Complaint Review: Firestone Complete Auto Care - Greensboro North Carolina

On Monday, July 20, 2015, the engine on my 2009 Chevrolet Traverse suffered a catastrophic engine failure while on a family trip to Florida. The car was traveling at posted highway speeds on Florida’s Turnpike, when suddenly, without any warning, the car shuddered for about 5-10 seconds; then, the check engine light flashed; and about 2 seconds later, we heard a loud BOOM and felt the explosion as well. I could see some small debris flying behind my car, as well as a cloud of gray smoke.

We used our momentum to move to the right and then to the right-hand emergency pull-off lane on the Turnpike, on a portion that did not have a shoulder. Once I determined that I could safely exit the vehicle, I assessed that the issue was not related to a tire rupture, but saw a small pond of clear motor oil – about 1-2 cups, ultimately – form next to the car. We also took a moment to express our blessed fortune that the incident did not end with a much greater cost.

I had the car towed to a Chevrolet dealership with which I had a previous relationship. Upon inspection, they discovered that the crankcase had been filled with approximately 12 quarts of motor oil – which was far in excess of the 5.5 quarts that are recommended for the crankcase of my make, year, and model vehicle. They also observed a hole that was made when one of the engine components penetrated and exited the sidewall of the engine during the catastrophic failure.

My last oil change -- performed by the Firestone Complete Auto Service location at 512 Pisgah Church Road in Greensboro, NC -- occurred about 18 days prior to the issue. I had not accessed the hood or crankcase after the oil change, because I entrust that the professionals have properly done their job. I managed to drive 1,600 miles prior to the catastrophic failure -- almost entirely consisting of short-haul, around town hops -- prior to the lengthy, 800-mile sojourn from Greensboro, North Carolina to Southeast Florida. It is worth noting that the longer trip was split into chunks of no longer than 2.5 to 3 hours between stops -- though the last leg, driven in 98-degree temps, lasted about four hours prior to the engine failure.

As part of its analysis, the Chevrolet mechanics noted that with a car of my age, it is surprising -- but not unexpected -- that the catastrophic failure would take time to build – the pressure situation, as it built, would take the path of least resistance to manifest itself. Upon inspection, the Chevrolet maintenance team noted several gasket leaks where oil had emerged as the pressure built -- notable, as no previous oil leaks have ever been observed from this car. Finally, with no other relief from the building pressure, the catastrophic eruption led to the ejection of a rod through the engine sidewall and an immediate and complete shutdown of the engine block.

On July 24, Firestone opened a claim -- Case No. 1507-2142960-C -- and assigned a Chicago-based resource, Juan Mendoza -- to handle the case. He promptly went on vacation, so we worked our way up the food chain placed our inspection request in front of Stan Guzik, who apparently is Mendoza's supervisor.

After two weeks of inaction, Firestone's insurer finally sent a third-party inspector to observe the vehicle on Monday, August 3, and to examine the evidence (both physical and testimonial). The insurer ultimately decided to reject the claim -- not on the basis that they didn't believe that the oil was overfilled, but that there was NO WAY that the car could possibly have traveled 1,600 miles without experiencing the failure.

This was a car that we purchased new; that was meticulously maintained (records kept); and had been paid off last fall. You know, as well as I do, that once a car is paid off, it is your hope that the car starts paying YOU back. We expected to get at least two years more out of this vehicle and had no reason to feel otherwise. Within the last 120 days, we also spent thousands of dollars on new tires, new spark plugs and other replacements to keep the car running at its best. We feel like Firestone took something from us, through an apparently dumb mistake, but now does not want to take responsibility for a situation that they caused.

And to date, they still have not called me once to apologize or even sent the promised "Denial of Claim."

Steer clear, folks -- this place is now a daily reminder of one of my worst auto repair nightmares. We all think it won't happen to us. But sadly, it will.