# Trek "Lifetime" warranty



## txbikergirl

Purchased 2009 Trek Madone 4.7 in April 2009 from local bike shop. Same bike shop is only one that has ever worked on bike. Recently left bike for a major tune up and my bike mechanic, who has taken good care of all of 4 of our bikes for at least 9 years, called and said that he found 3 cracks in the fork but not to worry b/c it should be covered under warranty. Unfortunately, he is no longer a Trek Dealer and referred me to another bike shop to start a warranty claim. The owner of the 2nd shop noted a "crushed" area under the the front derailleur clamp and stated that it can be hard to tell the difference b/w simple paint cracks and true cracks in the frame. He claimed that he sent a picture to Trek who said the fork was fine but the crush was due to overtightening and thus not covered under the warranty. He told me that the best I could do was to get a Trek 5 series frame for 20% off, but that Trek would not provide an equivalent frame to the one I have now and my only choice was to buy a frame *from him* that is 2 cm larger than the one that has been a perfect fit for me. (maybe a frame he already has and would like to sell?). He also recommended that I have bike put back together at his shop and become part of their "family". When I reported this back to my LBS owner he was suspicious - turns out rightly so. The other bike shop owner had not even contacted Trek or started a warranty claim. My regular mechanic/bike shop owner also looked back thru his repair records and says that his shop had never done work that would have required them to remove the front derailleur clamp. (they had taken it apart for the major tune up/overhaul but not put it back together before finding the cracks in the fork). He feels that the clamp was overtightened when originally put together by Trek and is still worried that I have 3 "cracks" with some movement in the fork- of course Trek denies this simply by looking at a picture. Now I am stuck in the middle. My local bike dealer is arranging to have the frame xrayed by Calfee who does Carbon frame repair. Not sure how all this will turn out but I am certainly not happy with Trek or their local dealer. I am giving my regular bike shop the benefit of the doubt at this point as he has served us well in the past working on our bikes. He has also offered to give me a loaner road bike until this is settled. I have loved my Trek Madone but will not purchase another Trek in the future as their "lifetime" warranty seems to be meaningless. So beware of Trek's "lifetime' warranty claims. I would appreciate opinions or hearing from others who have been in this position. Also, if I have to get a new bike I am considering a Specialized Ruby. Any other suggestions?


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## Srode

If the other bike shop hasn't contacted Trek yet, why would you trash Trek's lifetime warranty? I'd bet that Trek will honor the warranty if the cracks were not caused by a wreck or poor maintenance / over tightening. It would not be in their best interest to not support a legititmate frame warranty claim.


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## txbikergirl

*TREK warranty issues*

Sorry, you are right, I left out some imp details: Trek WAS called-that's how I found out that the 2nd bike store had not really contacted TREK or started a warranty claim. While TREK was upset with the 2nd bike store for falsely representing them to a customer, their initial response has been to deny the claim based on a photo from the same mistrustful dealer. My purpose in posting was to find out if others have had similar problems with TREK, if anyone had helpful suggestions for getting this resolved and to let forum members know that getting TREK to honor a "lifetime warranty" is not as straight forward as it sounds. Maybe I am overreacting & TREK will eventually come thru. In the meantime, I spoke to a "warranty specialist" at another large bike shop in the area and he said "it's always a negotiation and never straight forward with Trek". (I happened to be at this 3rd shop with my brother who was trying to decide b/w a Trek Damone & Specialized Robaix. Knowing of my predicament, he bought the Specialized). I would still be interested in hearing from other TREK owners re their experiences, good or bad, in dealing with TREK on warranty issues.


Srode said:


> If the other bike shop hasn't contacted Trek yet, why would you trash Trek's lifetime warranty? I'd bet that Trek will honor the warranty if the cracks were not caused by a wreck or poor maintenance / over tightening. It would not be in their best interest to not support a legitimate frame warranty claim.


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## cxwrench

in my experience, Trek warranty is about the easiest, most painless system in the industry. i have no experience w/ Specialized or Giant but Trek warranty claims are done online. our warranty rep is a very responsive guy and they have take care of virtually every legitimate claim (well, we don't make 'bad' warranty claims) w/o any problem at all. many times customers have been upgraded due to availability issues. i see no reason whatsoever to slam Trek and their policies.


