Took my car in for an oil change, they severed the brake line! EDIT: Pics added to 1st post

[NogginBoink]

So I'm working Sunday and took my car in for an oil change at lunch. They finished the job and I drove off. While driving to Taco Bell I noticed at the stoplight that the brake pedal seemed to take a little more pressure to hold the car still than I'm used to.

I figured I was imagining things so continued to Taco Bell. Noticed the same thing in the drive through lane. Put on the emergency brake and popped the hood, ensured that the cap on the brake fluid resevoir was tight. It was.

Got my food, went to the office. Problem with brake pedal definitely exists. Parked in the parking garage, put the car in park, set the emergency brake, and pumped the brake pedal a few times. Looked under the car and there's a puddle of brake fluid under the left rear part of the car... brake fluid is dripping from the brake line!

Called Kwik Kar and they insist that they didn't do anything to the brakes and won't fix it unless I pay for it.

Called the police, officer came out and said that unless I think they did it deliberately it's a civil matter and he can't help.

So I've got a car in the parking garage that I can't drive home because it's spewing brake fluid, the shop won't fix the damage they've done, and I can't do a damn thing about it until the courts open tomorrow morning so I can file a civil case.

I'm pissed!

Edit: I took the car back in so they could assess and repair the damage.
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3

 

[Paulson]

Well, if you're sure its' something they did, threaten to sue big time, and see where you get...

I don't get how they could have severed a brake line while changing oil though...

 

[rgwalt]

Well, have the breaks fixed and go to the manager. Tell him you are going to file a suit and call the corporate headquarters if they don't pay for the repairs.

Good luck.

Ryan

 

[MazerRackham]

Dude, retain a lawyer and have him contact that place. That should get their attention! :|

Good luck on this, I hope you get your car repaired soon!

 

[notfred]

Maybe next time you won't let people who can't spell the name of thier own shop work on your car.

 

[amnesiac]

Originally posted by: notfred
Maybe next time you won't let people who can't spell the name of thier own shop work on your car.

ahhahaahahahah

 

[NogginBoink]

Thankfully I participate in my employer's prepaid legal plan. Guess where my first phone call will be in the morning.

 

[skyking]

I'm guessing they pinched the brake line between their hoist and the frame of your car. If so, you will find a dent in the undercaoating, or some other photographable sign on the frame opposite the break in the line . Take pictures, and explain to the manager politely what you believe has happened. It might work, and it is as good a theory to take to court as any other.

 

[Ornery]

Yes, crawl under there with a camera and take a picture of the spot where it's seeping out. What year is the car? Is there rust anywhere under there? Is it leaking at a fitting? From the cylinder? Junction block? Rubber hose or rigid line?

Edit: Forgot to mention... I WANNA SEE THE PIC!

 

[PsychoAndy]

I'll bet your boss was happy you were early for work.

-PAB

 

[goodoptics]

That sucks! Did they even change your oil?

 

[Squisher]

Was the car on a hoist like skyking suggested?

Otherwise, I don't see how they could have done this. All the oil change places I've ever been to just have you drive over a pit.

 

[NogginBoink]

It was done in a pit.

There was lots of banging and clanging while my car was in the bay. I'm wondering if they had some tool or something on that sliding rack under the car and were trying to slide it back and something sitting on the rack got caught up on the brake line of my car. They were really making a racket banging stuff around... the other person in the lobby and I both looked at each other and said, "hope that's not MY car they're banging up."

Looks like it *was* my car they were banging up.

 

[Antisocial Virge]

Did you ever think that it may not have been the fault of the oil change place? Better make sure its not "natural causes" before you go the coffee in the lap route.

 

[NogginBoink]

Okay, two possibilities:

A: I take my car in for an oil change, they damage the brake line while working under the car.

B: I take my car in for an oil change, the brake line just happens to magically become damaged at the same time.

While I cannot PROVE that the garage damaged the brake line, I think it is easily the most likely explanation. Since I noticed the problem at the first red light, and confirmed the problem when I parked my car, there's a very, very small window of opportunity that the damage could have occurred while I was either driving to the garage or from the garage.

 

[Antisocial Virge]

While I cannot PROVE that the garage damaged the brake line

So your gonna sue anyways? Brakelines blow all the time. It should be very very easy to tell if its caused by just rusting out and old age or mechanical damage.

 

[Ornery]

Would it kill you to answer a couple questions or take a picture?

How old is the car? Is there rust anywhere? What section of the brake lines is seeping?

Someone may have mashed the brakes hard while positioning it. Did anybody else drive it? If a stranger drove it, he may have stomped them harder than you normally do. If so, he merely exposed a weak area that would have gone in time anyway.

 

[RGN]

I think you need more information before you blame it on the oil changers.

What part of the brake line? The hard lines that run the lenght of the car or the soft rubber hose that connects the hard lines to the calipers or wheel cylinder?

If its the hard part, look for damage around the break. If there is damage you've got a case.

If its the soft rubber hose, you will have a hard time proving that they did it. Those lines DO fail. It can be suddenly or over time. How old is your car? This should be a cheaper repair too.

 

[RGN]

you beat me to it Ornery!!!

 

[Ornery]

Ya think he's crawling under his car at this moment?

 

[RGN]

hope so. He had no real info...

 

[Zenmervolt]

DISCLAIMER: I did not read through the entire thread before posting this because I'm short on time and on a public computer.

If it's the rear brake line as you say it is, I can think of no way that it could have been damaged during a proper oil change since the mechanic should never have any reason to go near the rear of the vehicle. The only thing that comes to mind would be a very flukey (sp?) problem with the lift they used to raise the car off the ground and even that is highly unlikely.

As to the car being stuck in the parking garage, unless two or more places are leaking the car is still roadworthy (assuming that the car is newer than 25 years old or so) because cars use a dual circuit braking system. If one of the brakelines is cut or damaged you only lose braking power to two wheels, so even with the leak your car is still able to stop, albeit in a slightly increased distance. Provided that you are reasonably cautious you should have no trouble driving the car either home or to a repair shop is only one brake line is leaking.

ZV

 

[yakko]

My question is why the hell did you keep driving when you noticed a problem instead of going right back to the shop?

 

[NogginBoink]

Originally posted by: Ornery
Would it kill you to answer a couple questions or take a picture?

How old is the car? Is there rust anywhere? What section of the brake lines is seeping?

Someone may have mashed the brakes hard while positioning it. Did anybody else drive it? If a stranger drove it, he may have stomped them harder than you normally do. If so, he merely exposed a weak area that would have gone in time anyway.

Guys, I'm at work at the moment...

It was a rubber part of the line before it enters the rear brake drum. Can't take a pic from my cubicle. Rear left wheel. No rust that I'm aware of, but I didn't check. No one else drove the car. The car is a '95 Chrysler Lebaron.

Like I said, lots of banging from the shop while my car was in the bay. Enough that I felt it through my feet on the floor of the lobby. I really think they were banging around those sleds under the car above the pit and banged up my car.

I'll look at the car in more detail when I get off work at 9PM tonight.

 

[RGN]

A 95'? And you live in TX? Write that off as a blown line and just get it fixed. That is not that uncommon.