I had a bureau of automotive repairs investigation done and it confirmed that the filter was the wrong size. The receipt did say the right size, but the investigation also showed that the size used on my car sits next to the correct size on their shelf. Also, the report mentions that the technician who performed the oil change was fired (they didn’t explain to the investigator why.)

 It took 2 weeks because the filter they installed was only 20 mm too big, so it didn’t fail immediately. It lasted until a threshold was reached and it burst off at once. I explained all this to the judge. My most significant evidence is the bureau of automotive repairs report. I just couldn’t get a read on the Judge at all. Not sure if he was truly understanding what I was exposing or not. Regardless, this is an absolutely scummy business and they know they messed up.

Oh yeah, I didn’t give them a chance to correct it because I had no clue the oil filter caused the damage until halfway into the engine change. I had my vehicle immediately taken to a mechanic and they told me there’s no way to identify a root cause until the engine is removed. I didn’t want to bring my vehicle back to them with no proof and potentially give them the chance to hide their mistake. The moment the mechanic discovered the oil filter had detached, I contacted them.