Woman’s brand new car worked perfectly until she took it to the dealership for one simple service. Now they tell her it’s broken beyond repair

Grace Jenkins bought her new car in July, and it ran perfectly fine. There were no warning lights, no leaks, and no problems at all. Everything changed after she took it to the dealership for a simple oil change. Now she believes the service department broke her car and is trying to sell her a new one.

According to Motor1, Jenkins, a nurse from Boise, Idaho, shared her frustrating experience on TikTok. She explained how confused and upset she felt about how the dealership treated her. The car showed no issues before the oil change, but oil started leaking on her garage floor after she picked it up from the service.

She took the car back to the dealership, where technicians told her the problem was “patched up.” Jenkins found this strange for a nearly new car. But when she drove home again, the oil kept leaking. On her third visit, Jenkins made it clear that the leak only started after the dealership did the oil change. She asked them to keep the car as long as needed to fix it properly. Instead, she got a call saying a part was “completely broken” and her warranty wouldn’t cover the repair.

The dealership’s solution seems more like a sales pitch

What bothered Jenkins the most wasn’t the warranty denial. It was what the service advisor suggested next. They told her to talk to the sales department about getting a different car. This raised red flags for many people watching her video.

Service departments and sales teams usually work separately, even in the same building. When something goes wrong after service, customers normally talk to a service manager or the manufacturer’s customer care team. They don’t get pushed toward buying another car. If Jenkins does decide to shop elsewhere, experts say knowing one phrase that lowers car prices could help her negotiate better.

Car consumer advocates say if a dealership damages a vehicle during service, the dealership should take responsibility, not the customer. The repair might be covered by the dealer’s insurance or goodwill policies. The Federal Trade Commission tells drivers to get written explanations when repair disputes happen, especially after recent service work.

People who saw Jenkins’ video on  TikTok shared similar stories and warned others about dealership service departments. Some suggested using independent repair shops instead. Many mechanics have strong opinions about which brands hold up better, like one viral rant about luxury cars that recently made waves online. Others pointed out that women are sometimes treated differently at repair shops, though poor communication can affect any customer.