What's Wrong At Jiffy Lube?

[275] Daughter in Royal Palm Beach, FL  Overcharge

I had my daughter take my truck to get the oil changed. They told her it "needed" all of these other services, well, my "oil change" cost me $222.43..... It's wrong that they take advantage of young people this way. I will never use them again!  This was the jiffy lube in Royal Palm Beach, Florida.#2914

[274] Demetrius in Chicago, IL  Manager

[273] Victim in Livingston, NJ  Oil Plug

[272] Student in Tulsa, OK  Overcharged

I'm a 21 year old girl who's about to be a senior in college. I'm from Tulsa, OK. I work all the time as a server & have bills to pay, cell phone, car insurance, & buy all my clothes, school stuff, books & other girl needs. Well, last week I had to get my oil changed. It was before I had to Texas to visit my family so it needed to be done. I've never been to Jiffy Lube before & it was my first time.

The guy who helped me seemed really nice. He asked me if it was my first time at Jiffy Lube & I said yes. I had to fill out all the information, address, phone number, etc. I told him just an oil change. He kept coming back & back with information about my car that needed to get done. Being a girl, I don't know anything about cars whatsoever. He kept telling me that different fluids needed to be filled & all this other crap that had to be done. Since my car had over 88,000 miles on it he kept telling me more stuff needed to be done since I was about to drive it to Texas.

I ended up having to pay $420.00!!! I was planning to only pay at least $40 on an oil change. Oh yeah, he also said that with the oil change purchase they would vacuum my carpets for free & that it's included but when I got home I looked on the receipt &they charged me $25. I'm not happy with Jiffy Lube & I will never go back. I should have brought my boyfriend with me. I was stupid enough to trust this guy but I realized that he was just trying to sell sell sell stuff that I didn't need. It was a total rip off. Another thing, when I went to Texas I told my brother about it & he looked at everything & said everything on the recipt that I got charged for, they didn't even do! I hate Jiffy Lube!!! Now I know to never ever go there. So please, just a warning, be prepared to get ripped off.

[271] Scott in Las Vegas, NV  Radiator

[270] Victim in Carlsbad, CA  Duplicate Parts

On Wednesday, May 31, 2006, I went in for a simple oil change and lube for my Explorer; yet, the tech insisted that I needed a fuel filter as well as an air filter and an A/C service. Bottom line my cost was $218.30, not the $45 I had planned on.  

To my dismay, after reviewing my last dealership invoice of three months prior, I had
already had the fuel filter and air filter replaced and had the A/C serviced. And the A/C now only works intermittently.  I didn't go back there for the A/C repair.  I had the dealership handle it.

Jiffy Lube #1621, where this occurred, is in Carlsbad, CA, on Palomar Airport Road, just off the I5.  I wouldn't advise anyone to use this one.  I should have expected something as they never seem to be busy, unlike the one in Encinitas, CA, on El Camino Real, where there is always a line.

[269] Dan  No Service

MY EXPERIENCE AT JIFFY LUBE AS USUAL IS NOT GOOD. MY MAIN PROBLEM THIS PARTICULAR TIME IS THAT MY CAR WAS PARTIALLY VACUUMED & INSIDE WINDOWS WERE NOT CLEANED WHATSOEVER. I MADE IT A POINT OT SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THIS AT CHECK OUT BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM IN THE PAST. I GOT INTO MY CAR I REALIZED THOSE THINGS WERE NOT COMPLETED I DECIDED THIS WOULD BE MY COURSE OF ACTION TO BE TAKEN AS OPPOSE TO HAVE THE MANAGER PULL THE CAR IN & HAVING ME WASTE EVEN MORE TIME. OTHER THINGS THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST WERE REPORTED TO THE STORE MANAGER & THEY WOULD DEAL WITH THE ISSUE, BUT HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU HAVE TO DO THIS. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE IN SUPPOSE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SIGNATURE SERVICE. ANOTHER THING THAT IS IN BAD SHAPE IS THE PROFESSIONALISM OF THE TECHS., YOU SHOULD NOT HEAR ANY OF THE DEROGATORY COMMENTS FROM ANY TECH. SIMPLY IF SOMEONE IS DISSATISFIED WITH THE SERVICES RENDURED. THER WAS A COUPLE OF CUSTOMERS THAT CHECKED OUT PRIOR TO ME THAT HAD AN ISSUE WITH VACUUMING THE CAR & I HEARD BAD COMMENTS MADE WHEN THEY LEFT.

