Saab Story (tune up becomes new engine!) (spark plugs, toll, engines)

[minibrings]

I took my Saab to the Saab Dealer in Orlando, FL to have the timing belt replaced and a tune up.

Their mechanic accidentally dropped a screw in the engine after he removed the spark plugs. Of course they started the car, heard a noise and an internal component was damaged and long story short, I now need a new engine. They are getting a used engine with slightly less miles but they will replace all the seals, etc. supposedly it will be like a new engine and they will give me a 1 year warranty. They also provided me with a service loaner and offered me a hotel room. I declined the hotel as I can stay with friends.

Is this a fair compensation? At least they were honest about it. Basically I am stuck in Florida (I am visiting) for 3 days more than expected and I do need to get home soon.

If I still get a bill for the timing belt should I look at them and say, what about the bill for my inconvenience?

I would appreciate honest feedback on what you would do in this situation, and please no "you should not have bought a Saab" comments. Pretend its your own car, regardless of make. You take it in for a simple tune up and find that you now need a new engine due to negligence.

[sonarrat]

Why did you have major service done while you were visiting somewhere far from home? That's just asking for disaster. Now they know you need your car back, will have to pay up whatever they demand to release it, and won't be able to go back for warranty claims.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

Why did you have major service done while you were visiting somewhere far from home? That's just asking for disaster. Now they know you need your car back, will have to pay up whatever they demand to release it, and won't be able to go back for warranty claims.

Wow, way to not answer the question by delivering a condescending lecture instead.

Anyway, to the OP: Sounds like fair compensation to me. They're putting you back into the position you were in before the mishap, perhaps even a little better considering the 1-year warranty on the replacement engine. Without that warranty, I would also ask them to at least do a compression test on the replacement engine.

[johnfrisco]

I agree no need to lecture. Sounds like fair compensation. What year is your Saab?

[minibrings]

Originally Posted by Drover

Wow, way to not answer the question by delivering a condescending lecture instead.

Anyway, to the OP: Sounds like fair compensation to me. They're putting you back into the position you were in before the mishap, perhaps even a little better considering the 1-year warranty on the replacement engine. Without that warranty, I would also ask them to at least do a compression test on the replacement engine.

Thanks! I did not think to have a compression test done! I found 2 people with Saab's here and they recommended an independent shop in the next town, I will take the car in for a compression test before driving home.

And sorry my first post was not clear.. the timing belt is free (Saab pays for the first timing belt change at 60k) but I do have to pay for the tensioners (optional replacement) and a new serpentine belt (again only if needed). It is a US model car which I brought with me to Canada; GM Canada will not honor the free timing belt replacement and told me I had to have an authorized US dealer do the repair. I figured I'm on vacation visiting friends who live locally and they have multiple cars and drive me around anyway. Back home I need the car to get to work so taking it to an authorized Saab dealer in Orlando was a no brainer as I don't really need a car on holiday.

If they were charging me to replace the engine, I'd be livid.. glad they fessed up and told me they would replace the engine for free, albiet with a used one.

Car is a 2003 Saab 9-5 ARC with 58k miles. The engine is a v6 3.0 litre turbo.

[Coldjensens]

You are getting a uselss warranty. You would have to drive back to Florida every time something goes wrong. Unless they are purchasing a general warranty for you, then you need to look at deductibles and coverage limitations. If they messed up that badlythe first time, what makes you think that they will do a good job rebuilding the used engein or installing it for that matter? What happens if the egine siezes up when you are half way home?

What a mess and what an idiot. Simple rule, if a screw turns up missing, you find it, no matter what it takes before you start the car.

Not only should they be charging you nothing, but they should breathe a sigh of relief if you do not charge them for damages and yourexpenses due ot the delay, or insist on a new engine.

One time when I was working on my own car at a friends shop, I took off my wedding ring for safety purposes and set it on a tollbox. Later it was gone. It eventually turned up impacted into the head of a car that one of his mechanics was working on. The mechanic picked it up to look at it and someone ended up dropping it into the engine that he was working on.

