There’s no shortage of anecdotal sound bites circulating online about manufacturers or car dealerships denying warranty coverage for vehicles. Of course, these stories are being told almost exclusively through the eyes of the customer. Yet, this doesn’t take anything away from the variety of the cases nor their outcomes, as every scenario tends to play out in its own unique little way.
You have everything from the mundane to the downright comical, and both sides of the manufacturer vs. customer equation seem to be equal opportunists when it comes to sharing the spotlight. This has provided a pretty reliable data set on what we can expect with respect to what warranties really do for the customer (and by association, the dealerships which are supposed to honor them) in real world situations. For me, there’ve been some recent stories that have hit closer to home and provided me with the material and impetus to write this article.
Does “Racing” Void Your Vehicle Warranty?
Speaking of “closer to home”, let’s get straight to talking about what taking your car to the race track does to your warranty. There’s no simple answer for this, as “racing” is neither unanimously defined to mean the exact same thing to everyone, nor is every claim approved or denied using identical criteria. But most of us know that the fine print matters very much when it comes to warranties, so these details are therefore crucial in determining the ultimate conclusion.
The best way to tell this story is to share those of others—at the moment, I do not have any of my own experiences to speak of, which I’m certainly not going to complain about, although one case I’ll be bringing up certainly applies to my current ownership situation.
Horsin’ Around With Ford
Before getting into the nitty gritty of her case, I’d like to formally introduce Gillian, who goes by @her.five.oh on Instagram. She recently picked up a new 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, and the vast majority of her posts are of her excursions at the race track. Gillian also recently joined the @speedfanaticsmotorsports team as their Lead Marketer and is an outspoken advocate for #womeninmotorsport. In other words, she’s all in on motorsport and her account displays this in spades—please give her page a visit, follow and some likes!
Anyway, one of her recent IG posts went viral, garnered thousands of views and has been commented on over 800 times. The meme-able reel features Pepe the King Prawn with text that reads “My face when Ford tells me they’re trying to void my warranty for taking “the most track capable 5.0” on the track”, with a clip of Gillian in her new Dark Horse flying through the front straight of VIMC in the background.
“They told me it’s “misuse of the vehicle”
Debated posting this because I really do love the car but c’mon @ford @fordcanada do better”, she continued in the caption.
All manner of comments started flying in once the algorithm caught wind of her humorous and well-intentioned post. Many voiced their discontent and shared sentiment that a manufacturer shouldn’t be able to unapologetically market a car as being, in Ford’s own words…
“…the most track-capable 5.0-liter V8 street-legal Mustang ever, thanks to improved aerodynamics, upgraded hardware, new software and tuning with an available six-speed manual transmission”
…then pull the “misuse” card to deny a claim—even when it’s one not directly caused by that “misuse”—after the car was being used for what it’s been touted as being so capable of. Gillian said she has not yet heard from Ford or Ford Canada directly, neither through a comment or private message.
The Fine Print
Back to the “racing” angle here. According to multiple sources—including the user manual that came with Gillian’s new Dark Horse—owners are indeed allowed to drive their cars on a race track without voiding the warranty. Based on the comments in her post, there are a lot of people out there who perceive driving on a track in any way, shape, or form, as synonymous with “racing”.
It does in fact clearly state that “racing” is not permitted in order to keep a warranty intact. But Ford, through multiple platforms, specifies “racing” as any event that is sanctioned or competitive—like a series wheel-to-wheel race or time attack competition. Gillian has been partaking in neither of those, simply enjoying her Dark Horse at the track via HPDEs, which is allowed.
Photo credit: Ford, the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse on track
This whole subject is rife with ironies and inconsistencies. Gillian told me that “Ford literally offers a free track day at Ford racing school as part of the purchase”, and this can only add to the confusion of what’s kosher or not. Weirdly enough, there also seems to be a broad misconception by non-track-going folks that those who track their cars are trying to “take advantage” of their warranties to swindle new tires or a fresh set of brakes from the dealer.
