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[50] William:
Transmission
My wife took our 1997 Suburban to Jiffy lube on 05/25/05. They
recommended several things be done, including a transmission fluid
change. They completed the work and within 3 weeks the transmission
failed with no prior problems. My personal mechanic stated the
process in which they remove the used transmission fluid damaged the
internal parts of the transmission. They use a "Suction" method to
extract the fluid, this somehow breaches the integrity of the
delicate internal parts of the transmission and causes failure of
certain parts. We've had our Suburban about two years and have had
absolutely no problems until Jiffy Lube worked on our vehicle. The
cost of my repairs have exceeded $1,800.00 to have the transmission
repaired. No legal action has been initiated against Jiffy Lube but
they are being considered. Jiffy Lube trains the technicians to sell
anything and everything they can when a customer comes in for
routine service. They don't m ake their money off oil changes but
rather what they sell in addition to the oil change service.
[49] Travis in
Garland, TX: Employee
Back when I was a senior in high school I worked at three
different Jiffy Lube stores in Garland, TX, and they were all ran
the same. I really don't even know where to begin, there are sooooo
many storys to tell that happend EVERYDAY!
Once I was working in "the pit" underneath a van, when the store
manager told me to drop the transmission oil pan and replace the
gasket. So after I unscewed all the bolts I told my manager that
the oil pan wasn't budging at all, he took a rubber mallet and hit
it and it still wouldn't come off. Finally he told me to just screw
all the bolts back in and get her out of here, but he still charged
her for the service which was never performed.
Well of course there was the typical Jiffy Lube style belittling of
the workers,which happend nostop even in front of customers
Also I told my co-op teacher about the numerous problems that went
on, well he called that little weasel Steve V. (the regional
manager) for a month and there was never any response.
[48] Nora: Oil Plug
I was running
a little overdue for an oil change and decided to go to a local,
convenient Jiffy Lube rather than my dealership, where I usually
went. Jiffy Lube changed my oil (along with a few other things) on
5-28-05. My car was completely quiet and running smoothly following
the oil change, as expected, and I assumed everything to be fine.
On the following Saturday I was driving in SE with a friend of mine
following behind me. She called me on my cell phone to tell me I
was leaking a lot of fluid. I soon realized the engine had started
sounding funny and looked down to find the oil light on. I do not
know how long it had been on. I IMMEDIATELY pulled over to a Burgerville Parking lot (on SE Hawthorn near 12th) and turned off
the engine. I got out to look underneath in time to see the LAST
cup of oil drain out onto the pavement. I instantly called the
Jiffy Lube that had changed my oil to complain. The manager
('Brandon') said he'd take care of everything, not to worry and that
he'd be there ASAP. About 45 minutes later he arrived and looked
under my car. He said the drain plug had FALLEN OUT. He replaced
it, then refilled my oil tank with several quarts of oil. He was
very, very apologetic. He said to start the engine so he could
listen and try to determine whether there might be any engine
damage. He listened carefully to the engine athen lamented that the
top portion of my engine did, indeed, sound damaged. He said
absolutely NOT to worry--that Jiffy Lube would take care of
rebuilding anything that needed rebuilding. He said since it was a
Saturday that no mechanic would be open, but that he'd see to it
personally on Monday that I be contacted and arrangements for repair
would be made. He continued apologizing and reassuring me that
everything would be taken care of.
Then, Monday came
and went and I never got a call. When I called there I was told
that Brandon (suddenly)was no longer working there and that I was
speaking to the NEW manager (as of two hours previous), named
'Richard'. Richard informed me that they had viewed some video tape
of my oil change in which he could see the tech putting my drain
plug back in after the oil change and that the problem, therefore,
was not theirs (this, of course, in NO WAY reveals in any detail
whether it was actually rplaced CORRECTLY). He said if I wanted to
take them to court I should "call Corporate"---then gave me an
800-number. He said it wasn't their problem.
