[1825] Bill in NJ  Cabin Filter Rip Off

Went to jiffy lube for oil change manager showed me two air filters the cabin filter was dirty and clogged with dirt and leaves told him to replace it got my bill and they had charged me Forty dollars and 99 cents for a filter I could buy at a auto store for between 12-24 dollars. What a rip off will not go to jiffy lube again. 

[1824] Danny in St. Charles, MO  Engine Flush Destroyed Engine

I went to Jiffy Lube #613 in St. Charles, MO to have a simple oil change. The technician called me out to the bay. I was expecting the usual sales pitch for the extras they always try to sell me. This time the technician told me that I needed an Engine Flush performed because my engine was showing signs of “Heavy Sludge”.

He said the flush would clean out and flush all of the old, dirty sludge from my engine leaving me with a clean engine and a longer engine life. I told him that I just wanted my oil changed, but asked if he thought I really NEEDED it or if it could wait for another visit. He told me that I need to have it done today because there is a lot of sludge in the engine and it needs to come out right away. Well, stupid me agreed to it. I stupidly thought his training on the product (which is a chemical solvent) and procedures of how to do it in conjunction with further training on when and why to perform the service and when and why NOT to perform the service, all of his expertise would allow him to make the best decision. My car only had 60,000 miles on it and I plan on keeping it for a long time. My next own words still haunt me: “Ok, Sure. Go ahead, If you think I need it.” Those words keep echoing in my head as I lay awake at night.

Well, 40-50 miles down the highway later, my engine was destroyed. We eventually found a local mechanic who agreed to look at it. After a couple hours of looking at it he told me that the engine was ruined and it would have to be rebuilt or replaced. He asked if anything has been changed/worked on/giving problems etc. lately. I told him that the only thing that has been done to it was an oil change and an engine flush at Jiffy Lube. He immediately said “Oh no. NEVER let anyone do an engine flush on a car, especially if there are signs of sludge in the engine. It won’t flush all of the sludge out, but more importantly it will only dislodge more chunky, thick sludge that will clog screens, filters and oil passages. By doing this, the engine won’t receive the oil it needs and will incur catastrophic damage.” I decided not to jump the gun and asked him to tow it back to my house so I could get a second opinion.

Once I returned home I called the local store and the corporate offices and have spoken to several people at Heartland/Jiffy Lube. At first their response were great. They were very eager to look at it, send an inspector out to look at it and send it to “their” mechanic to look at it. Now that it is very clear that this engine flush caused the problem, the communication from them has almost completely stopped. The District Manager won’t return my calls or texts. I’ve contacted the COO and the office of the CEO but that hasn’t done me any good over the last week. The only response I got from a text sent to the District Manager was “I apologize, I will have the official response this afternoon I have been assured”. That was last week. I’ve called and texted him a few times since that vague response and have got nothing in return.

In the past 2 weeks since this problem occurred I’ve spoken to 4 certified mechanics who ALL agree that engine flushes on an engine showing signs of sludge is the LAST thing you want to do. They all agree that doing so could and probably will cause extreme engine damage. All four have heard of this happening and 2 of them have actually witnessed it for themselves. I’ve learned that almost all dealerships have instructed their mechanics to NEVER perform engine flushes. In fact, most makers will void the warranty on a car if it is discovered that an engine flush had been performed on the vehicle. Any real mechanic will tell you to NEVER, EVER let anyone perform an engine flush. I wish I had this knowledge when I was standing in the Jiffy Lube bay getting sold on.

I also spoke to the lead technician from the company who manufactures and distributes the Engine Flush solvent that Jiffy Lube uses. The company is called QMI. Their lead technician on the customer support line says he is also a certified mechanic. I told him that a Jiffy Lube tech pushed an engine flush on me because he saw signs of “heavy sludge” in my engine. The QMI mechanic ALSO stated the exact same thing as the other 4 mechanics mentioned above. NEVER EVER flush an engine that has signs of heavy sludge because it would do WAY more harm than good. HE said doing such a thing could ruin the engine. He said that the Jiffy Lube tech instead should have recommended changing the oil every 2000 miles and allow the engine to clean itself out. The QMI mechanic also said that the Jiffy Lube technician was wrong for suggesting, recommending or ever performing an engine flush on a dirty engine, and he was using the product in a far different way than it was intended.

