Myth: You Must Go to the Dealer to Keep Your Warranty
Dealerships love to imply that if you let a local mechanic touch your car, your factory warranty will be voided. This is a flat-out lie that is actually prohibited by federal law (the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act). You have the legal right to have your car serviced at any shop you choose, or even do the work yourself, without affecting your warranty.
As long as the maintenance is performed according to the manufacturer’s schedule and you keep your receipts, your warranty remains intact. The only way a dealer can deny a warranty claim is if they can prove that a specific third-party repair or part actually caused the failure. Don’t be bullied into paying dealer prices for simple oil changes.
