3·15 Consumer Rights | Car Owner Claims Engine Oil Deficiency and Wear After 5 Months of Maintenance; Dealership Responds: Construction Process Has No Issues

Consumer Mr. Zhang from Anhui recently reported to the Pengpai Public Interaction Platform “Service Pai” that in September 2025, he had his vehicle serviced and oil changed at Tuhu Car Care Workshop (Taizhou Fudao Branch). Before the service, the engine showed no abnormalities.

However, five months after the service, the engine started making abnormal noises and the vehicle’s power decreased. The auto repair shop diagnosed the main cause as oil shortage leading to severe wear or even piston seizure. He checked a previous vehicle inspection video provided by the Tuhu Car App and found that the staff at Tuhu Car Care appeared not to have added the full 5L of oil he purchased during the service.

The inspection record from September 19, 2025, shows the oil level was within the normal range.
[Photo provided by the interviewee]

In March this year, he reported the situation to Tuhu Car Care’s online customer service. He was told he could disassemble the engine himself, send relevant photos to customer service, and wait for staff to evaluate before further action. Concerned about potential disputes later, Mr. Zhang requested Tuhu Car Care to disassemble the engine. The two sides could not reach an agreement.

On the afternoon of March 12, Tuhu Car Care staff responded that, after verification by technicians, the oil used was compatible, and all 5L of oil was added with no issues in the process. The technicians initially judged that the vehicle might be burning oil. Tuhu Car Care was willing to accompany the customer to a third-party professional agency for disassembly and inspection.

Five months after the service, the engine showed abnormalities, and the owner questioned whether insufficient oil was added.

Mr. Zhang explained that on September 19, 2025, he went to a Tuhu Car Care Workshop for vehicle maintenance.

On February 10, 2025, while driving, he heard abnormal engine noises and found a nearby auto repair shop for repairs. “I kept hearing noises from the hood, and after opening it, I saw some smoke,” Mr. Zhang said. The repair shop checked and found the oil dipstick was below the minimum, indicating severe wear or piston seizure caused by oil shortage.

The consumer spent 305.6 yuan at the workshop to buy fuel filters and related tools and services.
[Photo provided by the interviewee]

Mr. Zhang’s vehicle is a Haval F7x under Great Wall Motors, purchased second-hand in January 2025. As of September 19, 2025, it had 86,469 km on the odometer; by February 10, 2026, it had over 92,000 km. The engine model is GW4C20B. Regarding the oil added, a screenshot of the Great Wall Motors App customer service reply shows that if the oil and filter are replaced, about 4.9L of oil can be added. Therefore, he always purchased 5L of oil for each maintenance, and if filled to the top, the level reaches the oil dipstick’s maximum.

After discovering the abnormality on February 10, he checked the vehicle inspection video from Tuhu Car App on September 19, 2025, and found that the staff at the Tuhu Car Care Workshop (Fudao Branch, Taizhou) appeared not to have added the full 5L of oil he purchased, and the remaining oil’s whereabouts were unknown.

The post-maintenance record video from Tuhu Car Care on September 19, 2025, shows someone measuring the oil level with a dipstick, then removing the dipstick from the tank. Due to blurry footage, it’s unclear where the oil level was, but Mr. Zhang judged that the staff added oil to a level below the middle mark, not reaching the middle.

He stated that the inspection record from September 19, 2025, showed only an oil change was needed, with no other abnormalities, and the oil level was within the normal range. Therefore, Mr. Zhang believes his vehicle’s engine was normal before the maintenance.

Tuhu Car Care: After verification, the process was proper.

In March 2026, Mr. Zhang repeatedly contacted Tuhu Car Care customer service about the issue. He was told that the engine needed to be disassembled for inspection, but the workshop could not do it. They suggested he find another shop to disassemble it, send photos to customer service, and have Tuhu technicians assess whether it was their responsibility before proceeding.

Mr. Zhang said disassembling the engine would cost over 3,000 yuan, and if not done at a Tuhu platform workshop, disputes could arise or further damage to the engine might occur. He insisted that Tuhu arrange for the workshop to disassemble the engine. However, the two sides could not reach an agreement.

On the morning of March 11, Pengpai News, acting as Mr. Zhang’s friend, inquired with Tuhu Car App’s manual customer service. They said they had previously advised Mr. Zhang to disassemble the engine to check the specific fault. Regarding subsequent handling, they said they would report the situation to a specialist for further coordination.

On the afternoon of March 12, Tuhu Car Care staff responded that, after verification by technicians, the oil used was compatible, and all 5L was added with no issues in the process. They confirmed that the vehicle had only been serviced once at their facility, with over 6,000 km driven afterward, and no oil leakage was observed. The technicians initially judged that the vehicle might be burning oil. Tuhu Car Care was willing to accompany the customer to a third-party professional agency for disassembly and inspection, with responsibility to be determined based on the results.