# Dealer mechanic mess up



## Jetsetta (Jul 24, 2017)

Hi. I have a 2017 Jetta 1.4t with 9k miles on it. I took it in to the dealer last week for the first service and the mechanic forgot to remove the old gasket during the oil change. When I paid for the service, the service manager even made it a point to tell me that he had personally checked it over and everything was "immaculate." Our dealership is only a 1/4 mile from the interstate, and by the time I merged on to head home, the Oil pressure off light and alarm started going off. A horrible sound and shuttering started coming from the engine, and before I could even signal to pull off, the EPC light came on. I immediately pulled over, turned the engine off, and called the dealership. They had a tow truck come out to pick the car up and had someone pick me up. While i was waiting on them I lifted the hood only to find the entire engine bay was covered in oil, oil running down the sides of the car, and the dipstick was dry. The service manager tried to tell me that no damage was caused (that it was basically impossible because of sensors) and that they would comp me my next oil change. I was appalled that was even an option to resolve the situation. It's a brand new car! I sent the owner of the dealership an email explaining the situation and I'm meeting with him tomorrow. What do I do? I don't want to let it go and end up having something go wrong down the road on the first car I've ever bought brand new. 

I know this is a ton of information, but my last Jetta was serviced at this dealership as well and I had a couple of other incidents with it too. I had an oil change done only to drive home and pop the hood to find that pliers had been left in the engine bay not even 5 inches from a major belt. Another incident involved a mechanic at the same dealership forgetting to secure the engine cover resulting in a crack all the way down the middle. That took 2 weeks to repair. I realize it makes me seem like an idiot for going back, but I chalked it up to being a new mechanic or a bad day. I still feel like since I'm unable to change the oil myself, taking it to the dealer is better than a place like Jiffy lube. 

At this point, I just feel like something needs to be done to make all of this right.  I need recommendations or advice.


----------



## rcprato (Sep 14, 2007)

This is very unfortunate and has the be very upsetting and I can empathize with you but hopefully your engine did not sustain any damage, it can run for a very brief period with no oil pressure because the oil film remains on the wear surfaces for a short period.

Documentation, documentation and again more documentation and include pictures.

Talk with owner and see what he wants to do to make you more at ease, ask for new car but I doubt that is possible.

Contact VW Customer Care and start a case with them so they know and tell them that you will want VW to stand behind this car if engine troubles happen related to possible low oil pressure damage for many years after the factory warranty expires

Good luck and keep this tread updated


----------



## PowerslavePA (Dec 9, 2014)

I got one better; when I went to one of those drive-in oil change places, they forgot
to put the oil filter on. SO, when they told me to start the engine, they all got a
shower... Then, they didn't clean up the oil mess in the engine compartment,
so that was the last time I went to a Jiffy-Lube...

Also, ONCE I forgot to look to be sure the filter oil seal was not baked on to the filter
housing, on my '07 Charger. I thought it felt wrong, as I was tightening it up. 
It finally tightened, I started the car, and saw oil spraying down. I knew right
away what it was.... ONCE...

I once ran a motor out of oil, rear main seal. It sat a winter, and I decided to
take a shot in the spring, and get it repaired, and get a clutch kit installed. 
Somehow, I lucked out and the car ran till it fell apart... So, you could be
lucky and there was no damage, or just took 30,000 miles of life out of it...


----------



## Thy_Harrowing (Dec 7, 2014)

> ... the Oil pressure off light and alarm started going off. *A horrible sound and shuttering started *coming from the engine, and before I could even signal to pull off, the EPC light came on...


