Using a 3rd Party Home EV Charger Compromises Warranty? Updated response from PCNA

[Scotty]

I filed for arbitration RE the defective Porsche Mobile Connect Charger after the WMP2 update. Many of you thought it was a waste of time and doubted my assertions. PCNA resolved the issue with me one week before the hearing. I am very please with the resolution they offered me. Thru extensive research and discovery motions I learned the supply cable in my opinion is defective. In fact what all of us did not know is PCNA issued a revised technical information sheet to technicians after most of us had the update done. in a subsequent letter I received from PCNA they state "the maximum charging current specified on the label ( supply cable) is lower (16A) than the charging current (40A) that was actually approved for the infrastructure charging cable. PCNA also stated " If we do offer more compensation for this we will notify our customers to take advantage of such offer".. Sounds like they know they have to do something to compensate everyone.

First when it comes to reading warranties and contracts many of you try to justify your views by reading between the lines. In fact PCNA position as stated below is a 3 rd party EV home charger “would “ compromised the warranty. THE GOOD NEWS IS PCNA’S ATTORNEY EMAILED ME “ the letter you received from Porsche should have said it "could" compromise the warranty (not "would") but only if it causes some damage or otherwise necessitates the repair. We are working on getting a revised letter to you on that issue. “
BOTTOM LINE PCNA CLUELESS RE ISSUES AND IT TAKES THEIR OWN ATTYS TO TELL THEM THEY ARE OUT TO SEA. ATTACHED IS THE NEW OWNERS MANUAL SUPPLEMENT RE CHARGING. IT SAYS THE CONDUCTORS (INCLUDES THE SUPPLY CABLE SB 6 AWG. THE CURRENT SUPPLY CABLE IS RATED 10 AWG.

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Thank you for contacting Porsche Cars North America regarding your 2020 Taycan warranty. I hope to provide some resources to assist you today. The warranty would be compromised due to using a third party charger. 2020 Taycan Warranty Page 5, second column and under and This Warranty Does Not Cover. Please click here to see the whole warranty Any damage to your vehicle’s hardware or software, or any loss or harm to any personal information/data uploaded to your vehicle resulting from unauthorized access to vehicle data or software from any source, including non-Porsche parts or accessories. If you have any further questions, please email us or call 1-800-PORSCHE. We are available Monday through Friday, 8AM to 10PM and Saturday, 8AM to 8PM ET. We appreciate the time you have taken to reach out and giving us an opportunity to respond to your concern. Thank you for being part of the Porsche family as we wish you many safe and happy miles behind the wheel of your 2020 Porsche Taycan! Kind regards, Melody P. Customer Support Specialist Porsche Cars North America

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[Scandinavian]

What a load of BS!

Here is a copy of their Taycan warranty!

And the text!

• It is normal for debris to collect around the sunroof opening. It is extremely important that you have the drains for the sunroof (as applicable based upon your Porsche Taycan model) cleaned at least annually, and more often if they begin to become clogged with debris. If you often park your vehicle outside or drive where there are many trees, more frequent cleaning will be required. Failure to keep sunroof drains clean could result
in significant damage, including but not limited to water ingress, the repair of which would not be covered by your Porsche New Vehicle Limited Warranty. Please see your authorized Porsche dealer for details about having this work performed.


Furthermore.

Your Responsibility for Normal Vehicle Use
Your Owner’s Manual (which includes specific recommendations against using your car in certain ways) was written with the assumption that you will use your car only in ways for which it was designed:
• To carry passengers and cargo within specified load limits. (The load limits are specified on labels located on your Porsche Taycan vehicle. Your Owner’s Manual gives the locations of the label.)
• To be driven on reasonable road surfaces within legal speed limits. Porsche Guidelines specify reasonable mileage to be at least 15 miles / 24 kilometers per day or 6000 miles / 9600 kilometers per rolling 12 months.
• If you do not plan to drive your Taycan regularly, or plan not to drive it for several weeks, it is recommended that the vehicle be left plugged into the home charger when not using it. This enables the vehicle to maintain a charge level that helps maintain Battery performance over time.
• To be properly maintained according to the Maintenance Schedule in the Maintenance Booklet and Car Care Instructions in your Owner’s Manual. You must keep the receipts as proof of maintenance.
You are responsible for presenting your Porsche Taycan automobile to an authorized Porsche dealer as soon as a problem exists. Failure to do so could result in consequential damage that may not be covered by your New Car Limited Warranty.


