Dealership Oil Change Experience

TL;DR: Dealership was careless with the truck, and I was lucky that all I needed was a new oil filter canister. Canister replaced on their dime. Lesson learned, never be lazy. Do your own oil changes. If you want to read on, go ahead.

Here's a picture of the damage.



Backstory, I went to the dealership for a warranty issue about 5-6 months ago, and they offered to do an oil change since my truck was at 20K miles anyway. I typically do my own oil changes, but since it was going to be on a lift and inspected anyway, I figure why not. Prior to this, I've done four oil changes on my own, at 1K, 5K, 10K, 15K.

Dealer calls me up, fixes the warranty issue, performs oil change. I go to pick up the truck, I inspect the oil level and assume everything's good. One less thing to worry about as my wife and I are expecting a baby around this time.

6 months later, I get off my ass and decide to do my oil change myself. No issues driving up the Rhino Ramps etc. As I go to remove the skid plate, the 3 screws that are fastened to the front bumper come off way too easy. The gray plastic clips that are used with the screws are all cracked, like some kid took an impact driver to zip them back in. I call the dealer and they agree to give me a set of replacements.

Now, I like to torque everything to spec, so immediately I know that the drain plug is on way too tight. I had to use my long handle ratchet to break it loose. Everything ends up okay here, since no threads were stripped on the bolt or the pan. I let the pan drain, then torque it to 30 ft lb, with a new crush washer.

I move over to the plastic filter canister. I have never broken one of these ever. I have always used the correct tool, and it has always come off easy. Whoever reinstalled the filter during the prior oil change must have used all his strength, as this time around it wasn't budging. I end up taking my long handle ratchet to get more leverage and as we all know, the tabs snap off. Now I'm livid and kicking myself for ever trusting a dealership again. Anywho, I manage to get the canister off with another tool and take a drive to the dealership.

I run a business so I know their whole corporate scheme to get out of anything they're liable for. I'm prepared for them to never admit fault. I explain the situation and drive it into their skulls that I've performed numerous oil changes with this type of canister with no issue, and not one has broken on me. My 2014 camry has an oil filter like this and it has never seen any damage as well. I basically tell them that their techs need to start giving just a little bit of a shit about their work and they shouldn't be tightening these things to this degree.

Service managers response: "You should have called us. You could have driven the truck back here and we would have loosened it for you."

Me: "So I'm supposed fill my engine back up with a fresh fill and an old filter, drive it back to the dealer for that?"

Service Manager: "Next time you could start removing the filter first."

I go and say I'm not going to argue about this, as I can easily pay to replace this part, but this is not my responsibility. The one time I had my truck serviced at the dealership, I've had to come back and get replacement parts for stuff that was overtorqued and broke.

Service manager looks up the part and says, you bought a car from here so I'm gonna do you this favor while continuing to spew BS about how it's not their fault, and this is why we don't recommend that their customers perform their own maintenance. He then goes "Promise me you won't bash this service center on social media." I proceed to tell him that I owe the dealership nothing as I had to leave my truck unfinished, waste my time driving and argue with him at the dealership. The part the arrives at the counter and I just say thanks for the part.

Oh yeah, if you live in Vegas area, Don't go to Findlay Toyota in Henderson for ANYTHING.

 

Terrible experience and dealers are just inconsistent. However, devils advocate here, technically they did not damage your vehicle, you did. Granted, if they did not tighten everything to spec then that's on them but good luck proving anything. Lesson learned and consider a different service center outside of routine maintenance. I bought the metal one from Amazon, check them out higher quality.

 

Laughed my ass off......"Service Manager: "Next time you could start removing the filter first."" What else do you expect???? Accountability.....Nah!!!!!

 

In this instance I learned that the only way to know something is done right, you have to do it yourself. I'd also have no problem replacing this part out of pocket if it was truly my fault. Trust me, I would rather spend only 30 minutes on my oil change and be done. I didn't want to spend more time than I needed by going to the dealership.

Also, in my experience, these filters come off easy with the correct tool and correct torque spec. But it is what it is.

 

Youre not wrong, there's only one person that actually cares if it's done right and that's you. Everyone else is trust but verify. My skid is what holds me up from a 30 minute job, I need to either get a different skid or chop a hole. Never been a fan of plastic on this part, especially since it's routinely removed, not sure what Toyota was thinking here. I'm also afraid the dealership would skip the filter replacement altogether, really no way to know.

 

Thanks for sharing. Dealer was waiting for a part so dealership could fix something on warranty. I checked back with the service manager every month or two until he didn't reply. Then I took it to his boss and dealt with the boss from there. Still no apology for the service manager's actions though.

 

I used the free oil changes at the dealer. After the first one on a cold day my TPMS light comes on. My TPMS is set for 46 lbs due to the D rated BFGs that came on the truck. There is a sticker on the door jamb with the correct PSI. I get out the gauge and all are at the PSI for P rated tires. When I do my first oil change there is a bolt missing from the skid plate and one is not the original bolt. I go to change the filter and cannot get the cap off. I end up breaking a filter wrench. I get my neighbor to drive me to the parts store for a stouter one. I put a 2' cheater bar on a 1/2" drive rachet and my neighbor has to hold my legs to get the cap off. Fortunately I had a metal cap ready to go. I gave the dealership a 0 on the survey. Service manager calls me and I explain everything. He orders me 2 skid plate bolts. When I go I to pick them up he offers to install and I decline. He also offered a new cap and I said that I already replaced with a metal one. I had a Tacoma previously and they have a top mount filter with a catch pan that has a hole. Any idiot knows to put something under the hole to catch the oil. They put a rag on the skid plate. I get home and oil is dripping on my driveway. Having no idea why I drive back to the dealer. People ask me why I still do my own fluid changes.