. I since did
some sleuthing and found that Brandon had been transferred to the
Jiffy Lube near 33rd and NE Sandy Blvd as a new manager. In trying
to talk to him yesterday (after being considerably put off and
treated with incredible paranoia and suspicion by other employees) I
was greeted (by Brandon) with enormous defensiveness and a "too bad"
attitude.
Subsequent
inquiries into legal assistance suggest this route as untenable
financially for me, and would probably end up costing more than my
car is worth in legal fees. Even a simple diagnostic to determine
the extent of the damage can cost up to $200, according to a
mechanic at Tom Dwyer Automotive Services. Repairs can cost
thousands and I am told would NOT be cost effective given the age of
my car (a 1999 Suzuki Grand Vitara at 94, 500 miles). The car was
running beautifully for me and I had every intention of driving it
another 5 years. I cannot afford a new vehicle right now and was
told if there had been any engine damage at all that it would be
best for me to simply "get rid of" my car.
I am livid and
completely at a loss as to what to do. I have filed a claim with
the Attorney General and with The Better Business Bureau. I have
also contacted a local television station that has a consumer
watchdog-type program. They are decidedly showing interest in
this. I feel I have been completely victimized by utter
incompetance and corporate indifference.
[47]
Jeremy in Kenmore, WA: Engine
On October 26, 2004 I took my Subaru into the
Jiffy Lube on 6674 Bothell Way Kenmore, WA for a oil change and
transmission flush. After 25 minutes I ask what the hold up is. They
state they cannot get the hose off to flush my transmission fluid. So
this was the start, You are suppose to pull the plug at the bottom of
the transmission to drain it.
Instead they flush it through the transmission coolant line that
runs into the radiator, they tell me my car needs to run for 17-20
minutes to flush it once the hose is off. An hour and 25 minutes later
I am ready to leave, there is transmission fluid ALL over my engine
and front quarter panel. I drive 1.2 miles home and my car has this
awful smell and blue smoke from the tailpipe. Check my oil, to high,
Call JL and they will be out the following day. Drain the oil from my
car which takes 4 quarts, we drain out 12 quarts!!!! They came out
engine BLOWN.
They take it to a mechanic, they replace the engine and warranty it
for 12 months/12,000 miles. I got the car back 11/06/04. Took it back
in Jan '05 heater not working, tell me I am low on coolant. Days later
not working again, waterpump is bad, JL pays to replace as it is part
of the engine. Month later take it in, Crank seals are leaking,
replaced @ JL's expense. April rolls around heater not working again!
Radiator BLEW up on my way to shop! This money came from my pocket as
it is not "part of the engine". Now the story on my radiator they
charged JL for radiator flush and told me they did one. Learn from
Subaru specialist my radiator CANNOT be flushed because of the
backflow system! If they DID flush it, it would break the seal and
need to be replaced! 600 miles after the radiator is replaced the
coolant line comes off and I loose ALL transmission fluid while
driving!!!! Shop comes out (as I cannot drive now), fixes it shows
where they say it is "worn" but I see a clean slice through. They had
the wrong clamp on and it sliced right through the hose! Now my car is
sluggish on hills and make a weird noise. Finally pulled my head out
my *ss and take it to the Subaru specialist and they tell me every
major seal in my car is leaking including the crank seal replaced in
Jan. Which explains the oil all over my garage floor that was not
there prior to JL touching my car. The shop that works for JL and did
the engine and work: AMERICAN CAR CARE 8810 EVERGREEN WAY EVERETT, WA
- They are NO Good!!! Now JL is trying to back out of 12 month/12,000
mile Warranty. I got my car back 11/06/05 and I have only put just
under 7,000 miles on the car as I NEVER have it because it is in and
out of the shop!!!! It started as a warm fuzzy story of them doing the
right thing, NOW LOOK! I am contacting attroney and going after BOTH!
JL has out about $4,000.00 into my car and the new repairs are almost
$2,000, and the transmission ACC screwed up is just shy of $4,000!!!!
If you are looking at problems, I noticed the guy from my area, do NOT
let them dictate where your car will be fixed they work for JL! I have
lost about 3 weeks from work taking my car to the shop and picking it
up. I spent the better part of 4 months in rental cars, I am on a
first name basis with the local Enterprise people. Small Claims our
lawsuit would have been easier. I have invested 7 months of my life on
this that I will never get back.
