--- title: "Dealer Techs Allegedly Thrashed Customer’s Subaru WRX Learning to Drive Stick" description: "A Subaru WRX owner is suing a Connecticut dealer, saying two of its service employees abused his car for a manual transmission driving lesson." date: "2024-04-01" modified: "2024-04-01" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/dealer-techs-allegedly-thrashed-customers-subaru-wrx-learning-to-drive-stick-manual-transmission" categories: - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Subaru News" tags: - "sedan" - "sports car" - "Subaru" - "WRX" --- # Dealer Techs Allegedly Thrashed Customer’s Subaru WRX Learning to Drive Stick ![]() *\Subaru\* When Crandall Yopp Jr. got his 2022 [Subaru]() [WRX]() back from a routine oil change at Dan Perkins Subaru, in Milford, Connecticut, he noticed something wrong with the paint. Now, Yopp alleges that his sports sedan was taken for a joyride by two dealership technicians, and one of them tried to learn how to drive stick on the car. The customer is now suing the dealership, according to [*Automotive News*](). The story goes that Yopp instructed the dealership not to wash the [WRX]() after its oil change, concerned about damage to the car's ceramic coat. But when he got it back, he saw swirl marks and other blemishes on the paint, as well as a bent front license plate. That's when he figured the techs hadn't handled his car appropriately. According to the lawsuit, the dealership techs stalled the WRX "multiple times, grinded the gears, and burned the clutch." During the joyride-slash-learning lesson, the younger tech reportedly asked the older "How long are we gonna practice for—five stalls?" ![]() ![]() The complaint states that when the service manager at Dan Perkins Subaru saw the car come back after a trip through an offsite car wash, he knew they were in trouble. The service manager was said to have told the two techs that the owner "is going to f\*\*\*ing kill us; it was clean. He said not to wash it." That's when the techs supposedly admitted to beating on the car. Multiple employees then allegedly tried to cover up the damage by cleaning up the interior and attempting to bend the license plate back into place. Yopp is now seeking damages and attorney fees from Dan Perkins Subaru for violating Connecticut's consumer protection law. With the number of cars offering manual transmissions dwindling every year, it's becoming harder for people to learn how to drive them. Fewer owners have stick-shift cars with which to teach their kids or friends, though there are still driving schools that keep such vehicles in rotation. To all the unscrupulous dealer employees out there, maybe consider paying for a course, buying a beater, or making a friend instead of returning a customer's car far worse than it was left. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()