[268] Hanna in Naperville, IL  Too Much Oil

Had my oil changed , went home changed my own air filter as usual,And decided to check my dip stick,when I  noticed the oil levels were well above the full mark.  What would if I did not notice this ? and blew a gasket ? not to memtion the mess and aggrivation and time ?  When I went back they fixed the problem with no apology. 

I also noticed they dont protect the seat . when I went back home there was another problem ! Oil was leaking from the drain plug ,had to go back again ! they fixed it   3 trips later finally it was over...

this occured at the jiffy lube in Naperville il, on 111 th & rt. 59

[267]  Tim  No Oil

I had a complete service @ Jiffy Lube. I received a sheet documenting all fluid levels on the  vehicle.  The next day the front differential failed ... no lubrication. Not a drop of oil in it. None of the grease fittings had been touched either.  Offered to give me enough oil changes to cover the repair bill, (admitting guilt??) but that is not acceptable.

[266] Heather in Colorado Springs, CO  Forgot Refill

[265] Marc in Canada  Good Work

Im not sure how the Jiffy Lubes down in the States work but here in Canada we drive the vehicles into the garage ourselves, step out, and watch them perform their 15 minute routine fluid checks/changes. Ive been taking my vehicle to Jiffy Lube since I got my Drivers license and every time they do a superb job. They even have mats to throw over the fenders to keep your exterior clean. They always fill up washer fluids, tires and brake fluids free. They also check every other fluid and filters.  I just recently began working for Jiffy Lube (4 days ago) and they are doing their best to make sure I understand how to perform the routine work and making customer satisfaction number one. Im sure that some Jiffy Lube servicers have made mistakes, but dont we all? What about all those Canadian tire mechanics that make mistakes, or Wal mart, or Speedy, or Meinake, Mr Goodwrench, Car dealerships? Where are their websites?

[264] Victim  Oil Brand

[263] Scott in Hanover, PA  Transmission

At the end of April 2006 I had my 2500 1999 Chevy Suburban into Jiffy Lube in Hanover, PA for oil change and rear end service. During this service they "discovered" the that Jiffy Lube during the last service had left the filler screw loose on the transfer case and or never refilled it with ATF fluid.  I requested they double check the fluid levels and if it was leaking.   I was not charged for any additional ATF added to transfer case, so I suspect no fluid was added despite my request to check the levels.

The unit failed the first week of June 2006 due to running bone dry and trashed the internal works of the transfer case.  The tranfer case and underside of the truck are bone dry and show no signs of any ATF fluid case slow leaks.  The Transfer case seized and the local Jiffy Lube rep refused to even look at the car. Since my mechanic had touched it? he just ust said mileage was over their 3000 warranty and got into a very arrogant argument with my mechanics then drove off.

The argument started when they attempted to show the Jiffy Lube local rep that there were absolutely no leaks or any sign of a leak in the vehicle. The local franchise owner denied any of this happened and his rep fully inspected the car.  The damage to the transfer case was caused only by Jiffy Lube's borderline criminal incompetence, in my opinion, and the damage started the moment I drove out of their shop at mile zero, not 3000, when Jiffy Lube forgot to fill the transfer case. There is no sign of a leak when there is nothing to leak out...

Then declaring they did not have to honor any warranty because my own mechanic with 43 years of experience touched my truck to find out what was wrong, eliminated any and all responsibility on Jiffy Lube part makes the warranty they offer useless and unenforceable and is not any protection whatsoever. Then the local Jiffy Lube franchise owner refused to give me his address, any contact information for their insurance company and said they always fight these cases.  I suspect they keep no records as required and have never settled any claim are in constant violation of Federal Magnuson- Moss Consumer Warranty Protection act as a matter of business practice.