Since the start of this I have issued complaints with the Better Business Bureau, my states Attorney General office and the Federal Trade Commission (since this is a franchise). I also sent a copy of my receipt with a letter of rejection of Mandatory Arbitration / Subrogation and Class Action Waivers (as stated on the back of the receipt) to the local store and the corporate offices on the 5th day after this all happened. (You have 15 days according to the receipt) I am in initial discussion with a local television producer that handles consumer protection reports for the local Fox affiliate. They are very interested in my story and said there are a couple other Jiffy Lube customers they are working with as well. All four mechanics I spoke with are more than willing to give their expert opinions on this matter on camera.

But most importantly I have an attorney (with experience in dealing and winning against Jiffy Lube) ready to take legal action. We are simply waiting for Heartland Automotive /Jiffy Lube’s formal response as to whether or not they will are willing to pay for the repairs and expenses associated with the damage they caused to my vehicle. The total estimates for everything is nearly $6000.  If Jiffy Lube decides to fight this further, then legal action is eminent. The cost only gets higher from there.

Good luck to everyone else dealing with this company. Hopefully everyone will learn to take the extra time and maybe a minimal amount of money, and take your car to a real mechanic who knows what they are doing. I know I have learned.

[1823] Boyd in Yelm, WA Oil Filter Blew Off

Hi guys I just want to post, not all jiffy lube locations duck issues they cause. I took a 94 toyota 4x4 in and had the oil changed. The oil filter they put on blew off. My engine had over 200k miles on it, and since they could not find a good used motor they had a brand new engine put in as a replacement. This happened at the store in Yelm Washington and was handled by them and the district manager very professionally.

[1822] Jenn Broke Tensioner

For one they broke my tensioneron a belt they wernt supposed to change now my cars rattling really loud brought it back they say itsnotthere responsibility charged me 120 to break my car

[1821] Kristi in Irvine, CA  Transmission Failure

On 1/27/11 I took my Acura MDX to the Jiffy Lube #1856 in Irvine, California for a standard signature service oil change.  The technician overfilled my vehicle’s transmission fluid which resulted in transmission failure less than 13 hours later.

I have sent a demand letter to the local Franchise owners as well as filed a claim with the Better Business Bureau.  They did not respond to my letter and claimed no responsibility to the Better Business Bureau.

I have diagnostic evidence as well as several witnesses which all point to the addition of too much transmission fluid by Jiffy Lube.  When Jiffy Lube replied to the BBB they stated they put in 1 quart of ATF fluid while the paper work I have from the date of service indicated they put in 1 ½ quarts which would of increased the transmission fluid level above the correct operating level for the vehicle resulting in transmission failure.  As a result, we were forced to trade in our inoperable vehicle at a substantially less than the current trade-in value (approximately $3,000.00).

I am prepared to take Jiffy Lube and the Jiffy Lube Franchisees Marc and Dru Fanticola to small claims court if we can not resolve this issue. 

[1820] Mark Axle Plug Missing

My wife and I were getting ready to go on a trip and I asked her to run the truck to Jiffy Lube to get serviced. Not more than an hour into our trip I noticed black oil accumulating on the back windshield. I pulled over and discovered that the plug for the rear axle oil fill was missing. I went to NAPA auto parts and got another plug and two quarts of synthetic oil for the axel ($30.39) and luckily had no damage to the gearing. I returned to the Jiffy Lube that performed the service and presented my case and receipts for the parts and the receipt for service. Stacy the manager on duty seemed VERY put out that I was bothering her with my complaint. In fact, she told me that she personally supervised the service on the truck and the plug was there when I left. I guess the big coincidence is that after 124,000 miles and 8 years, the plug just happened to fall out two hours after I had the truck serviced. Please. I requested a full refund for the service and a refund for the parts that I had to buy. She told me that she was not authorized to refund me anything and that she would have to talk to the district manager and have her get back to me in a “day or two”. Now, I just got a call back and was told I have to bring the truck back so they can take pictures and do an investigation. More wasted time I will never get back.

