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Woman says Walmart oil change ruined her car, leaving $10k repair bill

Posted on 8/14/25 at 7:59 am
Posted by LSUTANGERINE
Baton Rouge and Northshore LA
Member since Sep 2006
37718 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 7:59 am
quote:

Back in February, she says she brought her 2018 Hyundai to a Walmart in New Roads for a routine oil change. But the next day, she says she noticed something just wasn’t right while driving. “What I did - pulled to the side cause I noticed it was smoking a little bit,” remembered Jones.

quote:

Jones details that Walmart sent a tow truck for her and looked over the vehicle. They told her the oil drain plug was never put back on after her oil was changed, causing serious damage to her engine. A local dealership gave her an estimate to fix it of nearly $10,000. But she says Walmart has only offered to pay just over half of that $6,000. She says Walmart paid for a rental car for about two weeks but then stopped. She’s now using a car that her friend loaned her.

quote:

She says Walmart isn’t giving her the time of day and that she’s now filed a lawsuit against them. “I reach out to them, and they just keep giving me the run around,” pointed out Jones. “The case manager keeps giving me the run around, and nothing has been resolved yet.”

LINK
Posted by CocomoLSU
Inside your dome.
Member since Feb 2004
155358 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:05 am to
quote:

They told her the oil drain plug was never put back on after her oil was changed, causing serious damage to her engine. A local dealership gave her an estimate to fix it of nearly $10,000.

Seems like an awfully high amount of money to just put the plug back in.
Posted by BigBinBR
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2023
9139 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:05 am to
quote:

A local dealership gave her an estimate to fix it of nearly $10,000. But she says Walmart has only offered to pay just over half of that $6,000.


I almost guarantee this is because the Hyundai dealer wants to put in a brand new engine with 0 miles on it and Walmart wants to put a used/remanufactured engine in since her car is 8 years old and the engine that was damaged probably already had over 100,000 miles.

Just for reference insurance would not pay for a new OEM engine, it would be a remanufactured one.

Also, If she has comprehensive and a reputable carrier, she could have them handle this and then have the carrier subrogate. I guess since she hasn't done that she has libailty only on the vehicle.
Posted by LNCHBOX
70448
Member since Jun 2009
88578 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:09 am to
quote:

Seems like an awfully high amount of money to just put the plug back in.


You ever run an engine without oil?
Posted by Boss13
Mobile
Member since Oct 2016
1824 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:09 am to
quote:


Seems like an awfully high amount of money to just put the plug back in


I dont know if you're joking, but if the oil drains out, it will destroy the engine in a matter of miles.
Posted by The Boat
Member since Oct 2008
175541 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:10 am to
quote:

I almost guarantee this is because the Hyundai dealer wants to put in a brand new engine with 0 miles on it and Walmart wants to put a used/remanufactured engine in since her car is 8 years old and the engine that was damaged probably already had over 100,000 miles.

Just for reference insurance would not pay for a new OEM engine, it would be a remanufactured one.

Also, If she has comprehensive and a reputable carrier, she could have them handle this and then have the carrier subrogate. I guess since she hasn't done that she has libailty only on the vehicle.

She needs mines
Posted by LNCHBOX
70448
Member since Jun 2009
88578 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:10 am to
quote:

Also, If she has comprehensive and a reputable carrier, she could have them handle this and then have the carrier subrogate. I guess since she hasn't done that she has libailty only on the vehicle.


Comprehensive insurance doesn't cover mechanical issues
Posted by wallowinit
Louisiana
Member since Dec 2006
17048 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:13 am to
quote:

to just put the plug back in

There’s a lot more to it than just putting the plug back in.

I don’t see how she made it out of the parking lot without the plug in. The engine would quickly expel any oil that might be there, but without the plug, the oil would go straight through when they put it in.

I actually don’t see how that would ever happen unless the plug fell out And it’s difficult to see how a plug would fall out later on even if it was only several threads in.

But, shite happens I suppose.
Posted by CocomoLSU
Inside your dome.
Member since Feb 2004
155358 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:13 am to
quote:

You ever run an engine without oil?

quote:

I dont know if you're joking,

Posted by MorbidTheClown
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2015
73492 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:20 am to
If you're getting car maintenance/repairs at Wal-mart......
This post was edited on 8/14/25 at 8:21 am
Posted by MrWhipple
West of the Mississippi
Member since Jun 2016
1138 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:20 am to
quote:

Seems like an awfully high amount of money to just put the plug back in.


Tariffs have caused drain plug washer to skyrocket. Outrageous.
Posted by AwgustaDawg
CSRA
Member since Jan 2023
13216 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:27 am to
I have replaced the oil pan and gasket on my niece's car and my wife's car because morons at Oil Change places have stripped out the drain plug and when they removed it the next time and put it back it leaked like a sieve. Niece almost did what this lady did but had enough sense to know when the oil light came on that something wasn't right. I change our oil myself now....I had gotten in the habit of paying someone else to do it but for 5 years I haven't. I can also do it cheaper and quicker. It takes me longer to change the oil but I don't have to wait for 2-3 oil changes ahead of me. It costs about $30 to do it myself and even with a $19 coupon it costs about $45 to have any of the places around us do it. Its $100 for my truck and costs me about $40.
Posted by fr33manator
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2010
133112 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:27 am to
They are about to get screwed...hope they are lubed up.
Posted by LSU713Tiger
Houston, TX
Member since Nov 2012
159 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:28 am to
Honest question - How would a Take 5 handle this situation vs Walmart?

Seems like Walmart has been pretty accommodating relative to what a smaller oil change shop would be.
Posted by TDsngumbo
Member since Oct 2011
48937 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:33 am to
quote:

Also, If she has comprehensive and a reputable carrier, she could have them handle this and then have the carrier subrogate. I guess since she hasn't done that she has libailty only on the vehicle.



Unless she can make a good case for intentional vandalism, a lawsuit is the only option in her scenario. The only insurance policy that will pay for this is Walmart’s liability coverage. And whoever did her oil change should be looking for another job.
This post was edited on 8/14/25 at 8:34 am
Posted by MorbidTheClown
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2015
73492 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:34 am to
If they filled it with oil and didn't put the plug back in, wouldn't it leave a trail of oil leading right back to the service bay?
This post was edited on 8/14/25 at 8:36 am
Posted by TIGERHOLD
Orleans Parish
Member since Mar 2022
1178 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:35 am to
quote:

Honest question - How would a Take 5 handle this situation vs Walmart?


Take 5 is owned by private equity, so avoid them like the plague.
Posted by White Bear
AT WORK
Member since Jul 2014
17182 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:35 am to
quote:

You ever run an engine without oil?
Yeah but not for long.
Posted by gumbo2176
Member since May 2018
19298 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:36 am to
quote:

. They told her the oil drain plug was never put back on after her oil was changed, causing serious damage to her engine.



My best guess is that the oil drain plug was put back on, but never tightened and eventually worked loose as the car was being driven and allowing the oil to drain.

There's almost no way in hell they put new oil in the engine at Walmart and it immediately drained out and she drove the car to get home and then drive it again the next day.

Do Hyundai's not have oil pressure guages on their dashboards???? I mean, if you're running the engine and it's showing "0" oil pressure, that's a clue something is amiss...........................but then again "Women Drivers".
Posted by Chips and Queso
Member since Aug 2025
59 posts
Posted on 8/14/25 at 8:40 am to
$6,000 and she can save 30% on fruits and veggies by using SNAP should be her last offer.
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