Hi scotty and community. I bought a brand new Toyota Corolla LE last week to use as my daily driver (after listening to your advice), but I don't want to take it to the dealer to have it serviced. If I take it to an independent shop, will that void the factory warranty that comes with the car?? I've had some unpleasant experiences going to the dealer in the past so I really dont want to take it there. But, I still want my warranty to last the full time and mileage in case I need to use it. any advice? thank you
Make sure everything is fully documented and all the correct parts are used during service. Per the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act you should be protected and the burden of proof is on the manufacturer/dealer to prove something you did to the vehicle (in this case going to independent shop) caused the issue for which you want to file a warranty claim. That being said, the dealer/manufacturer can still give you a tough time about it and play games, so I would still try to get it serviced by the dealer (pick a different dealer if possible) so everything is in their system and if anything goes wrong then it’s truly on them. It’s not worth potential headaches as sometimes these manufacturers look for ways to get out of a warranty claim, so why give them an excuse? Obviously, once the warranty is up take it to an independent shop.
No. See the federal law, section (c) here: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/16/700.10
