r/Cartalk • u/MrBlutine • Mar 01 '25
Safety Question Car tow experience. Is this normal?
Hi there, I was surprised to find my car got towed yesterday after being in front of my OWN garage for 15 minutes! Oh well lesson learned..: still feels a bit predatory though but I can get past it. So I went to pick it up last night around 6pm, paid my fines for being a criminal and then drove it home for the night and went to bed soon after.
Flash forward to this morning and I see my car in absolute agony ( see pics ). I have hit bumps so hard my heart dropped. I’ve hit bumps so hard I screwed up the alignment and had to get that fixed. So much construction in my area I hit bumps almost everyday. But I know I didn’t hit any bumps last night to this caliber. So im just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience? If so what do? And what is that white substance??? This is the oil pan right?
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u/JellyDenizen Mar 01 '25
Crack in the oil pan someone tried to seal, the question is whether the tow company cracked it or whether someone else did prior to the tow.
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u/MrBlutine Mar 01 '25
Well i sure as shit didn’t put the epoxy there the day before. So good thing they did that for me to leave me clues
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u/Bradster3 Mar 01 '25
Nah they dropped the bag. No thief gonna epoxy your oil pan if their heist goes wrong. Simple case of i fucked up so let's "repair it" long enough so we aren't liable, witch they couldn't even do right. This is the kinda shit I would see come into the shop and stop right there after I saw it till the customer was updated.
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u/AppropriateDeal1034 Mar 02 '25
Epoxy? That my good sir is hot glue.
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u/Eddie_Honda420 Mar 02 '25
Looks more like clear silicon bathroom sealant
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u/AppropriateDeal1034 Mar 02 '25
Silicone wouldn't start leaking after a couple of miles, and doesn't really look like that, but we can agree it's not correct.
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u/dockdropper Mar 02 '25
It would absolutely leak after a few hot miles, does it seem likely the tow company drained the oil to clean up the pan before applying sealant to the crack? It would seem to me that through my experience rtv doesn't stick well when the surface is wet or oily. This could easily have held long enough to get the car off their property long enough to not be held liable without proof. Tow companies and impound lots are scummy.
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u/AppropriateDeal1034 Mar 02 '25
Catch it in a pan and pour it back in, but let's face it if they damaged the pan it probably drained, at which point they'll have dumped in whatever oil they had lying around after splodging it, but I still think it looks more like hot glue. Silicone on an oily pan will have leaked or fallen off almost immediately.
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u/fdefoy Mar 02 '25
Seeing the shit job that was done there I'd say it was done in a hurry by someone who didn't have proper access to the bottom of the car.
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u/Barraskewrya Mar 01 '25 edited Mar 01 '25
Looks like RTV. Idiot wrecker probably bashed it with the stinger on the truck. Bring it to a shop, get it documented, and DO get insurance involved and confront the towing company.
EDIT: get insurance involved. They have better legal resources to fight them in court than you do. If it’s strong evidence and means they don’t have to pay to fix it, they’ll fight like hell for you.
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u/Traquer Mar 01 '25
Yep. Get off REddit and do this
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u/alexm2816 Mar 01 '25
Never fight for your money when you can let a professional do it for you.
If the wrecker wants to make it right immediately (considering they tried to hide that’s unlikely) then let them with documentation, a rental car, and a red carpet the whole way and submit an invoice from your own mechanics inspection. If they give you any runaround get insurance involved.
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u/fdefoy Mar 02 '25
That and make em refund the tow fines + extra for predatory tow and wasting your time.
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u/rbltech82 Mar 02 '25
This, insurance companies do not care and will go after them. I had an elderly lady hit me without coverage on her new car....my insurance handled my repair and went after her for the money afterwards and got it, they sent my deductible back after they collected from her....lol
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u/AdministrativeSnow40 Mar 02 '25
Happy cake day man
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u/Barraskewrya Mar 02 '25
I had no idea what that meant until I googled it. Thanks! lol
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u/9EternalVoid99 Mar 01 '25
I am curious as to why they are picking up cars nobody called about but it doesn't matter cause they are going to end up paying that fine and more, get a lawyer
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u/MrBlutine Mar 01 '25
That was my first question, before noticing the gaping hole in my oil drum
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u/New_Ambassador1194 Mar 02 '25
OP use the insurance method mentioned in another comment
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u/Why-R-People-So-Dumb Mar 03 '25
And since it happened at home if you don't have collision, then don't forget the avenue of homeowners insurance.