[46] Andrew in
Seattle, WA: No Oil
We took our
86 Toyota Land Cruiser to Jiffy Lube in Seattle, Wa on 6/10/05 for a
basic oil change. The invoice states they put in 8 qrts of oil. I
then drove it approximately 40 miles over 2 days and on the 3rd
day, 6/13, it stopped running. We had to have it towed to a repair
shop. They inspected the truck and said there was no more then 1 qrt
of oil in it and we need a total engine rebuild. There was no
evidence of a large oil leak anywhere throughout the engine and all
plugs etc. were in place. The conclusion on the repair shop is
that they forgot to put the new oil in. Jiffy Lube sent someone
out to look at it and is stating it wasn’t their fault. We are
still in the process of trying to settle this. We are prepared
to take them to small claims court but the court requires the name,
address, etc of the corporation. We are not sure who we should
file as the defendant. Do we list the franchise owner or the
corporation? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.
[45] Larry: Oil Filter
My wife chooses to get oil changes at Jiffy Lube - at least
every 3000 miles. Today, she was greeted with the fact that the oil
filter was replaced in a crooked manner and that she should get needed
repairs done by a mechanic somewhere else. She was further told that JL was not responsible, that this MUST have been done somewhere else.
Bottom line is that I will not fight these idiots. I WILL insist that
oil changes be left up to me or a regular mechanic - not to a warm
body just hired off the street at JL. Not an honest operation!
[44] Michelle in Chicago, IL:
Parts
They installed a new battery in my car and
blew a fuse, and told me to go to the auto parts store and bring them
back the fuse to install since they do not have fuses. I declined.
When I left, I had no power steering, no lights, not speedometer, no
radio, air, heat or locks. Also the car would not drive over 15mph. I
discovered the 15mph issue on the highway. I was pretty terrified.
Took the car to my local mechanic. He replaced
all of the fuses and a fried wire. Sent the bill to Jiffy Lube claims
and they will no do anything about it until the mechanic writes them a
certified letter as to why he had to fix my car. The mechanic is under
no obligation to write them a letter as he says that we are the 10th
customer this year that he has had who brought him a screwed up car
from Jiffy Lube.
Anyway, the bill is only for $125. Their claims
division is useless. I ended up in a screaming match today with the
claims person. He says that he them run diagnostic on my car. I would
like to know when since, I never brought the car back to them. I asked
for a copy of that to be faxed to me. He refused. I told him that was
going to take it to corporate. He told me he was corporate and then in
the next sentence said that they were an outside insurance company. So
which is it? Is claims part of corporate Jiffy Lube (Shell oil) or are
they an outside insurance company?
At this point, I have spoken with the consumer
unit of NBC News, (I just left there after 15 years as
producer/editor). More than likely they will do the story locally in
Chicago, if more people call or write letters to complain.
Do you have any firm numbers of complaints
nationwide to the BBB's about Jiffy Lube? It would be nice to send on
to my people at NBC. I have a call into the PR dept at corporate
Jiffy Lube. I am sure that they are swimming under this problem. I
have found website after website with people talking about this issue.
Maybe a class action lawsuit is in order.
Thanks!!! Your website it great. I am now an
independent documentary filmmaker and television executive. The people
that I have spoken with so far as Jiffy Lube, do not realize who I am,
yet.
[43] Kathy: Engine
I have a 2000 Toyota 4runner that I took to Jiffy Lube for oil
change. They did not tighten oil drain plug or oil filter, oil
leaked out, engine is now completely ruined and must be replaced.
I want to publicize my battle with Jiffy Lube because I am not
getting a satifactory response.
Jiffy Lube wants to send it to a distant city to get an out of state
engine from one vendor with another vendor installing it. If
something goes wrong in the warranty period, my concern is that these
two vendors would point the finger at each other creating another mess.
