Just as a general note. The greater driving public has become so complacent in their dealing with all things automotive that few have a clue as to how catastrophic ignoring the warnings on the dash can be. There is no such message as “look for a convenient and safe place to pull over and call the dealership, a mechanic will be there immediately.” But who wants to buy a new car and have the salesman warn that it is imperative to turn the engine off and coast to the shoulder immediately if any of several things occur?
OP might want to consider retaining a lawyer.
If that oil drain plug has been touched since Walmart had their hands on it, it’s not going to be easy
getting them to pay for the repair
I would not let a Walmart “tech” near my car. My friend bought new tires at Walmart. When he drove home the van tried to shake itself apart. He stopped and looked at the tires and each one of them had 10 to 15 weights. He took it back and they said sorry the guy is new.
Years ago, my old trainer told me to use only 1 weight per side of the rim
1 on the outside
1 on the inside
Walmart is becoming as much the target of attacks for incompetence as the fast change franchises. I won’t defend the competence of their staff but the local store twice paid me to repair damage resulting from visits to their shop. I was careful to document my diagnosis and repairs to avoid any future questions and they paid the invoices with no questions asked.
I’m not a fan of Walmart but their location and Super-Center status makes them too convenient for me to go elsewhere when there are many items from groceries to sporting goods to plumbing on the list. The people in Bentonville have done their homework and several local retailers have thrown in the towel leaving the Waltons the only show in town for some product lines.
The last automotive thing I bought from Walmart was a battery; the price was right and included installation. Since there was nothing else the matter with the car electrically, the guy in automotive installed it for me. I insisted on watching him do it. The battery was fine for 4 years when we sold the car. It’s probably still OK.
With Walmart competency is a critical issue. I don’t worry about dishonesty (unlike Sears) with them and they will make good.
Some points to consider that give rise to suspicion of the dealer’s intentions:
The engine started to rattle before the oil light came on. With oil drained out while the engine is running, the reverse should have been what happened, oil light first, then loose rod rattle.
The dealer changed his diagnosis to a somewhat plausible story after having time to think.
The dealer should have easily seen a missing oil drain plug when inspecting to the extent where he could see that a rod came through the block and the oil pan during the first inspection.
What is the condition of the other engine rod and main bearings? If they are still good, then that is a point in favor of a single defective rod. One does not let go due to loss of oil pressure while the others remain undamaged. If the others are good, then your engine had oil.
It sounds like the dealer is attempting to avoid warranty repair expense. You need to make detailed notes and check your crankshaft rod and main bearings in preparation for a small claims court case if nobody will honor your warranty.
Dealerships charge the manufacturer for warranty work. Why would a dealership lie to avoid profitable work that would be in their best interest to perform?
“With Walmart competency is a critical issue. I don’t worry about dishonesty (unlike Sears) with them and they will make good”
@Docnick–I agree. I bought two front tires for my 1978 Oldsmobile from the WalMart store that is less than 1/2 mile from my house. About 8 years later, the front end developed a serious vibration. I found that the wheel weights were loose and slipping around the rim of the wheel. I removed the weights which lessened the vibration, but there was still a little vibration over 50 mph. I was going to go to my independent tire shop to have the front wheel balanced, but in rooting through the glove compartment, I found the receipt for the tires that I had purchased 8 years earlier from WalMart. The receipt said that the tires would be rebalanced, if necessary as long as I owned the car. I proceeded to WalMart with the receipt and described the problem I was having with my then 25 year old Oldsmobile and showed him the receipt. He then asked how bad the vibration was. I replied, “I was coming back to town on the interstate when a Ferrari started to pass me. I floored the accelerator to stay ahead of the Ferrari and the vibration was so bad at 110 mph that I had to let up and the Ferrari shot around me. I was so embarrassed that I had to drop back and I don’t want it to happen again”. The manager at WalMart looked at me, looked at my old car, shook his head and said, “I think we had better balance both front tires”. There was no charge. They made good on the warranty and there was no more vibration at least at normal highway speeds.
Blaming a loose oil pan plug on “Vandalism” also sounds like a reach for an excuse to avoid a warranty repair. If Hyundai will not adequately cover the dealer’s cost for repairs, that is a reason for a short sighted businessman to not take care of his customer.
It’s not a warranty repair if Walmart left the oil drain plug loose
True, but just being a little " loose" at the time of examination without being missing makes that argument suspect. If the plug weren’t cranked down, they could say it was loose all day long and oil would not drain out that fast, especially in one day with no stains on the drive. The plug has to be missing or they had better find another excuse. Ask to “see” the plug.
I think 2 months after the fact the OP has a very difficult if not impossible battle to get anyone to admit to it or bear any responsibility for any repairs.
Vandelism - very unlikely. Drain plug fell - very likely. A drain plug can be not tighten enough and work itself loose. Or, it can be over tightened which strips the threads on the pan and can fall out due to vibration and heat/cooling cycles further damaging the threads.
In this case according the OP’s story the OP did all the right stuff. So,who is responsible? All the evidence needs to be retained and a qualified inspector needs to examine that evidence to determine just what happened. I’d advise the OP to contact his own insurance company for advice. To make a claim against Walmart, and to request a factory rep of the auto company to examine the evidence also. It might be necessary to have an attorney involved to get to the bottom of this.
If Walmart overtightened the plug so badly that it stripped the threads and came out, the damaged threads will be visible on the pan and the plug. So that’s something else to look for. Even if the plug is now missing, stripped threads would still be there on the pan.
The Check Engine Light is not the same thing as a zero oil pressure lamp and if the drain plug is missing then any argument is going to be between you and Wal Mart.
The fact that a temperature gauge, oil pressure gauge, or low oil pressure warning lamp is always claimed during an engine failure due to neglect or error is an amazing phenomenom…
One thing the OP might look into is whether the place that did the oil change used a new washer between the plug and the oil pan or not. If they re-used the old one, that could possibly be a cause. I believe the manufacturer would require a new washer that meets their OEM specs be used for every oil change.
The reason for this is that a new washer – unlike the old one which has warped over time – a new washer puts a little tension on the drain bolt, helping to prevent it from loosening.
Just an idea to consider.
Not suggesting anyone else to do this, but me, being a frugal-ite, I cut a piece of a discarded inner-tube into the shape of a washer for this function. Provided the bolt is torq’d to specs, the inner-tube rubber seems to have the needed elasticity to put enough tension of the bolt to keep it from turning. I’ve never purchased a new washer from the dealer, and I’ve never had a loose drain plug using this method in 40 years.
I keep trying to reply and it won’t post, so if there end up being multiple sorry… Thanks for all the responses. The service provider was a Walmart auto center. So right now it looks as though we are faced with either fighting Hyundai or Walmart or hoping our insurance company will see it as vandalism, although they indicated to us that the burden of proof is on the dealer since it is under warranty. I don’t know if this means they will argue for us on our behalf or if they determine it is not vandalism then we are on our own. We are looking into retaining an attorney but worried about this cost. I guess cheaper than a new engine IF we win… really blindsided by all of this and stressed out over it.
I keep trying to reply and it won’t post, so if there end up being multiple sorry… Thanks for all the responses. The service provider was a Walmart auto center. So right now it looks as though we are faced with either fighting Hyundai or Walmart or hoping our insurance company will see it as vandalism, although they indicated to us that the burden of proof is on the dealer since it is under warranty. I don’t know if this means they will argue for us on our behalf or if they determine it is not vandalism then we are on our own. We are looking into retaining an attorney but worried about this cost. I guess cheaper than a new engine IF we win… really blindsided by all of this and stressed out over it.