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What is the RPM warranty policy for surface products?

RPM Breakage Warranty

At RPM, we engineer our molded products to be stronger than stock and built to last. Every RPM molded part is designed, tested and manufactured with durability in mind, and we proudly stand behind our products with one of the strongest breakage warranties in the R/C hobby.

If an RPM molded part breaks during normal use on an unmodified, stock vehicle, we’ll replace the damaged RPM part at no charge to customers within the United States. Like any warranty, there are a few common-sense limitations, which are explained below.

All warranty claims are subject to RPM’s final review.

Quick Links: What is Covered / Aftermarket Parts or Modifications / RPM Decorative Finishes / RPM Scale Accessories / RPM Wheels / Screw Holes / Included Hardware / Discontinued Products / How to Submit a Warranty Claim / Return Shipping / International Customers / RPM Liability / Notes About “Normal” Use

What is Covered?

Our breakage warranty covers RPM molded products that fail during normal operating conditions (see “Notes” below) on an unmodified vehicle.

“Normal operating conditions” include the kinds of driving most hobbyists enjoy, such as normal bumps, jumps, rough terrain and everyday off-road or on-road driving.

We replace only the damaged RPM part. If the damaged part is part of an assembly, please disassemble it and send only the broken component. Keep all undamaged pieces so they can be reused with your replacement part.

What Isn’t Covered?

The RPM Breakage Warranty does not cover damage resulting from:

  • Modified RPM parts (drilling, grinding, filing, trimming, etc.)
  • Vehicle modifications that contribute to the failure of the RPM part
  • Normal wear from extended use
  • Abuse or intentional damage
  • Crushed, melted, or permanently bent parts
  • Damage caused by impacts far beyond normal R/C operation
  • Commercial, rental or demonstration vehicles

If you’re unsure whether your part qualifies, please contact us before sending it in. We’re always happy to help determine whether your situation is likely to be covered.

Vehicles with Aftermarket Parts or Modifications

RPM products are engineered and tested on stock, unmodified vehicles. While many aftermarket components work perfectly with RPM products, we cannot guarantee compatibility or warranty coverage when modifications or non-RPM components contribute to a failure.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Bent or broken hinge pins
  • Bent shock shafts
  • Bent axles
  • Failed bearings
  • Damaged pivot balls
  • Hardware failures
  • Other aftermarket components that contribute to the damage

If an RPM part is damaged because another component failed, the damage is generally not covered under warranty.

Decorative Finishes

Applied decorative finishes, including chrome or colored chrome finishes, are covered only if the defect is present before the product is removed from its original packaging.

Scale Accessories

RPM scale accessories are intended primarily for appearance and therefore carry a more limited warranty.

They are covered against defects in materials and workmanship. Certain cosmetic components, such as lenses, may have different warranty coverage than their mounting hardware or structural components.

If you have questions about a specific accessory, please contact us.

RPM Wheels

RPM recommends venting the tire rather than the wheel whenever possible.

If you choose to drill vent holes in an RPM wheel:

  • Maximum hole size: 1/8″ (3 mm) for most wheels
  • Maximum hole size: 3/32″ (2.5 mm) for 1/18-scale wheels
  • Maximum of three vent holes
  • Holes must not contact spokes, the wheel hex area, or other structural features

Damage resulting from improperly drilled vent holes is not covered under warranty.

Tires must be properly glued to the wheels according to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations. Wheels damaged while being used without properly mounted tires are not considered to have been used under normal operating conditions.

Permanently deformed wheels (including creased, egg-shaped or severely misshapen wheels) are not covered.

Screw Holes

Because installation methods, hardware selection, tools and tightening torque are outside RPM‘s control, stripped or damaged screw holes are generally not covered under warranty.

Most screw hole issues result from:

  • Incorrect hardware
  • Over-tightening
  • Incorrect tools
  • Failure to follow installation instructions
  • Customer modifications

Included Hardware

Any screws, nuts, washers, bearings, or other metal hardware included with an RPM product are not covered under the RPM Breakage Warranty.

Damage caused by the failure of included hardware is also not covered.

Discontinued Products

If a product has been discontinued and is no longer supported by RPM, we may be unable to replace it under warranty.

Whenever possible, we’ll do our best to help, but replacement cannot be guaranteed once a product has been discontinued.

How to Submit a Warranty Claim

If you believe you have a valid warranty claim, please send only the damaged RPM part to:

RPM R/C Products
14978 Sierra Bonita Ln.
Chino, CA 91710
USA

Please include:

  • Your name
  • Return shipping address
  • Phone number
  • Email address
  • A brief description of how the damage occurred

Please do not send tires, bearings, screws, hinge pins or other non-RPM parts. They are not needed to evaluate your claim and may require additional return shipping charges if you wish to have them returned.

Important: Do not mail warranty parts in a standard white paper envelope. Small parts frequently tear through or are lost during shipping. We strongly recommend using a padded mailer or small box, preferably with tracking.

Once your warranty claim has been reviewed and approved, replacement parts are typically shipped on the next business day.

Return Shipping

Customers are responsible for shipping warranty parts to RPM.

Approved warranty replacements are returned at no charge to customers within the United States.

Delivery times vary depending on your postal service, so please allow adequate time for shipping before contacting us regarding the status of your replacement.

International Customers

We proudly honor our breakage warranty worldwide.

International customers are responsible for return postage on replacement shipments.

If your warranty request involves a packaging error on our part, we’ll take care of the return shipping costs.

If you have questions regarding international warranty service, please contact us before sending your parts.

Warranty Liability

RPM‘s warranty covers only the original RPM molded product determined to qualify under this warranty.

RPM is not responsible for damage to non-RPM products resulting from the failure of an RPM product.

We also cannot be responsible for warranty packages lost or damaged while being shipped to us. For your protection, we recommend using a shipping service that provides tracking.

Items determined not to qualify under warranty will be held for up to 60 days. If you would like those items returned, return shipping arrangements and costs are the responsibility of the sender. Unclaimed items remaining after 60 days will be discarded.

A Few Notes About “Normal Use”

The RPM Breakage Warranty is intended to cover the type of driving most R/C enthusiasts enjoy every day.

The following situations are generally not considered normal operating conditions:

  • Extremely high jumps or falls
  • Excessively high-speed or heavily modified vehicles
  • Runaway vehicles
  • Collisions with full-size vehicles
  • Use at BMX tracks, skate parks or similar facilities not intended for R/C vehicles
  • Intentional abuse or misuse
  • Commercial, rental or demonstration vehicles

If you’re ever unsure whether your situation qualifies, simply contact us. We’d much rather answer a question beforehand than have you wonder whether your part is covered.