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Boss 302, tracking, warranties, and the 2015 Mustang GT

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PhilTaylor

Track Attack 5-26-14
following the reveal of the 2015 GT and likely specs, there has been a lot of discussion re the comparo of the 2015 GT to our beloved Boss 302 in both '12 and '13 variants; and much knashing of teeth over the progressive improvements. the only one which doesn't appear incremental to me, btw, is the IRS.

while it is probably obvious newer is usually somewhat stronger/faster ( or how else do they convince us to buy in ;) ) the term "better" should be used with care.

if it is really true that Ford backs the Boss 302 on the track, as evidenced by so many engine and tranny/differential repairs under warranty on tracked vehicles (do I recall accurately someone was on their 3rd motor? ) in threads here on BMO - then here we have a key difference in that the 2015 GT will not be supported on the track, e.g:

Both hardcore racers and weekend warriors should read the fine print on their Mustang warranties, though. Even though line lock is a standard feature, and Ford says it should only be used on a track, actually racing your 2015 Mustang will void the warranty.

from:
https://autos.yahoo.com/news/2015-ford-mustang-gt-gets-standard-electronic-line-142119772.html

Ford says the electronic line-lock feature is intended for track use only, and sadly, that "racing your vehicle will void your warranty."

from:
http://wot.motortrend.com/1404_2015_ford_mustang_gts_line_lock_feature_makes_burnouts_easy.html#ixzz2zqlTYi64

that to me is a more significant deficiency then a 10th here or there.

to me that is one of the key beauties of the Boss, Ford standing by warranties under track wear lends credence to the claim it is a RCWALP. and I feel that will be more of a differentiator when comparing the Boss to the 2015 GT than the fact the 2015 might edge a 10th here and there.

am I right about Ford and the Boss?

does the previous generation GT with the Track Package also get a voided warranty if you track it?

what do people think about this lack of support of the 2015 GT in one of our favorite activities?

I would suspect the majority of the community here on BMO would agree with me, but let the commentaries commence 8)
 
If I remember correctly it states in owners manual that the warranty on the Boss 302 is void if raced. Maybe some dealers are warranting problems from tracked cars though.

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk now Free
 

PhilTaylor

Track Attack 5-26-14
1fastang said:
If I remember correctly it states in owners manual that the warranty on the Boss 302 is void if raced. Maybe some dealers are warranting problems from tracked cars though.

interesting...perhaps I am wrong but threads like this
https://trackmustangsonline.com/index.php?topic=2525.0

had me thinking Ford was standing behind the car when it was tracked.
 
Track days and racing are two different things. For example ArizonaBoss has turned his street car into a race car. I don't think he expects his car to be covered under warranty now. If you have a good relationship with your dealer it shouldn't matter. My dealer knows I track my car and they don't question anything. I doubt it would be any different with a S550 GT track pack of GT350.
 

PhilTaylor

Track Attack 5-26-14
right, that's why I said tracked not raced, and the thread I referenced was, I thought, about being at a track day and not about a heavily modded Boss like AZBoss's sweet race car. I followed his build thread :)

so given this comment about the 2015 GT warranty in those 2 articles I quoted, it still feels like the '15 car isn't as well supported for the enthusiast as the '12 and '13 Bosses are.

or am I off my rocker, which is always possible?
 

Tucson 302

2013 Black LS #439
NFSBOSS said:
Track days and racing are two different things. For example ArizonaBoss has turned his street car into a race car. I don't think he expects his car to be covered under warranty now. If you have a good relationship with your dealer it shouldn't matter. My dealer knows I track my car and they don't question anything. I doubt it would be any different with a S550 GT track pack of GT350.

I concur with Rick, my Dealer also knows I track my Boss and they never blink at warranty work
 
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Is it just me, or are these Boss vs 15GT comparisons getting old? Like somehow people are looking for a reason why the Boss is "better" than a 15. "Better" is such an abstract term and everyone has their opinions on what makes something better than something else. the only thing we know for sure is that its Newer, and has 3-5 years worth of technology/engineering improvements. The Boss is a great car. The 15 will also be a great car. We don't even know what the final specs are going to be yet. As for warranty, A fusion and a Boss 302 have no differences in Ford's mind. Look at the bright side... maybe the 15 will be so awesome that used Boss prices come down. Then it will be easier to afford another one!
 
1,281
3
Tulsa, OK
NFSBOSS said:
Track days and racing are two different things. For example ArizonaBoss has turned his street car into a race car. I don't think he expects his car to be covered under warranty now. If you have a good relationship with your dealer it shouldn't matter. My dealer knows I track my car and they don't question anything. I doubt it would be any different with a S550 GT track pack of GT350.

Well said. I'm in the same boat.
 

Domestic Product

Big fat tires and everything !
I think Ford will cover repairs for non racing track events. But even here it can be tricky if it looks like you are abusing the car. So if you are having fun at the local amateur drag night you can use line lock. If you are dragging for money then you are on your own. I think ? Comes down to the Dealer.
Agree on the comparison I think we need to see a 15 on the track before we come to any conclusions.
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
Racing is timed competition for place or prize(s).

Stock vs. modified are bigger issues when looking for warrantee repair work. This is why my power train is stock on both cars, though I did technically reduce the warrantee duration on both with TracKey and FR ProCal tunes.

But I agree that there seems to be a bit more leeway for coverage if you have a Boss. I do think that having video might have helped the coverage in one case with a Boss here since the car was obviously not being abused when it let go at the track.

If or when I get a '15 or '16, I won't hesitate to take it to the track. But like my current cars, I won't do anything to the power train until the warrantee is up.
 

PhilTaylor

Track Attack 5-26-14
good points all about racing versus HPDE, stock versus modified, etc. And nice points about video evidence and I suppose receipts and a full service trail is important too.

