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Posted: 9/26/2022 9:28:42 AM EDT
We had our car in to get inspected, tire rotation, and oil change on 9/8. Since then, I've noticed a vibration up front. I finally pulled it in the garage this past Saturday to check it out.
I jacked up the front driver's side and tried to take the tire off. 3 of the 4 lug nuts were REALLY tight. I got the 4th lug nut off and noticed the wheel wiggled despite the other lug nuts being tight. I then tried to take one of the tight lug nuts off and I ended up sheering off the stud. Apparently they cross-threaded 3 of the lug nuts and only 1 lug nut was holding the wheel on. Called the dealership this morning and they said they are sending a tow truck. A little bit later they call back and say that I have to call a tow truck on my dime and have it towed to the dealership so they can inspect it. They are not taking responsibility until the SAME technician that did the work in the first place can inspect it to see if it is their fault. She also asked why I didn't bring it back if I was having issues with it. I told her I wanted to see if it was a simple fix since I'm capable of doing most easy things on our vehicles. Before you say it, this is a Honda Fit so I don't like dealing with getting under it to change the oil and figured since it was in the shop already they could do the tire rotation. So, how screwed am I? |
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[#1]
What big car company are they associated with? Start calling that car company. Take pictures.
(Replacing studs and getting new lugnuts are really simple things to do, btw.) |
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[#2]
I anticipate they will say you messed it up.
The tech will say he didn’t cross thread the lug nuts. You’ll need to pay to have it fixed. Either by having them do it or doing it yourself. |
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[#3]
Dealer screwed up my SUV during a routine oil change and tire rotation last year. They put the vehicle on the lift raising it too high and messing up part of the roof rack. In addition they over torqued the lugnuts shearing a couple.
I was not happy. They blamed it on a new trainee still in automotive tech school. Took a long time to get the parts and even longer to get them to fix it. They made the trainee fix it all. I did not want him touching my car. He completely did not care that he goofed all the stuff up. Not one bit. Neither did his boss, his bosses boss etc. I know the head of the entire sales division who oversees 40 dealerships. I mentioned it six months after it happened to him. I told him I was past it. A week later I get a call from the GM of the dealer apologizing and he could not believe I was treated so poorly. He did some internal digging and found that sure enough I was really screwed without lube purely because no one in the service department gave a damn. Nothing came of it though. Have not been back since. |
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[#4]
Quoted: I anticipate they will say you messed it up. The tech will say he didn’t cross thread the lug nuts. You’ll need to pay to have it fixed. Either by having them do it or doing it yourself. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: I anticipate they will say you messed it up. The tech will say he didn’t cross thread the lug nuts. You’ll need to pay to have it fixed. Either by having them do it or doing it yourself. This is what I am expecting, too. I asked her why I should trust the word of the tech that messed it up in the first place. She repeated the the same tech that serviced it last has to inspect it. Of course the tech is going to say they didn't do it. Quoted: What big car company are they associated with? Start calling that car company. Take pictures. (Replacing studs and getting new lugnuts are really simple things to do, btw.) Honda. Good to know that replacing studs is easy. I've never had to do that on a vehicle yet. |
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[#5]
Been down that road myself. Had stripped lugs after dealer rotated my tires from the last visit. Couldn't prove it of course, so I had to pay to have it fixed.
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[#6]
Quoted: This is what I am expecting, too. I asked her why I should trust the word of the tech that messed it up in the first place. She repeated the the same tech that serviced it last has to inspect it. Of course the tech is going to say they didn't do it. Honda. Good to know that replacing studs is easy. I've never had to do that on a vehicle yet. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: I anticipate they will say you messed it up. The tech will say he didn’t cross thread the lug nuts. You’ll need to pay to have it fixed. Either by having them do it or doing it yourself. This is what I am expecting, too. I asked her why I should trust the word of the tech that messed it up in the first place. She repeated the the same tech that serviced it last has to inspect it. Of course the tech is going to say they didn't do it. Quoted: What big car company are they associated with? Start calling that car company. Take pictures. (Replacing studs and getting new lugnuts are really simple things to do, btw.) Honda. Good to know that replacing studs is easy. I've never had to do that on a vehicle yet. Just telling them you were following the owner's manual instructions to check and retighten the nuts after X miles after a tire rotation. That is still in Honda manuals right? |
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[#7]
I do not understand why you are complaining. You went to the dealer to get screwed and you got screwed.
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[#9]
worst case is new bearing and hub need to be installed. Not a horrible job but sucks that they wont fess up for it.
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[#10]
Of course the tech is going to say he didn't do it.