So if you do not drive your Taycan 15 miles per day on average, will the Warranty not be valid?

 

[Mike in CA]

The letter says definitely that "the warranty would be compromised using a 3rd party charger" but then goes on to refer to the warranty specifying that damage will not be covered if it results from "unauthorized access to vehicle data or software from any source, including non-Porsche parts or accessories." Unless one has a charger that does that, I don't see how this language would apply. Maybe someone will correct me, but I don't believe my Clipper Creek charger interfaces with the car in any way aside from providing electricity.

In any event, there is an easy workaround if you bring the car in with a problem. "I always charge with my Porsche Mobile Connect".

 

[TDinDC]

If I can weigh in here, I think everyone may be reading too much into this. All this says is that if you use a non-Porsche product, and that non-Porsche product is the cause of damage to your Porsche, Porsche will not pay for that damage.

This does NOT say that if you use a non-Porsche product, then your warranty on your Porsche is void for damage that was not caused by your use of a non-Porsche product.

Every company on the planet takes exactly the same position.

Bottom line: Use whatever charger you want. If you use a non-Porsche charger and that charger damages your Porsche, go after the company to blame (i.e., the maker of the charger) for reimbursement, not Porsche.

I hope this is helpful.

 

[TXAG]

If I can weigh in here, I think everyone may be reading too much into this. All this says is that if you use a non-Porsche product, and that non-Porsche product is the cause of damage to your Porsche, Porsche will not pay for that damage.

This does NOT say that if you use a non-Porsche product, then your warranty on your Porsche is void for damage that was not caused by your use of a non-Porsche product.

Every company on the planet takes exactly the same position.

Bottom line: Use whatever charger you want. If you use a non-Porsche charger and that charger damages your Porsche, go after the company to blame (i.e., the maker of the charger) for reimbursement, not Porsche.

I hope this is helpful.

Agreed. In the USA, there's also the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975.

 

[kort]

I am more interested in hearing more about porsche's plans to compensate the people who have the defective PMCC.

 

[B61]

If 3rd party chargers are not allowed, how can one charge on commercial charging stations???

 

[Mike in CA]

If I can weigh in here, I think everyone may be reading too much into this. All this says is that if you use a non-Porsche product, and that non-Porsche product is the cause of damage to your Porsche, Porsche will not pay for that damage.

This does NOT say that if you use a non-Porsche product, then your warranty on your Porsche is void for damage that was not caused by your use of a non-Porsche product.

Every company on the planet takes exactly the same position.

Bottom line: Use whatever charger you want. If you use a non-Porsche charger and that charger damages your Porsche, go after the company to blame (i.e., the maker of the charger) for reimbursement, not Porsche.

I hope this is helpful.

In practice I agree with you here. It's unfortunate, though, that the written reply from the Porsche rep (not the specific warranty language) didn't state what you just stated; instead making a pretty clear assertion that using a third-party product would void the warranty. Period. Typical, I suppose, of a corporate functionary wanting to play it safe or not really knowing what they were talking about.

 

[TDinDC]

In practice I agree with you here. It's unfortunate, though, that the written reply from the Porsche rep (not the specific warranty language) didn't state what you just stated; instead making a pretty clear assertion that using a third-party product would void the warranty. Period. Typical, I suppose, of a corporate functionary wanting to play it safe or not really knowing what they were talking about.

It's just a little sloppy. It is true that the warranty is compromised when you use a third party charger, because damage from that third-party charger will not be covered. It is not that unrelated claims are compromised, as they later clarify. So I don't think it is inconsistent.

