I brought my car in for a routine oil change and tire rotation. During the visit, they broke a lug nut and damaged the wheel hub, but didn’t want to take responsibility for it. I moved on, trusting that the service itself had been done properly. Later, the car began experiencing serious issues. I ended up having to replace both the alternator and the battery — damage that turned out to be the result of the engine having no oil. The oil light never came on because it had been reset, and I was still about 1,000 miles away from even being due for the next oil change. It wasn’t until the engine completely failed that we opened it up and discovered just how extensive the damage was. At this point, it’s unclear whether the car can even be saved. All of this could have been prevented if the oil change had actually been done right the first time. This has been a deeply frustrating experience. I trusted this shop to handle basic maintenance — and now I’m left dealing with the potential loss of my vehicle because that trust was misplaced. ____ Thank you for your reply. However, I want to clarify that at no point during my visit was I warned about engine damage or metal shavings. The only issue discussed with me was the damage done to my wheel hub, which occurred during the tire rotation. No one brought up any internal engine concerns, nor was I advised that my vehicle was already in poor condition. I always make it a point during any visit to mention that I commute regularly and need to ensure everything is running properly. When I scheduled this appointment, I was told a diagnostic and overall inspection would be done as part of the service. I relied on that assurance. I trusted that a proper oil change had been done and was still nearly 1,000 miles away from the next scheduled service when the car began to fail. The oil light never came on because it had been reset. I’m disappointed to see this situation being reframed as preexisting damage when none of these warnings were ever communicated to me at the time. If they had been, I would have taken immediate action.
Hi Kimberly, We're truly sorry to hear about the trouble you’ve experienced, and we understand how frustrating and stressful this situation must be. We want to thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. To clarify, your vehicle was brought to our shop once, at around 155,000 miles, for an oil change and tire rotation. At that time, our technician noted the engine was already low on oil and showed signs of internal wear, including visible metal shavings — which we documented. This was communicated to you during your visit. We take great care in servicing every vehicle, and it’s never our intention to leave a customer in worse shape than when they arrived. That said, based on the condition of your vehicle when it arrived and our limited interaction with it, we believe the issues you’ve encountered were part of ongoing, underlying problems rather than the result of our service. We’re sorry you're going through this and wish there had been a better outcome. If there’s anything further we can do to help explain or provide records of our inspection, we’re happy to assist. — Sebastian, Owner
- Nelcars Auto Svc