ComplaintsforAuto Express

• Initial Complaint

  11/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 9/23/2022, I took my 2011 *********** for service, including an oil change. I picked the car up on 9/24/22, and was told by ****, the desk attendant, that the car was "in great shape". During the next 2 weeks, I drove the car four times, for a total of approximately 30 miles, to and from the elementary school where I work. On 10/7/2022, I thought the car was sluggish, but otherwise it drove well, and no lights were on. On 10/8/2022, the car was driven 2 miles when there was a loud "thunk" and a burning smell. The car continued to drive but would stall and continued to smell. The car was driven back home, and the oil light came on. I called Auto Express, explained the issue, and they said to bring it in. On Monday, 10/10/2022, I had the car towed back to Auto Express, and after they looked at it, they told me that the oil filter fell off, the engine seized, and the repair would be $5,500. I asked how that could possibly have happened, and I was told that I had hit something. I told them I did not run over anything; they said the saw some "scratches" under the car that would support their theory. I told them the timing of this incident was suspicious, and they agreed that it was, but still insisted that I had somehow dislodged the oil filter. I then had the car towed by *** to the local **** dealership; I explained to the tow driver what happened, and he told me that wasn't the first time that he had heard of Auto Express failing to tighten an oil filter. The **** dealership told me that there would be "substantial impact damage" if I had hit something hard enough to dislodge the oil filter, and that they found no evidence of such damage. He also said that, in all probability, the car would be undrivable. We went back to Auto Express and told them what the **** dealership had found, and they said, "we looked under the car and saw damage." We asked, " so you are saying that the oil filter was properly installed?" He said, "I only know what I see under the car."

  Business response

  12/06/2022

  I have reviewed this with my manager Jeff P**********. I was aware of this vehicle when it was towed in but was not directly involved. Mr. P********* was called by ******************* about having the vehicle towed over for a no start condition. When vehicle arrived the battery was dead, no oil and oil filter missing. We added oil, oil filter and jump started the vehicle and was making a knocking sound. Mr. P****** called *** ******* and told him what we had found and asked him if there were oil spots in the driveway. He said her did not notice anything until it was towed. Mr. P****** asked what was noticed when the oil light came on. He said his kids were driving and heard a loud bang. Mr. P****** told Him they should have called us right away and stop driving. When the ****** came in on 9/23/2022 it had a bent rim which we repaired , received and oil change and a transmission flush. The mileage was 138,684. When it was towed in on 10/10/2022 the miles are 138,793. A difference of 109 miles since the service. They said they heard a loud noise, oil light came on, burning smell, vehicle stalling but continued to drive the vehicle. I want you to know that Auto Express, ***** ****** Towing, and **** ***** **** are all owned by **** *****. We are very proud of our reputation, and We stand behind our work and if we make a mistake, we own it. The last thing I would do is mistreat a customer. I am willing to have the vehicle towed here and put up on the lift for all of us to review. I can not change that the vehicle was driven with all the issues listed.

  Customer response

  12/06/2022

  I do not accept the response from Auto Express, as they failed to directly address the complaint we filed. They had changed the oil two weeks prior to the oil filter falling off; there was NO evidence of an oil leak in our driveway, and even after the loud noise and the smell, the oil light did not immediately come on. As we did not consider the fact that the oil filter had been improperly installed, we assumed it was a belt. The car continued to operate, so we drove it home. Once we stopped the car at our house, the oil light was on and we noticed a very small amount of oil in the street. Once again, Auto Express has shifted the blame back to us: first, they insisted that we "hit something" that caused the oil filter to come off, and now they are stating that we should have stopped driving and had the car towed immediately. Again, they refuse to even entertain the possibility that they failed to tighten the oil filter, which caused it to fall off. *******************, the **** dealer, found no evidence of substantial impact damage that would have been present had the oil filter been damaged by our hitting or driving over an object. The response from Auto Express never mentioned to ANY wrongdoing is quite upsetting. 
  

  
  

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