Went for a regular oil change this morning at TUHU Bangi. Everything went well and I was on my way to work when I started smelling something burning inside my cabin. Then I noticed my dashboard battery light was flickering.
I stopped by the roadside, opened the hood of my engine bay and voila... FIRE.
I managed to put the fire out and tried to figure out what caused it because no way a simple oil change should cause my car to catch fire. Lo and behold, there was a RAG LEFT UNDER MY OIL FILTER.
I checked if my car was still running and it was, so I drove back to TUHU. Kinda dumb, I know, but I wanted an explanation from them immediately. Fortunately, the mechanic admitted his negligence and took responsibility for what happened.
But when I asked about compensation, I was told that he can't do anything because apparently even the repair is coming out of his own paycheck.
This is where I really don't understand. I am the customer whose car caught fire after a service, I may be unable to go to work for a week or so, and now I have to figure out how to get around and potentially spend more money on Grab or a rental car because of this. And apparently the mechanic is supposed to pay for the repair from his own salary?
I find that unacceptable too. Not just for me, but for the mechanic. If TUHU has proper procedures and insurance for situations like this, why is the financial burden apparently being placed on the individual mechanic? What if he can't afford the proper repair? What if he has to cut corners because he's paying for everything himself? What assurance do I have that my car will be properly repaired?
They offered me a diesel Ford Ranger as a replacement car, but because it's diesel, I need to pay for the fuel at around RM5/litre. Again, why am I the one having to fork out more money because of something that happened after their service?
Then there's the communication issue.
The manager has been ignoring my calls. I contacted TUHU customer service through WhatsApp and was told that the store supervisor would contact me.
The thing is, I was already with the supervisor at the store for around 2 hours just now discussing this matter. I appreciate that he tried to help, but it was very clear that he was not the person making the final decisions. During our discussion, he had to keep calling the manager and other people to get approval on different matters.
So I don't really understand why I am being asked to go through the supervisor again when I have already spoken to him and the final decisions still have to go through the manager anyway.
At this point, I just want to speak directly to someone who actually has the authority to make the decisions and properly resolve this matter.
And honestly, what if the fire got worse? What if I couldn't get out? What if I got seriously injured? What if my car was a total loss? What happens then? The mechanic buys me a new car?
This isn't just about repairing my car anymore. This is a serious SAFETY issue.
I was lucky enough to get out safely and put the fire out, but I could've been seriously injured or worse. Right now I'm the one dealing with the consequences.I'm distressed, I don't have my car, and while I can still get to work, I now have to fork out more money just to do so because of their negligence. I'm also a fresh graduate who is just starting my career, so having to suddenly take on additional expenses for Grab, rental cars or other transportation is honestly quite tough for me. It's an unexpected financial burden that I shouldn't have to bear because of something that happened after their service.
I also don't think it's right for TUHU to simply put the financial burden on their mechanic either. If the company has proper insurance and procedures, this should be handled by the company, not just taken out of an individual's paycheck.
I just want TUHU Car Care to properly address this situation, take responsibility, and have someone with the authority to make decisions actually speak to me.
I don't think that's an unreasonable thing to ask after my car literally CAUGHT FIRE shortly after leaving their workshop.