Dealer Problems with oil Changes

My son in law's car got the drain plug thread stripped off by the dealer and dare to ask for $350 to have the oil pan replaced. He had been to the same dealer for oil change for more than three years.
He refused and they put one of those expandable rubber plug in.
I ended up re-tapped and put a larger size plug in.

 

Honda or Mitsubishi plug is M14x1.5. Drill out the hole with a half inch bit, and tap with a M14x1.5 tap.

The Honda/Mitsubishi plug uses the same 14mm hex as the OEM Toyota one.

 

will you please divulge the dealership so we can avoid them?

 

That's why I do my own oil changes.

 

exactly.

 

They owe you an apology and a new oil pan.

 

The oil pan is fabricated with a M12x1.25 nut welded to he inside of the sheet metal oil pan.

Drilling out the nut and rethreading it to take a M14x1.5 Honda-Mitsubishi oil plug makes it good or even better than new, since the larger and coarser threads are less likely to strip.

The making of a NUT requires drilling and tapping, anyway. Only bolts can be cold forged with "rolled" threads.

 

I perform my own maintenance, and make my *own* mistakes. MUCH less stress

 

I suspect the thing that was "slipping" when trying to remove the oil filter was the filter wrench. Sounds like they had a "kid" do the oil change ("oil changes are simple, no need for a -real- mechanic, we can save money"). I would insist they fix it properly -WITHOUT- resorting to a rubber or oversized plug, unless they can put in a -proper- plug, metal with a replaceable gasket, and one they keep in stock. I would also insist they replace the oil filter housing if it was damaged during removal. All at no cost to you of course.

Then I would ask pointedly of the "service manager" why you should keep going there for service, and ask the "dealership manager" why you should buy another car from them!

 

I'm resisting the urge to tell OP to do his own oil changes. It is an obvious solution to the ups and downs of dealership maintenance, but: he's chosen to go the dealership service department route, and it shouldn't be impossible. Also, DIY oil changes are just not practical for a lot of owners.

I've found service departments to run the quality gamut, largely due to the Service Manager's attitude.

 

Concur.

Exactly!

Some people can't do their own maintenance, either because they live in a condo...or they simply don't have time. Some people just don't want to.
The reason doesn't matter.
If you pay somebody for maintenance, you should GET the maintenance.

If this dealer is the only one who ever swung wrenches on your car, then they have abused your trust.
I would make them work very hard to regain your business, or simply tell them that the "change dealer" light just came on.

Your call.

I drive a Toyota almost every day (work car) but I haven't owned one for over 20 years (22 years, 2 months, roughly one week) over crap like this.
It wasn't the fact that they made mistakes....but what happened afterwards.

Good Luck!
UNFORTUNATELY....I see this all too often.

 

To paraphrase PT Barnum, "that is what the marks always say."

 

Yeah, one of them born every minute.

Today, with the internet and computers, they clone them by the drogues.

 

Droves??

So what are you guys saying: it's basically impossible to get a decent oil change if you don't do it yourself?

I mean, I did precisely what you guys are saying, gave up with the dealerships (with a previous car), for persistently overfilling, went to DIY. But if it's not possible for professionals to do a proper job, something's fundamentally hooped, because they are needed.

 

Unfortunately, it has always been "caveat emptor."

The only way to really know that it is done right is to check it and to verify it for yourself.

That's unfortunately true with everything in life.

 

When you go into a shop and see only two 40 gallon oil drums- one marked "regular" and one marked "synthetic" what do you think the chances of getting the correct viscosity oil for your car are?
Nuff said...

 

It's absolutely not impossible to get a decent oil change, but if you want to ensure that it's done correctly then it's wise to at least check the work.
Look at the dipstick. Give the tech four bottles of designer-lube or watch them draw it from the drum labeled "synthetic." Get out ramps and make sure that the drain bolt isn't over-tightened and that the filter (pre-marked before the service) was actually changed.

Of course.....by the time you do all of that?
You might as well have done the work yourself!

OK...so you may not need to do all of those checks.
Generally speaking, the stealership or a Whammo-lube place will do the oil change correctly. Also generally speaking, it's possible to catch the toad-sucking ba**ards when they try to do you dirty, but most drivers out there just want to be drivers.
The advantage that you have with the dealership always doing the maintenance is that there is a paper trail and if you at least check the oil level regularly and deny any service that's not on the maintenance schedule then you'll pretty much be worry-free for the first 150,000 miles or so of your car's service life. It's just going to cost you more!
It also means that you're going to be pretty much be in the "five years and trade it in" group of drivers out there....or you're going to get doinked over by a ginormous repair bill that could have been avoided by more assiduous maintenance - or was unnecessary to begin with.
There's also what I call "Easter-Egging" which is when the "mechanic" replaces parts on your dime until he or she gets to the part that actually fixes the problem.
There's a code-phrase that they generally use:
"It's probably the computer....." that will clue YOU in to the fact that they have no clue.
There's nothing wrong with that, but a lifetime of continuous monthly car payments isn't my idea of sound financial planning------unless I want to get into the car biz.
That's why knowing what maintenance IS on the schedule, what maintenance is NOT on the schedule and being knowledgeable about some of the checks that you can to between service visits (filters and fluids) or at least checking your bloomin oil level every 1000 miles or so can save you so much!

Anything that's not on the maintenance schedule isn't maintenance......it's a repair!
Those require an explanation, a second opinion, and some due diligence on the part of the driver.
Sometimes?
You have to kick a little rudder input on your car's maintenance, or your sloth might (probably will!) make you an easy mark for the scummier wrench turners out there.

So.....yes Virginia....
There are good oil mechanics out there!
In fact, there might be more than one or two. You just can't go to sleep on Christmas Eve with visions of sugar-plums dancing in your head and count on them being there the next morning when you check under the tree.

You have to want it.

 

No, I'm saying that if the dealership does a crappy job and charges a lot for the privilege, don't act surprised.

 

STICKY !