 

Took my ‘21 in for 5K service, they rotated the tires as part. I get home and find a center hub cover missing. Return next day, it’s gone. They order a new one, 3-4 week minimum back order. I just can’t anymore with people..

 

That's complete carelessness for no reason. Quality employees that are managed properly are difficult to find.

 

the first time i took my filter cap it was so tight, I couldn't believe I didnt break it. I hate shops they just don't care, I have had lug buts double the torque it is supposed to be

 

who starts at the filter? I've changed pil hundreds of times in my life and never once took the filter off before draining the pan.

 

Through girlfriends, wives, kids, kids girlfriends, etc. I've done almost 300 engine oil changes in the driveway since 1985. Stories like this make me smile knowing how long I've been ahead of the curve.

 

can't say I have either

 

Don’t let other dudes fiddle with your truck…or your girl.

 

Not even a little ???

 

Close your eyes, let it happen. It's called checking the oil for a reason.

 

My truck is leased, so I was getting the free oil changes. I have since decided to keep it because of the crazy truck prices. So I started doing my own oil changes. I did my first one 5k after they did the last one. The filter was black. I thought nothing of it. Go to do my next 5k oil change and filter is way lighter. Point of my story, jiffy lube dealer tech didn’t change the filter.

 

Yeah even with the free maintenance I have never used the oil change. Done 3 myself with 11k miles on my 21 lunar TRD PRO. I dont want to deal with that headache.

 

Well lets face it folks, the bottom tier of employees has to start somewhere.

I'm not gonna say where some of these folks pasts may have taken them, yet maybe a 'Big' house at some point, everyone deserves a new start if they've earned it, right?

But I've learned they are often new employees on 'background' tasks like house A/C installs (look for the shoddy workmanship - Ask me how I know), plumbing (someone has to dig under houses by hand) and so forth yet not excluding auto shops for basic tasks like oil changes, again with poor workmanship, oh boy this is the cost of our society, love it or not.

Imagine if you had the metal filter housing how tight they would have left that for next time!!

 

All points to consider. HOWEVER. This is like the crap pot service at the restaurant. The wait person is the direct causation. But the REAL PROBLEM is the general manager that allows this to go on and exercises non existent or lousy management. Same for shop service. Eggzactly the same. And if the general/service manager is doing that then the VP Operations, regional manager, etc. is a douche.

Japanese saying: the fish rots from the head.

 

Every time I have done the first oil change on a new truck with a metal filter I have had to destroy the filter to get it off. At least in that case you are replacing the whole filter anyway.

 

Several years ago an experience with my brand new Forester and first three or so oil changes at the Subaru dealer is exactly why my tundra has never been back to the dealer since I took delivery. I would only take it back for a warranty item or for something major where a qualified technician would be doing the work.

 

In order to not put yourself in a bind see the below.

Oil change procedure for every car I've ever worked on as a mechanic/service manager is as follows.
1. Remove fill cap
2. Remove filter.
3. Drain oil.

This way you don't get screwed by a stuck fill cap.
Or a broken filter housing.
Because you drained the oil out first.

Yes dealers and lube shops often suck and almost always have stupid lazy employees.
The oil change tech is almost always the lowest skilled tech, just above the janitor.
It has always been tough to find good help, now it's dam near impossible and gets worse every year.

That being said, these days the LAST thing I want to do is my own oil change.
The most amount of effort for the simplest of jobs (if any company would ever design the system to actually be serviced)
They make it such a pita and messy for no good reason.
I hate oil changes with a passion.
I have done thousands so I am burnt out.

I always check their work before leaving the shop that did the work, and/or I ask to watch (they complain and I insist and they give in)
I often have to ask the dealership to actually fill my oil all the way up in the Tundra, they rarely put the right amount in.
Top fill mark is where you should be.
Technically in-between the marks is "safe" but it's not "right" unless it's at the top mark after settling.

When you run a shop with a few real good lube techs, it's like magic and life is good.
Normally it's like herding crackhead cats.

 

Wow I have never removed filter before draining pan. Am I wrong in thinking more oil would come out out of filter housing with a full pan? I guess since the truck in not running the oil is all in the pan?

 

Thats normal, most mechanic training on this is wrong imho.

logically the way I posted is best way to avoid problems like stuck cap and no oil to drive to get a tool or replacement cap.

Pulling the filter first before draining does not cause any issues in my experience.

 

Thanks for that @Seafury.

Never did an oil change in that order, for no particular reason. It makes complete sense and I will be doing that in the future.

 

That is 180 ftlbs. Surprised the lugs are not stretched.

 

I prefer to not let the dealer touch my truck more than necessary.

That said, I can't really blame them for the reaction. They have no way of knowing you aren't at fault and just trying to get a free replacement part. Dealers have a reputation with some of trying to take advantage of and screwing people. Unfortunately people have a reputation of trying to screw the dealerships too.

 

Fortunately, my truck is long out of warranty (112k), and I have a mechanic who I trust. He and his wife are both friends of mine, and they both drive Toyotas. Suffice to say, I plan on putting another 100k (at least) on this truck, and it will never see the dealership again.