Initial Oil Change Visit: Brought leased vehicle under full warranty to the dealership for its first oil change. No issues were mentioned at this time. First Return (After 5 Minutes Driving): After leaving the dealership, warning lights and unusual sounds began within 5 minutes of driving. Returned immediately. The service team claimed the issue was due to the 'oil gun not being recalibrated' and that they had topped the oil off using a jug. This was later revealed to be a lie. Second Return (After Another 5 Minutes Driving): The same warning lights and noises returned after driving only 5 minutes. Returned again to the dealership. This time, they admitted that no oil had ever been put into the vehicle after the oil was drained. The service manager stated that the engine was 'cooked' and would need to be replaced. Admission by Service Manager: The service manager personally drove me to the rental car location. During this time, he admitted that the technician had simply forgotten to refill the oil after draining it, stating they had 'just gotten busy.' He had no explanation for why the dealership had lied during the first return visit. Safety Concerns: This negligence could have had catastrophic consequences. If the engine had blown up while driving, I could have crashed, potentially injuring or killing myself, my pregnant fiancée who was with me, and our unborn child. This was not just an inconvenience but a severe, reckless breach of safety and trust. Dealer’s Resolution: The dealership later acknowledged fault and offered to replace the engine with a new one. However, given the severity of the negligence and the safety risk, we refused and ultimately walked away from the lease when they would not provide an equivalent vehicle under the same terms. They instead paid off the remaining lease balance ($42,286.94). -Sent certifed formal demand letters to dealer and manufacturer -sent follow up emails to both -have not received response to my complaints.
NHTSA ODI 11692083