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u/airfryerfuntime Mar 01 '25
I lived in an apartment complex that had a contract with a local tow company. They'd drive through twice a day and tow any cars that didn't have either a sticker or a parking pass. If someone wanted to visit, they had to get a parking pass, otherwise their car would be towed almost immediately.
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u/onlyasimpleton Mar 01 '25
Predatory tow companies are known for this in certain cities. All in it for the tow-fee
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u/InterestingFocus8125 Mar 01 '25
Lots of apartment and condo complex have contracts with a tow yard - tow yard makes rounds and takes anything they can.
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u/Secret-Painting-1835 Mar 03 '25
Mine has gotten towed from a friends place twice now. First time was because he forgot to tell me where to park/that I had to park in a certain spot (spots are unmarked, its considered the tenets responsibility to tell the visitors where it is) and the second time was because the map he showed me was EXTREMELY misleading and there were 2 spots in the section that were unhighlighted but in the section where visitor parking was and considered resident parking. Tell me why the tow company is 30 min away from this apartment complex and charges $450 for the first 24 hours and another $50 each business day after. I was so furious and my family refused to help the second time and I had just fixed my car so I was already in the hole for money
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u/Bleys69 Mar 04 '25
I got my car towed once Parked in the prospective client space in the apartments I lived in at about 9pm, and at around 5:30 when I went to leave, my car was gone. I was told when I signed the lease I could park in it over night as long as I was gone before business hours. Surprisingly, they brought my car back without charging me after I called and told them where I was parked and I was told I could park there.
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u/SBLOU Mar 01 '25
I visited a friend I hadn’t seen in months who told me after I had been there ten minutes I might want to move my car because they now had a tow company tow cars that weren’t registered to the complex. End result, my car had been towed within ten minutes. 220 dollar tow charge in 1999.
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u/ThirdSunRising Mar 01 '25 edited Mar 01 '25
They very clearly know full well they hit the oil pan on something. Easy mistake to make while towing. It happens. Why they tried RTV sealant instead of just buying you a new oil pan, that’s the part I don’t get. Oil pans aren’t terribly expensive. They’re flirting with having to buy a whole engine if that ridiculous repair gives way.
Demand an oil pan. If they refuse tell them you’re getting one because you have to, and you’ll go after them for the cost of it. They’re going to pay for it either way so they can fight it or cooperate, their choice
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u/Fluid_Dingo_289 Mar 01 '25
Probably hoping op does not see for a few days and they can claim it is not related to them.
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u/balboabud Mar 02 '25 edited Mar 02 '25
Had a tow company illegally tow my car, realized their mistake, and towed it back without telling me. Scraped up my front bumper and jacked up my recent alignment.
When I called them about the bumper, they immediately asked "Oh, you mean _ side?" And tried to say it was there before and they had pictures to prove it. 🤔 Absolutely hoped to dodge the bullet and I had to take it to court.
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u/c_dug Mar 01 '25
If an oil pan totally fails on a busy road it can literally and without exaggeration lead to loss of life.
It's a ridiculous thing to bodge like that.
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u/ThirdSunRising Mar 02 '25 edited Mar 02 '25
Absolutely right, a motorcyclist can easily go down if they leave a big enough oil slick
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u/DisappointedBird Mar 01 '25
They’re flirting with having to buy a whole engine if that ridiculous repair gives way.
It already did. Have you seen the first pic?
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u/TuneRevolutionary959 Mar 01 '25
Once came back to my car to find in being dragged out sideways at the rear end by a tow truck driver. Got him to drop it for a fee but as soon as I pulled away I realized I was driving sideways and my rear wheel was horribly misaligned. He had totally bent portions of the rear suspension, called the company’s and told them, brought them the bill and they took care of it, no lawyer needed. Seems like it happens from time to time and most know it’s not worth the fight when they’ve really fucked up.