I was really aiming at those of us with stock or near-stock cars that get lightly tracked. the various forum discussions about light tracking, HPDE, auto-cross etc and various engine and transmission/differential replacements really give the feel that Ford fully backs the car and the enthusiast. All the press leading up to the release of the car felt that way too.

so I admit this is sorta feely-groovy, to coin a term.

but now with one of the coolest new features of the '15; it doesn't feel like the feature is fully backed for the enthusiast based on these press comments. That was the original thrust of my question.

Now, perhaps it is true the support we have seen is more due to stellar dealers and less to some explicit promise by Ford and I am reading too much into the warranty work so far and these comments for the '15.

But the press feel the Boss had is definitely different enough that the original premise of the question based off these press comments for the '15 still feels like a fair one. We'll just have to see how Ford handles warranty work for the '15 car, when 10x of them or more are going to be built than the Boss's.
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
Fair enough!

Let me also throw in that it is Ford calling the cars 'Track Pack' GTs. I think that implies that Ford expressly understands that the buyers may use it at the track! I have had a high amount of expectation that these and the earlier 'Brembo' cars like I have could *not* be denied warranty coverage if taken on track. Even more so, now that we're talking about it.

Sort of to the same point...providing a line lock feature also implies that they want you to do burnouts and go to the drag strip! ;)
 

Domestic Product

Big fat tires and everything !
Ok, here is the Ford release on this. I think it is clear they want it used on track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=O3nbwCjZKk8
 

Fomoco302

Life is short. Live well!
The disclaimer right at the beginning of the video says "racing your vehicle will void warrant" and then hey proceed to tout this feature as a great thing for drag racing because Mustang owners love going fast and competing. Ford speaks with forked tongue.
 

PhilTaylor

Track Attack 5-26-14
honestly my goal with this thread was to celebrate the treatment the Boss gets in terms of tracking and to use that to counter some of the angst over the '15 GT having near-Boss specs...it wasn't to provide an opportunity to bash Ford or anyone else...just to celebrate the Boss.

So lets keep the thread in that tone.
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
PhilTaylor said:
honestly my goal with this thread was to celebrate the treatment the Boss gets in terms of tracking and to use that to counter some of the angst over the '15 GT having near-Boss specs...it wasn't to provide an opportunity to bash Ford or anyone else...just to celebrate the Boss.

So lets keep the thread in that tone.

Good luck with that. You opened a bit of a can o' worms...the response to warranty claims has been less than consistent.

If you weren't aware, there are several GT owners here too, including some nut who currently owns both! ;)
 
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PhilTaylor said:
honestly my goal with this thread was to celebrate the treatment the Boss gets in terms of tracking and to use that to counter some of the angst over the '15 GT having near-Boss specs...it wasn't to provide an opportunity to bash Ford or anyone else...just to celebrate the Boss.

So lets keep the thread in that tone.

In other words, trying to find a reason or justification of the advantage of a boss vs a GT... ;)
I'm not trying to be a negative nancy, but believe me there is no difference in warranty if a car is a Boss 302 or a GT, or an F150, or a Fusion. Car comes in with an issue, they run the vin, they diag the issue, and see if the failed part is covered. Now, there are some things you can do to help yourself. Ford wants technicians, as part of the diag, to look for aftermarket modifications and PCM recalibrations. So if you do have a warranty issue, its best (like any other mustang) to make it look as stock as possible. Granted, at the dealer level, having a service department that is sympathetic to you and your use, then that certainly helps. Some dealers are more reasonable than others. If a mustang comes in stuck in 3rd gear, and they put it in the air, and see slicks, an inch of rubber in the wheel wells, and drag suspension, then dealer A might say this is abuse, we don't want anything to do with it, its not covered. Maybe the same car comes in but has a speaker that is bad, well even if the car has blatant abuse, drag racing didn't blow the speaker. If you bring your boss into the dealer with numbers on the sides, protective tape all over it, slicks, coil overs, a cage, harnesses, etc and say hey, my pads are worn out, can I get some new ones under warranty? its possible, but not likely. The service department is not going to say "hey, normally, pads are not covered...but because its a Boss and it was marketed as a RCWALP, we can get you those no problem!
 
my two cents; wear items such as brake pads, tires, belts/hoses ect. are not "normally" covered under warranty anyway so vehicle platform doesn't matter. From personal experience I track my Boss and have had a blown rear axle seal (clearly from heat) and multiple misfire codes . My dealer knows I track the car and all issues have been covered under warranty with no questions asked. In one instance I brought the car back for the second round of code issues after a track day. The mechanic was on the phone several times with Ford Racing trying to diagnose the problem. He performed a crank sensor reset, updated the track key program, replaced # 4 cylinder coil, and installed a service bulletin o-ring all under warranty. I do agree that once you start adding any significant modifications to the power train or change the factory tune (stock/track key) you will probably get some resistance. I think the point of this thread is not to dispute if the Boss is a "better" car for track use than the upcoming 2015 GT. But that so far Ford seems to be standing behind the Boss (unmodified) when tracked and it sounds like that may not be the case for the new GT. Just something to think about.
 
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All I am trying to say, and maybe brake pads wasn't the best example, but its misleading to assume that because you have a Boss 302 and use it on the track, that you will have warranty coverage that is different than a GT. OP seems to be saying that an advantage the boss 302 has over the yet to be released 2015 GT is that ford is standing behind it, and is assuming that ford wont stand behind the 15 because the video of line lock states "racing will void warranty".

Geneva, sounds like your dealer did a great job with you, and stands to the importance of a good relationship with your dealer, as opposed to Ford (the company) making an effort to stand behind the boss.
 

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