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Oil change service damaged my car

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Pesic

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? New Jersey

Three days ago I had basic oil and filter change done at a large and respectable chain (not some shop down the street). They performd basic checkup and checked everything oil related as complete and in good condition. Today, the oil light came on and the engine started making bad sound. A couple of minutes later,the engine shut off; I left the car on the street and asked my mechanic to come over and take a look at what was wrong. From what he found-the oil pen ball (something that is underneath the engine where they empty out the old oil when performing change) was not even there- this is how all the oil leaked out. The engine seems to be completely dead and by what the mechanic said- probably beyond repair.
If this incident happened 10 minutes earlier, I would have been on a highway,driving 65+ miles per hour and probably in a great danger since brakes did not work properly after the engine shut off.
I am having the car towed to the service where they did the change in morning (it was too late today), but any advice of all legal rights and anything i should be aware of is welcome.
Thank you
 


BL

Senior Member
Did your mechanic look at the oil pan " Drain Plug " hole threads to see if they were stripped ?

Often times these places get high turn around of employees and they often times strip the treads on the Pan and plug .

Either this is what happened / or they didn't tightened it , causing the plug to be lose , eventually working its way out completely .

I've had the stripped threads happen to me .

Also, IF you did not run the car after the light first came on , it may be possible to fill the oil and run it . You won't know until you try it .

If the engine is ceased up or damaged , then you will have to take appropriate action .

First see if the treads are stripped , in the oil pan drain hole .

Don't expect them to accommodate you much after 3 days though . They will most likely deny accountability .
 

justalayman

Senior Member
Pesic said:
. From what he found-the oil pen ball
I'm not being mean but I am still trying to figure out what you a speaking of. A drain plug is the usual and accepted term for the drain plug in the oil pan. If you have something like one of those remotely operated drain plugs or a replacement plug that is actually an expanding rubber plug, you may very well lose all right there.

If this incident happened 10 minutes earlier, I would have been on a highway,driving 65+ miles per hour and probably in a great danger since brakes did not work properly after the engine shut off.
Doesn't change anyhting. You cannot sue for what-if's and might have beens.

I am having the car towed to the service where they did the change in morning (it was too late today), but any advice of all legal rights and anything i should be aware of is welcome.
Most places have insurance to cover the screw ups from the often incompetent help. If the engine is truly seized, I would expect them to remedy the situaion without too much hassle. The situation is fairly self evident. The only defense they could possibly use is that you damaged your own vehicle so as to make a claim. Unless they have some proof of that or you have attempted anything similar elsewhere that they can discover, it is tough for them to prove that though.

If the engine is not actually seized, you may have a hard time proving any damages. It is near imposible to determine loss of life expectancy with an engine if there are no apparent damages. Often merely replacing the oil gets you going. If there are no obvious sounds or problems after that, you are into an uphill battle.
 

teflon_jones

Senior Member
Pesic said:
Three days ago I had basic oil and filter change done at a large and respectable chain (not some shop down the street).
There's your first problem. Why do you assume that some kids making minimum wage are going to do a better job working on your car than the guy down the street that is relying on your money to feed his family and pay his mortgage?

Get it in writing that the chain screwed up and they're going to repair your car. And next time, take your car to the guy down the street. After all, a car is the second most valuable thing most people own after their home. If your rent, it's the most valuable thing you own.
 

ixtapu

Junior Member
I had the same thing happen, and got a $1200 settlement from Jiffy-Lube. Frigging pimply-faced 17-year-old "mechanics" in those chains, man.
 

iljhjb

Junior Member
I had a similar thing happen, where Jiffy Lube stripped my oil pan by forcing the drain plug, but I fortunately caught it before it ruined my car (it just ruined my nice new concrete driveway :mad:). They replaced the oil pan free of charge, but wanted to bill me for putting new oil back in - needless to say, this wasn't acceptable. The first thing I did was see the manager. He was able to iron anything out. If they don't offer to fix everything to your liking, then maybe look at getting a lawyer, but my guess is that your case isn't really worth it to a lot of them.

And my last word of advice is not to go with Jiffy Lube ever again. I'd look for a mechanic who doesn't charge an arm and a leg, sometimes they're even cheaper.
 

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