cdndan Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Hey guys looking for some advice and probably just wanting to vent a little bit. So a little bit of history first, I own a 2005 LGT, have had it since January 2009. Bought the car with 72000km (45000mi), currently have 141000km (88000mi). Over the 2 and a half years I've had the vehicle I've had no major problems, mostly just wear and tear. Had the oil changed every 6000km, had a bearing replaced under warrenty, installed a new clutch, new tires, nothing out of the ordinary. On my last oil change, they mentioned to me that the CV boot was cracking so would likely need replacing, in which case I made an appointment for approximately a month later to have that work done. And while I was having that work done I figured I'd finally have them install the uppipe and downpipe I've had sitting in my room for nearly two years (I was pretty satisfied with the Stage 1 tune ) Before I continue with the above I'll give you a small history of some problems I've had with the dealership (out of respect at this time I'd rather not name the dealership). About 2 years ago, summer of '09 I believe while having an oil change they ran my car into a hoist and in turn needed to repaint the front fender, fix the rim. Two oil changes ago they didn't put on the oil drain plug properly, so after a day of driving it was noticed that I was leaking oil everywhere, my buddy actually brought it to my attention as there was oil all over his driveway. Luckily it was noticed soon enough and I got it back to the dealership before I ran out of oil, I did top it up as soon as it was noticed...The dealership in this case refused to admit fault saying it was a faulty part... Now to this past week. So I had my car brought in on Thursday with the expectation Id have it by end of day Thursday. They called me and said it wouldn't be done until Friday morning. Ok no big deal I'll wait an extra day, then they call me Friday morning mentioning it should be done early afternoon. I get a call back early afternoon mentioned when they took it off the harness a sensor of some sort broke and they don't have the part so I would have to wait until Tuesday to pick it up (Civic Holiday yesterday in Canada). They mention they're able to get me a loaner, which is great as I need to be able to drive a vehicle to get to work and back. As i'm about to leave the dealership in the loaner vehicle they then mention they found the part and as if I'd like to wait around for about 30 minutes to install that real quick and clean everything up. So I'm just waiting around, the car is just about done, just have to take it out for a quick test drive. So I see the tech take my car out on the road and boot it around the corner what seeemed fairly quick. I found this odd as he told me to keep the rpms below 4000 and try and stay out of boost until I got it home and flashed the stage 2 tune. Either way I'm looking forward to getting my car. When he gets it back to the shop the service advisor mentions to me that after the tech got it to the shop he started to hear a knocking from the engine and doesn't reccomend I take my car, that I wait until Tuesday. I try and wait for the tech to hear exactly what sound he's hearing but can't find him so I take off asking that he give me a call to let me know what it is. Later that afternoon I hear back from the tech said that he heard a ticking getting progressively louder in which case he turned the car off and rolled it outside. Said it sounds like the bottom end. I asked the tech as this definitely doesn't sound good, would this cost me anything in the end as the car was running perfectly when i brought it in, he said definteily not. So now it's Tuesday I get a call from the dealership, and am told it is in fact the bottom end. The piston rod bearing has gone and it sounds like I need a new shortblock!?!? Ugh, I'm so frustrated right now. Theyre trying to say they're giving me a deal in that it will cost me about $4000 parts/labour to have all this work done. And talking to the service manager he says it's simply bad timing. There is nothing they couldve done to cause this issue as they werent working on this part of the engine. I'm just wondering what my options are at this point, is the dealer quote decent, he says he's saving me about $3000 as he's done everything at cost. Are there other options out there. I'm already in it for $800 for the downpipe/uppipe install and cv boot fix. Reason that cost so much is cause a stud on the turbo had seized and it took the tech quite a bit of extra time to get it out... I apologize for the rant, I'm not very car saavy when it comes to the mechanics of everything, but I also know my car has run great the entire time I've had it and I certainly didn't forsee this extra expense. Any tips or suggestions are greatly appreciated at this point. -Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuskiTrombone Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Wonder if the tech misshifted going from 3rd to 4th and instead threw it in 2nd. No way of knowing I guess. Why did you take it back to them after initial problems? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