Two days later: I returned and got the truck “inspected” by Jiffy Lube, they refunded the cost of the service and the parts I had to buy. (Not the cost of the visit as a whole, just the $34 in service fees. Very generous! I will never return to Jiffy Lube again.

[1819] RP in Savannah, GA  Insufficient Oil Destroys Engine

On Friday, 10 September, I took my vehicle in for an oil change. The car was driven for maybe 75 miles or less on 10 September (Saturday), parked all day/night Sunday...and on Monday while driving it to work, the engine started a loud knocking noise. After getting the car towed and checked at our auto mechanic, it was found to have no oil in the engine, which resulted in a now bad engine in need of repair.

Jiffy Lube happens to be right across the street from our mechanic, (Which was closed on Saturday and why we went to Jiffy Lube originally) so I first went to Jiffy Lube about the issue, Someone from Jiffy Lube walked over to the auto shop, insisted repeatedly on bringing the car over to Jiffy Lube, but under the mechanics advice to me, I denied movement of the vehicle.

The Jiffy Lube associate then went and got 2 quarts of oil from his shop, added into the 'supposedly full' engine and afterwards claimed that the engine had oil in it. I got a call from the regional manager and there was no progress. I called corporate and the corporate office had the regional manager call me again, claiming that it was not their fault. There was no type of investigation done, The auto shop vouches that the vehicle had no oil when received and vouches that the engine was in perfect working condition before the incident.....(They actually worked on the car prior). I am now at an inconvenience of not having my vehicle and forced to go to small claims court.  

[1818] Joe in Seaford, NY  Forgot To Replace Oil Filter
 
Routine oil change on 9/10/11.  JL did not install an oil filter.  Oops!  The engine seized after two miles.  The JL manager said “It’s no big deal”, and the repairman said “S*** Happens”.  They are replacing the entire engine with one from a junkyard.  JL manager said “even if you take me to court they won’t make me put a new engine in”.  I guess he’s been to court before!!!  I could not use my own mechanic, and I will not have a car for a week.  The JL manager said he’d “look into” a rental car, but guess what?  I haven’t heard back from him.

[1817] Jam in Columbus, OH  Peeing in Fuel Tank

I went to the jiffy lube here in Columbus Ohio on 8/13/2011 to get the oil and oil filter changed on my 2004 sable witch is my baby. well siting and waiting over 2 hours I got up to take look out of the service station window to see my car. while looking at my car I noticed something that didn’t seem rite. the service man had taken my fuel cap off and was just kind of standing there with a funny smirk on his face about 3 minutes later I look back over  at my car and the guy is peeing in my fuel tank!!!! I said.”sir!!! why are you pissing in my tank??? he advised me that that’s what they do on all 2003 and newer models to clean the injectors. so I said ok,thanks....god idea. About 3 miles down the road my car lost all power and stalled.  I called the manager and told him about this matter. he said to me. that’s what you get for coming to jiffy lube idiot!!!!! I will never EVER return to this store again and am very dissatisfied.

[1816] Pat in Gig Harbor, WA  Unnecessary Oil Spills

I have gone back twice now 1^st time they told me my oil plug did not get tightened and they topped it off and will reprimand the employee cause it has happened before well same night oil again leaking now I am really upset . I live in a very nice house that I maintain well and for the 1^st time since I have owned it I have 3 oil spots and now a drip up the driveway. They gave me some packets of tide and told me to use hat water and elbo grease and it should come off wow after 38 visitts with all my cars I will not be back 

[1815] Robbie in Lantana, FL Destroyed Undercarriage & Transmission

August 20, 2011. My good friend took me to Jiffylube for the first time-usually I go to goodyear or my personal mechanic, however I was leaving out of town and needed a "quick oil change" as Jiffylube provides. Today, I really regret it.

