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Nissan dealer gifts a free LEAF after oil change disaster, with an EV it won’t happen again

After an oil change, a woman found a racial slur printed on the sticker inside her SUV. Now, she’s getting a free electric vehicle. Family Nissan, a dealership nearly 900 miles away, is gifting her a free LEAF EV, saying she won’t need an oil change ever again. The electric car was specifically chosen so the shocking incident doesn’t happen again.

Family Nissan gifts free LEAF EV after oil change incident

“We were definitely shocked. We couldn’t believe such behavior,” Ramzey Rizk said with Family Nissan, a NY dealer, after hearing about the ordeal.

The incident happened last month at Kunes Buick GMC in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, when Makayla Starks found a racial slur printed on her vehicle’s oil change sticker. Her story went viral, and now, a Nissan dealership nearly 900 miles away is giving her a free LEAF.

Rizk, who owns Family Nissan just outside New York City, told Fox6 “We were frustrated, we were upset.” After gifting her the free vehicle, he added “We’re hoping this helps Makayla by saying we are with you. We got your back.”

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Rizk explained that although she lives in Wisconsin and the dealership is in New York, she’s still part of the Nissan family.

Nissan-free-LEAF-EV
2025 Nissan LEAF (Source Nissan)

Top comment by Mrvc

Liked by 4 people

At least one dealer knows a good PR opportunity when it sees it. They are practically giving away leafs anyway in alot of states. It's probably a free sweetener from Nissan for moving enough units. Kinda surprised a different dealer in the area didn't do something. Basically free national advertising for the dealer and the brand.

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The LEAF wasn’t chosen by accident. “It wasn’t so much about giving her a car,” Rizk said, “It was about giving her an electric car that doesn’t need oil changes ever again.”

Starks is still in disbelief over the traumatic experience. Kunes fired the employee immediately, but “the incident with the oil change sticker happened so that was pretty painful and harmful,” she said.

Nissan-free-LEAF-EV
2025 Nissan LEAF (Source Nissan)

However, “the universe shows up in kind of strange ways,” Starks added,” And I think the silver lining is that I’m unexpectedly getting a car out of all of this, which would be very helpful for my family.” Starks and her fiance, Joey Koepp, will use it as a fresh start.

She is flying to NY on Friday to officially pick up her new LEAF from Family Nissan and does not plan to keep the vehicle she bought from Kunes.

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Avatar for Peter Johnson Peter Johnson

Peter Johnson is covering the auto industry’s step-by-step transformation to electric vehicles. He is an experienced investor, financial writer, and EV enthusiast. His enthusiasm for electric vehicles, primarily Tesla, is a significant reason he pursued a career in investments. If he isn’t telling you about his latest 10K findings, you can find him enjoying the outdoors or exercising