Chain Tire place screwed up Oil Change - What's my next steps? (1 Viewer)

[top dog]

Have a 2018 Toyota RAV4 that a couple weeks ago threw a check engine code, went into limp mode and started throwing timing codes. Engine sounded HORRIBLE. A friend is a master tech for a Toyota dealership. I asked him to come over and take a look. He brought his laptop ran a bunch of diagnosis and all signs pointed to worn exhaust camshaft timing gear. Had it towed to the dealership for them to pull apart the engine. Ended up being a work gear. They replaced both the exhaust cam gear and the intake cam gear (recommended because the exhaust cam gear was bad). Took 2 weeks to get the parts as the one gear was on backorder. $1014.72 later its back up and running.

Drive it home from the dealer, no issues. Even had it up to 80 mph on the highway. Next day after sitting for 12 hours it throws a low oil pressure message and starts sounding like crap again. Had to have it towed back to the Toyota dealer. Now that it is complaining about low oil pressure the tech pulls the oil filter to check that and the oil filter is collapsed. Not like every oil filter I've seen in the past, this one on the Toyota the housing unscrews from the engine and you replace the paper filter inside the housing. There is an insert in the housing that keeps the shape of the oil filter. That insert was not in the housing. When National Tire and Battery did the oil change the tech there either broke off that insert and said "nah, you don't need that" or it came off in the old filter and they didn't see it. Just shoving the filter back up. Either way it is what caused the filter to eventually fail, collapse on itself and slowly starve the engine of oil. Causing the exhaust cam gear to fail.

I have the oil filter that collapsed and housing. Photos from the dealer showing what an OEM filter and housing look like with the housing missing the insert. Even took a photo of the oil pan to show the blue paint that NTB put on there to verify they did it and it hadn't been tampered with. What's my next step? Go to the local chain that did the work with all the photos and raise hell? Start with a corporate complaint or something else?

 

[Psychopav]

I'd go right to corporate with all your documentation. I'd call first then immediately follow up in writing.

 

[gianmarco]

I'd go right to corporate with all your documentation. I'd call first then immediately follow up in writing.

I'd go to the local shop first. They may make good on it and save you time/money.

Work your way up. Give them a chance to fix the wrong.

I do the same with haircuts.

 

[pollardsvision]

My niece made the mistake of going to a chain place that messed up her car.

Having (understandably) not given them the opportunity to make it right, you're not going to get very far.

I can assure you they are not worried about a negative reputation. A chain's business model is not based on repeat business. It's to screw every sucker that comes in there as much as they can.

Between advertising and the allure of convenience, they will never run out of suckers.

You can try. I just wouldn't get your hopes up.

 

[belljr]

I would start with the local place. When they deny it/blow you off, then go corporate

 

[Osaurus]

Temper expectations, but do let them know they screwed up. Don’t ever go back.