I went in to Jiffylube for a full-synthetic oil change and a new pair of wiper blades. Two very simple things turned into a $6000 project. The first stupid mistake they made costed me about $1000 in undercarriage repairs. They brought the car up onto the bay after I specifically told them not to because my car is lowered. The car was speedily driven on top of the bay when I heard a disgusting crunching noise from across the garage. I told them that is was I was talking about to NOT MOVE THE CAR ON BAY #3. The bay was raised to high and when the car was brought up and over, the entire exhaust and catalytic converter was ripped open and smashed in. I was not aware of this until I made them take me underneath the car to see if there was any damage-- oh there was. This was discovered when I turned on the car and pushed down the accelerator. The car would not go past 5MPH! I took it back around and they had no idea what was wrong. I explained to them the car was in Nissan sleep mode to protect the car from being damaged further. They told me the transmission fluid that was put in there was the wrong transmission fluid, so they flushed the old fluid out and put their "new" fluid in. The car was towed to my mechanic who had warned me about Jiffylube's RECYCLED transmission fluid and that we may have a problem very soon. 2 days later the entire transmission was shot. With the combination of undercarriage damage and a used transmission it ended up costing me about $6000. Great job, Jiffylube.

[1814] Danny Arbitrator Required Unless Rejected

I took my 2007 Ford F150 to Jiffy Lube for a quick oil change before a long road trip.  While there I got the usual “call out” to the bay to let me know all of the extra stuff they wanted to sell me.  I was told that I needed an engine flush to get all of the sludge out of my engine. I questioned whether or not it was really needed and he told me yes, it’s definitely needed as I had “massive sludge” in my engine. I stupidly agreed. Oil change plus Engine flush = $90

The next day I set off on my long road trip. About 35 miles into the trip my oil light came on. My oil light has never came on for as long as I’ve owned the car. I immediately pulled over and checked the oil level. It was actually a quart too much. Thankful that it wasn’t empty but still concerned that the oil level could be causing pressure issues, I pulled back on the highway in search of the first service station. I barely made it to the next exit as my car shook and nearly stalled every time I pressed the gas.

I made it to a closed by helpful garage and had them look at it. They quickly determined my engine had just blown and I needed to replace the engine for $4000 (used). Not taking his word for it I then asked them to tow it to my house. Towing = $207 ($297 total)

As soon as I arrived back home I called the local store that performed the service and let them know what happened. He manager on duty took my information and said he had to talk to his “higher ups” and would get back with me. I then got on the internet and began researching Jiffy Lube Engine Flush Damage. All I can say is WOW. There are so many story that are EXACTLY like mine, almost verbatim. Just the names and towns are different for the most part.

The store manager called me back about an hour later and let me know they would definitely refund my $50. He also said that since I let me oil change go beyond the recommended 3000 miles there was probably too much sludge and they wouldn’t be responsible. I challenged that stupid remark with something to the effect of “You told me I had a sludge problem and you would get it ALL out. Not some of it. Not most of it. Not nearly all of it. You said you would get it all out, and you didn’t. What was left behind clogged the oil passage and eventually, and quite quickly blew my engine. I expect Jiffy Lube to handle this problem quickly, honestly and morally.” He then gave me the number to the corporate office. 

My next step was typing an email to Jiffy Lube’s corporate office. I also copied the local Better Business Bureau. The email explained in great detail all of the events and discussions that took place. After that I left several voicemail messages to top brass at Jiffy Lube and actually received very good responses, and the responses came quite quickly.

Now, I have to rent a car at $250 per week ($540 total so far and the vehicle hasn’t been touched yet).

They want to send a “Third Party Certified Inspector” to look at my car in order to learn about what caused the damage. Should I allow this or demand a mechanic of my choosing?  Also, on the back of the invoice that I signed is a statement saying that I agree to use an arbitrator unless I send a letter of rejection within 15 days of the invoice signing.  I suppose that would be the best thing for me to do at this point?

Does anyone else out there have a similar experience to what I’ve had so far? If yes, how did it end and what are the details?  I would greatly appreciate any and all responses.