We want to get it fixed locally at our usual mechanic, but his bid is
6300 dollars. The out of town bid is 4400 dollars, but my mechanic
says they simply could not do it for that much if they are doing it
right with replaced gaskets and everything it needs after running on NO
OIL. There are other complaints logged online for Jiffy Lube.
I would like to see if this is a wide spread problem due to workers
not being adequately trained or just what the issue is.
[42] Utica, NY: Belt
Last year I had my sepentine belt
replaced according to a recommendation by the Yorkville Blvd store
in Utica. Recently I was shown that it had not been replaced at all.
If this had been allowed to continue, it could have caused
considerable damage to my engine.
[41] Linda:
Oil Type
Hi, my husband and I have stopped
going to Jiffy Lube after several problems with our cars, which were
running fine until we went and got oil changes at a Jiffy Lube near
our home. My husband ended up with the wrong oil being put in his car
and finding out from another mechanic that they put the wrong oil in
his car. I ended up having to get a new engine, after I went to
another Jiffy Lube and was asked who did your last oil change? I said
the Jiffy Lube in by my house. The manager said they put the wrong
kind of coolant in your Mustang auto. I don't know why because it says
it right here on your engine what kind of coolant you are supposed to
have in your car. He told me your engine is probably going to go out.
He was right it did. When you complain to Jiffy Lube they never take
ownership of the problem and I know for a fact that a lot of the
workers are not professional mechanics but are being trained that are
working on the cars because of what I have seen and heard in the shop
while they are changing the oil.
[40]
Park Forest, IL: Oil Type
park forest, Ill store (western ave)-
#2508 - go in for oil change and manager says I need to have oil flush
and shows me a dipstick covered in black goo and says this what it
looks like After they changed the oil ( I never saw em take it from
tube) and they point out smoke coming from tube saying its sludge
burning) I told them no thanks and only realized later the tube with
the smoke coming out it was the transmission tube - must have drizzled
some oil on the suface for effect). I checked the oil level the next
day and guess what, the oil looked nice and clean and no smoke. the
oil must have cleaned itself over night. Sad part is they took 2
ladies money for oil flushes while i was there - 1 had a new car not a
year old.
[39] Tim in Elkridge, MD:
No Oil
WOW! I have always heard of the horror
stories but never to the extent of experiences shared on this site. Mine
pales in comparison but I'll share it.
First off, it's only an oil change what can go
wrong. They're qualified. Just look at all the plaques on the
wall.
Well on one occasion I visited my local Jiffy Lube
in Elkridge MD for a simple oil change on my Chevy Tahoe. This was on a
Sat. I didn't drive it on Sunday. So on Monday while going to work,
about a mile from my house the engine warning lights start flashing.
Luckily this occurred in front of a gas station. I pulled in opened the
hood, and through process of elimination, checked my oil and found it
was bone dry. I dropped a couple of quarts in the engine and headed back
home. When I pulled up to the driveway, to my amazement, I found a
puddle of oil where the truck was parked. Obviously the next step was to
head back to Jiffy Lube to inquire about my findings. After about twenty
minutes I was told it was their mistake and that oil filter was
installed incorrectly (something abut a seal) by the so called
"mechanic" which caused the oil to leak out. When I asked to see the oil
filter, they stated it was in the trash. Perhaps the oil plug was really
the problem ?? Now good of them to own up to the problem, but I have to
wonder if they would have been so contrite and accepting of blame if the
engine would have needed to be replaced. Probably not. Such a
questionable operation will not get my business anymore!
[38] Howard in Pasadena, CA:
Oil Type
Went to a JL franchisee (#1778) @
3200 East Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, CA last week 05/2005).
My car sat in the bay for 10 minutes while
two employees milled about. I then informed one of the employees
that I would like to have a 20W-50 conventiopnnal blend put in the
car. He said "OK".
Near the 30-minute mark, I finally had my
car released to me. At this time I was asked to sign the
paperwork. This should have been done prior to any work on my
car!
Prior to leaving the property, I asked
the "technician" whom worked on my car if he poured the requested
weight of oil. He told me he put in synthetic 15 which is "better". I
asked him if his co-worker informed him of my request. He stated
"no", and then proceeded to complain about this mishap to that
particular employee who was suposed to inform him of my request.
