06/23/07: Had All Tune and Lube, Waldorf perform a routine oil change. Work order did not show any problems, was totally blank. Noticed oil leak, thought it was the filter. Leak continued for 2 weeks and the car had to have oil added over the course of those 2 weeks.
07/10/07: Checked the oil and found it was empty. Added a quart of oil and an hour later the car was empty again. Called Precision Tune Auto Care and took the car in for them to look at. Receipt given from shop stating that I had my oil changed at another shop 2 weeks ago and had noticed an oil leak since. Receipt also stated that the oil pan was cracked due to the shop over tightening the oil pan plug. Was advised that the car could not be driven until the problem was fixed and that there was no other reason for the oil pan to be leaking other than the shop that did the last oil change over tightening the oil plug.
Contacted All Tune and Lube, spoke with James and let him know what Precision Tune had said about the car. The car was towed to Waldorf, from Lexington Park, to All Tune and Lube. Later that day, approximately 4:30, I called All Tune and Lube and spoke with James again. I was told that the oil pan was not cracked but in fact stripped out and that I would have to pay for the cost to have it repaired because it was not the shops fault. I told him that I would be up to speak with him.
I, in addition to my father and husband, went up to All Tune and Lube and we were told that the old plug from my car had been thrown out, but there was nothing wrong with it and that the shop did nothing wrong, the damage to the oil pan was due to normal wear and tear. James also said that Southern Volkswagen had told him that the pan was stripped due to normal wear and tear. My father asked again to see the old plug, and we were told again by James that he did not know where it was, as he showed us the new plug that he had gone to Volkswagen and bought.
We insisted on seeing the old plug so James called Volkswagen and it was at the parts counter where he had left it. A tech proceeded to go to pick it up. My husband and I also went to Volkswagen where I spoke with Greg and Andrew, in addition to the gentleman at the parts counter. I specifically asked them if they had spoken with James from All Tune and Lube and they said yes. I told them what James had said he had been told (by the people there at Volkswagen) and they said he was lying. They told me that there was no other way for the oil pan to get stripped out like mine other than over tightening of the oil plug.
The gentleman at the parts counter got my old plug and showed me how the edges of it were rounded off, then he showed me a new plug. He said that they tightened the screw with way too much torque and stripped out the pan. I asked them if there was any way it could be wear and tear, and they said no. I asked them if they would give a statement to that affect to James at All Tune and Lube because he is refusing to fix the car, and they said yes.
I went back to All Tune and Lube with my old oil plug and told James what I had just found out from Volkswagen and he did in fact call and speak with Andrew. He was told exactly what I was told and he told me since in fact it was the fault of the shop, he would take care of the charges for the car to be repaired by Volkswagen.
07/12/07: Received call from James at All Tune and Lube that vehicle was ready for pick up. Was told that the car was returned by Volkswagen with an oil leak and that upon arrival to All Tune and Lube another gasket was put on oil plug, which stopped the leak. My husband picked the car up that evening.
07/13/07: Noticed oil leak upon leaving the house in the morning to go to work. Upon leaving work at the end of the day, noticed a large puddle of oil underneath the car. Went to Waldorf once again and called James, who told me that no other work would be done to the car. I told him I would be up to speak with him in person. Upon my arrival, I was told that I am lucky that any work was done to the car, as the damage was to normal wear and tear. I was also told by James that he had contacted Koons Volkswagen and was told that the damage to the car was in fact due to normal wear and tear and that it is a problem that occurs frequently.
He also stated to me that he was told by Koons that there is a Technical Service Bulletin from Volkswagen stating that the oil pans are faulty and that bulletin is on display at Koons for the service techs to see. After a lengthy discussion with James, I told him that I was aware that there were problems with the aluminum oil pans in the Volkswagens, but it still was over tightened and my oil pan should be replaced. He told me that he already had spent $270 and was not putting any more money into a car that they did not damage. I relayed to him that I would be doing research on the bulletin and I would be in touch with him.
He offered to make me happy by doing the work for free and giving me $100 towards a new oil pan. He stated to me that the problem was mine because the car had 114,000 miles on it. I left the shop, still with an oil leak, and let him know that I would be researching this problem further.
07/16/07: Contacted 4 different Volkswagen dealerships in Maryland. Statements from each shop were the same in that there is no TSB on the Jetta oil pan, and the only way for one to get stripped out is over tightening.
07/20/07: Contacted James again to make sure that he was in receipt of the certified letter that I mailed to him requesting that the oil pan be replaced. The letter also stated the information that I had gotten from the Volkswagen shops. He stated to me that in fact the oil pan does not strip out from over tightening, it cracks. This, of course, is totally different from what he had previously told me. He stated to me that they would not be replacing the oil pan and he would see me in court.
Melanie
Lexington Park, Maryland
U.S.A.
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