I have also personally observed them attempting theft by deception, claim perfectly functioning parts, brand new serpentine belts less then three weeks old, new PVC valves, were defective because they "rattled" and needed replacement.  (Note:  PVC valves rattle because there is spring and a ball valve and this clacking noise means the valve is working.

This Hanover Jiffy Lube appears to be, in my opinion, just an ongoing criminal enterprise.

Magnuson-Moss Warranty--Federal Trade Commission Improvement Act, 15 U.S.C. 2301, et seq.

[262] Anthony in Alexandria, VA  Transmission

On 14 May I took my car to Jiffy Lube located at the corner of Van Dorn and Edsall Rd. I wanted a routine oil change and transmission flush. Upon arriving the garage was pretty busy, nevertheless I left my car their so that it could receive the aforementioned maintenance. It took approximately an hour and half for them to complete the work. When I went to pick the car up, I paid and was waiting for my keys. The technician told me he had returned my keys to me, however he had not they were actually underneath an oil rag on a nearby desk. This altercation to about 15 to 20 minutes. The weekend approaching was Mother's Day so I had plans to drive to Hampton, Va. from my home in Alexandria,Va. I drove home spent the weekend there. I estimate that I put 150 miles on my car from the time I picked my car up from Jiffy Lube and it breaking down five miles from house as I got off of Interstate 395 on my return trip from Hampton. At the time my car broke down, the oil light came on and the car shut down completely and would not turn over after repeated attempts. I went to the nearest gas station to purchase oil to put in the car and when putting the oil in the car the oil came right back out. My car died on the corner of Edsall Rd. and Bellview in Fairfax County. The corner is on an incline and my mother and I were the only two in the car at the time. Unfortunately, I had to leave my car in a place where no parking was permitted. My car broke down at 2 a.m., I returned with the manager of Jiffy Lube, Wally, at 9 a.m. and he went underneath the car and realized that the something was not screwed on tightly. He admitted that it was thier fault that the car leaked the oil and shut down. I had to return to work to get the keys to my car so that Wallly could get underneath the hood. By that time my car had been towed. We picked the car up and I paid for the tow but was reimbursed. Wally did what he could to get the car to turn over, but it never did. The decision was made to put an engine in the car. K&B Autos put the engine in the car. During the time my car was in the shop Jiffy Lube sent me to Enterprise to get a rental so that I could handle my day-to-day affairs and ticketed. I got a ticket from Fairfax County for abandonment for $45 and improper parking for $45. My car went to K&B Auto on 15 May and I got it back on 25 May. At the time my car was returned to me the mechanic advised that I check it out for three days to make sure everything was kosher. However, the three-day period coincided with a holiday weekend and I had plans to be out of town. I was afraid to put my car right back on the road in fear of it breaking down, again. I didn't want to spend my holiday weekend with a broken down car so I took the rental car. During the episode, Steve from the corporate office of Jiffy Lube called me on 25 May (the day I got my car back), declaring that I return the rental car but the guy at K&B Auto suggested that I hold on to it just to insure that my car was working properly. After the weekend, I drove my car around the city and to work and it still was not driving right. I have a 2002 Mazda Millenia that was running smoothly before I took it to Jiffy Lube. I took it to the Dealer on 29 May and the mechanic told me that this time it was not the engine but the transmission. I called Steve and notified him on this matter and this time they did not want to take responsibility for the transmission. My receipt stated that they did work on it and they decided to cover the charges. This time I took it to the dealership and they said that they were not going to responsibility for any outcome on the transmission. I dropped my car off on the 30 May, I was informed that Jiffy Lube had "overfilled" the transmission. I got my car back on 1 June. I returned the rental car on 2 June, and was notified that Jiffy Lube had stopped payment on the rental car on 24 May, the rest had to come out of my pocket. On June 8 my car broke down again, It would not go above 40 mph. Currently, my transmission is slowly failing and to replace it will cost $3,000. I contact Steve at the main office and informed him of this fact. He them informed me that I would have to have the dealership take the transmission apart and then they would send a independent person out to the dealership and see if it is there fault. The dealership informed me that this is a common tactic by them. Because of it would cost $800 dollars to take the transmission apart. And once it is taken apart the inspectors comes out and say it is just old and it is not there fault. I did some checking on the internet and found a website www.jiffylubeproblems.com and it confirmed just what the dealership told me. On a sergeant in the Marine Corps salary I am unable to afford this unexpected expense. This is a very unfortunate incident for me. Although, they admitted to their wrongdoing they are trying to put a cap on how far they are willing to correct the problem.