[1813] Thomas in New Braunfels, TX Unwilling To Correct Paperwork Error

I recently bought an out of state car from Florida and I live in Texas.  In Texas you have to get a VI-30 Certificate in order to do your title and Registration work.  I got the car inspected on my way home and went the following day to the Tax office.  They informed me that the form was filled out wrong.  In order to get it corrected I would have had to drive 30 minutes one way to get the form corrected.  I decided to have it redone at a local shop a mile from the tax office.  This worked I was on my way.  So I then went a day latter back to the Jiffy Lube where the first inspection was done and asked for a refund and that is when the trouble began.  The manager there was very unprofessional he was a rude man that barely even let me get problem out before he cut me off and said “NO”.  The error was they got the wrong car off of my insurance form.  That was sold.  I am very upset and am going to turn this violation into the state and let him get the fine unless I get my refund.

[1812] Frank in Mashpee, MA No Oil Destroys Engine

My son purchased his first car a 1991 Peugeot. I had the oil changed at your store in Mashpee, Massachusetts. Left the store and smoke was pouring out of the tailpipe. Went back and the manager said that the forgot to remove the air outake tube and some oil must have gotten into it. Left it running at the store till the smoke stopped. After that the car did not run the same. Five day later it starting knocking and seized up. I took it to a mechanic and he said it had no oil and this caused the engine to stop.

What should we do? I am not a mechanic I have taken all our cars to your store and never had a problem. The mechanic says it is directly related. The care was a 1991 but ran great. It was my sons first car and he worked all summer to pay for it. Now he is left with nothing.

[1811] Heidi in Miami, FL Forgot To Replace Radiator Fluid

On Saturday, August 27, 2011, I went in for a regular oil change (82Ave&Flagler Street) the service tech told me I needed a radiator fluid exchange for my Jeep Cherokee ($129.99). I agreed. The very next day on my way to my niece's baptism, I noticed the car overheating. We stopped and notice there was no radiator fluid. We bought some at Target, but it did not help, the radiator was leaking the coolant. We tried to get the car started, but it turned off. We had to tow the car from Ft. Myers to Miami ($250) dollars. We missed my niece's baptism and had no ride back to Miami until the next day. I called JiffyLube several times, stopped by to speak with the manager, dropped off a letter of my complaint, no one contacted me. I called their headquarters, they were able to get them to call me. They came to inspect my car, then they said it was not their fault. They offered to refund the 129 dollars I paid only but for nothing else. I had to tow the car to a certified mechanic to inspect it. The radiator is gone and the motor got damaged. I filed a complaint with the Florida department of consumer services. I don't know if they will resolve the issue. Has anyone taken Jiffylube to small claims?

[1810] Syd in Scottsdale, AZ  Overcharged

I brought a $5 off coupon to your store att 11243 E. Via Linda in Scottsdale, Arizona. It is my own own fault that I never asked the price, but even with the $5 coupon, I was charged $39.99 for an oil change, at least $10 more than I expected and about $15 above the going rate for these in my community.

Not good public relations. The technician called me into the bay to show me what he was going to do, but never mentioned the price I would be paying. They should ALWAYS tell you the total.

I put this story onto my Facebook page, By the time that gets around to friends of friends, many hundreds of people will probably avoid Jiffy Lube.

[1809] Sandy in Richmond, VA Taking Advantage of A Female

Coast my daughter 115.66 to get her oil change  she said she didn't need a air filter  what the hell she only 18  & they took advantage of her richmond Va jeffy lube 

[1808] Uncle in Pembroke Pines, FL  Dishonest Up Selling

DISHONEST!!! and unethical up selling. I normally change my own oil, and take very good care of my vehicles. I had just moved to town, and my stuff was still in storage, so against my better judgement, I went to the Jiffy Lube at 17311 Pines Boulevard, Pembroke Pines, FL to have my oil changed because it was due. While working on my truck, they told me that my rear differential gear oil looked horrible, and I should change it immediately. I knew for a fact that was complete BS and not true, because I had recently changed it at the manufacturers recommended maintenance interval. And I have dealer receipt to prove it.

