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When looking for a new car, you should avoid cars with non-factory-installed or aftermarket accessories & components. If you see a vehicle on the car lot you like, but it does not have a specific component or accessory you want, the salesperson will probably tell you the dealership can have the component or accessory installed.

Some of the most common aftermarket add-ons include: theft alarms, CD players, automatic starting systems, high-power stereos, GPS systems, and sunroofs. You’ll be a lot better off if you only install original equipment items, and have them put in by the dealer.

The deal with this is you have to wait for the dealership to either tracked down the car you’re looking for, or order it from the factory. The upside is that if you have problems with any of the accessories on your car, it won’t void the warranty like aftermarket products might.

Third-party accessories are normally installed at facilities though not been approved by a manufacturer or the dealership. And dealerships do not usually extend a warranty to cover third-party installations. The car manufacturer certainly doesn’t provide any guarantee because the components don’t come from them.

Sometimes even the third-party component maker won’t offer you any kind of a warranty on their products. if you find you’re having trouble with aftermarket components or that they might be interfering with the factory components, you might just be out of luck.

Very likely, your state’s lemon laws will not apply to your situation. We hear many cases, where things go horribly wrong with buyers of vehicles that have aftermarket components installed.

* The aftermarket remote starter wiring was improperly installed, which drained the battery.

* The third-party sunroof, ended up funneling rainwater right inside the car.

* A poorly installed aftermarket DVD player, shorted out the car and kept it from starting.

* The highway guidance system from a third party messed up the whole electrical system in the car.

Despite the seriousness of these problems, lemon laws in the state didn’t apply. So these people were either stuck with the way things were, or they had to pay to have the components removed again.

If aftermarket components happen to cause damage to the factory components in your car, your warranty may be partially or even fully voided.

Tags: Auto Tips

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