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## Richard

I'm with CX here. We are a Trek dealer and they are absolutely the best to deal with on warranty issues. Trek just "warranteed out" an 11 year old 5200 where the bonded in aluminum bb shell disassociated itself from the frame. Gave the customer a new Madone 5.9 frameset.

Almost all the problems we have seen re Trek warranty were either due to another dealer not processing the claim properly (and they came to us) or blatant cases of abuse, mechanical or a crash.


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## Vitamin G

I had a dent in a carbon seatstay caused by a crash. Trek offered to sell me a replacement frame or xx% off a bike. According to the warranty, they didn't have to offer anything, since the damage was caused by a crash. My experience seems more than fair to me.


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## TWebb

I can't speak for for Trek but it seems all frame warranties are a little back and forth. I have cracked 3 BMC frames over the years; 4 pairs of Lake shoes and several random parts. It always starts with pictures. Then phone calls and emails. Then shipping the item for inspection. FINALLY it gets approved or denied. Most companies want to take care of people. They just want to make sure it is a legit claim.


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## teoteoteo

I'd tend to think overtightened at assembly would have shown up fast and been found at assembly time by your shop. Sad about first shop giving you the run around but once I read the fact that they tried to sell you crash replace frame they already had it seems all the worse. Find a good dealer to work with, be persistent, document, etc


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## AndyMc2006

Hmmm, I am selling my Ti Moots and was considering a carbon Trek Domane or maybe Giant, since I am 6'4" and 255lbs I think I will reconsider that idea. I don't have these cracking issues with Ti and Steel


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## GR68

Sorry to hear your problems.

I can say I have only absolutely top marks for TREK warranty service/replacements. I think sometimes they were pushing the limits of the carbon construction process which lead to quite a few frame problem for me. I am now on my 5th Madone frame under warranty and every time I get the new latest frame as a replacement. 

Not great with so many problems with the frames but for sure not possible to get better customer service on the warranty front. Replacement was never a problem or issue. 

Your issue here may be the different dealers but as you can see above anybody who has actually dealt with TREK on a warranty issue ( rather then some guy who was thinking about getting a TREK) can not fault the Trek warranty / replacement program.

good luck and stick to your guns.


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## scruffy mike

txbikergirl said:


> Sorry, you are right, I left out some imp details: Trek WAS called-that's how I found out that the 2nd bike store had not really contacted TREK or started a warranty claim. While TREK was upset with the 2nd bike store for falsely representing them to a customer, their initial response has been to deny the claim based on a photo from the same mistrustful dealer. My purpose in posting was to find out if others have had similar problems with TREK, if anyone had helpful suggestions for getting this resolved and to let forum members know that getting TREK to honor a "lifetime warranty" is not as straight forward as it sounds. Maybe I am overreacting & TREK will eventually come thru. In the meantime, I spoke to a "warranty specialist" at another large bike shop in the area and he said "it's always a negotiation and never straight forward with Trek". (I happened to be at this 3rd shop with my brother who was trying to decide b/w a Trek Damone & Specialized Robaix. Knowing of my predicament, he bought the Specialized). I would still be interested in hearing from other TREK owners re their experiences, good or bad, in dealing with TREK on warranty issues.


I would try another Trek dealer. Trek has a great warranty program. It sounds like the shop you're dealing with has a history of filing bad claims or abusing treks warranty and are hesitant to approve a claim from them.


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## bmhitch2000

Beware of Trek's warrranty. It may have been better in the past, but for some reason (maybe the economy) they no longer value their warranty service. I have had recent warranty claim that was denied when the swing arm on my mtn bicycle snapped (I am a bigger guy - 6'5, 210). Your account of the events mean nothing to them. If your bike shows any wear on it, they will claim it was abused thus denying your warranty. BEWARE!!


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## plecko

I've had AWESOME customer service from Trek. 1 LeMond frame warrantied & 3 Madone frames. The last one I only was looking to have drop out repaired & they sent a 7 series to replace it.

Call & ask for Jason Schumacher, he is customer service manager, he will help you out.


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## Dunbar

TWebb said:


> It always starts with pictures. Then phone calls and emails. Then shipping the item for inspection.


I just went through the same thing on my 9 month old Specialized Roubaix. Creaking when pedaling seated that the bike shop ultimately diagnosed as an internal crack in the seat tube. They went back and forth for 2 weeks with Specialized before requesting that the frame be sent in. Specialized ended up repairing the frame (which I'm fine with) but the whole ordeal took 5 weeks. Living in a 1BR apartment I don't have the space to hoard spare bikes. Fortunately my bike shop loaned me a (rental) Roubaix but I never knew when they might need it back for a paying rental customer. The one positive is that since the bike is less than a year old it cost me nothing out of pocket.