[261] Jay in Upstate NY  Own Work

[260] Roy Air Filter

I wish I had seen this web site before my trip to Jiffy Lube.  Here's my story.  I took my 01 VW Golf 1.8T in for an oil change.  My car is moderately modified, with a GIAC chip, CatBack exhaust and K&N air filter.  The wait time was acceptable, the service person (mechanic is to strong a term) was polite and seemed knowledgable and the work was done in a timely manner.  Pulling out of the shop I noted the whistling sound of the turbo was louder than normal.  I drove the car home and popped the hood.  The service person had unscrewed and removed the box that covers the air cleaner, I guessing for inspection, but had failed to replace it.  This in spite of a sticker, provided by K&N, that this filter DID NOT need to be replaced, right on top of the box.  No harm was done to the car, but if this is the level of attention to detail that is performed on a day to day basis it's no surprise that a web site like this exists.

[259] Victim in CA  Only A Fool

ISN'T THERE ANYWAY TO PUT THOSE PEOPLE OUT OF BUSINESS?  THAT WAS CALIFORNIA ... BUT I BELIEVE YOU WOULD GET THE SAME RESULTS ... IT WE HAD THOSE CARS IN TEXAS.  AS FOR THEIR MANAGERS ... REMEMBER THE LIAR WE JUST SAW ON TAPE.  ONLY A FOOL WOULD GO TO JIFFY LUBE.  

[258] Philip  Air Conditioning

Air conditioning "service" done on April 8.  Within weeks, A/C blowing hot air.  Took my Chevy S10 to the local dealer and they fixed it in about 60 minutes.  Jiffy Lube has you sign a warranty waiver when you get your receipt saying that they cannot warrant A/C work because there might be a hidden leak.  Well, that wasn't the problem.

Re Experience # 258, the store manager called concerning the failed a/c work done on my Chevy S10.  He offered several possible explanations for why the work failed and gave me a full refund for the work done, and said my next oil change will be free.  I have not returned to that store, but will give it one more try (at least for basic oil change service)

[257] Victim  Wrong Tools

I brought my 2003 Cadillac CTS to your Jiffy Lube.  After waiting two hours for an oil change, I was told by an employee that they did not change the oil filter because they did not have the proper tool to remove it.  I asked to speak to the store manager about what I was told. 

The store manager told me that what the employee told me was incorrect.  He said that he knew exactly what was done because he personally did the work under the car.  He said that they could not find the tool to remove the oil drain plug.  He did not tell me that they butchered the plug trying to get it off.  He also did not tell me that they added four quarts of oil to the crank case without removing the old oil.  When I left your store, I had eight quarts of oil in the crank case which I did not know about.

While driving my car yesterday, oil suddenly exploded from every possible exit point in the engine. After inspecting the situation, I had the car towed to the Cadillac dealership for service.  They told me that Jiffy Lube added twice the amount of oil to the crank case than what was needed.  They also gave me the butchered oil drain plug. 

