A TikTok content creator took his BMW to the dealership for a routine oil change. But, his engine allegedly locked up in the middle of service, with the dealership offering no recourse for replacement for the incredibly expensive repair.

In a video that garnered 2.1 million viewers, Lev (@lev2real), confronted two employees who both share that the issue with Lev’s vehicle was not necessarily “on the dealership.” But, what does that mean? Why did his car lock up to begin with?

What Did The Buena Park BMW Dealership Do To Lev’s Engine?

Lev took his 2014 BMW X5 into the dealership for a very quick oil change. Five minutes before, he managed to capture a vehicle of his working perfectly. The engine had no noticeable issues according to his post, although it needed some routine service. 

He paid “$300” for the service and dropped off the vehicle, expecting the service to be done within a short amount of time. But, that’s not what ended up happening. Later, Lev recounted that sometime during the service, his “engine blew.”

Lev went to the dealership’s service desk to discuss the situation.

One of the dealership’s associates explained that even though the car had a catastrophic failure, it did not necessarily mean it was the dealership’s fault.

“ [Just] because it had a catastrophic failure does not mean that we own it until we can verify facts,” the BMW employee shared.  

Lev snapped and reemphasized the fact the engine isn’t even starting.

“Oil change is done. It doesn’t even start,” Lev vents. 

The dealership stated that they observed no abnormalities in the vehicle when returning it to Lev. Lev argued that the car had no abnormalities when he dropped off the car and must have passed BMW’s routine inspections at the time. 

According to commenters, the car may have been started with no oil, which is an easy mistake that accounts for sudden catastrophic failure. 

“They started your engine with no oil in it,” the top liked comment wrote. 

“I’ve been a mechanic for years and I can almost guarantee that’s what happened,” one replied.

But, the dealership has made no statement that this was possible to Lev. Instead, they stated that they were trying to “verify” what occurred. 

In later comments, Lev clarified that the dealership “kicked” him out, offering no solution to his blown engine. 

Is the Buena Park BMV a “Scam?”

According to many other commenters, problems at Buena Park BMW are inevitable. That’s because the dealership apparently overcharges its customers and offers little accommodation when services go awry.

“Buena Park BMW is the biggest scam dealership,” shared one viewer. “They up-charge almost [two-times] on parts compared to [other automotive dealers].

“Buena Park BMW is KNOWN for this. Please AVOID THEM. Go to MCKENNA,” another added. 

“Bmw Buena Park is terrible! The worst service dealership I’ve ever had my 340 serviced at. They locked my DME after telling them not to update anything. The service advisor Scott is the worst advisor to ever work. And they have kept my BMW for 2 days just for an oil change,” a third shared. 

What Should Lev Do Next?

Commenters recommended asking for documentation or camera footage from the dealership to fully understand the issue.  As one person pointed out, the “dealership has video recordings they can easily review to confirm someone didn’t do something like forget to fill and start it up.” 

They advised Lev to email everyone associated with the Buena Park location from the “bottom-up” to receive additional documentation, especially considering how notorious the dealership appears to be. 

Additionally, other viewers suggested getting legal support and contacting BMW corporate.

“Contact a lawyer and contact BMW North America immediately to get a claim started. They will launch an investigation,” one TikTok commenter suggested.

“Call corporate. Tech ran it without oil or wrong oil,” another suggested.

Is Lev To Blame For The Damage?

Despite the unusual circumstances with Lev’s engine, it is possible that the Buena Park BMW dealership didn’t do anything to it. As one commenter described, “It really depends on the service history of the vehicle. He is absolutely right that just because it failed after the service doesn’t mean the dealership is responsible.”

Other comments thought that the issue could be related to the vehicle’s rod bearing. “Or it just had a rod bearing issue, which is typical for BMWs,” wrote one commenter. “Stop always blaming the mechanics. It’s not always the mechanics.”

But, according to commenters, Lev posted a video explaining that the dealership diagnosed the issue. The timing belt apparently broke, which would place more of the blame on him than the service itself. 

As one commenter described, “In another video [he]says [the vehicle has] 150,000 miles and the timing belt broke. He just purchased [this] vehicle at auction. [The] timing belt [has] never been changed and he knew it.” 

This alleged update is not available on Lev’s page, indicating that he may have deleted it since posting. Other comments mentioned that Lev posted more details, such as the vehicle’s mileage, but this information also does not appear on his page.

We’ve reached out to Lev via TikTok direct message and the Auto Nation Buena Park BMW via phone message for comment. We’ll let you know if either party responds. 

@lev2real make this right bmw. #fyp #bmw #scam #dealer #cars ♬ Chopin Nocturne No. 2 Piano Mono – moshimo sound design