OOPS. Caught in a lie, red handed.  But wait there is more... So a few months later, I'm due for an oil change again. This time I changed it myself. It turns out Jiffy Lube did not use a washer on the drain plug. It was missing. Luckily it didn't leak, and I was able to remove the plug without it seizing.  This is why I change my own oil. Rip off artists and incompetent. It's a shame you can't trust anyone anymore, certainly not the jerks at this place.

[1807] Karen Re-inspection Failures

Last week I paid for a state inspection, as well as an oil change, and a couple other add ons. I failed the inspection due to the fact that I needed to get new back tires. I was told to go get new tires, and then return so that I may have them double checked, and therefore receive an updated inspection sticker. So I bought new back tires, and returned today to the same location to get my re-inspection. 

I walked in to find a gentleman standing behind the counter, and he asked me if I was there for a re-inspection, and I said yes, and showed him my paperwork. I asked how long it would take to get started, and he told me he would being working on my car, and he specifically said he will check my tires, in 45 minutes. I went to take a seat, and turned around to ask "Is it okay if I step out and come back, in 45 minutes??" And he smiled, and gently said "Yes of course you can leave and come back" And I replied, as a double confirmation, "Okay so, I'll be back in 45 minutes." This was approximately 3:45 PM. 

At exactly 4:30 PM, I walk back into Jiffy Lube and I explain that I was told it would be my turn in 45 minutes, and the new gentleman behind the desk has no idea what I'm talking about. He says I need to wait additional 1.5 hours before I can get my tires checked, a procedure he admitted only takes 7-8 minutes. I felt misled, and asked to speak to the gentleman who quoted me when I first walked in. The gentleman comes in to tell me that under no circumstances will he take a look at my vehicle at that moment because of the fact that I had left and returned. At this point, I became furious. I had asked for permission to leave, "if it was okay," and he responded YES. I did my part, I asked politely, and returned before it was my time in the line. Now he is telling me that I am at fault for leaving the store, and that he will not get to my care for another 1.5 hours. I continued to explain to him how absolutely unfair and unacceptable this was, and he smiled carelessly. I then demanded to speak to the manager; at which point, he informed me that he was the manager. I asked to speak to his supervisor, and he simply said "he's not here." I asked for a phone number or a business card, and before giving it to me, the 'manager' repeated one last time that this store has a first come first serve basis. I, again, demanded the supervisor's number. Then he finally gave it to me. 

I am absolutely disgusted at this man's behavior and with the employees who backed him up. I left the store feeling completely disregarded as a valuable client, especially one who has already paid for the services weeks in advance. How dare an employee, let alone a manager, tell me one thing is okay and then punish me for it later. This is an business is being run entirely unprofessionally, and I have yet to get my tires checked or my inspection sticker due to the fact I refuse to go back there after the way they basically pushed me away. 

[1806] Jon in Los Angeles, CA Theft @ $500/hour

The below is an email that I sent to Jiffy Lube (JiffyLubela.com) on 8/24/2012 detailing the issues I had with their service and personnel.  To date I have heard NOTHING from them.  When I tried to send the same email to the corporate sight I got error messages until I was frustrated enough to quit.   These people should be put out of business.

Good evening,

I am writing to you to express my EXTREME displeasure with an experience my son and I had with your location #1470 on La Brea Ave in Los Angeles.  The Invoice number is 1470 7070876 Bay1 and the transaction number is 11082307070876, the employees were ALU, FOA, 1470ED, WM, Dup639 and FAP.

My son took his truck into have an oil change done and he was totally taken advantage of and quite frankly he was STOLEN from.  While this is certainly a life lesson for him in how to deal with situations like this it is also shameful of your people and organization that it happened in the first place.

