Question & answer
Do Aftermarket Running Boards Void Your Truck's Warranty? What the FTC, Ford and Ram Say
Not by themselves, going by the sources we read. Ram's warranty booklet lists aftermarket running boards among changes that do not, by themselves, void its warranties, and Ford says an aftermarket part will not necessarily void its warranty. Both draw the same line: damage the part causes is not covered. This is general information and not legal advice.
The straight answer
Per Ram's 2024 booklet and Ford's support page, fitting them does not by itself void the warranty, but damage the part causes is not covered. The FTC says conditioning warranty coverage on specified parts is generally prohibited under the Magnuson-Moss Act, unless the parts are free or the FTC grants a waiver. Your truck's booklet controls. This is not legal advice.
Plenty of answers to this question stop at "no, because of Magnuson-Moss". That skips the part that costs money. Two separate questions sit in here: can the truck maker cancel your warranty for fitting a board, and who pays if the board or the install damages something. The sources below treat them differently.
What each source actually says
We read these on November 2, 2026. This is our short version, with the source named.
| Source | What it states | Who it speaks for |
|---|---|---|
| Ram, 2024 warranty booklet | Lists "adding aftermarket side steps or running boards" among changes that do not by themselves void the warranties. The same section excludes parts not on the truck when it left the plant, and repairs caused by installing or using non-factory parts | 2024 Ram light duty trucks |
| Ford support page | An aftermarket product "will not necessarily void" the New Vehicle Limited Warranty. If it fails or causes another part to fail, that repair and related damage are not covered. Ford also says it does not recommend changes to its products | Ford |
| FTC, April 2018 | Telling buyers that coverage depends on specified parts or services is generally prohibited under the Magnuson-Moss Act, unless the parts or services are free or the FTC has granted a waiver | FTC staff |
| 15 U.S.C. 2302(c) | The law behind that statement: no conditioning a warranty on an article or service identified by brand, trade or corporate name, with the same two exceptions | Federal statute |
| FTC, 2015 notice | A warrantor may exclude damage caused by unauthorized parts, and may deny liability where it can demonstrate the part caused it. A bald, unsupported statement would be insufficient under the Interpretations | The Commission |
| FTC business guide | Disclaiming coverage for defects or damage caused by parts the warrantor did not provide is permissible | FTC guidance |
The Ram line matters most, because it is the only truck maker text we read that names running boards in so many words. The same section also says non-factory parts can affect related safety systems.
We could not read a current warranty booklet from Chevrolet or GMC, because Chevrolet's warranty pages refused our requests, and we did not read a current US booklet from Toyota. So we state nothing about them. Your own booklet is in the glovebox or on the maker's owner site, and it controls.
Where the line falls
Going by Ram and Ford, a board on the truck is not the same as a board that caused a failure.
- An unrelated failure. The FTC's 2015 notice says a warrantor cannot avoid liability where a defect is unrelated to the unauthorized part.
- The board itself. Ram says its warranties do not cover a part that was not on the truck when it left the plant. So do not expect Ram's warranty to pay for the board.
- Damage from the part or the install. Ford and Ram both exclude it. Ram extends that to repairs needed because of installing the part.
Ram's corrosion section is worth a look if your kit calls for a drill, because it excludes corrosion caused by vehicle alteration. Some kits do call for one. Tyger's sheet TG-SS2D35318 says "DRILLING MAY BE REQUIRED", and the guide for AMP 76255-01A calls for drilling through the pinch weld. Other sheets have no drilling step. Can you install running boards without drilling? sorts that by part. We print no conclusion on how Ram would treat a drilled hole, because the booklet does not address it directly.
The board has its own warranty
That is a separate paper with its own limits. RealTruck's guide for the AMP PowerStep 76255-01A gives a 5-year limited warranty for the original purchaser and excludes damage from misinstallation or misuse. Tyger's warranty document excludes improper installation and asks for proof of purchase such as an order ID.
Go Rhino's install sheets carry a broader caution: some modifications may void the factory warranty. They do not say which ones. They also say that installing some products may affect factory air bag systems.
Weighing this against a factory part? Go to OEM vs aftermarket running boards. Before you touch a wrench, how to install running boards covers what the sheets ask for. Powered steps add wiring, so power running board problems is the next stop if yours act up.
What we are not telling you
We have no data on how often dealers deny these claims, and the FTC's 2015 notice says its own record lacked sufficient evidence that warrantors routinely deny coverage orally without showing the cause. We are not lawyers, and none of this is legal advice. If a claim is denied and real money is at stake, talk to an attorney.
For more short answers, see running board questions. You can also start from all trucks, or read how we verify fitment for how we handle sources.
Tailgate questions
Can a dealer deny a warranty claim because I put on aftermarket running boards?
The FTC's 2015 notice says a warrantor may deny liability where it can demonstrate that the unauthorized part caused the defect or damage, and that a bald, unsupported statement would be insufficient under the Interpretations. Ram and Ford both exclude damage a part causes. We cannot judge a specific claim, and this is not legal advice.
Do I have to buy factory running boards to keep the truck warranty?
Federal law bars a warrantor from conditioning a warranty on using a part identified by brand, unless the part is provided free under the warranty or the FTC grants a waiver (15 U.S.C. 2302(c)). The FTC said in 2018 that such conditions are generally prohibited. The exclusions in your booklet still apply. This is not legal advice.
Does drilling for running boards affect the warranty?
We found no maker statement about drilling for a step as such. Ram's 2024 booklet excludes corrosion caused by vehicle alteration and lists changes to the vehicle body structure among changes that are not covered. Read your own booklet and ask your dealer before you drill. This is not legal advice.
Where this comes from
- Ram: 2024 Warranty Information, light duty gas and diesel, section 3.1 (PDF)
- Ford: will aftermarket modifications void my warranty?
- FTC: staff warns companies it is illegal to condition warranty coverage on specified parts (April 10, 2018)
- FTC: final action on the Magnuson-Moss Interpretations (2015, PDF)
- FTC: Businessperson's Guide to Federal Warranty Law
- 15 U.S.C. 2302, subsection (c), via Cornell Law School
Keep reading
- ComparisonOEM vs aftermarketFactory running boards vs aftermarket: who states the fit, who backs the part and what it does to your truck's warranty, with Ford's pages as the example.
- How-toHow to installHow to install running boards from the maker sheets: find the mounting points, hang brackets loose, level, torque, and when a kit really does need a drill.
- OverviewQuestionsDo running boards fit all trucks, void the warranty, need drilling or hold a set weight? Short answers with the source named, and what nobody has verified.
- TroubleshootingPower board problemsPower running boards stuck or dead? Work through obstructions, door triggers, fuses, settings and debris, using what AMP, Rough Country, Ford and GM documents say.
- CompatibilityAll trucksWhich running boards fit your truck depends on model, year block, cab and sometimes bed. See the splits listings state for each truck and where to start.
- About usHow we verify fitFit here is what a listing title or maker sheet states, marked as such. What we read, what blocked us and why you still confirm year and cab before you buy.
Who writes this
runningboardsfortrucks.com Editorial Team
Fitment, buying advice and explainers
We are the editorial team at runningboardsfortrucks.com. We read listing titles, maker pages and instruction sheets, then write down which truck, year and cab each one states and where we read it. We do not run lab tests and we do not own a test fleet, and we say so openly.
- Fit quoted from the listing or maker
- Sources and dates on every page
- No lab tests, stated openly
- Publisher details in the imprint