2018 M8----Sumping? Failures?
That's why this extended warranty will be an interesting story to hear. If they pick up the bill, which it sounds like he was told they will, then that will be of tremendous interest to many of us here.
If the extended warranty doesn't cover it, the only room for negotiating would be to try to get the dealer to pay for the repair. If the situation is as Rich outlined it, then I'd say the dealer bears responsibility because he recommended the warranty-voiding tuner, and took money by selling it, and further recommended the extended warranty and took money for selling it. If Rich gets stuck, the dealer should be encouraged to stand up and back him.
1) For using a non-epa approved tuner
2) For having non-epa approved exhaust on the bike
Both are clearly referenced in the owners manual as cause for warranty claim denial. The factory warranty is absolutely gone if those 2 alterations are known modifications at the time of the claim to HD.
That's the ironclad rule in the consent decree -- aftermarket tuners are strictly and absolutely verboten. You might be able to get away with aftermarket slip-ons, aftermarket pipes, aftermarket headers, aftermarket cam even... there's nothing in the federal decree that obligates harley to void the warranty for that, so theoretically they could have some mercy. But with the tuner there is no leeway, it's black and white and mandatory -- warranty gone.
That's the ironclad rule in the consent decree -- aftermarket tuners are strictly and absolutely verboten. You might be able to get away with aftermarket slip-ons, aftermarket pipes, aftermarket headers, aftermarket cam even... there's nothing in the federal decree that obligates harley to void the warranty for that, so theoretically they could have some mercy. But with the tuner there is no leeway, it's black and white and mandatory -- warranty gone.
I have not read a HD franchisee agreement so I dont know what their obligations are regarding notification of bikes that are non-compliant. The Consent Decree states that if HD has information that a 2017 or newer bike has been tuned with a non-epa approved tuner then HD must deny the claim. Obviously that leaves some gaps in what information HD is aware of in determining whether a warranty claim is to be approved.
That's the ironclad rule in the consent decree -- aftermarket tuners are strictly and absolutely verboten. You might be able to get away with aftermarket slip-ons, aftermarket pipes, aftermarket headers, aftermarket cam even... there's nothing in the federal decree that obligates harley to void the warranty for that, so theoretically they could have some mercy. But with the tuner there is no leeway, it's black and white and mandatory -- warranty gone.
I have not read a HD franchisee agreement so I dont know what their obligations are regarding notification of bikes that are non-compliant. The Consent Decree states that if HD has information that a 2017 or newer bike has been tuned with a non-epa approved tuner then HD must deny the claim. Obviously that leaves some gaps in what information HD is aware of in determining whether a warranty claim is to be approved.
Section 14(b) says:
Here we have a dealer who sold a non-compliant tuner, and who installed the noncompliant tuner, and who used the non-compliant tuner to tune a bike with non-compliant pipes (that they also sold and installed), and then the engine blew up during sumping... I cannot imagine how they could in any manner plead ignorance to Harley.
So -- either the customer is screwed, or the dealer is a dishonorable scumbag who lies and defrauds his corporate partner, at risk of putting the corporate partner in a world of hurt with the feds. The only way out of this is for the dealer to reach into his own wallet and pay the customer's repair bills.
The EPA may not be able to make the dealers party to the consent decree, but they have ensured in all reasonable ways that the dealers will cooperate. Because the MoCo is screwed hard if a dealer cheats 'em, and you can bet that the retaliation against the cheating dealer will be substantial.
Last edited by FatBob2018; Mar 23, 2018 at 07:02 PM.
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
Section 14(b) says:
So the EPA cannot compel the dealer, but the EPA has compelled Harley to compel their dealers. If Harley were to turn a blind eye, they'd be in huge trouble. The dealerships were to have been instructed that they must share knowledge that non-compliant tuners were used.
Here we have a dealer who sold a non-compliant tuner, and who installed the noncompliant tuner, and who used the non-compliant tuner to tune a bike with non-compliant pipes (that they also sold and installed), and then the engine blew up during sumping... I cannot imagine how they could in any manner plead ignorance to Harley.
So -- either the customer is screwed, or the dealer is a dishonorable scumbag who lies and defrauds his corporate partner, at risk of putting the corporate partner in a world of hurt with the feds. The only way out of this is for the dealer to reach into his own wallet and pay the customer's repair bills.
The EPA may not be able to make the dealers party to the consent decree, but they have ensured in all reasonable ways that the dealers will cooperate. Because the MoCo is screwed hard if a dealer cheats 'em, and you can bet that the retaliation against the cheating dealer will be substantial.







