Oil change disaster advice needed

I am a HUGE fan of customer service. That means everything to me. I will go above and beyond to compliment or tip people that provide great customer service. Companies need to recognize those that do a great job because that is what keeps the customers coming back. If I get bad service, I am done. There are way too many choices out there for people and I will not be subjected to being treated poorly. I have a local HD dealership that is on my way to work. I have stopped in there 3 times since I moved to this area and each and every time I stopped by, not one single person spoke to me, asked me if they could help me or acknowledged my existence. While it's convenient, I will NEVER put foot back in that dealership and will NEVER purchase anything from them. I will just drive 20 miles out of my way to another dealership whenever I need service simply because of the customer service.

 

Paging mods...Cleanup on aisle Rannyhill please, cleanup on aisle Rannyhill....

 

Stop

 

Cappy, I’m not going to post that info at this time on a public forum. In that dealership’s defense, I plus several family members and friends have purchased numerous vehicles from them throughout the years. For each vehicle purchased we have always taken advantage of the first 2 years of scheduled maintenance. Although my current issue is a big one, it is the first one.

 

@Rannyhill I don't expect any of the people you're working with on this worked over the weekend, so wouldn't expect an update, but does it "seem" that you're going to be looking into the trade in/new truck route? Are you expecting that route to be "fair" to you if so, and what does that mean to you?

 

I know it was said earlier in the thread and if you're going down the path of a trade-in, it probably doesn't matter to you.....but I'd be interested in getting a Blackstone oil analysis of their new oil. Just because no metal shavings were seen doesn't mean they're not there in smaller quantities. Plus, third party hard evidence of damage would hopefully prevent the dealership from pawning the truck off on an unsuspecting buyer without doing proper repairs first. But in the world we live, that's exactly what's gonna happen.

Hide a note in the truck for the new owner to find. Lol.

 

At this point I’m just hoping for a fair outcome. I would define fair in this situation as the dealer not treating this as a typical profit maximizing transaction. If a trade is the ultimate outcome, I would expect a minimal, if any, difference in the “balance due” column.

What they do and what I’d do in that situation might wind up being markedly different. If I was a business owner in that situation, I’d do whatever I could within reason to keep a customer happy. I think it’s important to remember that a Toyota Tacoma to a sizable dealership is not much more important than an ice cream cone to Dairy Queen.

 

I think most of us here agree, and hope for the best for you. Have they made any indication that they're continuing to inspect the truck, or do they seem to be pushing you towards the trade option?

 

I do not have a firm decision at this time. I submitted 2 clear routes as a resolution for them to consider. Both are still options.

 

Ok. I understand not dragging them through the mud but if you change your mind and want to send me a pm please do so as I will keep that to myself on here or if you can give us a general area without naming the dealership that may help others. I may not even be near that area. Just wanted to know in case I use them and need to look things over before driving off. I do all of my maintenance myself at this point but you never know when you'll have to go to a dealership for something more major. Also I deal with the corporate office that owns a bunch dealerships in my area (not just Toyota) and may be able to give you some names to help you if needed. I went through them when making my purchase to get a good deal and also getting discounts on accessories. Once when I didn't hear back from someone for 2 weeks that I contacted, I mentioned it to a certain person in the corp office and I received a phone call within 5 minutes. Problem solved.

 

That's a good idea. Best scenario for the OP would be a new engine in my opinion. That way some poor soul won't think he/she is buying good used truck then ending up with engine problems down the road. I agree that if traded the dealership will not make the proper repairs. I know that's the risk of buying used but still it can be avoided if they do the right thing. I would almost feel guilty trading it in knowing they would sell it someone else damaged.

 

Thanks for the update.

A fair outcome that puts everything back to the way it was prior to this incident seems fair--without considering, "pain & suffering". (that's liability talk there and not intended to persuade)

The dealership should definitely flag your trade-in as not having the original engine. I'm thinking that's why they put "As Is" on the sticker price.

 

I expect the dealer will offer a new Tacoma with a $4,000 - $7,000 up charge.
They will put the trade-in on the lot (with no further repair work) with a price equal to or slightly higher than a brand new 0 mile Tacoma.

Someone will look at, and will balk at the price...the salesman will feign ignorance and "let" the customer talk him down $4,000 - $7,000.

 

What are the two options?

 

Seems like the trade in route is presenting a moral quandry for @Rannyhill and what happens to the next owner. I get it. But it is not fair to have to eat an error for what the dealer 'may' do after the truck is theirs.

What about preparing a disclosure document of the situation and having the F&I person sign it? You would have officially let the dealership know about the situation, in writing at that point.

 

Wouldn't a trade-in be the best for the dealership as well? A replacement engine would be on the dealers dime right, Toyota's not going to warranty for human error on the dealers part.

If they take it in on trade, the factory warranty would transfer to the unsuspecting second owner. When the engine fails it either becomes Toyota's or the second owners problem, depending on date and mileage. Either way the dealers escapes liability.

 

I'm curious of this as well, but I think Ranny is being very intent on not sharing every piece of information, to have his bases covered should things go really south.

Someone noted earlier in the thread regarding the "warranty vs dealer screwup" issue, and who would be responsible financially for any repair work. And the more I think about it, I think whoever brought up that point is probably right. I think the dealer intentionally said "cut o-ring" so it became an original equipment/part defect, resulting in the potential for warranty work (dealer not responsible financially). This way, if the customer fought the issue and wasn't happy with their "no significant damage" findings, they could turn it in for warranty type work if they're forced into truly inspecting for damage. This explanation and a fluid flush was an easy quick fix, but insured a secure long term fix for them if needed.

In this case, they'll likely warranty anything that needs fixed, make money off the work, probably still get a trade in off OP bc they know the customer ultimately won't be happy (its gonna take an uncomfortably long time to fix of course, intentionally or realistically), mark up the trade in a crazy amount for resale, and still move a new unit to OP (doesn't really matter if its marked up at this point bc they've made money elsewhere, but it probably still would be bc why not if they've made the original truck whole). If dealers are everything we think they are (meaning money hungry businesses), I can't imagine this outcome any other way.

 

I'd feel bad knowing that'd potentially happen -- that's not to say that Rannyhill should bear the moral or financial burden of their mistake. I hate that the dealer will likely find a way to get out of this as cheap as possible. Too bad the engine didn't run dry until it seized.

 

The o-ring likely didn't spontaneously split. Instructions for installing the o-ring are pretty explicit about getting it into the right spot, so I would assume that the tech's training covered that as well. And, the instructions always say to run the vehicle and inspect for leaks. I highly doubt that the dealer would be able to push this off on Toyota.

The OP seems reasonable, and I can only think of 2 possible options: 1) an internal engine inspection by an independent Toyota tech that shows no damage, plus an extended warranty (engine replacement if damage is found) or 2) an equal trade on a new equivalent truck. In both cases, the dealer is going to have to foot the bill for something. IF they can get a replacement truck, taking it in on trade would likely be the easiest route for the dealer, if not the cheapest route.

 

I completely agree. Knowing that a future customer would be getting screwed by the dealership sucks because we all know that they will do that. Unfortunately Rannyhill would have been better off running it until it seized so that the dealer wouldn't have much of a choice on the repair. Then it would be a new engine or new truck and would prevent a future customer from getting ripped off.