05COLEGGT Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Without the proper tune the new downpipe can cause boost creep and a lean condition in the engine. Chances are between running lean under boost and starving your bearing of oil when they forgot to tighten the drain plug, caused your engine to give up the ghost. Since your not tech savvy on engines and you have no way to prove it was in fact their fault, your kind of SOL. You can maybe contact the BBB, if they are in the BBB, and open a case against them and see if that convinces them to pay for the repair. Otherwise your on your own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdndan Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 I suppose just because I have been going there for 2 and a half years and they are a fairly reputable dealer that if any issues do arise I'd assume they'd do their best to help me out. I'm just at a loss now as to what my best options are at this point. From what I'm gathering the quote they are giving me right now is pretty decent, I just don't know if there is another option or if there is other work I should look at having them do while they are giving me a discounted labour rate? If I do go ahead and get it fixed can I expect another few years out of the car? I personally expected another few years before this happened given I've had no real problems with the car up until this point...Just really $4k I was not expecting... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdndan Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 Without the proper tune the new downpipe can cause boost creep and a lean condition in the engine. Chances are between running lean under boost and starving your bearing of oil when they forgot to tighten the drain plug, caused your engine to give up the ghost. Since your not tech savvy on engines and you have no way to prove it was in fact their fault, your kind of SOL. You can maybe contact the BBB, if they are in the BBB, and open a case against them and see if that convinces them to pay for the repair. Otherwise your on your own. To the above, the downpipe was installed this past weekend, when they didn't tighten the drainpipe was about 10,000km with only stock parts on...not sure if over time this could've caused the problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob-2 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Sounds like the damage was done with the lack of oil. A misshift would ruin the head and if you had valve float cause valve damage, if metal fell into the cyl you'd score your walls. A lack of oil the bearings/rings/etc go. I suspect it's their fault, but I don't know how you get them to do it for free. Get a lawyer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdndan Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 Lack of oil is what they say is likely the cause as well...but if I had my oil done at the proper intervals, and when I brought it in this time I had just had my oil changed a month prior that shouldn't be an issue...They mentioned how I should've been running motul and not mobil 1 even though one of the service advisors a long time ago suggested mobil 1 so I've stuck with it to be consistent? I just don't know how I can prove it's their fault, I'd like to get my car back so don't want to wait too long, I told the Service manager I'd like to think about it this afternoon and get back to him. He didn't seem to budge much other than he would be doing all the work at cost and he was essentially giving me a good deal. Also he said he's seen this happen in the past, it is rare but does happen? Are there no signs of this being an upcoming issue or does it happen that quick? As like I mentioned in my first post anytime there's been an issue I've had them go ahead and fix it fairly timely, not that there has been many issues other than a bearing and this time around the CV boot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmx045 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 It happens that quick. The moto of this entire forum is to check your oil level at every gas fill-up. No, you don't have to run motul, Mobile 1 is fine, though, turbo subaru engines seem to consume it opposed to other popular brands (Rotella, Castrol Syntec). BTW dealer cost for a new wrx/lgt shortblock itself is about $1600 USD. So they are getting you on the labor, of course. This is a fairly common occurance with turbo subaru engines, they are very picky about oil levels and 1 delayed oil change can cause failure, and being 1 qt low can even spell disaster if the engine is pushed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdndan Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 They are offering to do the labour at a much reduced rate, $33/hr compared to $106/hr so he's also suggesting perhaps doing some other stuff while i'm getting the discounted rate. Mainly the timing belt, but I'm wondering if there's anything else that perhaps I should have them do since as it was mentioned by a previous poster I'm pretty much SOL and need to have this work done and will have to pay for it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob-2 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 $4K would get you a new motor installed, not a rebuilt motor. You're getting screwed on this deal, and when they suggest doing other things as well the red lights should be going off. They screwed up buddy, I wouldn't pay them or have them do anymore work without a lawyer. I would contact Subaru directly to get them involved for extra help in the matter. Unless you ran below 'low' the motor won't have been damaged. If you're low on oil, you'll get low oil pressure which should have shown up with a flicker of your oil light. If you were doing high G high boost driving it might not have shown up but it might have happened anyway. The problem with Mobil 1 is that it runs thin for it's weight. A 10w30, quickly becomes a 10w20, and for most of us with boost, the sheer factors exceed the protection a 20 weight will give. If you're a spirited driver the mobil 1 combined with the low oil levels is likely the factor here. Clearly the dealer is making out well. It doesn't take 72 hours ( 4K - 1600 / 33/hour) to change blocks. The short block is going to have most everything