A Toronto driver was told she'd have to pay nearly $20,000 to fix her vehicle, after she skipped an oil change and the engine seized.
Guiliana Memme said she was shocked when the engine of her 2012 Range Rover Evoque stopped working in October.
"I was maybe three kilometres from where I needed to be and it just decided to die on me," she told CTV Toronto's Pat Foran.
Memme had the vehicle towed to her dealership, where she was told that the engine had seized. Mechanics told her it would cost approximately $19,500 to have the vehicle's engine replaced.
Though the engine price is high, it's significantly lower than the cost of a new vehicle. A brand new Evoque retails for between $52,555 and $67,555, according to the Land Rover website. Used models from 2012 sell for approximately $40,000 on Autotrader.ca, though some sellers ask for as much as $55,000, depending on the model and mileage.
"I was in complete shock when I heard that number," Memme said of the repair bill.
Memme thought she'd brought the vehicle in for regular maintenance, but the dealership told CTV Toronto that only three oil changes had been performed over the last 10,000 kilometres travelled.
Most manufacturers recommend an oil change every 5,000 to 10,000 kilometres, or four months. The specific range is listed in each vehicle's owner's manual.
Manufacturers also recommend that drivers check their oil level between changes, and top up if necessary.
When the engine seized, the vehicle was almost completely out of oil, Memme said.
"I didn't have an oil light come on, my engine light didn't come on. We get warnings about low window washer fluid, and my engine is about to die and (I didn't) get a warning."
Memme's vehicle was 20,000 kilometres past the range covered by the dealership's warranty, but Jaguar Land Rover Canada told CTV Toronto in November that they'd offered to cover 60 per cent of the cost of the engine replacement.
With the discount, Memme will pay approximately $8,000.
