Do truck warranties prohibit you from purchasing spare parts yourselves/installing them yourselves?

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by BeHereNow97, Dec 3, 2021.

  1. BeHereNow97

    BeHereNow97 Heavy Load Member

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    Kind of a random thread. Not sure if it needs it's own thread either but don't know where to ask.

    So I was thinking about this today. I remember an O/O on here saying they ordered a spare DEF sensor so they wouldn't have to potentially wait months on a new one if theirs broke.

    So with all the parts shortages and all that, my question is this: If you buy a new truck or even a used truck under warranty, are you prohibited from purchasing spare parts yourselves? Because maybe the warranty says a certain type of dealership has to install them and because the warranty maybe only accepts certain name brands per part or something like that?

    Hopefully what I'm asking makes sense. Don't plan on becoming an O/O but I was thinking how it would really suck if an O/O had money for a spare DEF sensor but maybe the warranty said they had to bring it into their dealership of choice, thus preventing the O/O from being able to purchase a spare DEF sensor due to the warranty not covering it and also if said spare DEF sensor caused future problems with the truck, maybe the warranty wouldn't cover those future problems either.
     
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  3. ZVar

    ZVar Road Train Member

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    If you wish for the warranty to pay for it, gotta wait until it's broke.
    If you are asking if they will deny a future claim based on 3rd party add on's.. Well that depends on the warranty. OEM warranty will tend to unless it's obvious the 3rd party part caused the problem. Random 3rd party warranties will deny the work no matter what. That's normal for 3rd party warranties though.
     
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  4. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    You can buy whatever parts you want for spares.

    Now if you replace a failed part that was under warranty don't expect them to reimburse you the cost of the part. Slim to zero chance of that happening.
     
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  5. MTMAUS

    MTMAUS Light Load Member

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    If there is any parts you are worried about, buy the spares, when the warranty item fails put on your spare, then take it to the dealership, at the front gate put the warranty broken item back on, and put the spare back in your spares pile.

    I have had starter's and alternators go that are under warranty where I have put on a spare as I was away from my mechanic, for warranty I like to use the same shop as its easier in the future to get items through warranty
     
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  6. Lazer

    Lazer Road Train Member

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    Under warranty, if possible use OEM parts, and keep the receipt, and package.
     
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  7. roundhouse

    roundhouse Road Train Member

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    Depends on what saves the most
    Obey

    if it’s just a sensor
    I’d swap it and keep rolling and stay away from the stealership

    they will let your rig sit for days and days before they even look at it .

    how much revenue are you going no to lose while it’s sitting at the stealership for days or weeks ?
    Waiting for a sensor that they Probabaly don’t have and can’t get ?

    A much better financial
    Move is to pay out of pocket for the $200 sensor and keep rolling and making money .
     
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  8. BeHereNow97

    BeHereNow97 Heavy Load Member

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    Ok but say in this example you buy the sensor, have a mechanic install it. What if the mechanic messes something up and it causes a problem with something that's not the sensor - Will the warranty know that you put in a sensor outside of their "approved" dealerships or whatever?

    Or what if the mechanic does everything right but the sensor itself messes up another part of the truck. Will the warranty then cover repairs because you got the sensor installed at a non-approved facility and maybe you didn't get the particular sensor brand that the warranty approves of?

    This is just an example and could apply to any part, whether a sensor or anything else. I'm just wondering if you start doing work on the truck outside "approved name brands" and outside of "approved mechanic dealerships" if that gives the warranty grounds to deny you reimbursement for future breakdowns of the truck or whatever.

    Or maybe I'm over complicating this in my head.
     
  9. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    You're overcomplicating it. Unless the part has a serial number or something to track it they can't prove if it was replaced or not. Assuming you put new, OEM parts in it.
     
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  10. roundhouse

    roundhouse Road Train Member

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    Don’t Most sensors just thread in ?

    slightly harder than changing a light bulb?
     
  11. BeHereNow97

    BeHereNow97 Heavy Load Member

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    I honestly don't know anything about mechanics. I was just using DEF sensor as an example. I'm sure with how computerized everything is that there are other complicated parts on a truck that if a mechanic screws something up, or maybe the part installed is just plain bad and gets recalled later, that it can lead to other things in the truck malfunctioning. And that's what I was wondering of whether a warranty would cover it.

    But Amodelcat answered my question good. I was overcomplicating things and they're not going to be able to prove if it was replaced or not, for most parts I'm assuming.
     
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