My friend go a new mechanic. the customer got a new engine, but I did not get a new wedding ring(until my wife bought one for me. She did not like my not wearing a wedding ring).

[minibrings]

Thanks... I will check to see if the warranty is valid only if performed by them. I figured another Saab dealer in the US will honor it (I am moving back to the US within the month). But I will scrutinize the warranty being offered. I am planning to have a Saab specialist that comes highly recommended to do a compression check and to check the car over before I head home.

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

You are getting a uselss warranty. You would have to drive back to Florida every time something goes wrong. Unless they are purchasing a general warranty for you, then you need to look at deductibles and coverage limitations. If they messed up that badlythe first time, what makes you think that they will do a good job rebuilding the used engein or installing it for that matter? What happens if the egine siezes up when you are half way home?

What a mess and what an idiot. Simple rule, if a screw turns up missing, you find it, no matter what it takes before you start the car.

Not only should they be charging you nothing, but they should breathe a sigh of relief if you do not charge them for damages and yourexpenses due ot the delay, or insist on a new engine.

One time when I was working on my own car at a friends shop, I took off my wedding ring for safety purposes and set it on a tollbox. Later it was gone. It eventually turned up impacted into the head of a car that one of his mechanics was working on. The mechanic picked it up to look at it and someone ended up dropping it into the engine that he was working on.

My friend go a new mechanic. the customer got a new engine, but I did not get a new wedding ring(until my wife bought one for me. She did not like my not wearing a wedding ring).

[Omaha Rocks]

Originally Posted by minibrings

I took my Saab to the Saab Dealer in Orlando, FL to have the timing belt replaced and a tune up.

Their mechanic accidentally dropped a screw in the engine after he removed the spark plugs. Of course they started the car, heard a noise and an internal component was damaged and long story short, I now need a new engine. They are getting a used engine with slightly less miles but they will replace all the seals, etc. supposedly it will be like a new engine and they will give me a 1 year warranty. They also provided me with a service loaner and offered me a hotel room. I declined the hotel as I can stay with friends.

Is this a fair compensation? At least they were honest about it. Basically I am stuck in Florida (I am visiting) for 3 days more than expected and I do need to get home soon.

If I still get a bill for the timing belt should I look at them and say, what about the bill for my inconvenience?

I would appreciate honest feedback on what you would do in this situation, and please no "you should not have bought a Saab" comments. Pretend its your own car, regardless of make. You take it in for a simple tune up and find that you now need a new engine due to negligence.

Hmmm... I would think, by the way some people here talk, that "the professionals" never did things like that to cars.

That said, I'd say they're trying to be fair. And at least they were honest about what happened, which is a whole lot more than a lot of places would have been.

I think you should be alright.

Also, if they want to charge you for the tune-up you went in for, that might not be such a bad deal. You were going to pay it anyway.

[minibrings]

Originally Posted by Omaha Rocks

Also, if they want to charge you for the tune-up you went in for, that might not be such a bad deal. You were going to pay it anyway.

Funny part is I did not originally want a tune-up but the service manager said something like "you have to change the spark plugs when you change the timing belt" which is bogus but I fell for it.. I should have just stuck to my story.. just do the timing belt and let me leave.

[Omaha Rocks]

Originally Posted by minibrings

Funny part is I did not originally want a tune-up but the service manager said something like "you have to change the spark plugs when you change the timing belt" which is bogus but I fell for it.. I should have just stuck to my story.. just do the timing belt and let me leave.

Well... I'm not sure what engine you have, but on a lot of cars - especially the ones with DOHC engines - you have to pull the plugs when determining TDC. So while the old ones are out, it makes sense to replace them.

However, I have a feeling that mechanics replace a LOT of spark plugs that don't need to be replaced. They tend to cash in by scaring the crap out of people, and conning them into doing all kinds of work that doesn't need to be done.