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Several years ago I bought a used Chevy van with about 30K miles on it. Less than 30 days and 1500 miles of ownership my wife was driving and the engine seized. When I got to her location I pulled the stick and no oil. The dealer towed it the next day. Called and said there was less than 3 quarts of oil in it and it would not be covered as I did not check it. I said to him, "If you got a car from a dealer two weeks ago would you have checked the oil level yet?" They replaced the engine no cost to me. Strangly the new engine used about a quart of oil every 1500 hundred miles. I checked it weekly.
Why not? It would be a simple matter to do so. You don't want "some Dufus" changing your oil. GM says: "Some Dufus says he changed his own oil, but can't prove it." You take your chances.
Due to Moss-Magnuson (The "Tie-In" Sales Clause) you'd have a strong legal argument if your warranty was denied due to using a non-GM oil filter. GM would have to PROVE your filter was defective and caused the damage.
You missed the point! Sorry my story was so long but it clearly said, IF MY ENGINE FAILED DUE TO A FILTER! Stated in 3 bullets:
1) A C7 engine failed when the car was being tested by car mag a few years ago. GM said it was caused by an OEM filter failure.
2) I said IF MY ENGINE FAILED BECAUSE OF A FILTER FAILURE and if is was an AC/Delco PF64, which is what is specified for use in my engine, IT WOULD BE COVERED. I was assuming it was proven it was changed, etc!
3) IF IT WAS A FRAM (or other none OEM) FILTER THAT FAILED, I WOULD BE SOL!
I have enough vehicles that I maintain for myself and family, that I've found keeping track of maintenance performed on each vehicle requires some record keeping. I actually have two levels of record keeping that I use.
For the primary level, in the glove box of each vehicle I keep a small 3" X 6" memo book you can pick up at any office supply store. In it I keep track of every item of maintenance performed on each vehicle. From dealer performed maintenance to home service like oil changes and tire rotations. Changes in anti-freeze, belt changes, even recalls performed. It is a handy and thorough record of everything performed on the vehicle.
I also have a section in it where I record part numbers for routine maintenance items like oil filters, air filters, belts even battery model and group size. It makes a quick and easy reference when trying to purchase a radiator hose or belt you know is going to fit.
I also have a section where I list any recall's on the vehicle and when they were performed along with any bulletins that the manufacturer has released related to the vehicle. And one last section where I list anything else that may be significant or of interest down the road related to the vehicle, such as mileage during a trip with details such as date and route for future reference. On occasion perhaps even a few E.T.'s from a trip to the speedway...
The second level of record keeping is a standard 10" X 13" manila folder/envelope I keep in a file cabinet in my office at home. In it I keep any receipts, service papers, copies of bulletins issued or recall paperwork related to the vehicle. I guess you could call it my 'official' record for each vehicle. Over time these envelopes can become quite full, but when it comes time to sell a vehicle, it is a terrific level of documentation and history of the vehicle, to include any official E.T. slips that I may have acquired along the way...
I started doing this as a teenager and have been doing it for,... well a long time. I also pass the record along to the buyer of the vehicle when I sell it, if the new owner wants it. It sure has simplified the process of keeping track of what's been done in the past and scheduling future maintenance on every vehicle I own.
I'd have not gone away quietly, especially if I could prove in any regard that I had my oil changed regularly with the proper stuff (as in you said at your shop).
Did he sue? He should have if he didn't.
My shop is just that, my shop, at my home. Not a shop that does mechanical work as a business. Sorry for the confusion.
And he did not go quietly, he took it all the way to the top with VW, sending untold amounts of e-mails along with old fashioned letter writing to people high up at Volkswagon. If memory serves, he spent over a year on it before finally giving up. He had it fixed at an Indie shop & sold it.
VW said it was denied because of the lack of documentation. Full stop. Nothing was said about the oil viscosity.
And when did I say the oil was changed due to engine problems? I can appreciate your line of thinking, but in this case it was nothing more than a lack of documentation.
Originally Posted by LT1 Z51
I'd have not gone away quietly, especially if I could prove in any regard that I had my oil changed regularly with the proper stuff (as in you said at your shop).
Did he sue? He should have if he didn't.
I wouldn't have gone quietly either.
That would have been in arbitration or in small claims court with me. I'd demand to know two things. 1) Did the oil in the engine meet VW specs? If it didn't, I'd be pursuing the oil marketer, if it did, the next question would be, 2) Please explain how "lack of documentation" led to the failure of your defective engine which had the proper oil in it at all times.
09-22-2017, 08:53 PM
