I doubt your 6000 visit has anything other than regular oil changes and checking of the vital fluids and adjustments as necessary when in the bay. For a new car, it rarely is an issue. That said, these visits do boaster the dealer/owner relationship if issues do occur and it can also intercept potential break down in the future. IMO most cars never have any issues until around the 50 000kms mark provided it is driven normally. Usually you're looking at brakes, fluids, tires, alignment (should be done every time you change tires) and various adjustments. Minor items and those are non-warranty items anyway as they are considered consumables.
Voiding of warranty is only applicable when it is proven that the mods or lack of maintenance is the direct cause for the issue. Beyond that, it is not within the best interest of everyone to piss off the customer. As I mentioned in our PMs. Warranty work always is in the best interest of the dealer to deny it. Bottomline is the dealer gets more money and less problems from the customer than from Nissan (parts overhead, discounted labour rates and headache of filing with Nissan). That said, good dealers would always work with and for the customers. Once you lose a customer, you're likely lose not only his/her business, you're likely looses his friends and his/her decedents.
BTW you do not have to have to do ANY work at the dealer for warranty to be applicable. The purpose of the warranty of the product is 'manufacturing defects'. Saying that, if there is the proof of negligence on the part of the customer to the warrantied part(s), Nissan has a good position to deny the claim. Obviously a Turbo kit or you don't do any fluid changes per recommendation or maintenance, then you are putting the engine pass it's designed parameter, hence no warranty if the engine goes as it is considered a direct cause. They can't deny you an OEM stereo replacement even if you have TT and Nos, etc and haven't change your oil in 45 000kms though if you're bumper to bumper still applies. The stereo has nothing to do with the mods or maintenance.
What we are talking about here is the oil changes and stupid maintenance stuff. Again, you don't have to do it through the dealership provided you have proof that you've done the maintenance per recommendation.
So why Mister Lube is 'warranty approved'. It is because engine failures are rarely the issue of fluids deficiencies. So in the event the engine fails and it IS proven that the fluid or fluid change was the culprit, then Mister lube would cover it. - This is so unlikely that it is a non-issue.
But that does not mean that some stupid kid at Mr. Lube would not cross thread the drain bolt and then it became the problem that could be more problematic. In this scenario, you're dealing with more parties to get the work done...all costing time and headaches. With the dealer, you drop off the car and tell them to fix their mistake.
Again even though it can be expensive, it is another form of peace of mind. Some of us think it is worth it while other think it is not. The call is up to you but again, like I said, good dealership will work with you. Remember they are in the business of making money too.
Last edited by zakimak; 03-18-2014 at 07:29 PM.
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