A Dodge Ram owner is claiming a dealership caused over $9,000 worth of damage to his car.
Rob Romano (@poutinepapii) posted a viral TikTok delineating his claims. In a video that has garnered 300,000 views, he says low oil levels are partially to blame for his issues.
However, several people who replied to his clip said that this wasn't a factor in his car's engine failure.
Romano begins his video presenting a bill to the camera. He repeatedly states that he was "forced" to pay $339 for a diagnostic after bringing his car in for an oil change and two recalls.
According to FindLaw, "It is against the law for a dealership or auto manufacturer to charge you for recall repairs." This is because are considered necessary repairs so cars are in compliance with National Highway and Traffic Safety administration standards. The legal resource reiterates that dealerships "must" complete the recall work free of charge. Furthermore, if the car's service department believes the work will take more than a day. drivers should inquire into a loaner.
Are recalls a scam?
Other commuters have complained about charges from dealerships in tandem with recalls. A user on Red Flag Deals questioned the practice last year. Numerous folks who replied said they shouldn't have to pay anything out of pocket.
A redditor said that they, too, brought their vehicle in for an oil change and recall repair. However, a week after getting the work done, they said their car broke down.
In his video, Romano says that the charge was officially billed as a "diagnostic" test. Romano shares that the first recall was for a "high pressure fuel pump" and the other was for a "software update" on the Ram.
He says he was left with a slew of new issues after the work was done. His Ram was "shaking" before he even made it out of the service center's lot, he claims, and the check engine light came on. "Low turbo boost, massive coolant leak, etc."
What did the dealership do?
"And now, because I still haven't had the vehicle in my possession other than driving it out for the two seconds. The main thing they said they did an oil change. Well we're gonna check it right now live."
He points to someone off camera holding his car's oil tank's dip stick. "Dip stick is clean. Perfectly clean," they say as the lens zooms in. The Ram appears to have very little oil in it.
It seems that whoever performed the oil change successfully drained the oil from the car. However, they forgot the second part: refilling it. "It's at the minimum," the other person in the video says. "You can clearly see the max right there. And the oil down here at the minimum."
Romano says that this oil change cost him over $300.
In the caption, Romano wrote at length about the damage purportedly sustained to his car. He maintains he brought it to Don Mills Chrysler's service center in working condition. The dealership also sells Dodge vehicles.
Upon bringing it in for an oil change and a recall, he says he was quoted $3,500 to address a "small leak" to the back of the motor.
He opted not to get this service performed but believes the business damaged the vehicle when they did the pressure test.
Romano wrote, "What this dealership has done to me is unethical. They are trying to charge me thousands of dollars to fix the damage they caused. They need to be held accountable for their actions and should repair the damages they created."
TikTokers were conflicted
Numerous people who responded didn't seem to think the oil change was behind Romano's car woes. One person penned, "After an oil change. It should be on Full but a low reading will NOT cause an engine to fail."
Another echoed this thought. "There is enough oil in the engine for smooth operation, albeit right after an oil change it is a bit low. Unless the hpfp was installed incorrectly I doubt the dealer has anything to do with the 9k." (HPFp refers to a high pressure fuel pump.)
Someone else also speculated that the issues weren't rooted in the oil. "Been an auto/diesel tech for 35 years. Running the truck a quart low in oil isn’t going to cause these problems. Not saying they didn’t mess ur truck up, but you need to take it to another Dodge dealer."
Another TikToker had a novel idea for getting the service center's attention. "Easiest way to get a dealerships attention is to report them to the DMV," they wrote.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Dodge via email, Don Mills Chrysler via email, and Romano via TikTok comment for further information.
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