Dealership dropped the ball AGAIN

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

I could write the book about the insane things dealerships have done and pulled on me.
Wife bought a used 2007 Mazda 6, I had her take it to the dealership because I was busy and how could they possibly screw up a simple oil change.

Wife calls me after leaving the dealership, car lost most of its power and blowing GIANT clouds of smoke out of the exhaust pipe. Long story short, they did not drain the engine oil and dump new oil in. They apoligized drained the oil and did and added new oil. I don't even know what sorts of problems this is going to cause me down the road.

I was changing all the fluids today in the car because I did not want to have the dealership do it go figure eh?

After I got to the engine oil sump pan which is made out of aluminum oil rain bolt is steel.
I am no dainty flower I weight 250 pounds. I put on my 3/4 inch drive large wrench on it and try to move, no bueno. I put my weight on it and try to turn it, no movement. I had to resort to using a cheater bar to break loose the bolt. By the way the bolt looked well rounded.
I could barley get it off with a cheater bar.
So after royally screwing the pooch they either have a silver back gorilla or an idiot with an impact gun hammer that bolt in the aluminum pan.

I am not even sure what to do, pretty darn [censored] off about what they pulled here.

You think that writing a letter to the general manager of the dealership is worth the effort?

 

[rfeir]

I recommend that you contact Mazda with the copy to the dealer's general manager and the service manager.

 

[Mr Nice]

100% your fault for not doing it yourself.

Most car shops have zero pride in doing a quality job.

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
100% your fault for not doing it yourself.

Most car shops have zero pride in doing a quality job.


Pretty much yeah.

 

[ls1mike]

Won't hurt anything. You didn't run it long enough to. Most I could see is the plugs may need to be changed. Sucks yes, but you should be fine.

Sucks about the drain plug. Seems that is the norm at a lot of places. You could write a letter but 8 year old used car not sure who is going to care. It would be nice if someone did.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: Rust_Belt_Pete
You think that writing a letter to the general manager of the dealership is worth the effort?


I'd go down there in person. Not to rant and rave but demand they fix it. I'd be nice yet firm and stand my ground. When issues arise the offending parties are usually more willing to help someone who is polite versus the alternative. Even phone calls work better than letters imo. Then I'd watch them do the repair even if it means standing in the bay. Ask for their best tech so you don't get the bad one again.

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

You would think that after screwing up so bad they would car and or bother?

 

[JC1]

Originally Posted By: Rust_Belt_Pete
I could write the book about the insane things dealerships have done and pulled on me.
Wife bought a used 2007 Mazda 6, I had her take it to the dealership because I was busy and how could they possibly screw up a simple oil change.

Wife calls me after leaving the dealership, car lost most of its power and blowing GIANT clouds of smoke out of the exhaust pipe. Long story short, they did not drain the engine oil and dump new oil in. They apoligized drained the oil and did and added new oil. I don't even know what sorts of problems this is going to cause me down the road.

I was changing all the fluids today in the car because I did not want to have the dealership do it go figure eh?

After I got to the engine oil sump pan which is made out of aluminum oil rain bolt is steel.
I am no dainty flower I weight 250 pounds. I put on my 3/4 inch drive large wrench on it and try to move, no bueno. I put my weight on it and try to turn it, no movement. I had to resort to using a cheater bar to break loose the bolt. By the way the bolt looked well rounded.
I could barley get it off with a cheater bar.
So after royally screwing the pooch they either have a silver back gorilla or an idiot with an impact gun hammer that bolt in the aluminum pan.

I am not even sure what to do, pretty darn [censored] off about what they pulled here.

You think that writing a letter to the general manager of the dealership is worth the effort?



I did something similar in my first ever oil change on a 1984 Toyota Tercel. Never drained the oil and had 8 liters of oil in a 4 litre engine. Black clouds of smoke and the hair filter housing was drenched in oil.

I had to replace the air filter and clean up the mess. I was ok after that.

I would try to look around to make sure the oil didn't get up in the the intake or foul up the plugs like others have mentioned. I would want a new oil pan drain plug installed as well.

If it wasn't driven for long, it should be ok. But get the dealer to fix it.

 

[Mr Nice]

No harm done, but it took the exact same time to do a [censored] job as it takes to do the job properly. Even a simple dismount and mounting of tires won't be done correctly (lug nuts over torqued and wheels scratched up, dirty hand prints on interior, money missing from center console, etc...).

Just DIY from now on for simple maintenance items.

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

I can mount and dismount my own tires but I still need a proper balancer.

 

[Trav]

Originally Posted By: Rust_Belt_Pete


I am not even sure what to do, pretty darn [censored] off about what they pulled here.

