Walmart ruined my car.

Refer back to the 2nd sentence of your post. You went to WalMart for an oil change...

I'd hang on to any receipt. Even if you don't have one, Walmart has to keep those records. It may come down to small-claims.

Too many posters on here find a way to criticize a fellow poster, but I don't see what even they can say. You're 100% correct.

My girlfriend used to go to Wal-mart for oil changes. She'd generally save like $10 per visit over a "real" mechanic, and she'd get 4-5 oil changes a year. Somewhere along the line, one their high-school dropout employees stripped the plug in the oil pan, which then turned into a near $500 repair, as the whole oil pan had to be replaced. This was when the car was about 5 years old...so her $250 "savings" on oil changes ended up costing her $500....

Sorry to hear about the trouble. I own an auto dealership across the street from a Walmart and this type of thing happens several times a year.

The customer wants to save $5 and has Walmart do the oil change and Walmart makes a big mistake and then we fix their mistake. Sometimes the customer pays us, sometimes Walmart pays us.

Walmart employes High School drop outs to do their work. That is why the oil change is a couple of bucks cheaper.

If you talk to the Walmart Manager they should pay you back for the cost of the repairs. Don't be a jerk about it, talk to them calmly and show them the receipts from the Honda dealer.

Your car should not be ruined, but maybe have someone else check it over. I suggest going to a new car dealership in your town. Most of them repair all makes.

Whatever you do, don't have service work done at a Walmart, you get what you pay for.

Come on now, it's an oil change. If your only option is WalMart, do it yourself. You'll save money on gas and time. A filter is $4, oil will be $10, the tools you need are like $10.

Drain the oil, change the filter, put in 5 quarts of oil, re-attach the air filter hose, and you should be fine.

Beware of doing your own oil change on a NEW CAR. You may void your factory warranty! Along with the oil change there is usually a list of other things you need to check to keep the warranty valid. On a NEW CAR spend the extra $5 and go to a local dealer.....they have the computers and tools and people to service all makes and models.

If doing the oil change yourself can void the warranty, so can the Walmart one. They don't really check anything extra. And going to the dealer would probably be an additional $15.

$15!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOLY SHIT, THAT'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY!!!!!!!!

newcar wrote:

Certainly Walmart should pay for everything, but I don't think they will.

Idle speculation is useless. Have the Honda dealer document the problems they found and corrected with the car. Take a copy of this to your Walmart and ask that they pay for the repairs made by the dealer. They probably will, but if not you need to escalate to Walmart Corporate. In either case you should follow up with a letter to Walmart Corporate and keep a copy of all letters so that you have some recourse if your car has a plausibly related problem down the line.

The disconnected air hose probably has not caused any long term damage and may be the cause of your stalling issue. The dealer should be able to give you some idea of the potential damage from the wrong oil filter. If it was merely leaking, but your pressure and flow was ok, then the engine should be ok. If there is reason to believe the engine may have been permanently damaged, you need the dealer to say so in their documented statement.

I suspect that Walmart will take reasonable steps to make this right.

In order for the Honda to approve a warranty claim they need to see proof that you followed the required factory service schedule. If you have the work done elsewhere this is proved by showing copies of the repair orders.

These repair orders are dated and have the mileage of the vehicle. This is required to have Honda honor the warranty. If you do the work yourself you run a BIG risk of not being able to document and prove that you did the work yourself, thus you will void your warranty.

I know how the business works, I have read the owners manuals and the factory warranty requirements. You are giving this guy bad advice by telling him to do his own service work on a new car.

My aunt and uncle had this exact same thing happen to them, and Wal-Mart did take responsibility and paid for a complete engine replacement. Maybe there is hope.

newcar wrote:

They (honda) called me back today after diagnosing the problem. The oil filter was the wrong size and was leaking everywear. Also, the air filter hose was not attached. So basically, Walmart effed up the oil change, and checking the air filter.

Sounds to me it was Honda that screwed with your car not Walmart. While you're there the guy can't tell the air hose is off, then you leave and he miraculously discovers not only that, but the oil filter has been put on upside down. Sounds like a crock.

Anyway I always get the oil changed at walmart. The price is good and I know they are not out to screw me.

Honda knows you were gullible and needy enough to buy a new car from them, now they are seeing what else they can sucker you into. It's all about money and ego for them. How dare you go to Walmart instead of spending your hard earned money with them. On the other hand if you don't care about tossing your money away, don't complain.

Just an FYI...

In the event that you absolutely have to have work done outside of your dealer... Have a spare oil filter from the dealer in your car so that you can have the correct parts.

It is like 8 bucks and will fit in your glove compartment/trunk.

Yes, getting the oil changed at Walmart was dumb. Boy people are critical here. But, there is not Honda dealer in the town I live. I unfortunately assumed even High School dropouts could change oil, I guess not.

Money was NEVER the reason for getting the oil changed there, it was purely convenience. All you critical people can eat a dick.

Actually.....You ruined your car....your the one who was stupid enough to take it to frickin walmart.....

KidStallyn wrote:

Actually.....You ruined your car....your the one who was stupid enough to take it to frickin walmart.....

Yea, the brain surgeons and rocket scientists that work at Jiffy Lube are much smarter.

Stallyn, please refer to the last sentence of my previous post. You're a jerk.

Before getting all worked up, how about going back to Wal Mart and talking to the head of the department about what happened?

Be polite and avoid a huge confrontation, but be firm. Have the information from the Honda dealership to substantiate your claims.

It is quite possible the Wal Mart will do right by you.

If you are not satisfied then work your way up the corporate ladder before even thinking about small claims court.

Your the reason people take the car to Walmart. Your industry has a horrible record of "finding" things wrong with cars that werent that way when you drove in. I know countless mechanics who had to leave the buisness because of unsavory owners. You calling out Walmart is the pot calling the kettle black.