No offense.. because I would have done the same as you, and looked into myself.. but as soon as you found an issue I would have stopped. Besides, if he did it to one wheel, he most likely did to the others. Sounds like the service writer is playing CYA and are not interested in doing the right thing. |
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[#11]
Quoted: Of course the tech is going to say he didn't do it. No offense.. because I would have done the same as you, and looked into myself.. but as soon as you found an issue I would have stopped. Besides, if he did it to one wheel, he most likely did to the others. Sounds like the service writer is playing CYA and are not interested in doing the right thing. View Quote At this point? Save yourself the trouble... leave them a horrible review on google, then if you are going to have it towed, to it to a private mech who will fix it for a reasonable price, and move on. DO NOT pay to tow it back to the people so they can screw you a second time. |
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[#12]
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[#13]
Getting tires at Costco ….they stripped a lug nut once. Called me and asked permission to send the truck across the street to get it fixed…barely a hiccup in time.
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[#14]
Up the chain, contact the dealership’s Service Manager and or the General Manager.
Lube tech is probably the one that performed those jobs, not a certified technician. Lube tech is an entry level technician, may or may not be mentored by a licensed certified technician. Last dealership I worked at (parts counter) before I retired after close to fifty years in the business did just that. High volume dealership with four or five lube techs alone. Minimum training, usually the “best and brightest” of the litter or the one that has stayed there the longest was made the “team leader”. I quit taking my Jeep to a couple of local dealerships. First one was competent enough but their sales department was like a bunch of carneys. Took a threat of filing a case against them with government agencies to quit blowing up my cell phone with calls despite my asking to be put on their do not call list. Second one could not read the bright yellow cap on the engine that said 5W-30 oil, NOT 5W-20, they did this twice.. The first time I found this was the day after it was done. Went back, not pissed, just wanted the right oil in it. Service writer proceeds to argue with me saying it didn’t matter and Jeep changed the spec. I told him to show me the TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) stating that fact. At that point he gets all pissy, grabs my keys and sends it back to the shop to be changed again. Second time before I went to the cashier I looked at the oil used on the repair order, saw the wrong oil again and told the cashier to call the writer over. This time, a new writer, previous one left, this one I worked with him previously at a GM dealership. He asked the tech, tech said “It’s ok!”, I said “Taylor, where’s the TSB?” Oil got changed again. |
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[#15]
I had Toyota replace the rusted frame on my Tacoma. After a short while there was a rattling noise that kept getting worse. I found out that whoever attached the bed stripped two of the bolts holding it down. Took it back but never trusted it again. I figured that if they stripped those what other ones were stripped that I didn't know about?
They had to know they were stripped but didn't do anything to fix them on the spot. |
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[#16]
They did tire rotation so pretty hard to deny the larger possibility they did it. Why would the owner create such a hassle for themselves after waiting for service? Its not going to be better than before.
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[#17]
Find an independent shop that cares about their reputation. One of my techs stripped a bolt hole in an aluminum oil pan and then cracked the bolt boss trying to fix it. I bought a new pan and replaced it myself.
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[#18]
My Wife took her Tahoe in for a free rotation and oil change. She comes home and we noticed the two hub covers were missing on the passenger side wheels. Called the Dealer that same day and was told to fuck off, they’re not responsible.
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[#19]
I can't stand working on vehicles. The only reason I do it myself is because I don't want it fucked up.
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[#20]
Quoted: I anticipate they will say you messed it up. The tech will say he didn’t cross thread the lug nuts. You’ll need to pay to have it fixed. Either by having them do it or doing it yourself. View Quote Yep, once you wrenched on it you own it in their not taking blame methodology. Go to a local corner garage and have the studs replaced and check the other three. |
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[#21]
Don't even get me started on dealership service departments.
They are likely going to cover their ass and say that it's your fault. Expect to have to fight with them. About your only leverage is the customer satisfaction survey if you haven't filled it out yet. I'd politely mention that to the service manager that you were looking forward to a good experience and leaving them stellar remarks. Anything lower than a 10 and you will start fucking with their paychecks. |
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[#22]
Quoted: At this point? Save yourself the trouble... leave them a horrible review on google, then if you are going to have it towed, to it to a private mech who will fix it for a reasonable price, and move on. DO NOT pay to tow it back to the people so they can screw you a second time. View Quote |
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[#23]
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[#24]
I love the people who say take it to the dealer to get screwed. Yes- For out of warranty repairs dealer is a rip off, but we take our car to the dealer for our oil changes: the prices are competitive. I know we are getting a OEM filter, and if something goes wrong we have a better chance of getting a payout/repair from a car dealership then some quick lube place.
