Legal Question in Consumer Law in California

Automotive repair

I took my vehicle to have an oil change and with in one week it was leaking oil, I've never had an oil leak prior to visiting this facility.

I took my vehicle to the same place it was serviced and the manager told me my oil plug had worn out. I filled out an incident report and the regional corporate office is refusing to pay the $1300 to repair my car.


Asked on 7/11/05, 12:20 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Carl Starrett Law Offices of Carl H. Starrett II

Re: Automotive repair

This reall belongs in small claims court. You are going to need a statement (preferably live testimony) from a mechanic that the damage was caused by whoever did the oil change. If the manager was telling the truth and it was a worn out oil, this oil leak may have happened anyway. You'll probably need an expert to show that it was their fault and to support the repair damages you are claiming. $1300 is pretty steep to fix an oil leak, so I presume the engine seized up from lack of oil.

You could also file a complaint with the California Bureau of Automotive Repair, but I don't really know how long the would take to investigate your complaint. A small claims trial would occur about 6 weeks after you filed the lawsuit and get you results much more quickly.

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Answered on 7/11/05, 12:38 pm


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