One Person's Experience: BT plate voided Toyota's warranty

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zenMachine @ Aug 15 2007, 11:07 AM) [snapback]496118[/snapback]</div>

I have a base package and a BT plate and I am very happy with what I have. It's a commuter after all and not a living room. Plus, I do enjoy the knowledge gained from reading a map. I drive on a windy stretch, and the plate significantly improves my driving experience.

With a moniker of ZenMachine, I would think your opinion would be less jerk like.

Namaste.

 

Perhaps some dealers will refuse to install aftermarket products due to the fact that they do not want to be held responsible if the product causes an issue with the vehicle later on. Examples I have seen include:
Aftermaket signal mirrors (turn signal in the glass) where the installed pinched an ABS sensor wire during reassembly of the kickpanel causing an intermittant open circuit.
Aftermarket alarms which cause improper door lock operation due to incorrect wiring.
Stripped bolts.
Metallic tint added which interferes with radio reception.

Although these were each cases where warranty did not apply, I still see no manner in which a stiffener plate could possibly cause ANY sort of warranty issue. So far as I can see, it would be similar to removing an antenna mast and replacing it with a fancy curlycue twisted one. So long as it is still functional and obviously cannot cause damage to any other systems in the car, I say go for it!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(draker @ Aug 18 2007, 04:32 AM) [snapback]498259[/snapback]</div>

No one is going to call you names, but you should be aware that a denial of warranty claim without a showing that the particular modification caused the problem in need of repair is a violation of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

 

There is no damage that the BT Plate could cause to a suspension because it does not attach to the suspension. If there is chassis damage, the only way that could occur is if the plate were either:

a) Dramatically overightened, way beyond the 17 ft/lbs of torque specifically called out in the BT Tech specifications which might end up craking the steel chassis; or

B) Not tightened enough, in which case maybe there was so much chassis flex from not having reinforcement that it led to another problem.

If this is not infact complete BS, then what it sounds like to me is a car dealer that doesn't want to fix what might be a legitimate repair, and sees a way out by saying that since the BT plate was installed on the car, and it is not an OEM part, then it voids the warranty. Typical load of crap froma dealer service department.

If you install a ProClip cell phone holder in your dashboard, and then something else mounted in the dashboard starts to malfunction, is Toyota going to say that the warranty is void because you installed a non-OEM part on the car?

If you put custom alloy rims on the car, and then you have some problem with your suspension, is Toyota going to say that iit isn't covered by warranty because the rims were not Toyota OEM? What if you change the tires? People do that all the time.

If you use WeatherTech floor mats, and your floor starts to leak, letting moisture into the car, is Toyota going to deny warranty service since they aren't OEM parts?

I don't think so.

Furthermore, how do you get around the fact that a number of people have had their plates INSTALLED BY THEIR TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENTS? Those clever service departments!! Now they won't have to deal with any warranty claims right??

I know when I smell a truckload of bull turd. I would like to see a copy of the estimate for this purported work, along with the written denial of warranty service, which I am sure that the OP demanded if they have half a brain. This should say something about why use of this part, which uses exactly the same fittings as the original part, performs the exact same function as that part, has no moving parts itself, and is built to tolerances and out of materials that are 1000 times better quality than the OEM part has voided the warranty. If the OP actually DID get something like this in writing, I would like to see Toyota's reasoning.

My guess is that we won't be seeing anything like that though. Just a feeling......

And as for the question about whether or not this plate makes a difference in a touring Prius, I can report that yes, it definitely improves the ride and handling...at least in my experience. I was driving my Prius around for a week before I got this plate put on (by a professional shop using professionsl tools and with the car up on a lift). I immediately noticed a difference.

 

Hello Jarrett,

The original post is BS and was meant to be a Troll, nothing more... We never received any emails from this indvidual nor did the site owner.

As I reported in one of my eariler posts, we have a great number of Prius owners that have our BT Tech plate installed on their cars with ZERO issues. These cars are present in practiallcy every continent on the globe!! In fact, we have a number of Toyota dealerships that have either purchased the plate and/or installed them for their own customers!!

There was no other purpose in regard to this thread than to try to start trouble and nothing more....

A better question would be why there are those that feel the need to lie and start these types of threads?? Makes you wonder about the society we live in today.....





<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JG in SB @ Aug 19 2007, 12:56 AM) [snapback]498559[/snapback]</div>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BT Tech @ Aug 19 2007, 12:04 PM) [snapback]498722[/snapback]</div>

The same logic can be applied to those that create virus programs whose sole purpose in life is to make life difficult for the users whose computers got infected by the virus.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(apriusfan @ Aug 19 2007, 02:26 PM) [snapback]498733[/snapback]</div>

The only problem with common sense is it isn't common!

I think some of these guys are just stupid and are jealous that everybody else can see, feel, and sense more than them and aren't as stupid. :lol:

Those are the ones that think its everyone else's fault that thier life sucks and won't admit that they are jerks to everyone else and what goes around comes around!

 

ANyone still holding their breath?? I suggest you start breathing now.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(patsparks @ Aug 23 2007, 01:43 AM) [snapback]500892[/snapback]</div>

If they were holding their breath, they have passed out and resumed breathing again.

All is well in PC land.

 

Let's make it to page 5

 

Yeah, wouldn't that be an achievement.

 

I've had the BT PLate on my car for just over a year and 25,000 miles. I'm not sure how anyone can say the plate made NO difference. How did you test it or is it just your opinion?

Anyone that is thinking of buying the plate PLEASE do the following:

Drive the car with existing plate over a selected road that has bumbs and turns. ( a country road is is great for this test) then drive your car as fast as you can safely on a curved on or off ramp to the freeway. Drive on an open freeway at about 80MPH.

Thes two tests above will definitely confirm that the BT plate reduces bounce and roll while causing the Prius to truly drive more sporty. My ride is much better, almost NO lean going on and off freeways at a higher speed then before, and my freeway ride is more controlled, before the BT plate the Pruis felt very loose in the rear.

I have had NO warranty issues yet but one option would be to put the OEM plate bvack on the car if any dealer questioned the BT Plate.

 

This guy needs to trade in his BT plate for a BS plate.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zenMachine @ Aug 15 2007, 10:07 AM) [snapback]496118[/snapback]</div>

I have the base package (#1) and I have a BT plate. And I love it.

BTW has everyone read through all the posts and realized that the original poster was a Troll and none of what he said ever happened?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Aug 23 2007, 12:47 PM) [snapback]501169[/snapback]</div>

I did. Considering how many posts there are on this thread, the OP has only posted two, the first post and then one shortly after. They have made no other posts, period, anywhere else. You'd expect some sort of rebuttal from them if it were true.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(subarutoo @ Aug 23 2007, 02:06 PM) [snapback]501141[/snapback]</div>

Usually BS implies a non truth or stretching a story.

In light of all the massive and overwhelming reports of positive confirmations... it seems to the ratio of greater than 100 "for the plate" to 1 "against", it rather seems more appropriate to call those who say it doesn't work as having BS between thier ears and maybe even in thier eyes since they see only seem to only smell stink and see foul, rather than what everybody else seems to be able to pickup?

Humm???... if BS is thier eyes "and" ears... does that mean they have their head buried in a bucket of it, or just up a cows butt?

So is that call a "brown neck"?