[256] Amy  Battery

I took my 2000 Honda Accord EX into Jiffy Lube for a routine oil change on a Saturday afternoon.  The mechanic informed me that my battery was extremely low and needed replacing ASAP.  I already knew this as my brother (a Honda mechanic) had cranked my car a couple of weeks prior and noticed it.  I was told that they also sold batteries, so I decided to ditch my initial plan of purchasing the battery from Auto Zone and just let them (JL) do it.  I drove the 2 miles home where my car sat for the next day and a half.  Monday afternoon, approx. 3 miles down the interstate while on my way to work, I notice that out of nowhere I have 3 "warning" lights showing on my dash;  the battery, the brake, and one that showed all four doors and the trunk as being ajar.  I contacted my brother who informed me that it sounded like my alternator now needed replacement.  After work while driving home on a very dark, isolated part of the interstate (at 4a.m.), my car all but died as I approached my exit.  My car literally puttered into the driveway and promptly died.  My brother ordered a new alternator and we made plans for him to come by Tuesday evening to install it.  I had to call out of work since my car was dead (being a paramedic in a large city, this creates problems as my shift needs to be covered).  I contacted JL at 8:30 Tues. morning and informed him of the problem and inquired if I would be able to replace my new but now dead battery.  I was told it wouldn't be a problem and I informed him that I would be there to exchange them later that afternoon.  My mother arrived, and we were able to disconnect the battery from my car.  We drove to JL expecting a simple exchange.  On our arrival, he checked his inventory and informed me that he did not have the battery that I needed.  He called another JL to see if they had one in stock and then proceeded to avoid us for 20 mins. before bothering to call the other JL back.  After he hung up we were then told that the 2nd JL also did not have the battery I needed in stock.  This guy knew since early that morning that I would be coming by to exchange batteries.  One would think that he would check to make sure he had it in stock BEFORE the customer shows up.  He told us he would make a few calls.  By this time, my brother is well on his way to my home, it's beginning to rain, and we're approaching sunset.  Exceptionally peeved, I asked for a refund for the battery.  Instead, I was told that I needed to take it to Auto Zone to be recharged and it would be fine.  Only mins. before he was willing to exchange it for another one but once he's aware that I'm not willing to wait around while he "makes a few calls" to find one and am definitely not willing to run all over town to pick it up (not my job!), all of a sudden the only thing he can tell me to do is have it recharged which should take "10 minutes".  FINE.  We go to Auto Zone where we're told recharging the battery will take at least an hour.  I DON'T HAVE AN HOUR!!!  I say forget it and purchased a new battery.  My car HAD to be fixed that night.  We purchase a battery ($20 cheaper than the battery I bought from JL) and finally head back to meet my brother so he could fix my car.  After my alternator is fixed, my brother asks to see my bill from JL.  Even though my oil was changed a mere 3 days prior, my oil is black and already a quart low.  In addition to that, there was no coolant, the power steering fluid was low, the tire pressure in my two front tires was low, and the overflow reservoir beside the battery was low.  My brother (pretty irate at this point) contacted JL and spoke to the mechanic that had dealt with us.  My brother told him what he had found and informed him that he was not happy about the work that was done to my car and even questioned if any work was even done.  Having my car for nearly 5 years and never having any problem with it whatsoever, I find it eerily coincidental that as soon as JL's mechanics tinker under my hood, my car has serious mechanical problems a mere day and a half later.  I will never be able to prove that anything was intentionally done to screw up my car, but I know in my heart that it was.  As I write this, all I want is a refund on the $100 battery that now sits in my trunk.  While he was once quite happy to replace the battery for me, after being told that I purchased another battery from Auto Zone, I'm now told that I have to have JL's battery recharged and provide a receipt showing that the battery is either dead or not before they can refund my money.  It was HIS JOB to make sure that the battery I needed (apparently they only keep 1 in stock) was in stock prior to my arrival.  I am so furious over this situation I can't see straight.  Beyond the fact that they screwed me over on a "business level" if you will, but their screw up put me in real danger.  It's inexcusable.  I've never seen such pathetic customer service in my life or such an indifferent attitude toward a customer with a legitimate complaint.  I have every intention of informing every person I know to avoid Jiffy Lube like the plague.  Hopefully something will be done before someone is seriously injured or killed due to their negligence. 

[255] Jackie in CA  Transmission

I have had a very similar problem to what a lot of people on this website have had with a transmission flush. My transmission was perfectly fine, and at 60,000 miles I got a flush, as the manual states you should do at that mileage for my 2002 Honda Accord V-Tech V-6. About a week later, my transmission started shifting funny, and I took it to a mechanic; he replaced the fluid they put in, which he said was the wrong fluid, and he said I would eventually need a new transmission (about $ 4,000). I think all of the people here on this site who have had this same problem should all get together and file a class action lawsuit. I’ve spoken to Jiffy Lube several times about my issue, and it’s obvious they won’t help me out. I’m sure everyone else on this site has seen the same thing. If we all group together, though, we can right a wrong and save ourselves thousands of dollars in repairs that we shouldn’t have had to pay in the first place. If anyone would like to e-mail me and talk to me about how you think we could accomplish this, please do. My e-mail is qtchic86@yahoo.com. Please address the e-mail JIFFY LUBE TRANSMISSION, so I know it’s not junk-mail. Thanks!!!

