Used 2020 with Mods done to it - bad or ok idea?

Hi all, first I know "let the buyer beware." Second, when it comes to mods I really don't know what I'm talking about it (so a lot of you will say then I shouldn't have bought a car with mods, I know). All that said, I bought a 2020 SXT with 9000 miles on it. I bought it from a Toyota dealership; it was traded in there. (Fortunately I didn't get it from some unknown used car lot). It appears to be in great shape, the interior and exterior look brand-new. I drove it home 1000 miles, not a single problem. However, it has a fancy aftermarket cold-air intake installed, and modified exhaust. To what extent the exhaust was modified I don't know anything about that. It is not a real loud growl, just a louder purr than normal. Great pick-up is great and no problems have happened. So I after I bought it I called the dealer, and all they would say is the seller disclosed to them the mods, but they don't know where they were done. Their service department says it passed all inspections and I have that state inspection list (but doesn't specifically address mods). I wanted to talk to the seller but they said the seller preferred not to give me their information. Now I am wondering if I made a mistake, if the car's value is lowered, if the remaining 1.4 years of warranty are voided, especially not knowing who/where these mods were done, and to what extent. Any thoughts would be appreciated, and thanks....

 

Have you taken it to a Dodge dealership to ask them whether the mods affect the warranty?

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Thanks for the replies. The factory warranty is in effect. However, if a mod part busts then that isn’t covered. If part of the exhaust system is modified and fails then that is not covered. I can understand that, it’s not factory installed and the dealer has no idea where or who did the mod. All other factory untouched components and systems are still covered. However, if a mod directly causes some other component to have a problem then it won’t be covered, but the dealer has to prove that. That’s what I read, the dealer said, and SRT-Tom said above (I think).

 

It sounds like very limited modifications indeed. The SXT is not usually the car anyone bothers to dig into the motor with. Some blower kits are available, though. It will be obvious that it does not have one of those. You can get the dealership to check and see if it has ever had an aftermarket ECU, if such a thing exists.

 

However, some do sell forged pistons and rods for the V6.
I do so wish the V6 was 120 degrees, like the Ferrari latest V6, that also has a "Hot V" with the exhaust exiting in the middle of the V.
I think the V6 has a great deal of untapped potential. Especially if someone gave it heads that didn't have a mono-exhaust port OMG.

 

Seems like yours are the typical mods that an owner would initially do to their car. Since the air intake was changed, there might be an aftermarket tune on the ECU. Some owners found that there was a hesitation on acceleration from a stop with an aftermarket air intake and stock tune.
You may want to take it to a Dodge dealer and have them run a diag test to see even if you have to pay the $125 (or whatever it is) to do it if its not "covered" under warranty. They can also inspect and tell you if you need to worry about any exclusions due to mods. At least you'll know for sure.

 

Here's some interesting information about the V6:

https://www.pentastars.com/engines/PUG.php

I found it fascinating that some of them have a dual-lift cam.

 

I would not worry about the warranty, cold air intakes & exhaust systems are sold by Mopar performance as well, even if they are another brand I highly doubt they will cause you any issues. Check your oil and perform oil changes regularly . The V6 is extremely reliable! When your ready you can look into having a tune done (look for a company that has done them before on the V6) you will get another 40whp/40tq to the wheels with 93 octane. Mine has been done for 2 years now absolutely NO problems. And yes you can use 87 octane too . Good luck and enjoy!!

 

ok so I took it to a Dodge dealer to check out the car and inspect for any mods. They confirmed the air intake was changed to a K&N (I think it was called), and said it appeared to be installed fine. The exhaust is an MBRP CATback. They said while its installed "ok", it was tack welded on; thus not fastened properly. But it is in no danger of falling off, they said it was fine. (I have no idea if I used the right wording on that one, but you experts will know what they are talking about). They said I had nothing to worry about with any of it, and it passes all inspections. The dodge dealer said if those aftermarket parts fail, they would not be covered by the factory warranty, because factory warranties cover factory parts (which, I guess makes sense). However, in talking to my insurance company, they assured me that since I bought the car modified with that stuff, my insurance would cover any damage to that stuff. I didn't get into details how that works; they told me I do not need to disclose to them any specifics about the mods. Even the technician and the Dodge dealer said he has over $3000 in mods on his car and hasn't said anything to his insurance company. So, any further thoughts on what I just said? Thanks all....