You think that writing a letter to the general manager of the dealership is worth the effort


What is it your looking for from them by writing the letters?
No one is getting reprimanded or fired so unless you have some sort of specific request your letter will just find its way into file 13
Ask for a free oil change. lol

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

hahah, yeah they gave me a free oil change coupon after screwing up the oil change. I think they have a twisted sense of humor. Well 40$ service coupon which is about how much their oil change costs.

 

[lubricatosaurus]

There was some harm done. Hard to quantify exactly. Anytime you're dumping oil out the exhaust, hitting catalysts, etc., something is happening.
Also, overfilling (and how, right?!) means lots of oil aeration foaming happened, starving bearings of lubrication.

How to put a dollar figure on this? You could try small claims court to get a couple of thousand bucks. Ask Mazda to compensate you, and maybe they will pester the dealership for some $$$.

People who just say "Oh Well, Whatever" to this thing means it just keeps happening, no incentive for them to train people or check work in the future.

 

[gregk24]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't care how old my car is, if I take it to the dealer and pay for work to be done, it better be done right! I raised heck last time my Honda dealer was screwy. The first indecent was with my 2006 Accord (sold) Where the dealer scratched up my headlight and the front fender while doing a brake fluid change. I called the dealer, spoke with the service manager and he made things right. The LAST time I went in it was with my current 2012 Accord and they were screwy again. I was livid, I made a review on YELP and two days later the service manager called me and personally apologized. I also made a call to Honda Corporate and filed a complaint. You should do the same! Yelp, and call Mazda corporate. When you are a paying customer you should be treated like one! I am so sick of the lack of care of peoples property, especially when you are a paying customer!

 

[GiveMeAVowel]

Originally Posted By: lubricatosaurus
There was some harm done. Hard to quantify exactly. Anytime you're dumping oil out the exhaust, hitting catalysts, etc., something is happening.
Also, overfilling (and how, right?!) means lots of oil aeration foaming happened, starving bearings of lubrication.

How to put a dollar figure on this? You could try small claims court to get a couple of thousand bucks. Ask Mazda to compensate you, and maybe they will pester the dealership for some $$$.

People who just say "Oh Well, Whatever" to this thing means it just keeps happening, no incentive for them to train people or check work in the future.



Nicely stated.

All they do is "apologize" and don't even refund your money for
the improperly done job that likely DID do some kind of damage.

I would call Mazda and open up a case file, snail mail return receipt request letter to the dealership owner and general manager and call the dealership GM as well. I would get them to set aside some cash in the event related damaged shows up in the next few years or have them give you a gift certificate that can be used for repairs related to their shoddy work.

Sorry for your problems but the tales of woe keep coming from auto repair shops because they are a shoddy industry with lots of criminals running the show.

 

[GiveMeAVowel]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
100% your fault for not doing it yourself.

Most car shops have zero pride in doing a quality job.


No, it isn't 100% HIS fault. The business is functioning based on the fact that they provide a professional service, even if most shops have zero pride in doing the job right, not the customers problem.
If nothing else they need to stop doing business, or be forced out of business by the state attorney general for failing to have merchantability of services.

 

[JR]

And now I remember why I paid $1,500 for my hoist. All I pay for anymore is balance of tires.


Harvey

 

[Rand]

This is common. Had the 2013 outback in for a short block replacement.

They put the metal skid plate back on with an impact wrench.. one corner is almost stripped now.

The drain plug was so tight I was hanging from a 1/2" drive ratchet and doing pullups and it wasnt moving.

oil filter (on top of engine) was surprisingly loose, definitely not 7/8 turn after gasket contact.

The new oil level sender in the new block was malfunctioning and they tried to say I must have broke it doing the first oil change(first with new short block).... S I G H.

 

[lubricatosaurus]

Originally Posted By: Rand
The new oil level sender in the new block was malfunctioning and they tried to say I must have broke it doing the first oil change(first with new short block).... S I G H.
Does that stick out of the side of the oil pan actually?
They must be thinking you knocked into it when you were doing gymnastics trying to get the drain plug off.

All the dealer-shop stories out there, and a couple of my own, now I don't want to take my car in at all anymore. Want to get front/rear differential oil changes, but I'd imagine they never cleaned off the magnet nor maybe even put new fluid in at all. No way to tell on some work!!!

 

[lubricatosaurus]

There might be one way to assuage my concerns: Get to a repair shop that has huge glass windows so you can watch them work on your car. EchoPark Automotive is one example. Not a complete cure, yet progress I guess.
Or just do the work myself.