 

[andix]

It absolutely will NOT invalidate warranty!

 

[daveo4EV]

It absolutely will NOT invalidate warranty!

can we get that in writing from Porsche officially?

 

[daveo4EV]

porsche position is ridiculous and speaks to corporate over-reach and a deep misunderstanding of how EV charging works

but none the less it is their position - and it's unfortunate and clueless

it's also another thing to for them to prove it was 3rd party charger that did the damage and that would not occur with their charger as well

I also doubt their service training is sophisticated enough to detect and pursue this line of reasoning

all in all it's a corporate 1st customer 2nd approach to the situation and reeks of CYA by an organization that does not know what they are doing with regards to EV's and their ICE underwear is showing…

it would be one thing for Porsche to claim this - quite another for their line of reasoning to stand up to a legitmate challenge but they would make the customer jump through all the hoops required to prove them wrong...

it's an erosion of confidence and a sign of their lack of customer forward considerations.

this whole episode with their EV charging plans has deeply eroded my confidence in the brand - which is unfortunate because I really really really want an alternative to Tesla in the EV space…but old practices and BS aren't going to carry the day here....

this is one data point in the overall picture about how much these guys are embracing EV's and it's not a good look for them.

my $0.02

 

[daveo4EV]

I filed for arbitration RE the defective Porsche Mobile Connect Charger after the WMP2 update. Many of you thought it was a waste of time and doubted my assertions. PCNA resolved the issue with me one week before the hearing. I am very please with the resolution they offered me. Thru extensive research and discovery motions I learned the supply cable in my opinion is defective. In fact what all of us did not know is PCNA issued a revised technical information sheet to technicians after most of us had the update done. in a subsequent letter I received from PCNA they state "the maximum charging current specified on the label ( supply cable) is lower (16A) than the charging current (40A) that was actually approved for the infrastructure charging cable. PCNA also stated " If we do offer more compensation for this we will notify our customers to take advantage of such offer".. Sounds like they know they have to do something to compensate everyone.
Now this is what I received today. I am not going to debate with those of you who disagree, but I been saying all along PCNA could void you warranty if you use a 3rd party HOMEcharger. AGAIN I AM NOT SAYING ENERGY AMERICA CHARGERS ARE OF CONCERN. THEY ARE APPROVED BY PORSCHE FOR USE I written legal counsel of PCNA for clarification>

I'm gratified this has come out well for the OP- but making somone go to these lengths to deal with a defective product is simply in-execusible for any brand, but in particular a premium brand.

the lack of any clear communication and the appearance of incompetence in this space is simply amazing for a brand with the deep engineering reputation of Porsche

also this problem has been documented and known for at more than 2 years with the early Taycan owners…

and it does in fact appear to be as simply as Porsche flunking EE 101 with 10 gauge wire (instead of 8 or 6 AWG wire) causing all sort of unintended consequences (melting the socket plastic on a cheap recepticale anyone? - porsche plastics can handle the thermal load but the plug it's plugged into can not )

it's just wrong for them to screw this up, then hide it from us, claim reducing the charging rate is a "safety" feature, and that they will not provide even a recommendation for a replacment.

simply awful in my opinion - just really 3rd rate handling of this poorly designed product.

 

[_Brian_]

This has been a fascinating thread. FWIW, I believe that if Porsche/VW ever denied a warranty claim based on using a non-porsche charger, it would be 'game over' from a public relations and corporate trust standpoint. Real world use of any EV almost requires use of 3rd party chargers at various destinations to make an EV platform a competitive product to ICE vehicles. So, as soon as a claim is denied on that basis and is publicly exposed, the sales of EVs from Porsche , or any other competitor, would plummet.

 

[gnop1950]

It absolutely will NOT invalidate warranty!

The way it reads, at least to me, is if the car is damaged by using a defective non-Porsche home charger that damage isn't covered under warranty. Makes perfect sense to me. I doubt this is a common issue unless you are buying a cheap no-name home charging solution.

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