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[#25]
Quoted: Yeah they'll just say they didn't do it and charge you to fix it View Quote Exactly what I'm going to do. There's a garage 2 miles from me that I use for inspections and other small things on my Jeep and my Mazda when I still had it. They have always done good work for me. I called and they said they would look at it. I am tempted to do the studs myself since it sounds fairly straight forward but I want a garage to look at the other components (wheels, bearings, other studs, etc) to make sure nothing else is messed up. This is one of the vehicles we haul our 2-year old daughter in so I need to make sure it's dependable. |
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[#26]
Quoted: I love the people who say take it to the dealer to get screwed. Yes- For out of warranty repairs dealer is a rip off, but we take our car to the dealer for our oil changes: the prices are competitive. I know we are getting a OEM filter, and if something goes wrong we have a better chance of getting a payout/repair from a car dealership then some quick lube place. View Quote I take our newer Honda to the dealership because we get a free inspection. While the vehicle is there, I have them do other small work. Up until this point they have done great work. I wouldn't even be upset about this incident if they would have taken responsibility or at least met me halfway until they could figure out if it was their fault or not. At first they were going to pay to have it towed and I was happy with the service I was receiving. They called back quickly and started backpedaling. That's what ticket me off. The dealership already responded to my 1-start review on Google. |
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[#27]
lol dealership tards strike again.
Sorry for your troubles op, but this is the reason why I fix my own shit. |
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[#28]
I've gotten into the habit of checking wheel Lugnut torque every time it goes to the dealer for a rotation. They almost always over torque them. So far none have been sheered of. At the least, it will cause the rotors to warp and need replacement not to long afterwards. I imagine dealers have a hard time finding skilled mechanics just like every other profession nowadays.
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[#29]
Quoted: This is what I am expecting, too. I asked her why I should trust the word of the tech that messed it up in the first place. She repeated the the same tech that serviced it last has to inspect it. Of course the tech is going to say they didn't do it. Honda. Good to know that replacing studs is easy. I've never had to do that on a vehicle yet. View Quote Not always, I was a tech at a tire store and regularly had to replace studs. Some vehicles clearance between the hub and spindle is minimal. There isn't room to angle the new stud in from behind. In those cases, the hub needs to be removed which usually requires a new bearing and some of them are press bearings. Also, Honda uses a specific lug nut seat. It isn't a generic part and always torque them. Edit, some vehicles the rotor is captured meaning it's behind the hub flange. On those vehicles hub usually needs to come off. |
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[#30]
I just changed the oil, filter and cvt fluid on my CRV. No crossed threads or missing pieces. Easy peasy when you have a lift. I never have rotated the tires though. I should just get new ones soon.
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[#32]
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[#33]
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[#34]
Quoted: Four lug nuts on the wheel? Not a real car. View Quote Lol, seriously. This is my wife's vehicle before we got married. It is a surprisingly nice vehicle. I have enough room in it with the seat all the way back. It can haul a decent amount of stuff and it gets great mileage. I was hoping it would last us another 5-10 years as a 2nd/3rd vehicle. |
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[#35]
Quoted: I love the people who say take it to the dealer to get screwed. Yes- For out of warranty repairs dealer is a rip off, but we take our car to the dealer for our oil changes: the prices are competitive. I know we are getting a OEM filter, and if something goes wrong we have a better chance of getting a payout/repair from a car dealership then some quick lube place. View Quote I worked auto repair for 9 years, and have wrenched on my own for much longer. I am still a mechanic, I just changed back to industrial. The dealer uses the most junior techs to do oil changes. You might get the next Mr. Goodwrench, or the tard that does boneheaded stuff like the OP has experienced. Cross-threading the lug nuts is a product of sticking the nut in a socket on an airwrench and pressing the button until it stops. That is WRONG all the way around. Lug bolts or nuts get started by hand, at least turned a couple turns (I turn mine by hand until all are seated all the way around so I know the wheel is centered) and then tightened using the appropriate torque-limiting socket on an air ratchet. I worked on European cars, for peace of mind I used a slightly lower torque limiting socket and finish-tightened all the lugs with a torque wrennch. Overkill, maybe, but I knew there would be no tightening issues down the road and could be proved in court if it ever came up. |
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[#36]
You say you can do easy stuff.
Wheel studs = easy stuff Existence of this thread doesn't compute. Fuck dealers and most shops. |
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[#38]
Not surprising 3 different times a tire store left my wheels loose and almost fell off one time the front wheel did fall of going down the freeway and one time the dealershit popped a tire on my truck on the rack changing my oil
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[#39]
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[#40]
I bet that guy made time by starting the nuts with an air impact wrench.
