Complaint Regarding Repeated Repair Issues, Warranty - msteppee08
Complaint Regarding Repeated Repair Issues, Warranty Deductible, and Poor Communication at Wyatt Johnson Subaru
I am filing this complaint regarding my experience with the service department at Wyatt Johnson Subaru in Clarksville, Tennessee.
In April, I brought my vehicle in for an oil change. I was told the oil pan and both the upper and lower timing covers were leaking oil. I was informed that the repairs were covered by my extended warranty, and the work was completed. Approximately 30 minutes after leaving the dealership, my check engine light came on, even though the service paperwork indicated the vehicle had been driven and tested.
In September, I returned for an oil change and to have the check engine light diagnosed. I was directed to GMC, which addressed a fuel-performance issue and identified a battery-related code and a cabin air filter that needed replacement. On October 5, GMC also informed me that the oil pan and both timing covers were still leaking.
After my husband picked up the vehicle on October 6, the check engine light returned within approximately 30 minutes. GMC checked the code again on October 7 and identified an issue involving the master brake cylinder. I then brought the vehicle to Subaru on October 8 for the oil leak I believed had already been repaired in April.
The dealership promised to update me but did not. I called on October 9, left a message, and did not receive a return call. I called again on October 10 and received an unhelpful response. I was told the check engine light repair would cost approximately $3,000 because my extended warranty had expired about 2,000 miles earlier.
When I questioned why I was facing another repair after the previous service, the explanation changed. I was told the oil pan was the issue, that GMC was wrong about the timing covers, and that the oil pan had been accessed and resealed during the April timing cover repair. I was not given a satisfactory explanation for why the oil leak remained unresolved or why the October repair was being treated as a new claim.
I ultimately authorized the oil pan repair but declined the separate check engine light repair. I paid a warranty deductible of approximately $135 for the oil pan repair.
I was told the necessary parts would arrive October 16 and that the vehicle would be ready October 19. I received no notification that the parts had been delayed. When I called on October 19, I was told the parts had only arrived that morning and that the dealership could not give me a definite completion time. Later that day, I received a call saying the vehicle would be ready at 7 a.m. the next morning, which was not feasible because I live approximately 45 minutes away and had work obligations.
I spent approximately two weeks dealing with this situation and had my vehicle available for only about one day during that period. I need my vehicle to get to work and transport my children to school, and the lack of reliable communication made an already frustrating situation much more difficult.
I understand that parts delays and diagnostic differences can happen. My concern is that the original oil leak appears to have remained unresolved, the explanations about the work performed and warranty coverage were inconsistent, and I was required to pay another deductible without receiving a satisfactory explanation.
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