Imo an implausible failure based on the description/information given so far.

Is the main dealer who has it now the same one that sold it or last serviced it? In which case could they be covering something up like a loose sump plug that dropped out?

Has the dealer examined the filter and housing for clues, e.g. has the threaded mount at the centre of the housing come loose?

The service interval on that car is 18k. Did it really do 25k in 8 or 9 months? Or was the filter change non official? Was it the correct filter and a genuine one?

My experience of oil filters is that they tighten up with age as the seals swell.

Very true. Filters that have been on a long time are often very tight and difficult to remove.

On the basis that oil filters do not come undone on their own, and so the engine did not fail as a direct result of lack of servicing I think the OP has a strong case to claim.

The main dealer/nissan may refuse but a small claims submitted with an independent engineers report should do it.

Who does the OP target? The original seller, the servicing agent or Nissan??

Its a pity the OP didnt check /take photos of the oil leak location before the dealer got their hands on it, I suspect there may be some BS going on.

Edited by brum on 29/12/2016 at 12:36

I have twice had a filter come loose-both on same car but have noticed the leaks(on driveway) before oil got significantly low.In both cases,tightened up the filter by hand-about 1/4 turn and leak stopped.

There's a lot that doesn't make sense here.

The incident allegedly happened in August, according to a later post by the OP.

Yet they come on here in December seeking advice.

They were grossly negligent with oil changes and vehicle maintenance, yet expect 'someone' to be held liable for a job that appears to have been done perfectly adequately several months before.

I suspect there is a lot of truth not being told.

Never had one come loose but at a trackday about 10 years ago I had a costly filter related issue.

The evening before I did the usual pre-event spanner and levels check so I am 100% certain the filter was tight. But during the morning I got the oil pressure light on at the end of a strait (probably pulling 6500 in 4th) so I shut the engine down immediately. The oil pressure light switch is adjustable and its set at 20 psi so I hoped it had not run the bearings dry.

Back in the paddock the area around the filter was covered in oil so I immediately presumed the filter was loose but it was still tight. But then I spotted that the O ring was sticking out of one side and that is where the oil had escaped.

Removed the filter and refitted the O ring but the grove the O ring sits in was only a mm or so deep instead of the usual depth you normally see. Refitted the filter and noticed that instead of the usual mm or so of O ring visible a good 5mm of O ring was visible. This was a Ford 2 litre Zetec with a genuine Ford oil filter. Refilled with oil and started engine, all OK but decided not to venture out again. probably would not have been welcome, I had left a major slick on the track.

Drove home and the oil pressure was brilliant, better than normal but eventually the engine started to sound a bit noisy and by the time I got home I knew it would have to come out.

Before I started any work I checked a new Ford oil filter I had on the shelf and it was exactly the same, virtually nothing to retain the O ring.

Stripped the engine and it had run no's 2 and 3 big end bearings and blued the crank. Simple enough fix but whilst apart I checked the oil pump in particular the pressure relief valve and it was partly stuck. So engine was rebuilt with a good used genuine Ford pump I had and after the crand was ground and new bearings fitted all was OK.

Did I use a genuine Ford filter, no way. Went to Halfords to check their filters and guess what, the O ring is well retained. When fitted there is sod all O ring vissible, there is no way it could be pushed out even if the engine over pressurised. Never used a Ford filter since. Went on the intenet and discovered I was not the first person that this had happened to.

Use a different Zetec now but still don't use Ford filters. Mahle are a much better fit in my chassis and have a deep recess for the O ring.