throttle as you apply the clutch, then brake.

[ModBargains.com]

Every single manufacturer has some sort of variation of the exact thing that was said by Ford. All manufacturers need to say that to protect themselves from customers who beat their car up at the track and expect Ford to pay for damages when you burn the car up at the track. Same goes for GM in total, it's no different with those guys either.

[Skylane765]

To warranty a car that is raced, I think is very nice of GM to do. In most cases the warranty would be void on most cars.

[Skylane765]

Originally Posted by shaffe

Camaro pretty much has this same vague wording in its warranty book does it not? This is quoted from a member here

"The New Vehicle Limited Warranty
does not cover damage caused as
the result of any of the following:
. Collision, fire, theft, freezing,
vandalism, riot, explosion,
or objects striking the vehicle
. Misuse of the vehicle such as
driving over curbs, overloading,
racing, or other competition.
Proper vehicle use is discussed
in the owner manual.
. Alteration, modification,
or tampering to the vehicle,
including, but not limited to the
body, chassis, powertrain,
driveline, software, or other
components after final assembly
by GM."

What I get from it is if it's misused on the track or misused racing it. It's the misused part I would think that is implied. Regular race, track use would be ok. The owners manual does say how to set up for track use.

i.e. If you like run the car with no oil or let get hot would not be covered while track use.

[gm_joe]

Originally Posted by Faster12

Doesn't that just make Mustang fans all the more excited?! Well that entire conversation seemed a bit ambiguous. You can test the cars capabilities but not when doing so against another car? So if you get on a closed track and push your car to it's limits, that's somehow different from doing the same thing when other cars are on the track? Well I'm the first to say I don't know everything, but what I'm reading here begs one question? How will they know the difference?

Can you say "Warrantee Loophole".

[shaffe]

Originally Posted by Skylane765

What I get from it is if it's misused on the track or misused racing it. It's the misused part I would think that is implied. Regular race, track use would be ok. The owners manual does say how to set up for track use.

i.e. If you like run the car with no oil or let get hot would not be covered while track use.

Yes track use, that excerpt I posted lists "racing" as a misuse of the vehicle.

[frayed]

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