Anyone got trackday engine/mechanical problems fixed under warranty?

[borgia]

Hi

My 2012 sti has done 5000 km and two awesome fun track days at hampton downs. When I bought it the guy said that I was covered under warranty for these. At the track however there was a consistent view I had voided the warranty, and beware seizing with the crap factory ecu map, or oil issues due to the nature of the circuit. I rang the salesman back and he talked to the service guys who said it was a \'grey area\' and on a \'case by case\' basis.

If anyone else has been declined for his sort if usage then I might as well get a real tune or go for some engine mods as I will probably be declined too. Otherwise I\'ll hang in stock for a couple of years.

Anyone claimed on their warranty after tracking their wrx?

Thanks

[Divine]

It shouldn\'t break after only 5000 k\'s

EDIT: it depends if its a track day / race / time trial etc

[MercuryFree]

If you bought it with the representation that it would be covered under warranty, you can go back to the seller directly if the warranty company declines you if/when something goes wrong.

Otherwise they\'re breaching their responsibilities under fair trading/consumer guarantees

Thats presuming with those k\'s you purchased from a dealership / car yard.

[Marky]

Good friend of mine had theirs voided by being spotted at a drag racing event - not a "I heard of it" - was a "they got a letter saying your mech warranty is now void"

Same as how insurance won\'t cover you stacking it on the track

Key point is - how will they know you\'ve done this unless you\'re turning up to a warranty claim with race numbers on the car _or_ if the warranty guys have had a "spotter" at the track (which is how my friend got pinged) (unless the factory GPS does an "unlock" on the track like new GTR does etc?)

Just get something off them in writing, could be worth its weight in gold otherwise it\'s a bit of "he said / she said"

[MercuryFree]

http://www.consumer.org.nz/news/view/refund-for-faulty-holden

Not identical scenario but gives an idea of the law in this area.

[borgia]

It\'s a bit complicated as he subaru warranty specifically excluded racing, timed laps, hill climbing and \'similar events\' .

My days were just play days with a driver trainer for some runs, which why it is grey apparently.

Thanks for thoughts so far.

[thorpy]

Someone I know got a rebuild under warranty after running 20psi on a stock gtb , all the modded parts were swapped back to stock before lodging the claim.

[Guest]

 thorpy said:

Someone I know got a rebuild under warranty after running 20psi on a stock gtb , all the modded parts were swapped back to stock before lodging the claim.

Interesting. Obviously the mechanics were as smart as me and didnt know exactly what would cause it and be able to say this discoloration means to lean etc and breaking this way means this and theres no issue with afm/injectors etc so that means you had a boost tap on it making it run lean so go get bent.

[boon]

Hrm I think if it\'s just a playday, so no timing, no passing, no racing, just giving the car beans around a track... they might have a hard time saying no. Because you could just go out and thrash the tits off it on a public road (frowned upon) and it would still be covered.

[Eight_dollar]

Warranty claims assessor\'s also look at items that are tell tales of racing

Rubber in the wheel arches - condition of tyres - condition of brakes (heat colouring in rotors) - exhaust mods - ecu\'s - etc

Sure most items you can hide, and you may get away with getting a claim approved

but its fraudulent - and getting caught has implications

trackdays are regarded as racing by most mechanical warranty co

[Joker]

 boon said:

Hrm I think if it\'s just a playday, so no timing, no passing, no racing, just giving the car beans around a track... they might have a hard time saying no. Because you could just go out and thrash the tits off it on a public road (frowned upon) and it would still be covered.

this is the grey area

also you void the Mech. warranty by modding/exhaust even brake upgrades I believe

[Pappu1]

i dont get it

isnt a sports car supposed to be able to go on the track for some non competitive driver training days and survive

as much as i dont like them most hondas do..

obviously the damm subarus are a lot weaker if they cat survive that

or is is it across all manufactures where no one has a valid warranty

so much for wanabe sports car credentials

[Marky]

Track days = "Competition use"

No different to warranties not applying to goods used for business purposes on a lot of things - a warranty can only go so far and while a sports car may be built to go fast, where do they draw the line

Good example is the GTR having it\'s warranty voided when launch control is used - same as if there\'s evidence you\'re claiming a warranty claim on your wrx from doing big limiter launches everywhere - just the GTR gives proof of it I guess

Plus how are they supposed to say "oh right, you have only been to "non competitive" driver training days" - whats the difference between that and a playday on track with no official timed laps

I suppose no different to the difference between your hilux breaking down from a defect vs you smashing a gearbox doing some hardcore bush bashing - there\'s "intended use" and then there\'s going a bit beyond what a warranty should/would cover

[borgia]

I confess I\'d be disappointed if my stock sti broke driving 8 laps around Hampton at my best speed. As pointed out above, it\'s not too different to a speed run early up the Kaimai\'s in terms of stress.

