Dealer service, that outta teach me to use a free coupon..

[Swytch]

I bought my car a few months ago and my Chevy dealer has yet to get a simple oil change right. Here's the story (if the wall o text is too much look for the TLDR after):


When I bought my new SS, the dealer gave me a coupon for a free oil change. At about 800 miles i decided i wanted the oil swapped out, rather than do it myself like i always do on my other bikes and cars i figured i would save the 60-70 bucks on a filter and oil and use my coupon. Two days after they changed the oil i noticed a large oil slick (size of a dinner plate) under where my car is normally parked. WTF i thought, swung by a gas station, filled up the 1/2-3/4 quart it had lost and went straight to the dealer. They told me that the oil drain plug was not properly tightened, likely it had only been "finger tight." WTF i thought, but they put a "master tech" on it to make sure it got done right that time. They gave me a bussiness card with a signed note from the head service person saying they would give me another another free oil change to compensate me for the trouble. I laughed in my head, no way i thought, i am never bringing this car back to this shop for something this simple, maybe not even at all.

Fast forward about a month and a half, oil has re-appeared under my car. Reading the dipstick on these things is like learning sandscrit, but i think i was about a quart low at this point. This time i jack the side of the car up and take a look. The oil is clearly coming from the oil filter, its covered in oil and has a slow drip. I wipe the filter off and give it a crank by hand, got almost a full 1/4 turn tighter out of it. Put the car down, added some oil and started it and let it idle to build pressure in the oil system, sure enough about 5-10 minutes later the drip re-appeared.

I called them up at the service department immediately and complained. At first the lady at the service department told me that they would put a master tech on it and make sure it was done right. I told her i thought they already did that the first time, she looked it up and said, oh, looks like the last person to work on it was a senior tech. She asked if i wanted to bring it in to have it looked at, at this point i was pretty aggravated and i said no, i really didn't want to, i did not trust them to take care of this anymore. She asked what i wanted to do, i said i think its only fair at this point for you to provide me with a new filter and oil and i will either do it myself or take it somewhere to be done. We agreed and she was adding the credit to my account. I told her i would get up there early this week to pick it up. After sitting the weekend, i got real worried about what they might have done wrong to cause it to leak. I got to thinking that what if they cross-threaded the filter or damaged the seat the rubber gasket sets into, i dont want to get stuck with that as my fault. So i called today and will be going in @ 4 to have them try for a third time. Im pretty pissed that they cant get a darn oil change right. At this point i swear if they dont get this oil change right i will loose all faith in Goodwrench service centers.. Am i getting too agitated over this? I just want it done right once so I feel like i can take over doing it myself without worrying about being blamed for damaging it. Never thought i would have this much of a problem with a dealer service center... :sigh:

TLDR, Used a free oil coupon from my dealer to get the first oil change done, they didn't tighten the drainplug sufficiently, had to go back. Now a month or so later the oil filter is loose and leaking. Have to go back again. How pissed about this should i be? Im pretty upset, but i dont want to be "that" customer if you know what i mean.

[wylde1]

I hear ya too many bad experiences to take my vehicles (any vehicle, let alone the camaro) to have someone work on it that I can't watch. I wouldn't say you're too agitated at all. Frankly this post seems rather well thought out and coherent haha not the stark raving lunatic type of language I'd be using if my brand new car was leaking oil. If at all possible, I will usually tackle it myself.

The alignment guy lets me come and watch what he's doing, he's a cool dude. haha I asked because I was genuinely curious about the process, and he was more than happy to have someone there to talk to I think haha.

[2001ragtop]

Originally Posted by Swytch

...Im pretty pissed that they cant get a darn oil change right.....

the truth is don't let some random person mess with your car unless you have no choice (like when you get your car inspected).

you just proved why you sometimes just have to do things yourself. by now, i am sure you are ready to explode after what happened.

you might find a personal mechanic you trust completely and let HIM do it, if that helps.

some places will let you rent their lift and then you can easily change the oil yourself probably.

[mikeSS]

ya really, theres only a hand full of dealerships that have talented people working for them... i never get my oil changed at the dealership... i always go to the same place.. people who have been doing it for years..

[ffrcobra_65]

i guess their "set-up-to-fail-later" tactic failed sooner and they are stuck with the re-doing it for free karma. I despise getting service done at dealers. You always leave with the gut feeling they screwed something up or didn't actually do everything they were supposed to. 75% of the time, your gut feeling is right!

