Went to get oil change and transmission fluid was drained.

Hello. I’m new to this group. I have a 2018 4 runner. I took my vehicle to get the oil changed a quick oil change place and they mistakenly drained my transmission fluid thinking it was my oil. Then added 7 quarts of oil to my oil tank that was full. I had to drove about 90 miles when you broke down. I had my car towed to a Toyota dealership where they drained 12 quarts (double the oil needed) from my car and 2 quarts of transmission fluid (guess this is what was leftover in the line). They put transmission back in and put the correct amount of oil back in my car. I was told that they could not guarantee my car was not damaged from this and lights could check out fine but I may have issues today, tomorrow, 2 months or even a year or so from now. The quick oil change place did pay the bills at the dealership but I’m not satisfied because everyone is telling me there’s no way my transmission was not compromised by going 90 miles with only transmission fluid in the line. I’m so mad as well I bought this car to have a car that would go for miles and miles and hold it’s value. Thoughts on whether my car being okay and what you would want if this was your car?

 

You might make it through this ok. Time will tell. I'd change the tranny fluid again in 5000 miles.

 

Yikes, that oil must have cooked some gaskets in your engine. And not to mention your transmission components probably got some good wear and tear. I’d definitely contact corporate of whatever place you went, I’m not an expert so don’t take my opinion as advice, but I would be pretty convinced your power train is damaged.

 

F that. Lawyer time

 

I have an attorney friend but he does personal injury. He said time may have to tell what will happen because a judge may not side with a “what if” my car has problems later. I called the Toyota dealership to see what a new transmission and engine would cost and was told they do not currently sell 2018 transmissions or engines for my car. I’d could get a rebuilt transmission for 7k and they found a 2018 engine with 49k miles they could put in for 11k and a 3 year warranty. I feel like I’m stuck with the unknown and I have a pretty good chance of having to make major repairs due to someone else’s negligence.

 

I had a quick oil change place cross-thread the bolt in the oil pan of my wife's Honda. Oil started leaking out. Fortunately no damage to the engine, as the oil leaked in the garage and I noticed immediately. Took the car to them and they tired to claim the pan was already cross threaded when I brought it in. Then their solution was to put a sleeve in, instead of replacing it with a new oil pan. I demanded a new oil pan, but they refused to admit that they were the ones to cross thread the bolt. I eventually had to replace the oil pan. After the incident I never used a quick oil change place again. If I can't change the oil myself, I always go to my Toyota dealership, as they always stand behind their work and have a complete record of service performed. Whenever I can, I do all my own work, as I trust myself and own my mistakes.

 

Man, I really feel for you. It's infuriating that the oil change guys would be so stupid.

You said you broke down. It would help to know what that means. Check Engine light? Truck was bucking? Engine died? Truck drove ok but sounded like a bucket of bolts?

Assuming for now that "broke down" means something more along the lines of a Check Engine light, I'd totally just drive it, be careful about proper maintenance in the future, and not worry. Yes, it's likely that some damage was done. But you have to put it in perspective. Here's an analogy: You start smoking a pack a day for the next year. Not good. Definitely bad for the lungs and heart and maybe some other things too. But are you gonna die from it? Chances are good that your ultimate demise won't have anything to do with it. You could get t-boned by a jackass in a Jeep. If not, will you die at age 80 instead of 85? Maybe. But there are so many other factors in that equation.

So.... truck running totally fine now? I totally wouldn't sweat it.

But if the truck went through horrible convulsions when it "broke down," like it was that poor girl in the Exorcist, and it now acts weird? In that case, if it was me, I'd seriously consider trading it in on a new Runner.

 

Lawyer up
I don't really feel there's a "what if" issue here the dealer techs can attest to possible damage due to the error made by oil change place or, as I called them, %##^&@^#@^#^!%%#&$*%*^÷&% *@&^$*%×*&$ holes!!! Hearsay rule does not apply in this case because it's a fact that improper fluid levels and/or using improper fluid will cause issues
Find a judge that likes cars, case closed. The very best of luck to you.

 

No light came on in my car. I had to take my son back to college which is about an hour away. On the way there I noticed it felt like the car lost a little power. I thought it was weird but thinking maybe air or something from oil being changed (I know nothing about cars). The most part of the trip was on interstate but as we got into the city and had to stop at lights I noticed my car was idling and a little shaky. I asked my son if he noticed it but he couldn’t tell. I know my car and knew something may be a little off but it wasn’t terrible at that point and thought I’d have them check it out once I got back. Once I dropped him off and started to accelerate to get back on interstate it felt like my car wouldn’t swift gears and the engine was stuck. I started pulling over and as I did I could hear rattling and some banging. So yes it completely broke down. Even at that point I had no lights come on.