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u/Due_Issue7872 Mar 02 '25
Btw whenever you get your vehicle towed and you believe it was illegal there is a remedy. County courthouse
- Get a copy of the tow bill.
- Visit your county courthouse and tell the clerk you were illegally towed.
- Pay the amount of the bill to the court as a “bond”.
- The court will give you a case number and a court order.
- Take the order to the tow company and present it to them.
- The tow company has a certain time to file something with the court.
- If they do not, the money gets returned to you.
This lets you get the vehicle and then the tow company has to prove they towed it legally to get their money. Usually threatening this is enough to get them to release your vehicle if they've done something shady. Source: tow company dispatcher
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u/StanCorr Mar 01 '25
Don’t be such a shocking pushover! Your car got towed for no good reason and was not returned with apologies when you presumably let them know it was your own car. To add insult to injury, they badly damaged your car and then tried to bodge a fix that would definitely damage your engine had you not noticed it leaking. Forget this “oh well lesson learnt” BS and get your insurance on this immediately. Hopefully they will inspect the vehicle as there may be more damage underneath that you cannot see easily as the tow company driver was clearly incompetent and careless.
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u/MrBlutine Mar 02 '25
Hey man, I feel you and thanks for the encouragement. I’m being a pushover about the fact that it got towed in the first place there’s no getting around that I understand. But there is absolutely no expectation of a gash in my oil pan. I will be fighting this to the bitter end.
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u/Josh-Baskin Mar 02 '25
Check the street where it was parked to see if there’s any oil there from when they cracked it.
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u/Difficult-Serve-6168 Mar 01 '25
Wow I work at a shop and this happens a lot they aren’t training them guys right then blame it on the customer to avoid responsibility
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u/tschagyou151 Mar 02 '25
Better check the oil on the dipstick, And check the oil pan below the car. Don't drive it or even attempt to start it.
Take pictures.
Document.
And call your insurance company.
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u/blockrush3r Mar 01 '25
Everyone told you what to do get cracking! They left evidence in the caulk lines!
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u/House_King Mar 01 '25
The dipshit that toed the car that didn’t need toed punctured the oil pan and tried to seal it with epoxy.
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u/Mw25384 Mar 02 '25
Looks like they tried to cover it up with some type of silicone, I’d file a complaint and follow up and get an attorney.
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u/atkbra Mar 02 '25
Everyone jumps straight to sewing and lawyers and shit. OP, why don't you just call up the tow shop and ask them if they want to make it right before you sue. Just politely explain the situation and ask them to pay for the bill and refund the cost of the tow. If they refuse, then get your ins involved, they can hire a waaaay better lawyer than you can.
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u/loopy8921 Mar 02 '25
That’s not right, tow company probably did that. Lawyer up and sue the tow company, if that doesn’t work out, sue the driver of the truck themselves. Itll get straightened out quickly.
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u/booty_flexx Mar 01 '25
I think they owe it to you to clean your driveway as well, you’d have never parked it there (let alone drive) if they were up front and told you what they did
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u/Initial_Savings3034 Mar 01 '25
They bashed your Ford Focus ST in front of your garage?
If you have service records, a lawyer will get real money from this.
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u/Bradster3 Mar 01 '25
No, odds are they hooked up and either dropped your car unloading it damaging the oil pan. Laweyer up and let the property manager know that way they can make note and either bring it up to them or get another contract so other people don't get burned.
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u/IllustriousCarrot537 Mar 01 '25
Document everything, contact your car insurance AND put in a police report...
Make up a bill of damage, including your time to rectify the situation, loss of work, hire car fees etc and stand your ground until it is paid in full...
If you have access to their tow vehicle, loosening the oil filter a turn or so or poking a hole in it AND unplugging the oil pressure sensor will slow down predatory tows...
Or constant flat tyres with sidewall damage will eventuality cost them a fair price
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u/jeepsucksthrowaway Mar 02 '25
if you drove the car with the engine dry or low on oil, you should be entitled to a thorough engine inspection (from the most expensive ford dealer in your area) to make sure you don’t have scoring on your cylinder walls. the common person does not know that they should be constantly checking for proper oil level and leaks and up until the tow, you had no reason to check for leaks.
any small hint of damage will warrant an engine replacement.
edit: and a thorough cleaning of your garage floor. it may include grinding the concrete down and sealing it with something to hide the scratches from grinding and the oil stain.
