Do a visual inspection after dealership oil change

I had the oil changed on my '13 Tacoma at the dealership where I bought it. I should have done a visual inspection before I left, because this is what I found a day later:


I generally trust the mechanics at dealerships because I know they go through a lot of training, but this was a surprise. I drove around for about a day an a half and noticed a weird noise that sort of matched the engine RPM but not always. The bottle was wedged against a belt pulley and nearly melted through and dumped about 6 oz. of oil on the belt.

 

i wouldnt call someone who can change oil a mechanic, by any means. at my dealer, they ask you if you can change oil, and if you say yes, they hire you to change oil. for 7.50 an hr. they dont even make you show them you know how.

ask me how i know

 

I generally don't trust mechanics because, when it's not their vehicle, I've found that many of them don't give a shit. They're also trying to be productive so things get rushed and overlooked.

I had the dealership do my oil changes until I was out of my 3 yr 36k mile warranty and I used to mark my oil filters to make sure those guys actually changed it out.

 

I did the same thing for my first oil change, still don't trust anyone. I made a little sign also that says "please do not wash truck". They will run it thru their car wash after it's done. They ran my wife's T4R thru even though she asked them twice not to. Now it has some nice perfectly vertical scratches on the thin paint on the bumper.

The oil changes are free, but still debating whether or not to do it myself next time.

 

I marked the filter too for the same reason. They did change the filter. This was just a dumb mistake but I'm going to change the oil myself from now on, even if I give up a few remaining free oil changes from the dealer.

 

I'd make them give you a new belt if it were me. I'd also clean up the pulleys really well before putting it on.

 

+1, took mine in for first change last week. Next day I went to put hitch on and no hitch cover. I guess it came off in wash. Went back and had to put up with some idiot running around that did not even know what he was looking for.

 

My first free oil change was ridiculous, I pulled out the dealer and pulled into a gas station across the street and decided to check the oil, to my surprise, the dick heads didn't put any oil back in it! I called them and had it towed right back across the street. Been doing all my maintenance myself since. Always check over others work when it comes to your vehicle my friends!

 

that was most likely put there as a catch for the oil that spills when putting the filter on, bright side is they didn't put a dry filter on, too bad they forgot to take the catch bottle out. doh!

 

I took my wife's rav4 for it's first oil change last week. I marked the filter and checked the oil after I left the dealership then drove it home. my wife got in it the next morning to go to work and there was oil all over our garage. she sent me a pic of the oil on the dipstick and it was barely touching so I called the dealership and they sent a real mechanic out and the gasket was split on the filter.
he did it right and she took it back up to the dealership so they could clean the undercharriage.

oh and we the mechanic came out he said it was the fifth time that week he had to do that

I don't like other people working on my vehicles. that will be the first and last time I take one anywhere

 

Wut? It's for catching the oil that spills out of the old filter, not the new filter.

 

I put dry filters on every time I change my oil.

 

I have been on this site for almost 2 years now. From all the stories of oil changes from the dealership. I check my oil and mark the filter after it's done. Never had any issues, knock on wood.

 

Wait what's this wet new filter stuff?

 

I have changed my own oil and filter religiously after taken it to dealer and noticed my truck leaking oil. I thought it odd, since it never leaked before. Upon crawling down and looking, found the oil filter gasket from old filter was still on with new gasket. I prefer to change my own oil, that way I know what type of oil is in ( Valvoline ) engine and the filter I choose.

 

....I did the same thing.

 

Sometimes the gasket from the old filter sticks to the engine when removing the old filter. When the new filter is installed it's not unusual for one of the gaskets to split. 40+ years ago I worked in a gas station for awhile as a mechanic. Standard procedure was to take a clean rag and wipe off the area where the filter makes, this practice insures that a gasket which happens to come off the old oil filter isn't left on the engine.

Reading so many who have problems with a dealership doing an oil change really makes me lose faith in the work being done.

Not long ago I took a Subaru in for a free oil change, dealer gave me a few coupons when we purchased the vehicle for free oil and filter changes.
Turns out the drain plug wasn't even finger tight, the next morning there was a puddle of oil under it. The service writer tried to cover up the mistake so I introduced myself to the Service manager who just shrugged it off, he obviously didn't give a shit. It was upsetting as I had another Subaru in the day before and the mechanic got grease on the cloth part of a door panel, second time a mechanic left grease on the upholstery of that vehicle.

I've found another dealership but it's far away so I have to wait while the work is being done, not convenient.

I just don't understand dealerships lack of professionalism in how the treat customers vehicles these days. I always treated a customers vehicle like it was my own, sometimes better, and I was very picky about my vehicles .

 

What free oil changes? I took my Tacoma to the dealership for it's first oil change after I bought it brand new in 09 and they said that I didn't qualify for the free oil changes because I had put a lift kit on the truck. I didn't even argue with them because I wanted to do it myself anyway lol.

A few months later I took the truck in for them to check out why my backup camera was coming on while I was driving on the freeway. After I sat and waited in the waiting room for 6 hours they came out and told me it was because of the lift kit and there was nothing they could do about it.

They also installed the complimentary paint scratches all over every panel from using a rusty SOS pad to wash the truck, or whatever it is they do back there.

I HATE DEALERSHIPS, ALL OF THEM.

 

In Japan, there is no such thing as gravity. They can fill new filters with oil and install them upside down on top of the engine and the oil stays in them. The catch and drain is only available on US models.

 

2009s did come with free service for 25k