My emphasis added... There is an exceedingly high degree of likelihood that there is damage and I would personally not bet anything on the small chance that there isn't much. The real question, in my opinion, is how much damage? The answer to that question, however, doesn't matter one bit because they should be giving you a new car or at least a new motor. I am NOT the kind of person who gets mad easily and I am not the kind of person who resorts to cutthroat tactics (like ****-talking a place all over the web or taking legal action, etc.) to get my way but if this had happened to me I would do ANYTHING necessary to get what I deserve which would be a new car or, at the very least, a brand new motor from VW, paid for in full (motor cost and install labor) by them but not actually installed by them. I probably don't have to say this but after you get what you deserve from them, cut and run. Never go back there again, the techs sound like hacks. To be fair, you're right that everyone has a bad day on the job and makes a mistake. It happens when you're servicing dozens of cars and oil changes are a routine grind you're probably doing in a haze half the time b/c it's so boring. But that just makes the mistake understandable, it does NOT make the mistake excusable. Doesn't excuse signs of laziness every time you've been there. You're also right to not go to places like Jiffy Lube or Meineke, etc., those are the kind of places with dudes who will just guess at your engines oil capacity on an oil change and under or, more often, overfill it and screw you. Either find a dealer with a stellar reputation or, better yet, find a independently owned European specialty shop within a reasonable distance from you and get cool with them. They will probably have excellent techs and the labor rate will be a bit cheaper or about the same as a dealer. Consider it a dealer alternative that may wind up being cheaper and/or better. Hopefully there's some place like that around you.

As for how to handle the situation, I'm afraid I can't be of much help as I've never had the luxury to own a new car or even one under warranty, and I do almost everything on my car myself, so I don't have experience dealing with this sort of thing. All I can say is DO NOT back down. Stick to your guns because they will pull the same old **** to try to make you happy as the salesman do to try to sell you on a car and none of it is even close to fair. They royally screwed you and had the audacity to try to lie about it (a really bad lie too). They or VWoA had better make it right. Rcprato said it already, every scrap of documentation you can take, including pics of the results, and time everything occurred; how far the car even made it (prove-able by where the towing guy was sent to come to get you) and so on could come in to play if they want to fight with you. I'd first see what VWoA will do about it if the dealership won't make things right and if VWoA isn't willing to get you in a new car or get the motor replaced for you then re-assess. I can't believe I'm even saying this but I'd consider legal action at that point. Problem is A) good luck sewing VW successfully; B) lawyers are expensive; C) it might just wind up costing you more money for nothing. You might be able to get your way by paying ~$100 for a lawyer to give them a call or write them a letter of intent, basically warning them that you've retained services with intent to sew (but fake because you don't actually plan to go through with the suit), and see if they would rather put you in a new car than deal with a lawsuit.

Best not to worry about all that now, see what they/VWoA are gonna do first. A decent alternative if they fight you tooth and nail is to do what rcprato said and get an agreement *in writing* from VWoA that your car will be covered at any location of your choosing, at least any dealer location, for any possible long-term affects of this incident PAST 120k miles, which is the mileage VW allows for parts replaced under extended warranty due to recall. Then I'd just make sure to sell the car before then. Probably just sell it before 100k so you don't have to deal with timing belt/chain (can't remember what that model has but pretty sure it's chain... which means super expensive). The problem with that 'extended care deal' is that the ways that this incident could impact the vehicle are numerous and hard to prove without serious investigation. Not only would they have a lot of wiggle room to get out of their agreement (unless you make an exhaustive list of items part of the agreement) but also something could come up after some amount of time and you might think it is related damage from this incident and think it should be covered and then find out it's not and be out a ton of money. That is a bit less likely since damage as a result of this incident would have fairly tell-tale signs but still... I'd consider some agreement like that with them to be the last resort.

Do they have your car now? Is that how you knew the tech forgot to replace the gasket, did they actually fess up? If so that is a good sign because I would have expected them to cover their tracks not admit to how it happened...


----------



## Thy_Harrowing (Dec 7, 2014)

Oh and all that VWoA stuff was of course assuming you live in the USA, which I realized now was a poor assumption on my part since there is no indication one way or another...


----------



## stratclub (Feb 3, 2007)

Thy_Harrowing said:


> Oh and all that VWoA stuff was of course assuming you live in the USA, which I realized now was a poor assumption on my part since there is no indication one way or another...


He lives in never tell anyone your location land. He does get demerits for actually relating what car he does have. How calloused have we become to expect people to actually post accurate and helpful basic information when they post?


----------

