I have been thinking about getting an ECU remap of an XE 25T at some stage though it will still be under warranty. I understand that if it throws a rod out the side, warranty will be void, but has anyone here heard of dealers causing warranty grief for faults which are nothing to do with the remap? Has anyone heard of them purposely deleting the remap?

 

Another question on top of the previous one about ECU remaps. How do dealers view aftermarket exhaust mods if the car goes in for warranty repairs? Not after big, open loud pipes, but something a bit sportier and freer breathing would be nice. Has anyone heard of local dealers causing grief with warranty due to slight exhaust mods (such as higher flow Cat or mufflers)

 

There's a few things you need to keep in mind on this subject.

1. The dealers at ground level don't care about modifications, so long as whatever they are doing, they get paid for it, that's all they want/need. The official corporate line from JLR HQ is "no non-approved modifications are allowed or to be encouraged" but down the food chain, at the dealerships, it's not strictly enforced.

2. A major warranty claim is not decided by the dealer anyhow, it would be approved by JLR Australia, or for something big (like an engine) it would go up the chain to HQ. So it's not up to the dealers to decide if it's covered under warranty or not. Small things a dealer will take on themselves as a goal of customer satisfaction.

3. I know of one late-model Jag that arrived at the dealership on the back of a tow truck, the rear diff was destroyed. The car had an aftermarket engine tune in it. The diff was replaced under warranty. In a small market like Australia, where Jags are quite expensive, a happy customer is more valuable than saving a few bucks by refusing a warranty claim.

Dealers won't deliberately flash over a tune, unless there is a campaign for software updates and JLR Australia are paying them for that campaign. I know some local cars that have been only dealer serviced and never had a software update, ever!

 

Thanks for the reply Cambo. It makes sense what you say and is what I hoped would be the case. This has indeed been the case in previous cars I had modified slightly. Once or twice I had some slight grumbles but warranty went through after a bit of too and fro. The reason I asked about Jaguar specifically is because I have heard of one European dealer who had a campaign of checking for ECM (and other) mods and were outright voiding warranties due to minor mods until the owners sought legal help individually.
So it seems that generally Jaguar is not one of the more difficult companies as far as owners personalising their own cars slightly?

 

Cameron, this is a great post . . . you sum up the situation perfectly. My purpose in quoting out your gem on customer satisfaction and loyalty is -

• generally, very true for Oz Jag dealers and specialists I know;
• in a world lacking loyalty, this makes for "point of difference";
• applies equally when assessing independents, services, etc.

While I can still service my own vehicles, I use and value the services of a wide network of trusted specialists who have built their businesses on proven trust . . . for example, the Percival family (Roadbend Motors, WA) who sell and ship interstate Jaguars to many purchasers (including me) . . . based purely on this principle of highly accurate descriptions, specs and pics, good service and value and, above all, two way trust. They have spent a generation earning their reputation . . . so there is much at stake!

Compare this to some modern big businesses (banks, telcos, many gov depts) who spend all day talking or downright bragging about customer satisfaction and loyalty . . . but have never quite got round to understanding what makes for a satisfied (or dissatisfied) customer . . . let alone being proactive in the manner you described.

Cheers,

Ken

 

Good point.

Jaguar used to be very tight on their warranty conditions but, even here in the UK have relaxed this in recent years. It used to be a case of full dealer servicing up-to-date and no aftermarket performance upgrades fitted or warranty was invalidated. Now it's:

"Jaguar Cars will not reject any claim because of the use of an uncertified or unapproved part, or for noncompliance with any maintenance instruction, unless this action has caused the vehicle to fail to comply with emission standards."

They can't even insist on dealer servicing. "Failure to maintain your vehicle in accordance with maintenance schedules and service instructions may invalidate your warranty."

So it's not just in Australia. They need customers to keep coming back and even a major powertrain replacement under warranty isn't worth risking the loss of future business.

Graham