4RINGS5

Hey guys, I need your help here. On 10/25/11 I went to my local Audi dealership for my routine 35K service and other minor issues on my 09 S5. Very long story short, some parts were needed for the minor issues and I was told that they would arrive today 10/27/11. Unfortunately, they did not arrive in time and I was told that the parts would arrive tomorrow 10/28/11.

Unaware that the repairs would take this long, I informed my service adviser on 10/26/11 that I needed my car this weekend for a trip and that I need my car back no later than close of business 10/28/11. He said that the work may not be done in time and he decided to release my car to me today on the premise that I would return next Wednesday to complete the necessary work. With that said, I asked him “Are you sure the oil service was completed?” and he said, “Yes!” this was also noted on my paper work when he closed out my work order.

Well guess what?...

I went to go see a friend for dinner (which did not happen) right after my car was released to me and while I was driving on the freeway in minimal traffic, some lights and bells started going off and the car was shaking lightly. I pulled over to the shoulder within a minute and powered down the car. As it turns out, I drove the car for 24 miles with little to no oil to my knowledge. After about an hour and half wait the tow truck arrived and I returned the car back to the dealership.

Words cannot describe how pissed I am right now, I’m not sure if the car is dead or what, but I know it won’t be the same. Has anyone ever experienced this before? What kind of recourse do I have?

Thanks in advance!

4RINGS5

Daytona A5

That's an easy question; the dealer.

The dealer is responsible to "make you whole" that is, they are responsible to return your car to the condition it was in before they damaged it. They are also responsible for any out-of-pocket expense you incurred as a result of their negligence. The grey area becomes what loss will you incur in the future when you sell or trade the car and the engine rebuild shows on the vehicle report.

Just be nice and see first how the dealer responds. It does you no good to go in bounding your fists on the table. You can always do that later if you have to.

Good luck

JD15

Did you receive a low oil warning from the MMI?

4RINGS5

The only time I received a low oil warning from the MMI is when I was on the freeway just before I pull over to the shoulder.

The exact message on the MMI was ""WARNING: Please add oil immediately"

ChipB

I had a similar situation a few years ago when I had the differential oil changed on my BMW E36. The shop drained the oil but forgot to refill it. I got about 5 miles down the road when I started to hear a funny growl from the rear. I pulled into my garage, got out of the car, and smelled a horrible burning odor. I called up the garage and they immediately accepted responsibility and apologized profusely. They sent a flat bed truck to get my car, replaced the diff, and paid for a loaner rental car for the week it took - all on their dime. Based on how they handled this it made me a true fan of that shop, and I still highly recommend them (Autoscope in Plano, TX).

Mistakes like this happen. No one does it on purpose. So don't over-react - be firm but polite, don't raise your voice, be professional. But insist on a full diagnostic of the engine, including cylinder compression tests. I suspect that if the engine runs OK and maintains compression there probably is no long term damage here.

oohnoo

Damn sorry to hear. They farked up big time. Like others said be calm which will be hard to do, I don't think I could to be honest.

Running out of oil will destroy all the bearings (crank, rod, cam, etc) and send bearing material through he rest of the motor. End result is the motor is totally furbarred and will need to be either replaced or totally rebuilt.

Is this a lease or you own the car as this would make a big difference.

uberwgn

+1.

The motor is history.
The dealer is fully liable. No grey area here.
Dealerships keep liability ins for such problems when they arise.

4RINGS5

It's a purchase, not a lease. I have a problem letting go of my cars so I basically buy a car on the intention of keeping them and adding it to my collection.

So here's the update...

I got the car back, the dealership can't explain how this happened but they said they tested it and everything seems normal to them. I have a copy of their Diagnosis Report, but it’s all in code and I can't make sense of it. I drove the car for about 50 miles and everything seems to be okay to me, but at this point I don't trust it right now and I’m worried about the long-term condition of the engine. Even with very minimal oil, it will still cause stress on the engine.

I'm taking the car to an independent mechanic in about 30 minutes to run a full test and to see what they say. My dealership will be getting the bill for this. I spoke with the head of service and told him that all I'm looking for is for my warranty to be extended to 75K to which he said no.

I feel that my request is reasonable and it’s the least the dealership could do for their negligence. I have spoke with my attorney and they will be sending a letter to the dealership in the coming days and will contact Audi USA to discuss the warranty issue.

oohnoo

I would send the oil out to have analyzed. Blackstone labs does this. http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

Even with new oil in there they will be able to tell if there's any remnants of bearing material (copper) in there.

Daytona A5

I agree, send the oil out to a lab. The test will tell you everything.

As for an extended warranty. You want that from Audi not the dealer. If you need service you want it at any Audi dealer not just the one that did th edamage.