[justincase_2008]

well this scares me even more. I had th eoil done on my ranger at ajiffy lube and well ill never go there again.

[jeepguy_1980]

Originally Posted by Swytch

but i dont want to be "that" customer if you know what i mean.

I know what you mean. I had a nail in my tire last week and I took my car to a local tire shop (about 14 locations) to have it fixed. When I was cleaning my car this weekend, I found a gouge along the bead of the rim that runs about 1/3 of the way around. I didn't want to be "that" customer either, but I was still upset. So I left negative feedback on their website survey. I got a call a few hours later from the guy that manages all of them.

I felt bad, because I was kind of harsh in the survey. It's a lot easier to get mad at a computer screen than it is a person. They never told me about the damage (maybe they never saw it). To top it off they had offered not to charge me (maybe because I was in my military uniform), but I insisted on paying. When I found the damage I thought maybe they didn't want to charge me to avoid a paper trail. The manager seemed insulted that I suggested that. So, I did become "that" customer and feel bad about it now.

[Russo]

on the flip side, i rarely encounter someone who wants to spend money on quality labor.. most people want it done now, for free, and they don't care what kind of products you use... especially the entitlement group of people in our nation... most people have no pride in their car, house, business, or anybody else's property...

[CaniacFan]

I don't think that you are being "that customer". Dealerships are there to provide a service, a profressional one at that. They failed big time. You are justified in going off on them. I would be totally embarrassed as a service provider if I couldn't perform an oil change which is a pretty basic type of service - if you ask me.

PS: Went into a local Walmart over the weekend and they carry the 5qt jugs of Mobil1 for $21 - that's a win in my book... Now if I can talk the hubby into installing a lift in the garage.. Lori

[R Kern]

Sorry that happened to you. I would find another dealer, in case of warranty or other work you might want done. I had the exact opposite experience at my hometown dealer where I bought my Camaro.
I wasn't sure about getting the free oil change either. I decided I'd try it, since I have been taking my wife's Malibu there for maintenance, and they do a good job with that. I took the Camaro in spotless, and it was that way when done. Not even any oil smudges in the engine bay. I even thanked the tech, and asked him for tips since I will mostly change it myself from now on. There are good ones out there.

[600hp-lpe]

I'd be using a different shop... not all service centers are the same.

[Swytch]

Here's an update. They took it in last night, changed the oil and replaced the filter. The tech said he did not see anything amiss, they seemed to want to blame it on a bad filter... never seen that, but i guess maybe...At the moment there are no oil leaks, but there weren't immediately after the last change either. Here's hoping that this is the last time i have to take her to a dealership. I left without getting all aggrivated because i felt like it would get me nowhere. Already called and spoke another dealerships service department, will not be going back to the one I bought her from. Doubt very seriously that i will go to a dealership for any reason other than warranty work.

I do have an awesome mechanic that i use for my other vehicles. He already let me bring the Camaro up after hours and use his lift to change the tranny and diff fluid, great guy, cost me a 6 pack and a pack of smokes.

I knew i was taking a risk bringing it to the dealership, lesson learned, it was not worth the 60-70 bucks i saved in fluid and filter.. not by a long shot. The coupon they gave me after they messed it up the first time makes an excellent bookmark though!

[SSLarry]

I got the freebee and couldn't be happier. Actually, I watched the guy through the service door window, about 8 feet away. It seems I got lucky with a really experienced tech - although he under-filled my left rear tire.

I was really surprised and may even take it there again instead of the Mobile 1 Quick Lube. I like to watch the oil changes getting done, or do it myself, and nothing beats the convenience of having the oil changed on your schedule. You drive up, and you're all done in under 30 mins.

[Texhawk]

What brand oil filter were they using?
Even when I have installed the oil filter where it does not leak, I have gone back after the engine has been through a few heat cycles and have been able to tighten the oil filter by hand a little more.
I have had problems with AC Delco oil filters leaking even when they were as tight as I dared tighten them.
I switched to WIX filters and have never had a leak problem.
It seems all oil filter gaskets compress some, but if the gasket is designed correctly, it should not relax enough to leak.

By the way, I got a "free oil change" from my dealer, and I got them to just give me the oil and filter and I changed it myself.