Undercoat vs Warranty

Just got off the phone with Toyota Corporate. I wanted to know if an undercoat such as Wool Wax or Pro Fleet Care would void my warranty. Answer was YES. I'm not allowed to protect my investment!!!! Any of you hear of this? They said anting I applied that was on anything mechanical or electrical would void. They now have my name and vin number for frosting on the cake! Oh, I got a case number out of it too.

 

I don’t know what those products are, but if you look at this in the eyes of the manufacturer, I guess I can see it. To you, it’s “protection”, but to them (and who knows if you spoke to the right person), but from a blind phone conversation, they would have to see it as “modification”.

If something goes wrong with a factory part, within factory spec, under warranty, then more than likely it’s a simple warranty issue. If you have done something to alter the condition or fitment using a product or method they know nothing about and cannot endorse, then it becomes harder to not see that as a proximate cause. As benign as it may be, I’d bet whoever was on the other end of the phone HAD to say that. Whether you get a more sympathetic ear from a dealer if something goes wrong is another story...but then they would have to justify their claim too if there’s any non-standard condition there.

 

Not familiar with "Pro Fleet Care", but Wool Wax, FluidFilm, and coatings of that nature are not going to void your warranty; I can see where some of the heavy asphalt-type coatings might, as rust can occur under them, but topical oil or wax-based coatings can't hide anything.

 

If I install factory acquired bed lights does that void ?... Bed-Step ?... Third Party Tonneau ?

 

Does Toyota itself offer that service themselves or thru a third party???

 

The frame and floor pans are neither mechanical or electrical and nothing you apply to them will void other warranty. Like driveline, AC, etc etc.

The frame, especially inside, is your number one worry in salt country.

Just be relatively neat with the application.

Protect it and live worry free.

 

Depending on year of Tacoma and what state you live in Toyota applies CRC and extends frame warranty to 12 years from put in use date.

 

I agree with this. My whole point is that if you call Toyota corporate and ask about making a change of some sort (modification), they really have no choice but to tell you it could void a future warranty claim involving whatever you messed with. As I said before, benign as it may be, their warranty admin corporate people have to stick to the boilerplate statements.

In reality, the risk is next to zero. I wouldn’t worry about it...any more than I’d worry about my truck turning into a giant pile of collapsed rust before I’m done with it.