I had a routine oil change done here in August. Fast forward to yesterday, and my low oil warning came on -- which immediately concerned me because I haven't driven anywhere near the mileage listed on the sticker they put on my windshield for my next oil change.
I've owned multiple vehicles and had more oil changes than I could possibly count, and I have never had this happen so soon after a service.
I called the shop and explained what was going on. The person I spoke with initially suggested I could "Google how to turn the sensor off." That made absolutely no sense considering the warning had NOT been on since my oil change in August and had just now come on. He then told me I could bring the vehicle in so they could look at it, which I did.
When I arrived, the person I spoke with immediately became defensive. He took my keys, brought the vehicle back around, and then had me standing outside in the rain while he showed me the dipstick and explained that because the engine had been running and was hot, it wouldn't give an accurate reading.
I explained that before bringing the vehicle in, it had been sitting for approximately 3-4 hours and the oil had already been checked. The dipstick was showing that the oil was low. Instead of actually listening to what I was saying, nearly everything I said was contradicted or dismissed.
I was then told they only added a small amount of oil. When I questioned why my vehicle would need additional oil this soon after an oil change, especially when I wasn't even close to the mileage for my next service, I was told that "older cars burn oil."
My vehicle is a 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan. When I asked how he knew my vehicle was burning oil, I never received an actual explanation. Every question I asked seemed to be answered with another question or another reason why what I was saying couldn't possibly be correct.
I'm not claiming to be a mechanic, which is exactly why I pay professionals to service my vehicle. But I do expect to be able to ask reasonable questions without being spoken to like I'm an idiot.
At the end of the day, I had my oil changed here in August, my low oil warning came on well before my next scheduled oil change, the dipstick showed it was low after the vehicle had been sitting for hours, and I had to return to the shop to have additional oil added. Those are the facts.
Instead of simply addressing why that happened, I was met with defensiveness, contradictions, and an incredibly condescending attitude. Whether the original oil level was incorrect or there is another explanation, I would have appreciated someone actually taking my concern seriously and explaining it professionally.
The entire interaction was unnecessarily unpleasant and disrespectful. I left feeling like the priority was proving me wrong rather than figuring out why I was back there needing oil in the first place.
I will not be returning. read more
