3 years ago
purchased a used Ram from Renfrew a couple of year...
purchased a used Ram from Renfrew a couple of years ago. Truck has only had the oil changed at Renfrew. Last week, I noticed a large oil puddle on my driveway where only I park. Checked my cameras and it was getting larger for the 5 days prior to me noticing it. Took the truck to my shop, threw on the covies and took a look. Sure enough, the oil filter was just contacting the base plate and oil was leaking past the gasket. Now, from 14 to 24 I worked and managed oil change shops and dealerships. I've spun up more oil filters than there are pages in a phone book, and I can tell anyone this with conviction, that the only way a filter will spin off is if it was not installed properly or tight enough as per the manufacturers recommendation. not once have I ever had this happen to any of my vehicles or any of the vehicles that I've serviced. The one time i entrust somebody else to service or repair my vehicle with complete trust this happens. Had I not have been attentive and noticed the puddle on my driveway in my camera, the risk of the oil filter backing off beyond contact with the base plate while driving would have been inevitable. This would have caused the vehicle to lose enough oil during my commute to starve the pump, potentially causing catastrophic failure of the engine if i would be unable to pull over and shut down the engine in time. That's if the gauges warned me within reasonable time. Luckily, it never came to that and I only lost 1800ml (about 27%) of total capacity.
So now I am out 25 bucks for a new oil filter (i didn't have to replace that one but for the sake of it, i did) and a new filter cup that i had to buy as my shop caters to HD vehicles and we don't service vehicles with filters that small. I'm also out about 3 hours of my time in labor after hours at my shop (which we charge $125/hr) to pull my truck in and diagnose, then go to Auto Value to get a cup and filter, then remove and replace the oil filter, then clean the splattered oil off my oil pan, front axles, trans, cross-member, gas tank, rear diff, steering rack, and frame. The wife was not too happy that i ended up getting home at 10pm that night.
lastly, I am left with a 3'x3' oil stain on my driveway of the home that i own. Every time i check the cameras at my house it is a constant reminder of the negligence of some people. If i don't clean it up myself, I could expect a solid $2-300 bill from a company to do it.
The experiences that I have had at this dealership (past and present experiences) have cemented my current outlook of this business and if I were asked for my opinion, I would not recommend that anyone start or continue a relationship with this particular dealership.
I have not contacted the dealership about this particular issue because as much as I would like my parts, labor, and driveway cleaned on their dime, I feel that it is more important that a standard of service be put in place so that unavoidable issues such as this one do not arise in the first place.