Am I to understand.....

[eric n]

Am I to understand that if you track your car either road course or drag strip that Ford will likely look to void a significant portion of your warranty?

It blows my mind that a car that comes from the factory with something like a TRACK mode, might void it's warranty if used at.....oh....say...a track.

Perhaps I am way off base, and if so, PLEASE straighten me out. I have never tracked a car I owned before, but this seems like one hell of a weapon to never take out and fire.

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[Renner]

You can use the car to test performance but not to race for money, time or any event that has either of those or racing against other people

 

[Hack]

You aren't going to race the car, so don't worry. Driving fast is not the same as racing. You can go to the track and run high performance driving events.

 

[mattlqx]

Warranty is void if you're doing competition. HPDEs are not racing or competition. Stick to leisurely amateur track events and you'll be fine.

You'd probably also be surprised about what your insurance company will cover at the track, competition or not.

Hint: nothing.

 

[Dave2013M3]

I will say this though, if you blow your motor at a HPDE I would have the car towed from the track and don't even mention it to the SA and I wouldn't post about it online either. You would be just asking for problems. This has been a recurring theme for BMW and Porsche and I don't see why Ford would be any different.

Dave

 

[Patio208]

I will say this though, if you blow your motor at a HPDE I would have the car towed from the track and don't even mention it to the SA and I wouldn't post about it online either. You would be just asking for problems. This has been a recurring theme for BMW and Porsche and I don't see why Ford would be any different.

Dave

Doesn't the "black box" tell all anyway?:shrug: They will know exactly what caused it.

 

[mattlqx]

I will say this though, if you blow your motor at a HPDE I would have the car towed from the track and don't even mention it to the SA and I wouldn't post about it online either. You would be just asking for problems. This has been a recurring theme for BMW and Porsche and I don't see why Ford would be any different.

Dave

Ford has absolutely done this. One of my friends was denied warranty on his 2011 GT because they found his YouTube videos of him on track. To be fair, it was a head problem from an aftermarket tune. The videos probably just sealed the deal in terms of denial.

It all depends on what the warranty work actually is on how far they'll go to prove you were at fault.

 

[Helmet]

Ford has absolutely done this. One of my friends was denied warranty on his 2011 GT because they found his YouTube videos of him on track. To be fair, it was a head problem from an aftermarket tune. The videos probably just sealed the deal in terms of denial.

It all depends on what the warranty work actually is on how far they'll go to prove you were at fault.

An after market tune will void your warranty, No YouTube video required

 

[Helmet]

Doesn't the "black box" tell all anyway?:shrug: They will know exactly what caused it.

It does, But legally ford cannot access the black box for any reason with the exception of aiding law enforcement. And law enforcement cannot access it without a warrant.

 

[Zemedici]

Doesn't the "black box" tell all anyway?:shrug: They will know exactly what caused it.

Ford wont care to do this tbh, unless there's a more necessary reason.

+1 on insurance though, all these guys you see on 1320 and TRC racing at the strip and crashing, fixing that comes out of their pocket...

 

[Sered]

Or their track insurance.

 

[MAV]

How does Ford (or any vehicle manufacturer) advertise this car as a street/track machine and then get away with denial of warranty claims when the car is used exactly as it's advertised?

 

[Hack]

How does Ford (or any vehicle manufacturer) advertise this car as a street/track machine and then get away with denial of warranty claims when the car is used exactly as it's advertised?

They don't show racing in their ads. They show people playing and having fun at the track. Big difference. And these cars are built to take abuse. It's not like some other cars out there where if you launch hard a few times you will damage the transmission or something.

There are some examples of warranty claims being denied, but I think most people who buy these cars believe that they will be covered. Some others have so much money they don't care. I'm willing to take the chance because I'm hooked on having a performance oriented vehicle.

 

[B17drvr]

The Boss 302 was warrantied on track. I know of a few engines that ford replaced. I don't think that will happen again. They expect you to drive the GT350 on the track and the owners supplement outlines that. A tune can void the warranty. Even if you remove it, it leaves a trail.

From the owners manual:
We do not recommend modifying or racing (for competition or time) Ford Performance vehicles, as they are designed and built to be driven as delivered from the factory. The warranty information discusses vehicle usage and the installation of aftermarket parts and their effect on warranty coverage. In the event the vehicle is intended for track use, and the loss of warranty coverage is not a concern, Ford Performance recommends the car is equipped with the Track Pack. Additionally, perform multi-point inspection and the maintenance outlined in the 150000 mile (240000 kilometer) normal maintenance schedule of the scheduled maintenance before and after track use. See the vehicle service manual for removal and installation procedures. Replace with Genuine Ford and Motorcraft® service parts as needed. These modifications may not necessarily protect your engine from damage in competition conditions. Subjecting your vehicle to competition conditions even with these proposed modifications may render repairs non-reimbursable under the warranty.

 

[Blk2015GT]

How does Ford (or any vehicle manufacturer) advertise this car as a street/track machine and then get away with denial of warranty claims when the car is used exactly as it's advertised?

Just because something is capable doesn't mean warranty covers it- big difference. The car is advertised as capable of going on the track and handling it, but they don't have to warranty your car that has been on the track. It states this in all of your car's documentation (no racing no track or warranty is voice, etc) so it should be no surprise.

Just like Dodge isn't going to cover you if you're out doing doughnuts at the Port of Miami down here like in their new Hellcat commercial and wreck (besides the getting arrested by the feds part). Just like you can't jump a Nissan Juke on top of a moving truck in one of its past commercials. Its puffery and a commercial.

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