Firestone forgot the oil

I vote new engine only....mmmm why? Well I look at it this way, negligence like that may simply be a mistake but they need to own up to it. We had a engine replaced with a used engine once, it lasted many years but that was our choice, the engine was not ruined by negligence. When a person makes a mistake, it is only right they make reparation. This is a large business and they can't afford this publicity should you call your local paper and report them to the better business bureau over this. You can choose what works for you but I have seldom needed an attorney to right a wrong. Tell them what you want, let them know your course of action will go legal if they do not agree and I wish you the best.

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To have any damage from running without oil, there must be heat. Toyota motor will shut down before it reaches that temperature. Motors can run with zero oil pressure for as long as lubrication continues. Lubrication continues until the residual oil reaches a temperature where it loses its viscosity.

Remember that anything that may have happened 20-30 years ago no long applies. Also does not apply to any modern motor not protected by a computer system. Take something like this to court now and attorneys would order a diagnostic test. Test would prove that the motor never once reached a point where it would have been damaged. Case dismissed and you pay the costs.

Martin

Guess we're going to have to agree we disagree..

I've been in many an engine, and especially with newer engines, tolerances are a lot closer.. The oil is there not only to keep it cool, but to provide a cushion between the surfaces.. Several minutes of running would have thrown the majority of the oil out.

She said she drove the car a couple minutes.. I can promise you that with several minutes of running down the road, the crank ended up contacting the bearings and did some damage..

It may not show up today as a problem, but down the road after a couple thousand miles there's a good chance it will..

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Guess a PSA is in order, be mindful of the gages and check engine lights...know where "normal" is on the gages

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The engine is probably or maybe damaged .....or not. No one knows 100% for sure. I would want a new engine to make me feel better. A new engine could blow in 10K miles but not likely. It would be under warranty.

I doubt it will go that far. I am not litigious - I am holding out faith that they will do what is right. Besides, I can't afford an attorney.

The idea of me fixing this thing in my driveway is fantasy! No way I would even attempt it, though I do fully intend to start changing my own oil. This is ridiculous!

After the car stopped a few minutes down the road and they brought oil to fill it up we drove it for a few days before all the lights on the dashboard when wonky. I actually took it well over 600 miles the next day to meet my mom-the lights for the engine lit up on Wednesday afternoon. So the idea that damage might now show up for a few miles down the road sounds like it could apply here.

Thanks for the feedback. We are still waiting to hear from the adjustor for Firestone. They called earlier because they weren't happy we had a rental from the dealership; they wanted us to use the company they contract with but I wasn't about to drive into town again just to swap cars. They told us to keep the one we had for now ... which doesn't have a tow hitch on it and I was supposed to go get a goat Friday! Luckily she is understanding about the hold up ... but I need to get it soon!

Oh, Miss Paisley ... you have the weirdest things happen to you.

Please send me the address of this Firestone place. I have a truck I want to drive in there and hope they don't put the oil in.

Seriously though, this is a stellar thing to have happened. It's like you won the lottery. You're going to go through some hassle, but that engine could have went burned up 4 months after the oil change because they didn't put the seal on right and you'd never have known. You would have just been out the money.

First off, you have ALL the power. Firestone still hasn't recovered from their public relations debacle of a few years ago. They really don't need more headaches from this, and the store manager knows it.

Don't listen to anyone here on this forum who tells you that the engine may or may not be damaged. It seized up. They may be right that it has limited damage or whatever, but that's not the point. You have Firestone by the hanging reproductive glands at this point. They should have a representative cleaning your kitchen right about now.

Do not accept a rebuilt engine. Period. The end. I've put plenty of rebuilt engines in my trucks and haven't really had problems with them, but that was to save me money. Someone else ruined my engine? Oh, baby, they're going to pay.

What you want is a crate engine straight from the factory, installed by YOUR favorite mechanic, not theirs. They don't have any say in this and stop letting them act like they do. Their rental car service? Ha! The store manager ought to be hauling your goat in the front seat of his own personal car at this point.

Your line is, "doing routine maintenance to prevent me from ruining an engine, YOUR technician who is supposed to be certified by YOU ended up ruining my engine."

Then tell them what you want. Tell them what makes you happy enough that you never mention this story to anyone again, especially the local newspaper or the better business bureau.

You're an attractive woman with children, if I remember correctly. Firestone's worst nightmare is you, crying while you're being interviewed by a local news reporter on the 5 o'clock news as you explain how Firestone destroyed your only means of transportation to and from work and left you with no way to feed your children.

I'm not saying they need to pay your mortgage, but they destroyed a 3 year old engine. It's time for them to make things right and make things right the way YOU want them to.

I am **SO** calling the store and telling them where to find that stinky buck I was supposed to bring home Friday!

Thanks, Ernie. I hadn't thought of calling the news ... but I do have two little ones who would look great on tv. <3

That is so true. And with todays Clinging oils that make a film around such surfaces it takes a LONG time before that engine will Seized up, and even then I highly doubt it Seized it was Stopped by the computer.~1
I am also pretty sure that the oil used was not conventional oil at all, but either a Mix of Synthetic with regular oil or 100% Synthetic.
Oils todays especially what is being used in these modern cars most HAVE to have at least a 50% Synthetic base for the warrantee to be up to date.
And synthetics have such clinging properties that it is going to take a long time before real damage takes place. And the computer shut this one down I would think before much if any damage was taking place.