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u/ChopperTodd Mar 02 '25
I’m telling you right now the tow company is gonna lie and claim they not do it. And will deny everything and then want proof they did it. They tried to hide it there is no way they are going to owe up to it.
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u/troublemaker74 Mar 02 '25
That's up to the court to decide. In my area, at least, judges of small claims courts absolutely hate towing companies.
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u/Salt-Owl-4920 Mar 02 '25
Yup, complete normal. Your car Just had a mug of coffee to much from The Nice towing company…
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u/PongACong Mar 02 '25
is your oil pan busting wide open normal? no it’s not. and you will want to take this to insurance and a legal professional one for unlawful towing practices and two for damage of personal property.
shit, tack on emotional distress to that. your car was abused lol
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u/MoirasPurpleOrb Mar 02 '25
You’re really glossing over and accepting the fact that your car was towed from (as you described) a legal parking space.
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u/SaltedMisthios Mar 02 '25
For a Ford this is pretty normal.
On a more serious note - no - get a lawyer and get compensation.
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u/Thin_Blackberry_586 Mar 02 '25
How this can be normal. Your engine oil is on the ground. They fk your car. They must respond to this and pay for your damage car
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u/Full-Perception-4889 Mar 03 '25
Looks like they fucked your shit up, lawsuit time that company owes you money for repairs
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u/punkinhead76 Mar 03 '25
Good luck, this is obviously their fault but you drove it home and accepted the cars condition at pick up. They will fight this to the end of the earth.
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u/Entire-Extreme7327 Mar 01 '25
Hmm “lesson learned”?? Were you blocking the sidewalk so that pedestrians were not able to use the sidewalk freely?
That tow company sounds predatory - as many tow companies are, borderline kidnapping cars for high ransom. You have every right to block your own driveway, as long as you’re not impeding pedestrians using the sidewalk. I’m going to guess that they were cruising around looking for cars to tow. Typically, if you call a tow for a car blocking your driveway, it takes WAY longer than 15mins for them to show up.
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u/Corasin Mar 02 '25
That's not true at all. In all of the United States, it is illegal to block your own driveway. You can not park your car in the street in front of your own driveway. That is illegal.
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u/MrBlutine Mar 01 '25
Yeah I mean in my little neighborhood it’s actually kind of common, it happened to my buddies truck kind of unexplainably as well. It definitely feel predatory, I’ve wondered if they have cameras for this, or if some property manager is getting kickbacks for reporting these to that specific tow company.
By lesson learned I mean yeah it’s bullshit, but now I understand there are repercussions no matter how much i think im justified I can’t park there. But there is no expectation of a gaping hole in my oil pan
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u/RumWalker Mar 02 '25
I'm guessing you live in an HOA/housing development with private roads? I used to live in a place that had an HOA that covered a bunch of houses on public roads and a large group of townhouses on private roads. The community Facebook page was always full of people in houses complaining no rules or laws were ever enforced on the public roads (because the police didn't care enough) and others posting about tow trucks prowling the townhouses looking to snag any car parked on the private roads.
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u/PINKTACO696969 Mar 01 '25
He fuck your oil pan and try to Silly with a poxy or something you need to get a lawyer
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u/bkkbro Mar 03 '25
So this is what has happened and yes you need to get car your fixed.. the tow company has cracked the bottom of your engine (oil sump) then they have tried to cover it up by gluing the crack closed with the wrong type of silicon.. there is now silicone mixed into your oil as well. I would be first checking the oil level to see how high it is. Car needs an oil change and a new oil pan.
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u/dracotrapnet Mar 01 '25
It looks like that oil pan got cracked and someone hot glued it and the hot glue melted.
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u/imprl59 Mar 01 '25
First things first, don't even start the engine again until you've checked the oil and refilled it to the proper level. If you drive with no oil you'll turn this $400 problem in to a $4k problem in seconds. I would refill and drive it directly to the shop and leave a note on the steering wheel saying do not start without checking oil level. Or have it towed to a shop.