- full or blended synthetic oil will cause or exacerbate leakage in my
older vehicle, regardless of seal condition.
Frustrated, my technician told the other
employee to return my car to the service bay. but, another car
was already lined up for service. The second technician then
proceeded to drive my car down the public street toward the rear
alleyway for the correct oil change - which is now approaching 35
minutes of wasted time for me. After 45 grueling minutes, I
leave with (I assume) to be the correct oil in the car.
A few blocks away from the JL store, I
pull over when I notive oil deposits in the interior of my car. It
was on the selector, armrest, window-sill, floor protector. Then I
saw oil on my car fender, and rubber bumper.
I called to complain, but got harrassed by
the local JL rep. I got nowhere with him. So, now I am trying to
resolve this fiasco legally - just like everyone else.
[37] Mike in Winter Park, FL:
Radiator
My recent experience at the Jiffy
Lube located at 7583 University Blvd. Winter Park, FL resulted in a
nightmare. I was in for an oil change and got suckered in to a
radiator flush. It had been a while since it was last done, so I
figured it was time. The manager said it would be about 20 minutes
for the flush. After 30 minutes I checked on the progress of the
vehicle and found the assistant manager wrestling with a clamp on
the front hose to the radiator. She complained about not having the
proper tools to remove the clamp. Not knowing if it was standard
procedure to remove the hose, I returned to the waiting area.
I returned a short distance home and did
not use the van until 3 days later, to make a short drive to run
an errand. Upon turning into a parking lot, I lost my power
sterring. I parked and opened the hood to find the collant spraying
from the area of the hose the assistant manager was wrestling with.
This hose is above the serpentine belt, so with this lubricant
sprayed on the pulleys holding the belt, the belt eventually slipped
off, resulting in the loss of power steering and all the other
functions of the belt, (alternator, water pump. etc..).
Today is Memorial Day, 2005, after
calling the shop and talking to the assistant manager, she said that she
requested to the manager that he include a recommendation of replacing
this hose. There was no such recommendation. What I do know
is that before I pulled into Jiffy Lube, the hose did not have any
leaks coming from it. After the visit, it does. Stay
tuned.....
[36] Topeka, KS:
Transmission
I live in Topeka Kansas. This happened this
past week to get it resolved. The Jiffy
Lube I went to was at 2001 SW 10th
Ave, Topeka, KS 785-233-6384. I had a plug
marked as "checked". Driven just over 300 miles and less than 400.
The problem: I had thought that
I had lost the rear end of my 86 Chevy van. I had it towed to a
specialist who has a shop near Overbrook,
Kansas. AAA towed it for me. It had sit until I thought I had enough
money to replace the rear end. This was about 5 months... So he told
me point blank that the plug had been "painted" (indicating
the work was done) and he added fluid. Said it was all I needed and it
was not leaking. He charged me $10, I gave him $20 for his trouble.
Now had this guy decided to rip me off... I would not have known at
all.
I had been a believer in Jiffy
Lube. And had even gotten some
extra service done at times, other than the usual oil change.
The common "sell" they tried to
give me time and again was the "PVC" valve needed to be replaced. I
talked to a NAPA employee... and
they said it looked fine. I told that to Jiffy
Lube time and again. Sell Sell
Sell verses Service Service Service seems to be the theme!
At this point... I am like
seeing no point of ever returning to Jiffy
Lube. Friends and family seem to be in agreement on this one.
[35] Eric in Dallas, TX:
Employee
I am a Jiffy Lube employee. Or I used
to be. Within the last 3 months, the majority of the D/FW
area Jiffy Lube franchise stores have changed to Mobil 1 Lube Express
stores. The company that owns the franchises is Lube Center Management,
formerly Lonestar Lubrication. Up until 2 weeks ago, Kevin
Tressler was my manager. His father, Roy Tressler was our regional
manager.