you need on it and you will attach the head and some other components. Your turbo is likely toast or will be toast if your crank bearings went bust. Turbo bearings are very delicate. That;s my thoughts on the matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWDaholic Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 ^+1^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdndan Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 I was told by the dealer that the turbo is ok, and he's hoping to keep it below that 4k threshold but gave me that quote in case any variables happen to come up? This is my daily driver so i don't like the fact that i will be without it for a long time. If they go ahead with the repair i'll have it back by early next week. I just want to know how Im to win the argument that this is not my fault, as was mentioned just above there has never been a time where the oil light came on as my oil level has always been fine, other than I guess one time that i brought it in for a routine oil change adn they noted the oil level was low, which they did not bring to my attention until now. They would have to be accountable to some extent given this happened under their care? How can they say it is simply a matter of bad timing? Im just wondering if anyone has any idea what kind of leverage i have other than the fact that it happened under their care which i feel should be enough?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob-2 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I was told by the dealer that the turbo is ok, and he's hoping to keep it below that 4k threshold but gave me that quote in case any variables happen to come up? This is my daily driver so i don't like the fact that i will be without it for a long time. If they go ahead with the repair i'll have it back by early next week. I just want to know how Im to win the argument that this is not my fault, as was mentioned just above there has never been a time where the oil light came on as my oil level has always been fine, other than I guess one time that i brought it in for a routine oil change adn they noted the oil level was low, which they did not bring to my attention until now. They would have to be accountable to some extent given this happened under their care? How can they say it is simply a matter of bad timing? Im just wondering if anyone has any idea what kind of leverage i have other than the fact that it happened under their care which i feel should be enough?? Low oil pressure should be recorded by the ECU and be in the logs. That should be your proof unless they re-set it on you. If they say 4K and come in at 3500 you were still screwed. They say your turbo is good now but this is the same bad dealership who screwed up an oil change. At this point you're expecting a different outcome from the same people. I call that crazy. Move forward at your own risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdndan Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 So Subaru Canada contacted me this morning. And they say unfortunately due to the fact I had the dealership put on aftermarket parts they WILL NOT get involved in anyway whatsoever. I will have to deal directly with the dealership on this matter, so sounds like I am SOL...Can certainly say after this experience will be looking for a new place to take my car. Thanks for the insights everyone, wish there was an easy solution here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murderDOCkill Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Went through a small block replacement in May this year myself. $5200 for new short block, new fuel pump, renewed ac and a couple other little things. You're now at the point where you cut your losses and get rid of it, or sink some hefty $ to almost guarantee a solid car for another 100,000+. Check ur turbo out by a tune shop around ur way to see the status. The last thing you want is the turbo to go 4 months down the road and it take down your engine for a second time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob-2 Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Well maybe you want to look at buying a used working motor from a yard or a private seller. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msilin Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 If you really feel like they have wronged you, you can post a review on dealerrater.com Thats what I did, and it will get them to try and work with you more. Make sure your review is detailed so they know who you are. I did this when they installed my valve cover gasket wrong and I got some money back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdndan Posted August 15, 2011 Author Share Posted August 15, 2011 Thanks for the suggestion I think I will do that. I still don't have my car back. I told them to go ahead and fix it and when I was suppose to pick it up last Friday (initially it was suppose to be done Tuesday) they said they found a leak in my Rad so will call me on Monday with an Invoice. I still feel strongly that I shouldn't have to pay for anything other than the initial work. They mention that it is simply bad timing, but why is it bad timing for me when it should be bad timing for them if that's the case given that it happening under their care. Like I mentioned previously I have done nothing but baby the car and have all regular maintenance done on it, never low on oil which they attribute as the likely cause. Oh well will see what they have to say tomorrow when they look for me to pay...Thanks again to everyone who did reply, I will update you on what happened tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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