Someone hit the oil pan with something and put that sealer on there to try to disguise it. It looks fairly recent and has definitely been put on there after your last oil change. 100% chance they did and were trying to cover up the damage. 1000% chance they're going to deny doing and and you're going to end up either eating the cost or taking them to small claims court.
I think your best bet is to notify them of the issue (I'm sure they'll deny doing it but you should notify them anyway) then get it to a shop to be repaired. Once repaired take them to small claims for this repair whatever they charged you for the tow if it was illegal.
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u/rulesrmeant2bebroken Mar 01 '25
Looks like they tried to caulk the oil pan as it is obviously cracked. I think you've got a pretty solid case here, I'd contact an attorney in this field.
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u/Any-Description8773 Mar 01 '25
First off, I’m assuming you live in an apartment complex or something because if you were in your driveway I would be loosing my $hit. Second, looks like they got the oil pan with the stinger and tried covering it up. As others said, get your insurance involved and let the tow company know they’ve been caught.
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u/ImprovementCrazy7624 Mar 01 '25
Car was most likely left in hear which means the engine and transmission where over-revved to death...
The fact it even drove back is a miracle but now its dead and gone
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u/Itchy_Monitor9855 Mar 01 '25
well, as far as i know, they cant even tow you in that spot, but, do you have any outstanding payments due on the vehicle or anything? bc it couldve been repo or rtv.
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u/nossody Mar 01 '25
damn i wish they did my oil pan dirty like this.. they fucked up something with my 4wheel drive and suspension that wasn't nearly as noticeable as this. insurance wont cover it so i changed for new car 🤷♂️
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u/PandorasFlame1 Mar 01 '25
Lawyer up and sue the fuck out of them. It was 100% a predatory pick and they damaged your car.
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u/PWarmahordes Mar 01 '25
You would think a repo company would grab a pan off a junker so you never knew. Definitely never had experience with this……ever.
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u/BongSaber_00 Mar 01 '25
Tow truck stinger for sure got that oil pan happens with VW golf's too cause it hangs so low
Check what your apartment complex states for parking In Front of garages some don't allow you to be parked in front for any length of time. it'll also be evidence if your car was wrongfully towed.
Sometimes, they need to provide before and after photos of the car from 4 corners (don't expect them to be good photos)
Check your local towing laws.
You likely won't get anywhere telling them nicely that they need to replace your oil pan.
Start building evidence. If you have good insurance I'd probably start there
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u/DeathAlgorithm Mar 01 '25
Lawyer up! Op.
Don't let this go. They fuck people every day. Get a new car out of this!
Don't be kind. Take action bro
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u/MAKSI7002 Mar 02 '25
i’m just curious, how is it legally possible for someone to tow your own car from your driveway? isn’t that illegal?
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u/motorenclub Mar 03 '25
where i live my driveway isn’t “limited common property” aka it’s still the complex’s association’s property. it’s insane
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u/Business-Shoulder639 Mar 02 '25
Yup that’s normal. Drive another 100 miles no issue what so ever :)
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u/C6Z06FTW Mar 02 '25
That front bumper looks pulled forward too. Look around the headlights. And the bumper to hood gap.
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u/Charlie_Macaw Mar 02 '25
See if the management have CCTV and get footage from them. Maybe the way he loaded it on the tow truck or something he did caused the damage. CCTV may help show that.
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u/Tall-Poem-6808 Mar 02 '25
If you picked up the car from their yard and drove home, good luck getting them to admit / proving that they did it.
Yes, to you and me it's obvious. But to a judge, it will be "well, the car was OK when you picked it up, wasn't it?" "well, I didnt look under and there was no oil leak, so I dont know, but obviously that's the only possibility" "tah tah tah, no no no, that's not how all of this works. DO YOU HAVE PROOF?" aaand, you're fucked. Of course the tow company will pile up on that. "Sir, we picked it up as we always do, this never happens. Mr. X here drove it home, it was fine, who's to say they're not trying to pull a fast one and get their engine replaced on our dime?". They are not exactly known to be honest and trustworthy, right?