I went into the location today and spoke with a person who identified himself as the assistant manager (never did give me his name - I see from the bottom of the receipt that his name is J Zamora) and attempted to address this issue and came away with a full on knowledge that at least this location of Jiffy Lube is being operated in an underhanded, unethical and I suspect ILLEGAL manner.  I could tell immediately upon my arrival that your manager had been trained to deflect any and all RESPONSIBILITY from himself and this location and had clearly not been empowered to do anything besides cover his backside.  When I entered the office I do have to give him credit in that he approached me and asked how he could help - when I responded that I would like to speak to a manager his whole attitude changed and his FIRST reaction was to escort me outside the building before he started to address me.  I ask you a simple question - does and honest man and an honest operation automatically move to a 100% defensive position and concern themselves with separating a person who has made a simple request like this from the customers in the waiting room - I would say NO!! For all he knew I could have been there to complement them on their excellent service but my guess is that he is experienced in knowing that he has to contain a potential "scene" and move it to where it can cause the least amount of damage.  I have been in business a very long time now and can tell you that his behavior smacks totally of systematic instruction and training and is indicative of a much larger problem.

When we went outside I had barely explained that I was upset about the "services" provided before he launched into a VERY PRACTICED deflection of responsibility.  He identified that he had done the service consult himself and stated that he only pointed out that the manufacturers recommendation is that the variety of services he offered suggested service and he made no indication that any actual inspection had been done. His clear indication was that he had done nothing wrong and the responsibility was totally my sons.  While that is true to a certain extent it is clear to me that this individual did his absolute best to take advantage of my son and maximize the amount of money he could pilfer from him.  Not only was his statement a LIE his lack of any accountability was insulting.  He never even took the time to try and diffuse the situation by offering an apology. After discussing several of the charges in particular (which I will cover in detail below) he basically stated that there was NOTHING he could do and suggested I leave HIS lot.  I asked if he was not authorized to do anything then who was - he suggested I talk to the manager - but oh by the way - he won't be in until Friday.  This hit me as another very convenient deflection technique so I asked for the name of the district manager in charge of this facility - he REFUSED to give it to me and only offered that the manager could.  Again I ask does an honest man act in this manner - I again say NO.  He did change his tune slightly when I suggested that he reserve some time off to share a day in small claims court with us - then and only then did he want to make sure that I knew he didn't mean to say that they couldn't do anything to help us - it was just that HE couldn't help us.  I find it hard to believe that an organization that has the growth record of your company would have a manager in charge of a facility and not empower then to at least TRY to offer a customer SOME SATISFACTION.

Some basic facts.  The services supposedly done:
Signature Service (41.74)
It is clearly indicated that floors were vacuumed - they were not.
It is clearly indicated that the windows were washed - they were not.

Auto, Trans, fld exchange (134.99)
This is the one that really boils my blood.  Your manager indicates that he only showed my son the computer screen where he says that TOYOTA recommends that this service is PERFORMED every 15,000 miles.  But that is not true - he actually told my son that the fluid looked "dark" and he should really have it replaced.  The REALITY - it is Toyota's recommendation that the transmission fluid is INSPECTED every 15,000 miles - an additional minor fact - this service was performed by our local mechanic in December of 2010 - less than 10,000 miles ago - and it was inspected by the same mechanic two months ago (4,600 miles ago) and deemed to be fine.  I find it impossible to believe that for a service that was done less than 10,000 miles ago could be necessary again now.  Your man saw a naive young man and pounced.

Rear Differential service (59.99)
Again - shown the screen where he laid it on thick that Toyota recommends service every 15,000 miles (never mind that the screen actually says between 15,000 and 24,000 miles) - another little reality check - Toyota actually recommends this particular service every 30,000 miles for this vehicle.

 Radiator Fld Exchange (89.99)
Same exact story as the transmission fluid

Fuel System cleaning service (part 1) (79.99)
Gas Tank additive (step 2)

Labor for this "service" - 34.33
Let me get this one right - the charge to basically add an 8.99 bottle of gas tank additive is 79.99 - the labor charge for this less than 1 minute operation is 34.33?

Then the one which may be the smallest - but I am pretty sure could cause you the largest issue in a class action suit - REWARDS CLUB CARD # 8 - CHARGE = $8.00.  Let me be 100% clear - this charge was NEVER AUTHORIZED - this charge was NEVER DISCUSSED with my son.  There is no other way to state this other than to state it as simply as I can - THIS WAS THEFT.  Not only was my son not asked it he wanted a rewards card - HE NEVER RECEIVED any information about it or for that matter any BENEFIT from it.