That’s just simply not the case, and certainly not for Gillian, as she was trying to get a faulty thermal bypass replaced. She tells me that Ford did not end up honoring the warranty claim, at least not directly, but they did fix the issue because a bracket was bent from the factory. In doing so, they ended up replacing the whole assembly anyway. Problem solved, I suppose.
Gillian says that she has since found a more receptive Ford dealership in her area—one that is willing to work with her to resolve this warranty issue in a more palatable way. On that tangent, seeking out a different dealership may lead to better outcomes due to past experiences with handling warranty claims: like in any business, some do it better than others.
Other Well Known Cases
The Toyota GR86 is a car that needs no introduction in performance enthusiast circles. Known for its engaging driving dynamics and impressive cornering capabilities, the GR86 is extremely popular amongst track go-ers and Toyota has made no qualms in marketing it accordingly.
However, the car has been subject to warranty-related controversies of its own, with oil starvation—ultimately leading to complete engine failure—becoming a well-known issue in cars that are pushed at the race track or driven spiritedly on public roads. In many ways, this plot shares many of the same tropes with that of the aforementioned Ford Mustang Dark Horse, so instead of regurgitating the facts, I think the below image captures the full essence of it.
Porsche The Gold Standard?
The German automaker has become renowned for how well they back their cars. From anecdotal cases and more personal accounts alike, my perception is that Porsche—through both the manufacturer and dealer channels—steps up to the plate when it comes to honoring warranties. There may be others out there who are just as good. but I’m not sure.
I would even argue that they’re more proactive with models that are motorsport-derived—not in spite of them being used at the race track, but rather, because of it. Their approach is almost the direct opposite of what has been mentioned so far, with what looks to be a lot more accountability in the way they market their cars, and to whom. Case in point: a fellow GT4 RS owner had experienced engine failure while on the track at our local motorsport facility. His engine was replaced via warranty and within a few days, he was back driving at the track. Solve problems now and ask questions later, it seems.
Of course, every warranty has its restrictions, and despite appearing to be more liberal with doling out customer satisfaction cred, there are some cases where cars are not covered. Without diving deep into every unique circumstance as to how this could be an outcome, many instances can be traced back to abuse, which would have been proven to be egregious and outside the scope of reasonable track (or normal) use. This is up to and including the vehicle being used for “racing”, which has been defined earlier and is the standard fare for production car warranties across the board.
Conclusion
So, is your car covered under warranty if something happens to it while it’s being used on a race track? The answer is frustratingly simple: it depends. The reasons for it, as we’ve discussed, are much more convoluted.
In summary, the data shows that:
- Certain manufacturers are much easier to deal with for claims of this nature, and have the track record to prove it. Consider this when purchasing a car you intend to use regularly at the track and do your research and due diligence.
- Other manufacturers/dealers may deny claims if they deem “misuse” of a car. This can be contrary to how the car is marketed, or even what official literature like a user manual or legal document depict. Sometimes public pressure (i.e. lawsuits) are able to change the narrative and outcome, especially if the problem is widespread.
Other things to consider when it comes to warranties:
- It’s generally understood that modifying your vehicle will often void its warranty, but not always. Typically, a burden of proof is on the owner to determine that such modification(s) are not related to the issue being addressed. Again, some manufacturers will treat this with more scrutiny than others.
- Read the fine print. Most performance oriented cars will have a section outlining track use in the user manual. Know exactly what conditions will cause a future claim to be denied or void a warranty altogether.
- Consider purchasing HPDE & Track Day Insurance for your vehicle. Depending on your jurisdiction and the provider, this can be a blanket policy or a pay-per-use arrangement. Coverage may extend well beyond what a vehicle warranty (or normal commuter insurance) will cover, up to and including parts/body damage caused by an incident while on the track.
Happy tracking, everyone!