From my experiences with him, and with other
managers, the company that manages these stores is full of back handed
gutless people. I've read through the experiences on the website,
and can recall similar situations at the store I work at. I have
been witness to people coming in for state inspections with good wiper
blades, and having them torn to cause a failure. I have seen air filters
intentionally made dirty in order to convince the customer that they
need a new one. From what I have seen, management in this company is
nothing but slime.
From an employee standpoint, if you do not sell
enough, your hours are cut. Before Kevin Tressler was my manager, I was
averaging 35 hours a week. That dropped to 25 when he showed up. From
the time he began working at our store until he left, our drawer became
short. His solution was to take over $45 from each employees paycheck
(except his own) to correct the situation. This being done with
absolutely NO notice to the employees. Kevin conveniently transferred to
another location the week before this happened. There is no
retribution available for the employees, because our regional is Kevin's
father, another backhanded manager.
There is nothing but self interest in this
company. I am currently on the hunt for a new job. I wouldn't want
anybody from this place touching my car.
[34] Sourav in Lisle, IL:
Fraud
I had taken my Nissan Sentra'97 for oil
change to jiffy lube LISLE, IL 60532. The mechanic told me that my
headlight was not working and i needed a new one. I ignored their advice
and went home. I checked my headlight and saw that , the mechnaic had
loosen up the plug behind the headlight.
[33] Sarah in Lubbock, TX:
Fraud
I was in college when I took my Honda in for its inspection sticker in
Lubbock, TX. The "manager" took me aside and said he had bad
news and good news. I asked for the bad first and he said a crack
in my taillight would prevent me from passing inspection. And the
good news? If I paid him $20 cash, he would give me my
sticker. Although I was naive, I knew this was extremely sketchy. I
refused the offer and took my car elsewhere after I purchased a new
taillight. I never told anyone, but feel it should be added to the
website since it's fraudulent behavior that seems to be a norm for Jiffy
Lube.
[32] David in Fairbanks, AK:
Transmission
I had my oil changed at the Jiffy Lube in Fairbanks, Alaska on
Feb. 17, 2005. Right after I left, I had no reverse. I took my vehicle
to a transmission shop, and they advised me that who ever had checked my
transmission fluid last (Jiffy Lube) had removed an idler bolt instead
of the fill plug, causing the idler assembly to fall into the
transmission and damage the inside. The cost to repair my transmission
was $1,800.00. Jiffy Lube refused to pay for the damages, saying they
didn't authorize the repairs before they were done. I didn't realize I
needed their permission to fix my own truck. As of this date they still
refuse to even return my phone calls.
[31] Gary in IL: Pricing
I went to the jiffy
lube in countryside illinois for an oil change and tire rotation. I
forgot about the tire rotation for which i had a coupon for . The coupon
was for a free tire rotation with oil change. I went back several days
later and told them of the situation but they refused to do the tire
rotation and said that i would have to pay the full price. I have been a
customer since 1989. And i find this action unacceptable.
[30] Jer: Employee
I used to manage a jiffy lube store. The problem is that the
company threatens employees with their jobs if they do not average $50
to $70 tickets per car. This forces employees to sale unneeded
services and items.
[29] Judy:
Tires
About a year ago Jiffy Lube
encouraged me to have my tires rotated, which I did. This year when I
needed new tires, the mechanic (not Jiffy Lube) had a hard time
getting one of the rear wheels off and then had to put in new studs
because Jiffy Lube employees had ruined the old ones, causing me much
time and money. No one had touched those tires except Jiffy Lube until
the time I bought new tires, so I knew it was Jiffy Lube responsible
for my problem. I still have the old studs to show what happened to
them.
[28]
Bob: Qualifications
The problem with Jiffy Lube and the other quick lubes is they use low
paid employees to increase profits and undercut a service center that
pays above the minimum wage. I have noticed that most Jiffy Lubes in my
area are now closed. With the price of today's cars, it is a scary
thought to know the guy changing your oil was "flipping burgers' the day
before. I would like to see a quick lube open that charges a higher
price upfront so they don't have to make their profit by a scam.
