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Engine blew up after oil change, is mechanic responsible?
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goodgortho
Novice
Oct 9, 2024, 5:08 AM
Post #1 of 4
(3753 views)
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Engine blew up after oil change, is mechanic responsible?
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Hello, I have a 2007 Hyundai Elantra with about 160,000 miles on it. It’s a really great car and has been taken care of very well. Always runs great. Well, on Friday I got an oil change and didn’t really drive until I took a ~400 mile trip that following Tuesday morning. At around mile 300 my oil light came on. By the time that it took me to notice and get across the jersey turnpike to pull over my car was barely accelerating and making clicking noises under the hood. I heard one loud click and then a bunch of dash lights came on right as I was able to pull over. I turned the engine off and then the car wouldn’t start. I check under the hood and the dipstick was sticking up so far that I could see a couple inches of the metal. Also had almost no oil. When the tow truck pulled the car up oil started excessively leaking from under the car. I have a feeling they left the old oil filter gasket on when replacing. Now I’m almost positive my engine is done for and I don’t know how to hold them accountable for this. Should they be responsible for a new engine? Any advice on how I go about this? Thank you!
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 9, 2024, 12:49 PM
Post #2 of 4
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Re: Engine blew up after oil change, is mechanic responsible?
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The first thing you need to do is investigate. In order to hold them responsible you have to find something they did wrong, whether it be not putting enough oil in it or causing a leak. If they did either of those things, they are definitely at fault. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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goodgortho
Novice
Oct 10, 2024, 1:22 PM
Post #3 of 4
(3396 views)
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Re: Engine blew up after oil change, is mechanic responsible?
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So I had another shop look underneath the car and turns out my oil drain plug was gone. They suspected that the shop that did my oil change did not screw it in all the way, which caused the leak, and then it fell out during the tow causing the rest of the oil to come out onto the truck. Whatever the case may be on exactly why the drain plug came out, this is negligence on the shop’s part right? No evidence of any oil leak before this oil change.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 10, 2024, 2:02 PM
Post #4 of 4
(3394 views)
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Re: Engine blew up after oil change, is mechanic responsible?
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Yep, sounds like they owe you an engine. Most shops have insurance for this type of thing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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