Oil change disaster advice needed

My advice is stop going to the dealer. The dealer is only needed to purchase the truck. After that flip them off and never look back.

 

Been lurking in this thread for a few days now, but was reading over some of the paperwork that came with my truck as I wanted a mental schedule of some of the maintenance items for the future. In the "Warranty and Maintenance Guide" there's a section with an answer for some of those that have brought up...

"Toyota will not deny a warranty claim solely because you used a service provider other than a Toyota dealership for maintenance and repairs. However, damage or failure cause by improper maintenance or repairs is not covered under warranty."

 

This isn't corporate warranty or manufacturing issue. This was negligence on behalf of the dealer. Corporate has zero say and zero authority here.

 

This is some really bad information.

Dealerships have written, legally enforceable agreements with manufacturers to provide, among other things, quality customer service. Anyone can absolutely file a complaint with Toyota for what they consider to be bad service, whether in sales or in the service department itself. And quite often this is a successful move. It should be an option resorted to after exhausting options directly with the dealer, but is an excellent option in this case for the OP at some point in the near future.

Will calling corporate cause the dealership to give the OP everything he’s looking for? Maybe, maybe not. But it’s likely to improve his position, and it can’t hurt. Perhaps the mere threat of opening a case with corporate will help. If I’m a dealer I don’t want corporate to know that I just completely screwed up an oil change.

 

For all of you saying that there needs to be a complete engine disassembly to inspect bearings and other possible damage… what’s that going to accomplish? Do you actually think a dealer service center is going to do that? Absolutely not… mistakes happen as evident by this whole botched oil change debacle. I can guarantee there isn’t a line item in the service writers book for a labor charge to “take apart engine and look for damage.” There is absolutely a part number for a new short block and a line item with the time it will take to instal, if the dealer was so inclined to go that far.

 

Did you hit caps lock before giving them the details of your experience? That’s too funny. “Tell us how we did” hahaha geez

Let your lawyer tell them how they did. I doubt it’ll go to litigation but that sure was a tone deaf survey request. Just another example of the customer service disconnect.

 

I'm hoping the OP consulted an attorney in the previous week. This is complete bullshit! That excuse is pathetic. Because the engine started with no lights or smoke means the engine is OK?! Are you kidding me?!! After oil starvation? Time to sit down with the GM and Service Manager, give them one chance to make it right, knowing you have consulted an attorney and the next step will be contacting Toyota.

My dad had a virtually new truck eat it's engine the first time his camper was used. The dealer had the engine torn down and laid out on a table for inspection within 48 hours. In his case, it was a warranty issue but GM tried to weasel out of it. Took 8 months to resolve in his favor, new engine and cash to compensate for loss of use.

The ONLY way you will find damage from oil starvation is pulling the oil pan, main caps, rod caps and cams. As I stated earlier, a borescope isn't going to tell you a damned thing. Cylinder wall damage takes considerable time, bearings will get damaged in seconds. Bearing damage may rear it's head in a week, or it could take 100k miles.

I don't envy you. Hell of a way to treat a loyal customer!

 

What it will accomplish is verifying the status of the engine. Will the dealer want to do this? Oh hell no! It's expensive. That's not the OP's concern, not the OP's problem. Pushing this may just push the dealer to go the short block route, which is fine. Dealer's employee screwed up. At this point, service writer's book doesn't mean a damned thing. That all went out the window when they sent the OP out the door pissing oil all over the ground.

 

And… the second test named after ranny…. The RannyFuck.

 

Bingo. Whenever someone fucks up in a situation like this and tries to tell me why they can’t fix it or make it right I tell them I am not interested in their excuses. The conversation moves forward in a productive manner that suits what is just and fair.

Ex gf bought a used car ages ago in Vermont. Dumbass kid dented the bumper all to hell right before she got the keys. Out of state sale in New Hampshire. Ex dragged her feet fighting with them while I was working far away remotely. This was December. Next year rolled around and the dealership said they couldn’t do anything because their books for last year were closed. Lolol yeah okay. Funny try but the reality is you will make this right, or……

She had a new bumper in a few days. Get loud and articulate when necessary. Do not accept half measures. Do not let them piss down your back and tell you it’s raining.

 

I stand by my point.

 

Did initial inspection find any “insignificant” damage? This is essentially a new truck; any damage (significant or insignificant) that is not normal wear and tear, came about through some abnormal event. How are they trying to explain that? Or are they going to take the ground that no “significant” damage equals “no” damage?

 

Agree. Only go with a trade if you get at least what you paid a year ago for this truck.
If you go that route, they should also be giving you white glove level service on getting you a new truck (to your specs) quickly through whatever means possible with calls to other dealers, getting corporate to expedite a build etc.
I’m probably smoking crack to expect them to do that in this day of supply chain issues, but here is a thread where a fellow TW member got some satisfaction and went way up the Toyota chain. Kind of a long thread, but had a great outcome….what I wish for you on this shit show that become your life through no fault of your own.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/dealer-sold-my-truck-resolved.703401/

 

This response lets their tech and anyone at the dealership off the hook since the seal merely had a defect that surely no one could have seen, or expected to be there.
I would contact an attorney and gather your thoughts and options (you’re obviously good at doing that), weigh them out and potentially see what they will work in a trade since they feel that this truck is good to go and nothing is wrong with it.
If they truly believe that, they should have no issues giving you what you paid for it, ordering you a new truck, and selling this “quiet, non-smoking” vehicle for an additional markup of $10K like all other 1 year old, 7,000 mile trucks are currently selling for.

 

Seems like that was the Berkshire Hathaway Automotive Group chain. Did I miss somewhere that Toyota got involved?

And while this was some sort of dealer negligence I can't see how the two situations are at all comparable.

 

It’s still at dealer where it will remain until I get a resolution I’m comfortable with.

 

I have learned a few things after reading through 37 pages:
- Free oil changes are not free
- Can't trust anyone but yourself
- If you have someone else do any work, do a quick inspection before leaving the lot
- If a dealer does an oil change for you on your new vehicle and it starts knocking and sending up check engine lights, shortly after leaving the dealership, keep driving until the engine seizes.

 

Yeah you could be right about this particular instance going through the automotive group that owned the dealership rather than Toyota corporate, I am losing my memory, and haven’t reviewed this thread since it was all originally posted. But the principle could absolutely apply here in the same manner. Going through the ownership group of the dealership may get OP the result that he wants; the dealership certainly wants this swept under the rug (their actions indicate that). I am pretty sure that turning up the heat on them at higher levels would make them more apt to find a more equitable solution for OP. Doesn’t mean that it will happen quickly, but a dealership that botched a simple oil change whether they were negligent or not, does not want that fact widespread throughout the Toyota community or more importantly through the automotive group that they are a part of. I have a close personal friend who is a GM at a Toyota dealership here and it’s a big deal for them to get Toyota President’s Quality awards, etc. especially if they are a smaller dealership.
I know this isn’t the exact same situation, just an example of the little guy who was getting screwed going up the chain and finally prevailing by not giving up. If OP is satisfied if the dealer gives him and extended warranty and he keeps this truck, or sells it, or trades it, or whatever….I am happy for him. There is also the element of what one’s time is worth.

 

Good for you! I probably would have been a complete dick to them and flamed out by now.

 

I would ask to see the parts they removed.