I had a similar issue with a dealership screwing up my oil change. Even though it was documented, and I had a mechanic's report supporting it, I was told to get bent because the mechanic wasn't there in person to support my claims, I "only" had a written report from him.
Having said that, don't move your car, call your insurance, document as much as you can. Good luck.
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u/sjm845 Mar 02 '25
I'm a tow guy, and I've busted a few pans in 25+ years. It happens. It not impossible that happened on the tow truck but it'll be hard to prove, I'd have to see it better to be sure. You did mention you hit several things several times. The damage would literally have to match the shape of the wheel lift. If I were to be charged for this I'd screenshot your description of "hitting so many things" to establish reasonable doubt.
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u/Sufficient-Mark-2018 Mar 02 '25
Depends on what you hit that made it necessary to tow it in the first place.
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u/doubleuram Mar 02 '25
This is the reason if I am ever calling for a tow it will always be a flatbed. I realised you were not towed by choice.
My 2001 Jetta after throwing off a pulley and the serpentine belt. The aluminum oil pan was cracked when a bump caused a connection between the oil pan and the tow trucks towing “arm”. The tow truck driver felt bad and brought me a replacement oil pan and gasket the next day. Spent a couple of days on my back on the driveway part for the oil pan and the rest fixing the serpentine belt issue
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u/Adventurous-Cheek-11 Mar 02 '25
That looks like the silicone you’d use to caulk a shower. Maybe it’s some kind of off brand JB weld. Someone probably hoped it would hold long enough their boss wouldn’t notice it leaking.
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u/fdefoy Mar 02 '25
Lawyer up and don't talk about the other bumps you've hit before. You may even want to delete this post.
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u/MarcusBevz Mar 02 '25
Turn on the car run it without oil and then now they owe you a whole new engine and then take it to the most expensive shop in your area for a quote to send to them and after you get money take it to a fairly priced shop and keep the extra cash
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u/1Steelghost1 Mar 02 '25
Lol yeah happened to me also, they blamed 'the new kid' made them buy me new oil.
They don't give a shit get paid by the haul not if it works!
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u/Maybe_Decent_Human Mar 03 '25
Omg dude I’m so sorry! This is absolute BS! I cannot believe someone legit thought this was OK behavior. Man, people are ridiculous.
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u/Jv_waterboy Mar 03 '25
THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED TO ME!!! We threatened a lawsuit and they fixed the car PROPERLY.
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u/Jumpy_Afternoon_4558 Mar 03 '25
If you want a big payout, delete this post, start her up and let the engine seize, then sue the towing company for a new car or new engine (at minimum)👌
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u/Jumpy_Afternoon_4558 Mar 03 '25
Also the towing company failed to mention that they cracked it and tried to cover it up with whatever white glue/rtv substance that is😭
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u/BigRedTrucking Mar 03 '25
Very common issue on some vehicles during tow. This was definitely the tow truck driver trying to cover it up.
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u/FerdinandTheBullitt Mar 03 '25
I'm curious why it got towed from your own driveway? Were you over the sidewalk?
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u/thingk89 Mar 03 '25
Wow. Love how they tried to glue your oil pan together knowing full well that you would dump out all your oil on the road. And did they top up your oil with super old used oil? Doubt they gave you a fresh oil change while they were at it
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u/Working_Camel_8619 Mar 03 '25
Contact tow company. They have insurance that covers incidents like this but DO NOT allow them to take your vehicle and “make it right.” If they agree to cover it, get your own estimate, in writing, from a shop you trust.
They are likely going to tell you to gtfo. In that case, your insurance will cover it if you have physical damage coverage. Bc the cost of the repair is probably pretty low, it wouldn’t make sense to sue the tow company.
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u/Extension-Type-2555 Mar 03 '25
hey the car is just scared of being towed and wet itself a lil, give it some time and talk to it nicely.
jokes aside, I'd take serious action that is one of the least normal things to happen.
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u/onetenoctane Mar 03 '25
Had the same thing happen to my ‘13 ST2 on a wrecker, bottomed out and cracked the pan, but the tow company called me right after it happened and had a new pan put on while it was being fixed by the dealer for the issue they originally picked it up for
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u/Bi_DL_chiburbs Mar 03 '25
As a former tow truck driver, I have done this before. The cast aluminum oil pan hit the center of the wheel lift pivot. Most likely while going over some ruff road or railroad tracks.
