V50 Cars: Oil Sump plug thread worn

[andy_d]

Originally Posted by mack625

Hi

My Volvo V50 2008 2.0 Diesel went into a Volvo dealership where I purchased the car from in 2010 for a Service, My car has always been done at the same dealership since purchasing the vehicle, it went in for it's 13th service which is 175.000, but the car has only done 72.000 miles. after not receiving it back on the time expected I phoned them up to make sure I was getting it back to be told they're unable to complete the service because the sump plug would not tighten up and would need a new sump fitted and sump plug of an extra cost of £400.00. I questioned that I was surprised it was worn and told due to the sump plug being removed 13 times it has worn away the thread. To my knowledge the thread should not wear away no matter how many times it's removed and refitted. My question is as the car always been serviced at the same dealer for years, I'm I correct in saying the dealership are at fault for this as it's more than likely it's been overtightened or not fitted correctly when being serviced either this time or on a previous occasion. The oil has only been changed on service and never been done at at any other time. Do the threads wear overtime? If so I feel it's very poor product if after 13 times of being removed it causes the thread to wear. I'm wondering if I have a case of complaint or the dealer has responsibility for the issue.

Be grateful for advice on the matter and if anyone else has had the same experience with a dealership

Thank you

car went in with a functional sump plug

(if it wasnt functional the oil would have leaked)

dealer staff report "it wont tighten up"
dealer staff have loosened it, drained the oil and then refitted and tightened up the sump plug
100% dealer staff caused issue 100% down to the dealer to sort what they damaged.

Getting that over to them , good luck,
getting them to admit that it was dealer staff over tightening and stripping the threads , good luck
getting them to repair/replace what they damaged, good luck

PLEASE be sure to return with the outcome of this
And when the matter has been settled to a conclusion you are happy with the NAME of the dealership, just to inform others of there shocking service staff and disgraceful attitude
Knowing who - others in Wolves/surrounding areas can avoid them

[mack625]

Thank you all for your replies, have read all of them.

I did ask the dealership to fit an helicoil but they wouldn't do it, I had to pay for the new sump because I was told they could not put any oil in the car, so made it unable to get the car back unless getting the car transported to me so somewhere else which would involve more time and cost when I needed the car back on the road. I did speak to the service manager after they had it 3 days and before paying the bill and said I was not happy and also put my case over to him that I believe the damage was caused by it being over tightened or not fitted correctly at some point while being service there since buying the car from them in 2010, at this point it was still under the 3 year volvo guarantee when purchased. His reply was he didn't believe he was cause by them as the sump plug tightened to a certain torque with a torque wrench and second checked by another mechanic everytime. he put his points forward and I disagreed with him on all but he would not accept my points. So at the moment I asked for the service and sump repair to be put on separate invoices so I could look into it further on making a claim. I have paid and got the car back now but will contact Volvo and seek some legal advice to see if it's worth pursuing. Will update when I know more

[Othen]

Originally Posted by mack625

Thank you all for your replies, have read all of them.

I did ask the dealership to fit an helicoil but they wouldn't do it, I had to pay for the new sump because I was told they could not put any oil in the car, so made it unable to get the car back unless getting the car transported to me so somewhere else which would involve more time and cost when I needed the car back on the road. I did speak to the service manager after they had it 3 days and before paying the bill and said I was not happy and also put my case over to him that I believe the damage was caused by it being over tightened or not fitted correctly at some point while being service there since buying the car from them in 2010, at this point it was still under the 3 year volvo guarantee when purchased. His reply was he didn't believe he was cause by them as the sump plug tightened to a certain torque with a torque wrench and second checked by another mechanic everytime. he put his points forward and I disagreed with him on all but he would not accept my points. So at the moment I asked for the service and sump repair to be put on separate invoices so I could look into it further on making a claim. I have paid and got the car back now but will contact Volvo and seek some legal advice to see if it's worth pursuing. Will update when I know more

Thank you for letting us know the outcome Mack625, I feel for you, we all do.

I’m not surprised the Volvo dealership would not carry out a helicoil repair, and I’m not in the tiniest bit surprised at the service manager’s defence. There are some that would disagree, but I think the garage’s defence would be entirely plausible in court and so there would be small chance of proving negligence.

It would be worth appealing to Volvo for a contribution, but with a 13 year old motor it would be under no obligation.

If this has been the only unexpected bill in 13 years I think you have done pretty well.

Alan

[andy_d]

Originally Posted by mack625

Thank you all for your replies, have read all of them.