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Just a thought but you may be sol by driving it 600 miles after it seizing. Kinda like if you get a flat and drive (a few blocks) to a safe place to change the tire you void the warranty (yaya Les Schwab).

Seriously, insurance etc is a nasty piece of work, consider the work to push through getting a NEW engine? weigh down time on your van, hassle to haggle, it may be less painless overall to get a reconditioned engine in there, and the time spent haggling on a new engine might not return the value you expect versus a reconditioned engine on resale. If YOU plan to keep the van forever then a new engine would be more value to you. But consider the cost of replacing other parts ad naseum on your model van. It's 2010--all sort of computer electronic juju in there that is $$$ when it goes bad--if you want to keep a vehicle forever better to get an older model that's easy to work on.

And please dont' take this wrong, but you're a woman, be prepared for the "women are mechanical idiots" card to be dealt you big time. Don't be afraid to get a male friend to help you battle. It's what they're there for haha (ducks!)

hth

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correction, it didn't seize it shut down. seizing means no go. ha

ps, just wanted to agree with Paquebot, you are probably better off to smile sweetly and take the reconditioned engine if the original engine is damaged.

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See if you can dirty 'em up a little and ask them to cry. Tell them they get ice cream if they cry while the camera is rolling.

You may also need to escalate this past the local Firestone manager to the regional manager. Ask for that person's number. If a local manager for a chain doesn't express the adequate amount of "give-a-crap" for me, I always escalate.

As a business owner, I can't really imagine why they wouldn't want to make this right. It may be because they don't think you'll do anything or that the issue is fuzzy enough that they can weasel out of it. I'd set that misconception straight as fast as possible.

Don't worry about the cost of an attorney. There's 20 personal injury attorneys in your county who are salivating at the thought of representing you for whatever they can extract out of Firestone. Find one of them following the next ambulance that races by.

Do NOT sign anything until this is resolved 100% to your satisfaction. Good luck!

Let me know if you need me to call the Firestone office for you and tell them that I'm a member of the press and I want to get their official statement on the record for a segment on the radio I'm working on, entitled "How Big Corporations Screw The Little Lady".

"Oh, so you're saying that you have no comment? That's ok. I have 30 minutes of Miss Paisley's side of the story recorded and that pretty much filled up the time slot. I can just barely squeeze in your 'no comment' response."

This reminds me of a problem a friend had years ago with tires from Firestone. Her fourth trip back she collected 6or7 neighbor kids from 2-6 to go along and encouraged them to run wild in the store, "help" the receptionist answer the phones ect. Firestone had been using the wait her out approach, letting her sit for 3or 4 hours until they got around to not fixing her car. I think they decided it wasn't worth stalling her any more and they did not want her to come back with her "daycare"!

Scoring yes, on mains and rods...I agree...have a 99 Jimmy same problem, it needs crank, crank bearings and rod bearings...that's it , it was on interstate when oil cooler line broke and it was driven to a shop, shop replaced line and Jimmy was driven from NC to GA...engine runs great, just ruined crank.

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Who first used the word "seized"? Was that the Firestone people, the dealership, or you?

Dealership and Firestone are both saying we have to have a warrantied rebuilt engine. Who do I call? At 5pm on a Friday.

The dealership doesn't have anything to say about this.

Firestone should give you the number of the regional manager and then give him a brief call to make sure he's up to date on the situation. Tell him what you expect and that you'll be in touch first thing on Monday morning.

They destroyed a 3 year old engine. THREE YEARS OLD. It should have lasted for 10, at least, or 200k miles. A rebuilt engine is not satisfactory unless they're going to warranty it for 200k more miles and 5 years.

I'm not sure I'd even take that. A shiny new engine from the Toyota factory would be what I'd keep pushing for.

They're at fault and they're going to have to do something to make this right. A rebuilt engine doesn't even begin to cover their fault.

Compare the difference between the warranty on the NEW 2010 automobile and the warranty they'll give you on a rebuilt engine and you'll see the difference.

You will get (and you need to make sure you get the REBUILT WARRANTED ENGINE. This is a "CRATE" engine, rebuilt and warranted by TOYOTA....James

............On Monday early AM , call an Attorney , have him compose a letter detailing the Lawsuits(s) he will file , jointly and severally against FStone , IF , they don't agree to install a new engine ! Also , get a second opinion from another Dship and A cost estimate for a new Engine !
.............The lawyer isn't going to charge you a whole lot just to compose a mean letter ! Maybe $100 to $150 , also contact your insurance carrier and see if there is any coverage under their policy for COMP coverage .
.............You must make them ......THINK.....you are taking them to court , to extract from them , the cost of a new engine as well as Pain and suffering and lawyer fees as well ! This is how the game is played and so you must participate to be justly compensated for their screwup . , fordy

Ok, so you seem to think a new engine is what is required, and even though I happen to know from experience that about 99 times out of a hundred that is NOT going to be the case, (forty years of engine rebuilding experience in private shops, and dealerships on numerous makes of vehicles is not to be tossed aside here) but lets say I agree with you this time. Now we are down to liability issues.... yes, firestone did not put oil in the engine... but then they were not the ones driving it down the road, not paying attention to the gauges and warning lights either. This is why I see it as a shared responsibility. Its also why I would offer to repair the damage only, and to split the costs, I would be quite happy to furnish labor, and let firestone buy the parts if it were my car.

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