Oil change place under-filled. Supposedly

[MarkM66]

Friend of a friend took her car to a big name oil change place. Not going to state name of oil change place. Maybe be of no fault of theirs.

Car is a 2012 Kia Optima with around 60k miles. With a little less then 1000 miles on the oil change, the engine locked up. Took it to KIA, they said there wasn't enough oil in it, and is putting the blame on the oil change place. Owner is going to contact oil change place today.

I'm thinking oil change place is not going to admit in any way that they under-filled it. They're going to say their equipment is fool proof, etc. Owner of car has no way to prove they under-filled it.

Anyone been in a situation like this? What do you folks think will happen?

 

[silverrat]

Although there are procedures in place to prevent such things, I have witnessed a car leave an oil change place with no oil in the sump accidentally. It is definitely possible. But the knocking was obvious within a few minutes and the car returned. This case is s little different as it was 1000 miles later.

 

[Donald]

I would think an oil leak rather than underfilled. My guess is the owner will not get anywhere with the oil change place. Maybe if it happened within the first 100 miles, but not at 1000. The owner should have checked the oil within the 1000 mile period.

 

[CourierDriver]

There are 1000s of such stories on the above situation.....some, not all oil change places will show you on the dipstick before you leave the shop....but that said, pull around the building and check it yourself or have a friend check it.

As to what I think about you getting a new engine of sorts, hmm, I dont know....it looks like a he said, she said kind of thing....

 

[DuckRyder]

So, no noise, no flashing lights, just locked up you say...

 

[ccap41]

The shop I once worked at had cameras above the car and below the car. They would have known if it was or was not filled, was or was not a tight drain plug, etc. I don't know the place you're talking about but I would think a lot of quick lube shops would have cameras to prevent somebody making a claim like this when the work WAS done properly. I'm not saying they didn't screw something up just that hopefully there are cameras to at least see if it was filled and the drain plug tightened to spec.

 

[Bgallagher]

Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
There are 1000s of such stories on the above situation.....some, not all oil change places will show you on the dipstick before you leave the shop....but that said, pull around the building and check it yourself or have a friend check it.

As to what I think about you getting a new engine of sorts, hmm, I dont know....it looks like a he said, she said kind of thing....


+1 I think it should be standard practice for those places to show you the dipstick to confirm the proper amount is in the crank. Granted most people wont even look/care but it does save the a$$ of the oil change places and it might also be a catch safe for them so they don't forget.

 

[demarpaint]

I would think some kind of low oil warning light would have come on. There'd be noise, ticking, knocking, etc. Something isn't adding up.

 

[MarkM66]

Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
So, no noise, no flashing lights, just locked up you say...


Actually, there were problems before that. Second hand info to me, but: Lack of acceleration, funny noice etc. Owner (female)is the typical doesn't do anything until it's completely screwed up type.

 

[Olas]

The dealer wants to get out of paying for warranty work so they'll look to out the blame somewhere else.
The quick lube place won't admit to under filling and causing damage.

This is the situation you leave yourself open for when you can't or wont do something yourself.
The alternative would have been to buy tools and learn.

 

[MarkM66]

Originally Posted By: Olas
The dealer wants to get out of paying for warranty work so they'll look to out the blame somewhere else.
The quick lube place won't admit to under filling and causing damage.

This is the situation you leave yourself open for when you can't or wont do something yourself.
The alternative would have been to buy tools and learn.


I agree.

Or at lease take it somewhere to have it looked at, at the first sign of trouble. She kept driving it.

 

[Donald]

Should have added some used oil and brought it to Kia.

 

[Superflop]

The warranty is great from kia. I have a few family members who have kia cars. Even though some do their own oc I recommend them have it done at the dealership while under warranty due to the fact they will have an irrefutable paper trail of proper dealer service if issues should arrise. Quite a few years ago my girlfriend had to have an oil change and I was unavailable. She took it to an oil change joint and I made her check the oil as soon as it left the bay before she ever started it herself. She said the service manager appeared very annoyed, I laughed.

 

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted By: Donald
I would think an oil leak rather than underfilled. My guess is the owner will not get anywhere with the oil change place. Maybe if it happened within the first 100 miles, but not at 1000. The owner should have checked the oil within the 1000 mile period.


I agree. They should have checked the oil in the parking lot of the oil change place, not after the engine locked up 1000 miles later. Obligatory woman driver comment.

 

[MarkM66]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Should have added some used oil and brought it to Kia.


Ha. Probably.

 

[dishdude]

I'm sure the manual says to check it at every fill up, not that anyone ever does. After 1,000 miles, I am not sure you can prove the quickie lube underfilled it.

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
I would think some kind of low oil warning light would have come on. There'd be noise, ticking, knocking, etc. Something isn't adding up.


AGREED...

If it blew up without at least some warning, oil wasn't low enough to be the issue...

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted By: MarkM66


With a little less then 1000 miles on the oil change, the engine locked up. Took it to KIA, they said there wasn't enough oil in it, and is putting the blame on the oil change place.
... oil change place is not going to admit in any way that they under-filled it. They're going to say their equipment is fool proof, etc. Owner of car has no way to prove they under-filled it.

Missing info here for court day

A) Where is KIA's proof of not enough oil? How much WAS left in the vehicle when diagnosed? Did the KIA dealer drain remaining oil into a container and note volume removed? - if not they are on the hook RIGHT THERE. They should have saved this oil for warranty claims also.

B) The "oil change place" procedure is in no way foolproof. But, Does the Driver have a IFFY LUBE Checklist with a tick mark showing the oil was filled to upper line on DS? If so, It's back on KIA - but this is not uncontrovertible evidence.

C) The car engine should not burn over 1 qt in 1000miles; and even if the owner did not check her oil level, if this KIA engine consumes this much oil - BACK ON KIA warranty again! BUT: ONLY IF THERE WERE NO MIL lit during the period of time the oil was changed and the car was brought to KIA or it failed on the road. They can see this.
This would be owner abuse and they could go either way.

Id say good luck but, I don't care about the outcome; if you don't do preventative maintenance tough luck girly

 

[MarkM66]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
I'm sure the manual says to check it at every fill up, not that anyone ever does. After 1,000 miles, I am not sure you can prove the quickie lube underfilled it.


Owners manual does state that.

 

[MarkM66]

Originally Posted By: TFB1
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
I would think some kind of low oil warning light would have come on. There'd be noise, ticking, knocking, etc. Something isn't adding up.


AGREED...

If it blew up without at least some warning, oil wasn't low enough to be the issue...


All I was told, poor acceleration and stumbling on acceleration, and a "weird" noise.