Nascar wheel nuts are designed for that. Regular lugs not so much. This guy started his by hand and forgot to use a wrench. RX-7 Auto-X wheels pop off. |
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[#41]
Nissan did the same shit to my wife's Frontier when she got a tire rotation once. When we came back in for the next oil change and tire rotation they mentioned amlugnut had been previously crossthreaded. I told them they would be replacing it because they were the ones that rotated the tires the last time. Basically techs are too fucking lazy to start lug nuts by hand and just ram the fuckers in with an impact. If it were my way they would be doing all the shit by hand and those fucking impacts would stay in a drawer, lazy fuckers.
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[#42]
I'm surprised no one has mentioned this...
If you have any kind of relationship with sales at the dealer, talk to them. |
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[#43]
call corporate if they wont fix it. since you tinkered they are gonna try to weasel out of it. I have busted wheel studs. I never ever have had or seen a cross threaded lugnut. are they the correct lugnuts? I suppose the impact could make that happen.
I have had pos two piece lugnuts you have cut the caps off and use a smaller fit to get the sumbitches off. fuck dodge. |
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[#44]
Seems to be SOP for dealerships to over torque things. When you are working with a set rate you just run everything in with a power tool and be done with it… ain’t got time for manual tools or torque wrenches.
I do all my own service work now. I also keep some spare lug studs on hand as I stupidly buggered up threads before. How many of you actually use a torque wrench to spec on a drain plug? It’s shocking how “loose” the plug seems when you get the click. 87% of people naturally want to give it about 10 extra ugggadugga’s. |
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[#45]
Really leery of allowing a mechanic who screwed my car up to fix it,
That's how a car with 100k that's run flawlessly develops issues overnight. Used the same mechanics for almost 20 years, absolutely no issues. Sung their praises to all who'd listen. Last major service, check engine light came on within three days after, coolant temp valve/sensor, and they bent up some brake hw installing it, causing a squeal, replaced, free. Then the plastic skid plate/cover under the vehicle came off while my wife was driving down the interstate, scaring the shit out of her, they tightened exactly one fastener after the revisit. Recent crop of new apathetic techs seem to be driving the business into the ground. |
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[#46]
I’m going out on a limb saying not a snowballs chance in hell they own it…
I took a car in for a oil change once and they came out asking me about the nut you remove to drain the oil…said they had issues but did not elaborate. I drove out of town after and decided to check it there. I climbed under and touched the nut with my finger and it fell out along with the oil…they put the wrong one in. Miracle it didn’t come out on the 2 hour drive…took it back….nope not us… |
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[#47]
Quoted: Seems to be SOP for dealerships to over torque things. When you are working with a set rate you just run everything in with a power tool and be done with it… ain’t got time for manual tools or torque wrenches. I do all my own service work now. I also keep some spare lug studs on hand as I stupidly buggered up threads before. How many of you actually use a torque wrench to spec on a drain plug? It’s shocking how “loose” the plug seems when you get the click. 87% of people naturally want to give it about 10 extra ugggadugga’s. View Quote never but I do own a torque wrench. I usually did drain plugs by hand, then a little extra with socket. Have had some felt like they used a impact on. was a pita to break loose the first time. |
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[#48]
Quoted: Four lug nuts on the wheel? Not a real car. View Quote Please tell us what a real car is. I’ll check for your response after I drive my 4 lug Accord with 325k miles on it to work. Sold my last 4 lug Accord with 360k on it, original clutch, used no oil, 30mpg. So where did I go wrong? I need to know what “real” car to but next |
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[#49]
Quoted: call corporate if they wont fix it. since you tinkered they are gonna try to weasel out of it. I have busted wheel studs. I never ever have had or seen a cross threaded lugnut. are they the correct lugnuts? I suppose the impact could make that happen. I have had pos two piece lugnuts you have cut the caps off and use a smaller fit to get the sumbitches off. fuck dodge. View Quote I replaced all my two piece lugnuts on a Jeep this past summer. |
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[#50]
Quoted: I replaced all my two piece lugnuts on a Jeep this past summer. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: call corporate if they wont fix it. since you tinkered they are gonna try to weasel out of it. I have busted wheel studs. I never ever have had or seen a cross threaded lugnut. are they the correct lugnuts? I suppose the impact could make that happen. I have had pos two piece lugnuts you have cut the caps off and use a smaller fit to get the sumbitches off. fuck dodge. I replaced all my two piece lugnuts on a Jeep this past summer. Nissan does the same stuff on some of their cars. I did that with my FX35 when I had it |
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