Warranty on New Car

leinster93

The OH has a recently new Kia which is coming up for service. I've always serviced our own cars over the years but I was told by a mate that doing a diy service will void the warranty i.e 7 yr warranty gone.
I saw advice from a US based site recently that if doing a service oneself then to keep receipts of air filter, oil filter, oil used etc. for proof that correct parts etc were used and is then sufficient in keeping the warranty. (If a dealer raises it that the warranty was breached where something has gone wrong.
The advice on the US site was that anyone who wants and is in the know of how to service their car is entitled to service their own car while still maintaining the warranty.
It has been suggested to me in the past that those with a vested interest obviously don't want people to service their own cars and therefore with the manufacturer on board it is verbally stated that the warranty will be voided if servicing the car oneself.
I'm sure it stated in the handbook if I look that it says that "Any unauthorized work carried out by a non-legit mechanic/garage on your car will null and void the warranty".

I'm looking for clarity on this. Maybe it would be potentially a legal issue, I dunno. Will I definitely be voiding the warranty of the Kia if I service it myself with all receipts showing I used all correct parts?...

MuppetCheck

You can do it yourself and keep warranty but you need a yearly inspection for some of the items covered for up to 7 years. Given the cost of a dealer inspection plus your parts you're probably better off just getting it serviced by them.

Atlantic Dawn

The 2 year standard EU warranty will be covered if you use original parts, keep receipts etc. The 7 year warranty will likely require Kia to be servicing it each time, the terms of which are entirely up to them, it's not covered by the EU regulations once it goes over the 2 years.

bazz26

If you are getting it serviced somewhere other than a main dealer, Kia probably will look for evidence that genuine parts were used in the event of a warranty or goodwill claim. Also as MC said it still needs to be inspected by a Kia dealer once a year as a condition of the warranty.

So really you need to weigh up the cost of servicing it yourself or by an independent versus the cost by the main dealer. If there is not a huge difference then I'd go with the main dealer just for the warranty.

slimjimmc

EU Block Exemption Regulations are your friend since 2003. They prohibit motor manufacturers from making warranties conditional on you using their dealer network and branded parts. Basically you can use any garage and use any parts of 'matching quality' without invalidating the warranty.
However if you need to make a warranty claim and the damage was caused by the person doing the service or the service part then that claim can be rejected.

I suppose the problem for a DIYer is that they are generally not qualified mechanics so there may be an issue with proving competency.

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/sectors/motor_vehicles/legislation/legislation.html
Still not an easy read but the FAQs should help

bazz26

Don't think an extended warranty would be covered under that ruling though. In Kia's case the minimum warranty they are required to offer is the first 2 years, anything after that is an add on and they would be entitled to apply their own terms and conditions to.

leinster93

Thanks for the informative replies. 18 euro for air and oil filter. Halfords oil at 15 euro (on sale). Ttl 33 euro. Quotes of approx 160 to 240 euro for service.
First 2 yrs warranty covered under eu law. Unsure there after... is it worth it.? Maybe.

Special Circumstances

leinster93 wrote: »

Halfords oil at 15 euro (on sale). Ttl 33 euro.

Which oil? I've used and continue to use halfords €10/15 sale oil, but I don't have a brand spanking new modern diesel. You need to be careful with the oil specs.

leinster93

Special Circumstances wrote: »

Which oil? I've used and continue to use halfords 10/15 sale oil, but I don't have a brand spanking new modern diesel. You need to be careful with the oil specs.

I should have stated this as an estimate based on my own car. The 5W30 Fully synthetic was on offer for 15 euro. I used this in my car last w/e.

slimjimmc

bazz26 wrote: »

Don't think an extended warranty would be covered under that ruling though. In Kia's case the minimum warranty they are required to offer is the first 2 years, anything after that is an add on and they would be entitled to apply their own terms and conditions to.

According to Kia's website it is standard at no extra cost on all sales since Jan 2010. I can't find the fine print but that would certainly suggest it is now Kia's standard warranty (not an optional add-on) regardless of what other brands are offering.

Likewise with Renault's standard 5 year warranty. If you read their T&Cs you'll see they do not require any servicing be done by their dealer network, they only require that servicing be up to their recommended standard.
http://www.renault.ie/aftersales/why-choose-renault/renault-warranty/

bazz26

slimjimmc wrote: »

According to Kia's website it is standard at no extra cost on all sales since Jan 2010. I can't find the fine print but that would certainly suggest it is now Kia's standard warranty (not an optional add-on) regardless of what other brands are offering.

Likewise with Renault's standard 5 year warranty. If you read their T&Cs you'll see they do not require any servicing be done by their dealer network, they only require that servicing be up to their recommended standard.
http://www.renault.ie/aftersales/why-choose-renault/renault-warranty/

What I meant by "add on" was that it is something the individual manufacturer offered rather than a requirement under EU regulations. The additional 5 years on top of the mandatory 2 years is something Kia offers so they can add their own terms and conditions to the remaining 5 year warranty, which in Kia's case involves an annual dealer inspection.

R.O.R

I seem to remember that work needs to be carried out by a VAT registered "garage" to keep the warranty, under Block Exemption.

I can't find anything to back this up though, but I really doubt that doing the work yourself, even with a back up of all parts invoices, would keep the warranty in tact.

slimjimmc

bazz26 wrote: »

What I meant by "add on" was that it is something the individual manufacturer offered rather than a requirement under EU regulations. The additional 5 years on top of the mandatory 2 years is something Kia offers so they can add their own terms and conditions to the remaining 5 year warranty, which in Kia's case involves an annual dealer inspection.

What is this mandatory 2 year warranty in the EU? If you're referring to the Directives on Consumer Rights that is a different animal altogether.

MuppetCheck

leinster93 wrote: »

I should have stated this as an estimate based on my own car. The 5W30 Fully synthetic was on offer for 15 euro. I used this in my car last w/e.

Oil for a modern diesel will be more than €15. It's bye-bye warranty if the wrong oil is used too.

On a new car I wouldn't skimp on the upkeep but people often do. One of the reasons half the used cars for sale here have no verifiable history and are in rag order.