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## CaliforniaRacer

*Customer Service from TREK*

I hate to say it but I've had terrible service from Trek as of the last 2 years. I own 3 Trek bikes.
2010 Trek 5.9 Madone has had numerous problems, numerous "paint cracks".

Trek Madone has a serious problem of rear brake rub against rear wheel while climbing. The 2014 corrects this problem yet there is no replacement for this design defect. They need to stand by their product but don't! 



plecko said:


> I've had AWESOME customer service from Trek. 1 LeMond frame warrantied & 3 Madone frames. The last one I only was looking to have drop out repaired & they sent a 7 series to replace it.
> 
> Call & ask for Jason Schumacher, he is customer service manager, he will help you out.


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## ralph1

Hi, is there a link to the Cycling News article about the 7.9 brake rub? I am thinking about buying one and this would be useful.

Also is the Trek warranty only for the original purchaser?

Pete


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## bradkay

Yes, the Trek warranty is only for the original purchaser. Trek is now demanding a photo of the sales receipt to be e-mailed to them along with the photos of the damage on any warranty claim.


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## mpre53

Most Trek dealers will assist you with a warranty claim, even if you didn't buy the bike from that dealer. You also have the option of registering your bike online, directly with Trek, when you take delivery, which may do away with the need to document proof of purchase. You provide the serial number from the label underneath the BB, and provide the name of the dealer and date of purchase. Photos of the damage may also do away with any need to ship the frame back for inspection.


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## CaliforniaRacer

deleted


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## SNS1938

CaliforniaRacer said:


> Not sure if the Trek warranty can be applied to anyone other than the original purchaser...


I was under the impression that the warranty was not transferable to the next owner. That's not to say I've not heard of (first hand, not through the internet) people buying secondhand bikes that came with the original receipt and them making successful warranty claims. Now if the bike was registered with Trek under the first owners name, then they'd surely check and spot that (so a good reason not to register the bike online ... provided you don't lose the receipt).

With Specialized, Cannondale and Trek warranties, I hear such a wide range of warranty responses. The worst being ''they said it was crashed, but it wasn't'', but also right through to ''they gave me the next model up and five years newer''. I find it hard to justify the price premium which is based on the lifetime warranty of the big brands, when the warranty being approved isn't a guaranteed thing. In many ways, a no-questions (provided there is no visible crash damage) asked three year warranty could be better than a lifetime warranty which is uncertain.


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## Rashadabd

SNS1938 said:


> I was under the impression that the warranty was not transferable to the next owner. That's not to say I've not heard of (first hand, not through the internet) people buying secondhand bikes that came with the original receipt and them making successful warranty claims. Now if the bike was registered with Trek under the first owners name, then they'd surely check and spot that (so a good reason not to register the bike online ... provided you don't lose the receipt).
> 
> With Specialized, Cannondale and Trek warranties, I hear such a wide range of warranty responses. The worst being ''they said it was crashed, but it wasn't'', but also right through to ''they gave me the next model up and five years newer''. I find it hard to justify the price premium which is based on the lifetime warranty of the big brands, when the warranty being approved isn't a guaranteed thing. In many ways, a no-questions (provided there is no visible crash damage) asked three year warranty could be better than a lifetime warranty which is uncertain.


I pretty much agree. Unfortunately, it often seems to come down to the shop you are working with. If they are willing to go to bat for you, things seem to turn out well for the buyer, but if they don't, it seems like it is a toss-up sometimes. You are right, however, Trek can do better on the consistency front.


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## CaliforniaRacer

deleted


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## SNS1938

CaliforniaRacer said:


> So I got the final word from Trek. "No cracks in the frame"...


So the frame was sent to Trek factory for inspection? or was it just a visual check by a sales rep? I.e. is it the opinion of the local rep vs you, and no conclusive test performed, or has the frame be 100% confirmed to have no frame cracks?

As an engineer, I do always wonder how they tell if there are cracks or not without the use of x-ray or static load testing. The tapping a coin, shinning a light etc, do not seem very scientific.

I will stick to buying cheaper frames (currently Specialized Tarmac SL2) which I could handle a warranty refusal on (I'd be pissed off, but I could move on ... not like an S-works, Madone 7 series etc ...)