 

I'm not one for law suits but..... This is gross negligence and they should be held accountable! Don't 'sign off' on their liability, ask your lawyer friend to suggest someone he knows as an attorney to represent you, get it fixed/replaced at their cost. Why should you pay for an obvious lack of training? Someone can't tell the difference from tranny fluid to engine oil!? Obviously very gross negligence/lack of training etc. etc. Oh, before I forget... Welcome from Wisconsin!

 

Yeah, definitely don’t just have them pay for bills. The fact it just broke down/shut off due to running with so much oil is a bad sign. If it were fine, I would definitely question its reliability in the near future. They should have to do something more than just cover the fees from the dealership that fixed their huge mess up. Again, no expert, but to me it sounds like your engine had an actual failure due to improper maintenance.

 

Sorry about your troubles.
1. Never use a quick oil change to save a few bucks. If I don’t do it myself, always dealer.
2. Lucky you don’t drive an FCA, it would’ve exploded by now.
3. No oil in the tranny, double the oil in the engine. If no issues, better buy a lottery ticket.
Note: even at the dealer, I put a small line/dot on the filter. I had a dealer that only pretended to change the oil - FCA.

 

Based on your description of the vehicle break down, my advice is to document everything. Dates, time, who you talked to you, summarize the conversation, describe in detail the issues with the car, etc. Try to handle everything via letter/email if possible from this point on. If it's thoroughly documented, you have a better chance of the quick change facility making you whole. This isn't going to be a quick and easy process for you, unfortunately. It will require a lot of time, energy, and patience/frustration. Be reasonable in your dealings/conversations and remain calm.

Get estimates from Toyota for everything (engine/tranny rebuild, engine/tranny replacement, etc). I would even pay to Toyota pull things apart for to thoroughly inspect for damage. Paying a little now to determine major damage that can be reimbursed to you by the oil change facility beats trying to get them to pay up down the road. Or perhaps see if the oil change facility will pay for a full diagnostic inspection to assess damage.

Pull engine oil and transmission fluid samples for laboratory analysis. You can't beat having diagnostic lab results in your pocket. Unfortunately, you likely don't have a baseline sample for comparison, but a new sample from your engine/transmission now can be compared to manufacturer specifications. I'm sure Toyota has some of this information, somewhere.

Contact an attorney for a consultation. Usually, a consult won't cost anything. The attorney, at that time, should be able to tell you what your chances are of winning a negligent damages suit, and whether you will be holding the bag for attorney fees. This will help you determine if your chances of having your car repaired/replaced. I'm sure the oil change facility has a pretty substantial insurance policy that covers negligence.

Do not sign or accept any offer from the quick change for them to pay a certain amount (or reimbursement) in exchange for no further liability. The oil change facility broke your stuff, and is responsible for fixing it.

 

If it was me, I'd be looking for a new truck. You can try to embarrass the quick lube place into buying it from you for a fair market price (eg KBB private seller price). You can try to lawyer up, though as noted that's no slam dunk for you unless the lawyer is pro bono or would agree to take only a portion of any compensation above the value of the car. Or you can go trade it in somewhere on another vehicle. If you have ethical qualms about trading it in, all I can say is that the dealer has no ethical qualms itself and will probably auction the thing anyway. (This btw is why I avoid buying used unless the car has an honest, comprehensive and long CPO extended warranty).

I think based on what you've described that significant life was taken out of the tranny and perhaps the engine. It may seem counter intuitive, but too much extra oil will actually reduce lubrication. And you had A LOT of extra oil. I mean, it's possible you'll get another 100K miles out of the truck with no issues. It's like my analogy of dying at age 80 instead of 85. But it's also possible the thing craps out in 5 or 10K miles.

I'd totally ditch it. Preferably at the expense of the quick lube place. But someway somehow regardless.

How many miles does it have on it now?

 

If you do opt for a suit remember that it'll take time but also have them cover your attorney fees and costs. If you so choose that route do it 'now' as everything has just occurred (I'm assuming) and you have been driving your 4R so much. All my good vibes sending your way!

 

Here's my own experience trading in a car with serious mechanical problems: I'd bought the car used with CPO warranty. It developed engine problems. Would sometimes buck and stall while driving. Both dealer and I tried various repairs -- nothing worked. Then it ran out of warranty. Dealer acknowledged there was a major problem but had no idea how to fix it without an engine tear down, which would have been expensive to me, and which they couldn't promise would work.