Looks like the driver already knows he damaged the pan based on the rtv silicone blob trying to hide the damage
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u/Dismal_Estate9829 Mar 03 '25
Oil pan slapped the wheel lift. It happens but not normal. If they are reputable they should take care of it. I doubt you’ll need a lawyer.
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u/Mikey74Evil Mar 03 '25
They fuked up your oilpan and realized they did and looks like they tried to seal it so nobody would notice. When was the last oil change? Could that be your drain plug? I don’t know but just asking. I just had a similar issue when I had an oil change done on my wife’s van a couple months prior and she was going away for the weekend and the oil was leaking out all over the place when she noticed in the morning to go out with her friend. Anyway the mechanic we took it too said that the last place probably over torqued something underneath and cracked the housing and when it got really cold over night when he was away it split wide open.
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u/BruceLee312 Mar 03 '25
Did they try to silicone the hole? I can’t tell but if they did they admitted fault right there.
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u/AdKey2568 Mar 04 '25
Yup this is pretty standard with a tow, my guy likes to smash out a couple windows for added flair
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u/Former-Animal-8351 Mar 04 '25
Walmart had to have a new oil pan installed on my wife's car after stripping the drain plug. Do not just accept what happened, follow up on it but get an estimate from the dealer to repair it first.
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u/Skylius23 Mar 04 '25
if you want to be pure evil, fight this legally and tell them your engine ran low on oil for X amount of time before the RTV melted and possibly damaged engine components and you might just get a tasty settlement for a new car. Just a thought
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u/Infamous-Gift9851 Mar 04 '25
Drive it to a mechanics shop to have it inspected. The good one on the other side of town. Bring a quart of oil with you to keep the oil level up. Just one should be fine. When you get there, rev up to redline so they can hear whats going on with the car. Follow all these steps exactly, and your car will be good as new... better, even.
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u/Icenbryse Mar 04 '25
They obviously didn't use dollies for your car. Tow company owes you a new oil pan, and make sure it's at a place of your choice.
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u/SquidBilly5150 Mar 04 '25
That is ass. I’d say you started your car and now it’s knocking and saw this.
They want to fuck you, fuck them. Find a mechanic and have them concur with your assessment. Get a new engine while you’re at it.
Follow me for more unethical life advice.
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u/funkie_feline Mar 04 '25
So I had something similar happen to me. Got my car towed using AAA and came home to oil on the street and none in my car. Nethier of them took responsibility, said it was "impossible for them to create that kind of damage on a flat bed". Luckily im mechanically inclined and did the labor myself but I should have got a lawyer involved. Don't be like me, charge them up the wazoo
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u/PurpleZebra99 Mar 05 '25
Please go after that tow company. They are total predator scum bags who think they have a license to legally steal cars and then hold them for ransom. Fuck them and the cities that contract them.
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u/Connect_Suspect6960 Mar 05 '25
I’m gonna go out on a limp here. Bear with me now. I would strongly assume that engine oil you see spread out on the ground there, goes, and should remain in the engine, unless purposefully extracted. I would say no.. that is not normal lol. On a real note I bet you money they destroyed your oil pan with the forks. (Normally) replacing an oil pan is a somewhat easy job depending on the vehicle. However unless you do it yourself it’ll cost you some dinero.. I would grab yourself a lawyer man.
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u/Evening_Question3468 Mar 05 '25
That's not normal. Tow it to your mechanic first and have them assess the damage. Even if the tow company only punctured the oil pan, you then drove it unaware of the problem they caused. Driving with low or no oil will cause engine damage. So your mechanic will have to assess the damage. Then call that tow company and demand they pay the entirety of that mechanic bill. If they don't, then lawyer up.
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u/bendrexl Mar 05 '25
There’s normally a belly pan that covers the whole area, did they take it off? Also your front bumper cover isn’t lining up with headlights, was it like that before?
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u/afg_tanook Mar 01 '25
Lawyer up dude. The tow company owes you a new oil pan at the minimum.