A woman who bought a new car just a few months ago revealed that the dealership refused to cover the costs of a problem that occurred during an oil change.
The case was shared by nurse Grace Jenkins in a video posted on her TikTok profile. In the clip, she begins by saying that she believes she is being “taken advantage of” by the dealership.
“I bought this car from you in July. Guys, one of your mechanics broke a part. And now you’re saying the only option is for me to buy another car from you?” Jenkins said.
She went on to emphasize that the car showed no signs of any issues before the oil change. After leaving it at the dealership for the service, she picked up the vehicle and drove it home.
Later, Jenkins noticed that the car was leaking and a pool of oil began to form on the floor of her garage. She then decided to return to the dealership so they could look into the problem.
There, the mechanics said that the issue had been “patched.” “That’s an interesting [word] for a car I just bought from you in July,” Jenkins added.
Jenkins went back home, but the oil continued to leak. On her third visit to the dealership, she explained to the mechanics that she could leave the car there for as long as necessary so the issue could be fully resolved.
However, later that day, Jenkins received a call from the dealership informing her that a part was “completely broken” and that the repair would not be covered by the warranty.
This explanation left Jenkins confused. Manufacturer warranties typically cover defects in materials or workmanship but generally exclude damage caused by improper service or external factors, a distinction clearly described in most new vehicle warranty guides.
It is worth emphasizing that if a dealership damages a vehicle during a service, responsibility generally falls on the dealership, not on the manufacturer’s warranty. In such cases, repairs may be covered by the dealer’s own insurance or internal dealership policies, rather than those costs being passed on to the customer.
But what bothered Jenkins the most was not the denial of the warranty itself, but what came next. According to her, the service advisor suggested that she speak with the dealership’s sales department to see if they could help her buy a new car.
“So what do you think? Should I buy another car from them? Help! What should I do?” Jenkins wrote in the caption of the clip. In the comments, internet users shared their opinions on the case.
“Absolutely not! Tell them they are going to pay for the repair because [they] broke it, and then get a free extended warranty! The same thing happened to my husband’s truck and they ended up replacing the engine, gave us a free rental while they had it, and an extended warranty,” one TikTok user commented.
“Pro tip: stay away from dealerships and take your car to a small mechanic shop. Dealerships are desperate for money and small businesses know more than these guys ever will,” argued another user.
Photo and video: TikTok @graceebjenkins. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
@graceebjenkins So what do you think? Should I buy another car from them? Help! What do I do. #fyp #foryoupage #car #dealership #humor ♬ original sound – GRACE JENKINS