Bottom line - the labor subtotal was $164.66 for less than 20 minutes of work.  With the items that they say were provided I seriously have to question whether any of this work was really done or even could have been done in the amount of time the truck was in your bay.  The fact that the incidental labor charges work out to be close to $500 an hour is not only ridiculous but boardline criminal.

One last thing - on the very bottom of the receipt it is recommended that we come back at 252,690 miles - this is 3,000 miles - again NOT the recommeded mileage from Toyota which is actually 5,000 miles.  I don't begrudge you trying to drive business but I can guarantee you that unless I hear from you soon and gain some level of satisfaction NONE of the six vehicles in my family will EVER see the inside of a JiffyLube and I can assure you that I will pursue this to its logical conclusion.

[1805] Ron in Wichita, KS  Engine Flush Rip Off Scam

Jiffy lube Wichita Kansas East Central Location. They wanted to sell me an engine flush and air filter said my 2006 Ford with 97,000 miles was sludged up. I ran an automotive center for 18 years never would I refuse service. They would not give me my $19.95 special refused to service my car. Rip off scam.

[1804] Steve in Encinitas, CA  Falsification of Records

On August 26, 2011, I visited Jiffy Lube at 221 El Camino Real in the city of Encinitas.  During the visit, I asked for a standard oil filter and oil change.  After asking me half a dozen very annoying questions for potential up-sells, my answers were no, no, no, no, no, etc.  To the point where this manager seemed irritated, and was more rude than I've ever experienced during all the oil changes I've ever purchased, and there must have been 100's by now.

After checking out,  I noticed that two of the items, windshield and vacuuming indicated "customer declined."  I never decline anything with this onsite manager.  He completely falsified their records.  I paid for the standard signature service and Jiffy Lube short-changed this customer, and in the process, lost this customer for life.  Congratulations rude manager at 221 El Camino Real in Encinitas.

[1803] Mary in Mankato, MN  Unnecessary Check Light

I had to spend $45.50 to have a problem diagnosed which showed up on the dash as a "Check" with a little symbol.  The mechanic found that the Jiffy Lube folks in Mankato, Minnesota did not plug in again the Intake Air Sensor when they showed me the air filter as I had my oil changed last week.  The part that makes me furious is that I was the only car in there at 8:00 that morning.  There was no reason for this haste.

[1802] Damoon in Santa Monica, CA  Destroyed Oil Tank

I came across your website this evening after a bad experience at getting my oil changed at Jiffy Lube today. Apparently, the Manager (Jimmy) indicated that they had broke my oil tank but that it was due to wear and tear. I do my own oil changes regularly and found it hard that a break in a metal oil tank is due to wear and tear. I brought them my own oil and oil filter to simply get the oil changed - they made me wait over an hour before telling me/showing me what had occurred. Afterwards, I was told that they would have to fix the car themselves or that it wouldn't be covered. I asked if Jimmy (Manager) was qualified to perform an oil tank replacement and was assured that they would use their own mechanic. After reading some of the news on the internet, I'm beginning to think that my car is now going to be destroyed. They did provide me a rental car at no cost and said they'd have my car ready in a few days at no charge - but I'm beginning to think it's because they aren't going to do anything. Have things changed or should I be cautious and take certain actions?

In the event that something else ends up wrong with the car - how do I find the franchisee so that I can file a lawsuit. It seems to me that a small claims court is the only way to deal with these guys.  The Jiffy Lube I went to was: 2344 Pico Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90405 &  Manager's Name : Jimmy

[1801] Darlene in Gainesville, TX  $8,000 of Damages

My son took his car to the Jiffy Lube in Gainesville. They did not replace the oil filter correctly. JiffyLube was notified immediately of the situation and offered to work with the dealer regarding the situation. After about a month and over $8,000 worth of damages to the car, they are offering to pay 40% of something they are 100% liable for. We will have to file a lawsuit.