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## CaliforniaRacer

deleted


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## SNS1938

CaliforniaRacer said:


> Yes--sent back to Trek and checked. No details as to what they did. No contact information from them whatsoever. Pretty frustrating.


I'd be happy riding a frame with paint cracks if its checked by Trek at head office. Do you have any pictures?


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## tihsepa

I dont understand then. If its not cracked, its not cracked. 

From where I sit its your word against theirs. Who am I to believe?


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## Mr645

A friend just had a frame checked out by Trek, a Domane carbon frame that was run over by a car. Everything* was bent or broken, cranks, bars, wheels, seat, BUT according to Trek they tested the frame and said there is nothing wrong with the frame. We are hoping that this is true because the bike is about to be rebuilt. 

* Rear derailleur and pedals are still good, as is the left shifter, although that is scratched up.


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## bradkay

Mr645 said:


> A friend just had a frame checked out by Trek, a Domane carbon frame that was run over by a car. Everything* was bent or broken, cranks, bars, wheels, seat, BUT according to Trek they tested the frame and said there is nothing wrong with the frame. We are hoping that this is true because the bike is about to be rebuilt.
> 
> * Rear derailleur and pedals are still good, as is the left shifter, although that is scratched up.


Well, since this wasn't a warranty claim Trek has no economic reason to insist that the frame is still fine. In fact, it is the opposite - if the frame is cracked and they tell you that it is fine then they are setting themselves up for a serious lawsuit should the frame fail and the rider be injured. 

Perhaps we should believe them?


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## cxwrench

Hmmmmm, I wonder why all of @CaliforniaRacer's post were deleted. Seems odd that he would do that. :skep:


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## Rashadabd

cxwrench said:


> Hmmmmm, I wonder why all of @CaliforniaRacer's post were deleted. Seems odd that he would do that. :skep:


Yeah, that is weird. I am hoping he and Trek finally worked something out and he had a change of heart as a result.


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## cxwrench

Rashadabd said:


> Yeah, that is weird. I am hoping he and Trek finally worked something out and he had a change of heart as a result.


I'm betting not.


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## bradkay

Perhaps his lawyer told him to remove them.


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## jsellers

Crash replacement most of the big bike companies offer this, and it is nice of them to do.


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## jsellers

Never had one go that long with Specialized or Cannondale, unless warranty frame was out of stock.


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## ghughesstrange

When I graduated from high-school I bought a 2003 Trek 520 touring bicycle - great long steel frame. It has been a great bike for the past 11 years except recently the down tube fell apart (circular tear 95% around the frame close to where the water bottle holder screws into the frame). I took it to the local trek dealer (a new multi-sport shop) for the warranty claim - side note, the bike store I originally bought the bike luckily saved a paper copy of my receipt. I got a call back from the bike store today saying that due to the age of the bike trek would not cover the frame but would offer a $350 credit towards a new Trek purchase (New 520 is $1500). One of my original reasons for buying Trek was I heard great things about the warranty program (old Life Time Guarantee and great things about the Trek 520 for tall riders and its steel frame). 

There response does not seem adequate for the damage on the bicycle. It has not been mistreated and probably ridden significantly less then it is meant for. Bike shops that serviced the bike always commented on how great a frame it was and it should last for many, many years - 11 years does not seem to fit this description. What should be my next steps? Is there new "limited" warranty going to be the new standard? 

Thanks


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## dolifewell

I can say Trek goes WAY above and beyond to stand behind their products. I won't give details but back when I was poor and in college I had a $1k wheelset I don't feel they should have warrantied for multiple reasons, but they stood behind their stuff and did. I was honest but they were more than honest and I am very seriously looking at a made in the USA Trek road bike for my next bike, now that I have the $. 

I got my wife a full-suspension Trek mtb. and she loves it. 

I know a chemical engineer friend who kept destroying road frames and went from like a 1000 aluminum to a Madone after a series of voluntary Trek upgrades. They seem to be the top company for customer service, one others could learn from and imitate. But, then again, Trek is on top for a lot of reasons and seems well-run. Enve Composites is great too, similar to Trek in my experience. Giro and SRAM are crap and wear out instantly. Sidis last for-ev-er. (decades for my mountain shoes that win mountain and cross races every year, well, at least 12 years, feels like decades). -peace


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