[254] Nita in Portland, OR  Battery / Belts

My experiences with Jiffy Lube have not always left me feeling that I've received good service, such times as having various parts and work "pushed" as needing immediate attention.  One instance was being advised that my automobile needed  FOUR  V-BELTS for a quoted price.  I then took my car to a shop that had made previous repairs and maintenance work, where they stated that I only needed three  V-Belts, and where the labor cost was much less than Jiffy Lube would have charged.  I insisted that the only way I would continue having my auto serviced at the JL  location I've been using was that there would be no more hard-sell tactics.

I have used this same facility over the past 4 years at 3,000 mile intervals, with the exception of two occassions when I was on a trip, another last year when I took my car to a National Chain which turned out to be even more "pushy" than Jiffy Lube.  Within the past few months I began to have "starting"  problems with my 95 ford Escort (which at this writing still has less than 36,000 miles), which at first I believed to be a dead battery, but after trying several times over a 10 - 15 minute period, it would start and this happened several times (as well as just simply stopping as I was backing up or slowly pulling forward), then a couple of Sundays ago, as I was backing out of a parking spot at a local market, it went completely dead after going less than 3 feet.  This time I wasn't as fortunate in getting it started, so I was forced to call a tow truck to deal with the situation.  While waiting for the truck, I contacted my brother who felt I needed a charge, but when he and the truck driver checked under the hood, they discovered that my battery terminal was so corroded that it had become impossible to make contact, also when they checked to see if I had enough water in my battery, they found it was almost empty.  They both thought I had been neglegent in keeping my car maintained, and said Jiffy Lube people should have seen this problem a LOOOOOONG  time ago, that this situation doesn't develop "overnight" and that Jiffy Lube should share some responsibility for the problems this caused.  Rather than purchase and install a new terminal, I thought it best to go ahead and get a new battery.

I haven't approached J L about this, I will just find a more reliable facility to service my car.  Is it just because I'm an elderly female that they assume (probably rightly so) will never be the wiser if they "overlook" a few check-off areas???

[253] Marc  Taking Advantage

My wife just took her vehicle to Jiffy Lube for an oil change and they charged her $60.00. That's the most ridiculous price I have ever heard of and I've been a mechanic for close to 30 years now. Even more ridiculous is that it's a four cylinder. Here's how I see it: 1. You're marking the price up 100% which is against the law or 2. You're taking advantage of a women which is against the law. I took my truck, which by the way is a 6 cylinder, to a dealer for an oil change ( 5 qts. of Synthetic oil ) and they charged me $35.00. That's with the most expensive oil on the market. Jiffy Lube is out of their minds. It's amazing they're still in business. I work for a major airline that teaches us not to upset the customer because one mad customer will lead to 3 to 4 hundred others through word of mouth. Imagine how many people I encounter every day I'm at work and you do the math. Keep it up Jiffy Lube. The public's fed up.

[252] Helen in Georgia  Bad Tradition

About 25 years ago (believe it) I took my new peppy  car to Jiffy Lube because it was so close to my house.  They assured me all was done in good order, but my new red car never ran the same since then.  In fact, it did not give me near the performance and I had to get another car sooner than expected.  This may even go back 30 years....I have no idea how long they have been in service. 

[251] Janet in Florida  Oil Not Changed

I presently live in Florida and I was just forwarded the clip on Jiffy Lube.  Several years ago I had a van that I brought to Jiffy Lube for an oil change which I believe was never done.  The motor on that van eventually blew up and the next mechanic I went to told me it appeared the oil had not been changed in quite some time and that was the reason the motor blew.   I contacted Jiffy Lube and filled out a report but they would not take any responsibility and acted just like the men I saw on your tape. This mess caused my family thousands of dollars in the long run.

I am sure I can find all the documentation regarding this crime.  Do you think there may be a class action suite?