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.
@poutinepapii On December 6th, 2024, I dropped my truck off at Don Mills Chrysler for an oil change and to address two service recalls. I also asked the technician to check for any coolant leaks, as I had noticed my reservoir was at the halfway mark before bringing my truck in. Prior to this service, I had no leaks or engine issues. After agreeing to the diagnostic fee, the technician performed a pressure test and informed me of a small leak from the back of the motor. I was quoted approximately $3,500 for the repair, as they said they needed to remove the entire cab of my truck to access the affected hose. Understandably I chose not to proceed with the repair to get a second opinion. I paid $525 for the oil change and diagnostic fee, and I left. As I was exiting the dealership parking lot, my truck displayed a check engine light and began to smoke. I returned to the dealership, but since the service department was closed, I left it with a salesman and took an Uber home (which I was not compensated for). The next day, I received a call from the dealership. They were unsure what caused the engine light to come on and promised to get back to me as soon as possible. Two days later, I learned of new issues that had not been present before. The repairs now required include new turbo lines, a mass airflow sensor, hose replacement, a service throttle control module, and a new intake manifold. The new estimate to fix my truck was about $9,100. They admitted that one issue was related to a software update from the service recall, specifically concerning the mass airflow sensor, which would cost $1,400 to repair. They claimed they had done me a favour by contacting Chrysler’s head office and they replaced the mass airflow system at no charge. It’s clear they caused damage to my vehicle when they did the pressure test, and driving it out of the parking lot after the recalls were performed has led to all of these problems. I drove my truck to the dealership in working condition. Had I not asked the technician to check for any leaks—which I assumed would be part of their 180-point inspection—there may not have been as much damage to the vehicle. On January 3, 2025, I had to pay another $339 diagnostic fee because they refused to let me take my vehicle back without paying for additional tests to determine what they had broken. I even had to call CAA to tow my truck out of their dealership after arguing with the service manager about the extra $339. Now, I’m left to fix all the damage they caused without any repercussions for the dealership, which is unacceptable. 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. On top of everything else, since I finally got my truck back I discovered that they didn’t fill the oil above the minimum threshold, they broke the mount that holds my air box in place, caused damage to/removed my driver’s door, and it appears that the bolts and fuel lines for the high pressure fuel pump they claimed to replace are still original. I’ve reached out to Chrysler Head office and I was informed that dealers are privately owned and this needs to be handled between myself and them. I’ve also reached out to the police, but I was told that there is nothing they can do. My only other option is finding a lawyer however; the time and money alone will likely exceed the damage caused. Now I’m reaching out to the public and media to expose this dealership for what they are doing to me and more than likely tons of other people. I don’t understand how they can break something and then expect me to pay for the damage. Please do yourself a favour and stay away from Don Mills Chrysler. You’ll pay $300 for an oil change, and the oil reservoir will be at the minimum threshold. They treat their customers terribly and will cause more damage to your vehicle. #FYP #fyp #Chrysler ♬ original sound – Rob Romano
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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