Subaru Dealer threw my short block away, what's next?!
 

After my timing belt snapped on my phase I block at 216k miles I had Sud's Subaru of Normal, IL perform an engine swap with a new Phase II block and reworked DOHC heads. It was a long process and I have had my car back for 6 weeks (they did a good job). During the process I had moved to Chicago so my accessibilty to the dealer during business hours was extremely unfortunate. I had been talking with one of the service reps there (no longer works there) and I told him that it would take a long while before I could get to town and pick up my old short block that I was planning on selling to recoop some of the cost of the engine repair and performance work ($6800 total). This call was 5 weeks ago. I stopped by last weekend when I was in town and the Manager said he threw it out 3 weeks ago and he said "You're **** out of luck" (note I asked if I were SOL and he answered on par with my question.)

I want my short block or some form of core charge back. It's obvious that the Service Manager doesn't care so I am thinking about speaking with SoA. Anyone have any recommendations or am I truely SOL?

Take a look at your paperwork. Did you pay a core charge? If so, you have legal right to your block as you paid for not having a core, and then they pitched yours. If there was a credit for the core, you don't have any legal right to it, and they did with it what they pleased. Sadly, your conversations are not legally binding, so unless you have something in writing, you are kind of SOL.

If there was NOTHING in the paperwork stating anything about parts left for X days, or NOTHING on your paperwork about the block core, it's still yours. ANd you have legal right to the costs.

No core charge. There is nothing in the paperwork about the parts left behind (I had a copy of the work printed out that day) storage, or them taking ownership. Think I should call Subaru or an attourney?

wow suds! i go to school at ISU and didnt even know people bought subarus there. it is quite a small dealership. anyways. how was the basic all around sevice? besides the fact they threw away your block. just wondering cause i might take my car there while i am at school instead of driving all the way back home.

Yea, service wise they're pretty good. $75/hr for labor is cheaper than $90/hr labor I'm used to at larger city dealers. Although a bit naive to performance mods, they were able to work through them. They're a bit swamped in the Subaru side and often forget to call you back promptly, but they really have nothing to complain about except their spiteful manager.

Is the repair order signed to save old parts? Dealers only have to hold parts until you pick up the car unless the repair oder specifies "save old parts".

I'll have to look. I told the mechanic and service technition I wanted them saved. I had reminded them 3 weeks prior and they said no problem.