Unbelievable

[Bob Rufener]

My wife and I were in need of a car. I normally have bought used as I felt this was the best way to go. The prices of a one or two year old Camry were almost as much as a new car. So, after a gap of 27 years since our last new vehicle purchase, we bought a new car on July 25th. We both liked the car a great deal until July 30th when-uh oh-I find oil on the garage floor where the car had been parked. I managed to get under the car and found oil on the bottom of the motor. Not good. I made an appointment with the dealer and we took the vehicle to the dealership on Friday, August 3rd. We waited a little over an hour when the service guy called us to the desk and said they couldn't find the leak and it may be a rear seal or oil pan. Not good. Since it was going to take a day or two or three to check it out, we were given a loaner and left the dealership. About 4 hours later the service manager called and stunned me. He informed me that our car had been stolen out of the service garage. I could have been knocked over with a feather. Apparently, the technician had moved the car off the lift to let it cool while he changed oil on another vehicle leaving the key in the car. When he came back, the car was gone.

So, now we wait until the insurance companies decide who pays what. I don't know whether to be totally upset or to laugh about it. Unbelievable!

[Matt Meiser]

Sounds like the dealership is at fault so I would insist they provide you a loaner car of your choice until it is sorted out.

[Erik Loza]

Wowww.... Just when you think you've heard it all.

Agree with Matt. Even if the dealership is not liable per se, they should be liable de facto, since it would not sound good for folks to know that a thief is apparently prowling their lot. Curious to know how the insurance compnay handles it.

Best of luck for a speedy resolution.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Don Alexander]

might be a blessing in disguise ................... new car with an oil leak gets stolen outof the dealership service bay ... seems like the only resolution that the dealership should even consider is replacing the car and the sooner the better ............. would definitely be the best customer relations move possible :D

[Greg Portland]

might be a blessing in disguise ................... new car with an oil leak gets stolen outof the dealership service bay ... seems like the only resolution that the dealership should even consider is replacing the car and the sooner the better ............. would definitely be the best customer relations move possible :D
"Good news, we fixed your oil leak. We also painted the car a new color :D"

[Art Mulder]

Laugh at the absurdity.

Then ask when you can pick up your new car.

[David G Baker]

If you haven't done so already you may want an attorney involved on your behalf.

[Pat Barry]

Were they going to cover the cost of the repair to your vehicle totally? Maybe it was too much for them and they made the problem go away? SE Wisconsin sounds an awful lot like Chicago and stuff like that just seems to happen there. Just saying it sounds like an excuse to pawn the problem onto insurance.

[Matt Meiser]

While I don't think Toyota is the angel many would have them be (based on speaking with more than one Toyota engineer) I doubt they'd stoop to insurance fraud to make this go away.

Then again, if it shows up missing the engine in some back alley of the Ann Arbor, MI area*, let us know! :D

* The Toyota Tech Center for NA is located just outside Ann Arbor.

[Pat Barry]

Oh, call me a skeptic, but I would look closely at the dealership if I was the insurance adjuster.

[Jim Koepke]

Leaving a key in the car is not a brilliant thing to do.

We live about a quarter mile from the road in a rural area. Even though tempted at times, I remove my key from my vehicle when leaving it in our yard.

jtk

[Brian Elfert]

I would be mighty upset in the first place if I bought a brand new car and it had a fairly major oil leak in the first two weeks. New car quality control has gotten so good that a leaking engine should never make it all the way to the customer these days.

Most car insurance companies will replace a new car with another new car (minus the deductible) if a car is only two weeks old. Some even replace with a new car for the first year. I doubt the OP will be out any money. The two insurance companies will decide amongst themselves who pays which portion. This might be a blessing in disguise if the OP gets a new car with no issues. If it were my car I would hope it is never found. People who steal cars often trash the cars. Body shops can't always make them just like new. If it were me and the car is found and is damaged I would insist the dealer provide a new car.

Why would the dealer lie about a new car being stolen? Toyota is going to pay for the repairs. If the car couldn't be easily fixed and Toyota decided a new car was the answer why would the dealer make up a story.

[Art Mulder]

Most car insurance companies will replace a new car with another new car (minus the deductible)

Who's deductible, though... It had better be the Car Dealer's deductible, and not the customers!!!!
And really, I would expect any reputable dealer to work very hard to make this better, let's wait and see.

[Brian Elfert]

Who's deductible, though... It had better be the Car Dealer's deductible, and not the customers!!!!
And really, I would expect any reputable dealer to work very hard to make this better, let's wait and see.

You're right in this case that the OP better not have to pay a deductible. I was just pointing out that just about any insurance would replace a two week old car with a new one if it was stolen or totaled. Under normal circumstances the deductible would still be due. This is not a normal circumstance and the two insurance companies will need to work out who pays what.

[Matt Meiser]

When the tornado hit St. Louis a couple years ago the news was reporting that your insurnace covers your vehicle at a dealership (several cars were damaged or destroyed at a dealer that got hit) However this is different because the dealership employee left the key in the car. A long time ago I was in a similar situation only my car was broken into at a body shop and some stereo equipment was stolen. I'd asked them to ensure it was stored inside due to that equipment but they conveniently "forgot" and left it outside. Because the shop hadn't done as it said it would do, the shop's insurance ended up paying for the damage and stolen gear, but I pretty much got screwed because I didn't have receipts or photos showing what I had so they would only pay for the obvious, not what was mounted in the trunk. Live and learn.... That shouldn't be a problem here unless there was something of significant value in the car. And of course different state, different laws.

And the detective investigating my case did look into a connection with the shop. Like me, he felt it was convenient but couldn't find anything to prove it. They did catch the guys with fingerprints and they did go to jail. Some years later I got a check from the county for restitution. $0.35 or something like that. What a slap in the face.

[Greg Peterson]

The insurance companies will exploit the most minimal advantage when assigning liability. It is their fiduciary responsibility.

Several years ago, while getting into our car, my wife clonked her head on the pillar. She received a nice goose egg. Ten hours later, she woke up in the middle of the night and could not see out of one eye. Off to urgent care we went. Upon learning my wife had hit her head on the car, the admitting nurse asked for our car insurance policy number. Confused, I asked her why, to which she replied that since the injury was vehicle related the automobile insurance would be charged for coverage.

The OP's situation could get messy. I too would agree that having legal representation may be warranted.