I did ask the dealership to fit an helicoil but they wouldn't do it, I had to pay for the new sump because I was told they could not put any oil in the car, so made it unable to get the car back unless getting the car transported to me so somewhere else which would involve more time and cost when I needed the car back on the road. I did speak to the service manager after they had it 3 days and before paying the bill and said I was not happy and also put my case over to him that I believe the damage was caused by it being over tightened or not fitted correctly at some point while being service there since buying the car from them in 2010, at this point it was still under the 3 year volvo guarantee when purchased. His reply was he didn't believe he was cause by them as the sump plug tightened to a certain torque with a torque wrench and second checked by another mechanic everytime. he put his points forward and I disagreed with him on all but he would not accept my points. So at the moment I asked for the service and sump repair to be put on separate invoices so I could look into it further on making a claim. I have paid and got the car back now but will contact Volvo and seek some legal advice to see if it's worth pursuing. Will update when I know more

good luck and hope you Can recover the costs of the sump they stripped the threads out of, sadly i doubt you will as they have your £ and clearly dont care

When there is a resolution , please consider posting the dealers info (name/town) so we know who Not to use but Not until you have a resolution your happy with

[Ian21401]

I feel for you and your predicament. Since when did a mechanic doing an oil change actually torque tighten the sump drain plug,,,,,, and then have it checked by another mechanic. I simply don’t believe it.

[StanC]

Originally Posted by Ian21401

I feel for you and your predicament. Since when did a mechanic doing an oil change actually torque tighten the sump drain plug,,,,,, and then have it checked by another mechanic. I simply don’t believe it.

Absolutely agree. No workshop realistically works like that. As far as tightening sump plugs is concerned, an experienced technician doesn't need a torque wrench and no workshop I've ever seen has 'spare' inspectors checking the work of others. Complete bo**ocks!

Stan.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by andy_d

good luck and hope you Can recover the costs of the sump they stripped the threads out of, sadly i doubt you will as they have your £ and clearly dont care

When there is a resolution , please consider posting the dealers info (name/town) so we know who Not to use but Not until you have a resolution your happy with

Originally Posted by Ian21401

I feel for you and your predicament. Since when did a mechanic doing an oil change actually torque tighten the sump drain plug,,,,,, and then have it checked by another mechanic. I simply don’t believe it.

Originally Posted by StanC

Absolutely agree. No workshop realistically works like that. As far as tightening sump plugs is concerned, an experienced technician doesn't need a torque wrench and no workshop I've ever seen has 'spare' inspectors checking the work of others. Complete bo**ocks!

Stan.

We all feel for mack625 - of course we do.

Everyone except me is very bullish about this: people wanting to pursue this to the county court, people wanting to boycott the dealer as a punishment... whereas I can't help thinking this is just a thing that happens sometimes. I'd be really surprised if almost any member of this forum has not had an unexpected large bill from maintaining a motor car, and £400 is not a particularly large surprise (in my experience).

I'm no lawyer (and I suspect neither are any of the correspondents advocating pursuing compensation through the courts) but I think it would be difficult to frame a case to show negligence: the motor car is a 13 year old machine that has been in daily use and probably stored outside. The service manager has said all the right things to support a very strong legal defence (whether forum correspondents believe him or not is of no consequence, it would just be up to a county court judge who may have no knowledge of running a garage). If the service manager stands up in the county court judge's chambers and says what he told mack625 then the arbiter would have to believe he was lying to find in favour of the accuser.

If it were me I think I'd shrug my shoulders and put this down to a motor car owning incident: a part of my 13 year old vehicle wore out and failed, that is all.

I'm not sure I'd bother taking a 13 year old motor car back to a Volvo dealer for servicing (I'd have stopped doing that for the service after the warranty ran out) - a local garage in this situation may well have undertaken a helicoil repair for £80 in parts and labour, whereas a main dealer would never do that.

I wish mack625 good fortune, whatever he decides to do.

Alan

[andy_d]

and that othen is how treatment like this of customers becomes "ok " and "shurg shoulders pay up "
the AGE of the car does not matter, that the dealer staff damaged it DOES
That it is a Volvo main dealer working on a Volvo matters
the BS "13 times and you need a new sump" is BS , or to call it properly a lie, end of story
Same applies to "local garage" damaging your car ,
Not acceptable, and more so when they stiff YOU with the bill for there incompetence.




as for name and shame so Others don't get the same treatment, too right its called community spirit and helping others,
not leaving them to get bent over by "bodge+scarper garage inc"

[Othen]

Originally Posted by andy_d

and that othen is how treatment like this of customers becomes "ok " and "shurg shoulders pay up "
the AGE of the car does not matter, that the dealer staff damaged it DOES
That it is a Volvo main dealer working on a Volvo matters
the BS "13 times and you need a new sump" is BS , or to call it properly a lie, end of story
Same applies to "local garage" damaging your car ,
Not acceptable, and more so when they stiff YOU with the bill for there incompetence.

as for name and shame so Others don't get the same treatment, too right its called community spirit and helping others,
not leaving them to get bent over by "bodge+scarper garage inc"

Que sera, sera.

Alan

[DaveNP]

Originally Posted by andy_d

and that othen is how treatment like this of customers becomes "ok " and "shurg shoulders pay up "
....

Rightly or wrongly I'm afraid I've got to a point in life where I'd look at this and do a mental calculation of what my time and stress levels are worth, and pursuing this wouldn't be worth the £400 quid to me.
I would however agree with you about letting others know which garage this was, there doesn't need to be wild allegations with that, just a straight report of what happened and how it was/wasn't resolved then others can make their own choices. Personally having had bad experiences with a national tyre chain (not relevant here but you can guess which) I'm more than happy to warn my family, friends and colleagues not to go there, that my sister still chooses to use them for everything is her problem.