Anyway, it\'s just a theoretical concern at the moment, if it breaks ill ask the question of Winger.

I\'d probably take the Mintex 1166\'s off and put the stock pads back on though!

Thanks for the input.

[Guest]

Id be deleting this thread...

[pedro]

Interesting topic..

BMW..Will assess on a case by case basis although technically not covered by BMW ag..

Porsche...Will not cover you if the car has been "overstrained or improperly used"

Nissan GTR..not covered for competitive driving of ANY sort on track or airfeilds also no warranty if you put car on dyno...

[subysnax]

 evowrx said:

Id be deleting this thread...

+1

[borgia]

 subysnax']

[quote name='evowrx said:

Id be deleting this thread...

/quote]

+1

I cant afford to be caught out telling porkies as it would affect my job, so it doesnt matter if anyone reads this as I\'d be open with what I was doing. As I said, they have not said they wont cover it, just that it is not clear clear whether they would or not for play days.

Thanks

[Pappu1]

in a parallel example

if i went to harvey norman and bought a thumping big home theater system and then proceeded to watch a whole night of action movies with lots or bangs and explosions - all on full volume. and then if the unit broke -it wud be under warrenty wont it?

i mean i only turned the volume knob as fas as the unit had been designed to - be it maximum in this case...

anyway so if the car makers are so scared, then why not detune them to the point of 124kw out of the sti and 180kw out of the gtr etc..

that way warenty should be ok...

??

they all pretend to be sporty but underneath they cant even have the balls to back their own product

[Marky]

 SP00N said:

in a parallel example

if i went to harvey norman and bought a thumping big home theater system and then proceeded to watch a whole night of action movies with lots or bangs and explosions - all on full volume. and then if the unit broke -it wud be under warrenty wont it?

i mean i only turned the volume knob as fas as the unit had been designed to - be it maximum in this case...

anyway so if the car makers are so scared, then why not detune them to the point of 124kw out of the sti and 180kw out of the gtr etc..

that way warenty should be ok...

??

they all pretend to be sporty but underneath they cant even have the balls to back their own product

I think the difference lies in the human input aspect

With the stereo - for example - all you can do is wind the knob to 10. If you forced it around to 11, then thats a bit more strain than "normal use" and the problem with a car is that while track work can be restrained and (as said) no worse than a hard drive round some bays, some people\'s definition of it is to come back with glowing brakes - or a drift day - and the problem for the manufacturer is to say "where do we draw the line"

I guess there\'s a difference between what something can do vs what it is "expected" to have done with it - that whole "intended purpose" thing comes to mind in consumer guarantees act for example

They are sold as road going cars - taking it to a racetrack is something you "can" do but not what the intended purpose is - if that makes any sense - a warranty covers manufacturing faults but to a "point" only

Its a circular argument I guess, to be fair I\'m suprised they say they have a "grey area" at all

[Guest]

Hampton has a reputation of killing cars and especially subarus due to oil starvation around the final bend up to pit straight.

I wouldn\'t use my car there until I had a baffled sump. I know a load of people just put more oil in and get around it that way but that doesnt always work.

Track days are just not the same as road driving (even if your being instructed) so I doubt you wil be covered by warranty, good luck, I hope you are covered.

[Pappu1]

i think the consumers just need to get tougher on "sports" can makers

right now they have us via the balls ...should be the other way around

[pedro]

If you buy a new motorcross bike from honda and it blows up at its first race meeting there is no warranty..

This is a product designed and build to be thrashed to the max..

Its just the way it is.....

[Pappu1]

 pedro said:

If you buy a new motorcross bike from honda and it blows up on at its first race meeting there is no warranty..

This is a product designed and build to be thrashed to the max..

Its just the way it is.....

thats what im saying

makers sell stuff thats advertised as able to do this

they get magzines to test them on the track etc

we read abt their track potential

and then finally buy one

only to know its just a poofter/ladyboy

basically looks the part and makes the right noises but really u cant enjoy it like u had intended when you originally bought it

[Marky]

You know that\'s a reasonable point

What can you do tho - if they covered everything they\'d go under (or the price would skyrocket) from the 10% of buyers who would just abuse the f$#k out of the car / bike and claim warranty every fortnight