For three weeks after I took my Toyota Corolla in for its first 1000 km service I was feeling quite ill, my speech was slurred; I was tired and sleepy all day, nauseous and had severe headaches. Then, two weeks ago the car caught fire when my husband was driving. There was smoke everywhere. My husband looked under the bonnet to find the cap had been left off when they checked the oil. There was burning oil everywhere, all over the engine. When I called the service centre, they played it down. They told me to take the car to them, which I refused, so they sent a mechanic to take it away. They brought it back a couple of hours later and said it was ok; they cleaned the engine and replaced the plastic cover. I would like to know if this has caused long-term damage to my new car. I also went to the doctor and he took blood tests and said I have lung damage and that I was very lucky to be alive, as I have been inhaling carbon monoxide.
You shouldn't have let the car out of your sight; instead you should have had it inspected by an independent mechanic for possible damage that might have been caused in the fire. Even now I would get it inspected for damage, anything could have been damaged in the fire, wiring, hoses, paint, plastic components, you won't know until it's properly checked. You should also consider consulting the consumer affairs people with a view to further claims against the people who did the servicing.
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