So I traded it in to this very same dealer. I disclosed the issue to the sales people (who couldn't have cared less) and noted that their own service department had the records of their failed attempts to fix it. I got a good trade in value for the car, a price I would have been OK with even if it was in mint condition. I also got a big discount on the new car and a great interest rate (the important point being, the dealer didn't account for the mechanical condition of my trade by screwing me on another part of the deal. I got a good price on my trade despite its issues).

This dealer then put my crap car up for sale for a high price and -- incredibly -- included a CarFax that showed ZERO of the repairs or issues that had occurred. Then they sold it. A service manager later told me the buyer brought it back in repeatedly for the same issues, they couldn't fix it, and the dealer ended up buying the car back from her.

Moral of the story: dealers will take anything in trade. Even if it's crap, you can get a decent price for it. Yes, that crap car will then be on the market and could become someone else's problem. But you don't actually know how it will play out. As mentioned, it could end up running fine for 100K miles. Or its tranny will die during the used car warranty and the dealer will fix it for the new buyer. Or this or that or whatever. You don't know.

I'd trade it in if you can't get the quick lube place to make things right.

PS, as others have said, it's a good idea to learn some basic maintenance. The most reliable oil changes are the ones you do yourself. The next best is a dealer with a great, honest service department (they do exist, even if rare) or a local mechanic with excellent reputation.

 

Unfortunately your feasible options are probably:

1) See what results and take it on the chin
2) Get a lawyer/send a demand letter that the store buy your car from you at a fair market value today (plus reasonable legal fees, if allowable)

And you probably lose out either way

 

@amazzuca, please let us know how things turn out. It's a bummer, but there may be a path forward that gets you to a reasonable spot (even if less than full justice)

 

I seriously doubt you can sue today for something that "might" happen down the road. I hate to be "that person" but if your personal situation allows I'd look into trading it in.... Just sayin.... Ask your attorney friend if there's some sort of understanding or something like that you can put in place now so you can collect down the road.

 

12 freaking quarts of oil in the crankcase, and a transmission that was clearly oil starved. Pretty impressive that it went 90 miles before you had to shut it down. That transmission is tough as nails, but I have to agree with a few others that I would throw my hands up and look to trade asap if this happened to me. This is why I do my own maintenance whenever possible, but I know it's not an option for everyone. Even going to a Toyota dealer is no guarantee of proper service.

Going to suck for the person who buys that turkey, but caveat emptor. There's always the risk of buying someone else's problems when you buy a used vehicle, even a used Toyota.

Good luck!

 

I don't think the court system works that way

 

I agree I would look into getting a lawyer.

 

I wonder if the OP could even find an attorney to take her case. I had some damage to a previous vehicle caused by road damage, and ended up calling 4 or 5 attorneys. The only thing they asked is "Were you injured?" They didn't care about anything else because there was no money in it for them.

Documenting everything and taking the quick lube place to small claims court, with the OP representing herself, may be her only avenue for recourse. Even that way will be difficult to prove an actual dollar value for damages/lost value.

 

What kills me about this is the guy who did it clearly has zero automotive experience. Trans fluid has a very distinctive and obvious smell, not to mention it’s very unlikely your trans fluid was solid black by that point in its life. Accidentally draining the trans is a lot more common than you’d think, however not realizing something is wrong as soon as the fluid starts coming is inexcusable.

 

the challenge with hiring a lawyer for something like this, is that you will be spending 100's/hr for them to go through the motions, and if you don't win, those costs will be up to you to absorb. And as others have said, damages will be difficult to quantify since the vehicle is operational at this time.

Perhaps being compensated for the costs of an extended warranty is an option?

The delta between the value of your car and a replacement like-for-like vehicle is probably a couple of hours worth of attorney fees. Trade it in.

 

See if you can get them to give you free oil changes for life! Or pay for an extended warranty

 

Was this a large chain store? Have you gone above local management to a corporate setting and voiced your complaints and concerns?

I do not use social media but if you hit a wall with them, perhaps some posts on their accounts about your experience would compel them to help out beyond having them pay a reputable shop to replace and refill with proper oil types.

 

Huh??????? After that ordeal you'd go back for free oil changes???

 

You can probably find an attorney to take any case for anything! They are not all expierienced, meaning they are established and maybe don't have income problems. But when they're fresh out of law school and have to pay back tuition and such?!?? The smell of money is very strong and has an addicting "feel".

 

And one other thing the second wrong if you will. After they completed the oil change they obviously never checked the oil level before the vehicle left. Or perhaps they did and they don't know how to read the dipstick.