[27] Penelope in Lutz, FL:
Attitude
I visited a jiffy lube in Lutz, Florida
this past Monday. I found the people there rude at best. This past
Monday my 2004 Chevy went in for an oil change,and they told me
between the previous Thursday when I checked the oil, and Monday ,when
they changed the oil, that a 2004 car lost 1/2 a quart of oil. I check
my cars every Thursday, and that previous week it was fine. They also
left the valve caps, on the tires, loose,very loose because two of
them were gone, by the time I checked them Thursday(LF&RR) and the
other two were very loose. the next trip they would have flown off for
sure. valve caps are more than decoration, they protect valve cores
that keep air in your tires, from loosing that air, due to corrosion
or contamination(rain and dirt). They also did not give me a sticker
for the window of my car, which I consider minor, but worth mentioning
because the do so little for the $30 they charge you think they could
get that right. If I sound a little angry I think I have the right to
be that way. I drive all the way there because the local lube shop
destroyed my 99 Chevy, by blasting the engine with some kind of
cleaner, that decision cost me an alternator and a starter, and the
alternator was a new ;it had only been in the car 3 months. The reason
I mentioned this, is because I observed one of jiffy lubes people
squirting something on the engine in the vicinity of the oil filter,
right lower side, and then wiping it with a rag, not this past oil
change ,but the previous one. The starter is right below that area and
is not protected from liquids poured down from the top. the electrical
system has to be covered before using cleaners. I have confronted
these people, and they just get defensive, and try to put me on the
defensive. I won't even get into the problems with my other car I used
to take there. I think I will take my cars elsewhere.
[26] Ron:
Stripped Plug
Well, after surfing
the net for others who may have had a bad experience with Jiffy Lube, I
came across your web site. This week has been hell for me, and it all
started with a quick stop at a Jiffy Lube on my lunch hour.
On Monday, March 14, I
decided it was time to get my oil changed, and rather than go to the
dealer (which I always do) I thought the Jiffy Lube about a mile from my
office would be easier and they always look busy, so it must be a good
place. Within about 5 minutes of my car being in the service bay, I was
called in to go over my information. I was told that my oil at been
completely empty. This should have been a red flag to me. I am an
obsessive person, and I check my oil every two weeks like clockwork, and
it was never even low. After they tried to talk me into a more
expensive oil, an air filter, and new wiper blades they advised me my
car would be ready in about 10 minutes. Twenty minutes later I was
advised I had a “bad oil leak” and that they tried to do what they could
to stop it. They explained to me that the previous oil change at Honda
resulted in “stripping the oil pan” and there was nothing they could do
and I should take it back to Honda. When I asked what that meant, the
manager rudely stated, “it means the oil pan is stripped.” I am a well
educated professional, but never claimed to know much about cars. I
again said, “this is all odd, as I have never even had a drop of oil in
my garage at home.” The response was again a rude “I don’t know what to
tell you, it was like this when you drive it in.” I left still thinking
how odd this is. Again, I am obsessive and I sweep my garage out twice
a week, and I have NEVER seen oil in my garage. The next day, I take it
to Honda. They stated that the oil pan was totally stripped and it
appeared fresh. They explained they can fix this, but it will cost
somewhere in the neighborhood of 500-800 bucks when it is all said and
done! I called Jiffy Lube, and I did not even need to identify myself
by name or car type to the manager and he said “I told you that had
happened before you brought it in, it had been leaking for weeks.” I
reminded him that I had not given him my name or kind of car, so how did
he know who he was speaking too unless he remembered my car by what they
had done to it? No response. I hung up knowing I would get nowhere
with him. But there is something I can do. My office building houses
over 300 people, and I intend to send out an email stating exactly what
happened, and remind people not to patronize any of the two Jiffy Lube’s
within two miles from here. I also intend to go to management, but from
what I read, the complaints will fall on deaf ears. Jiffy Lube states
it was not them…but isn’t it strange my car had never even dropped a bit
of oil on my garage floor until AFTER I took it there. I can understand
making mistakes, that happens in my business a lot…but the company I
work for takes responsibility for the problems and fixes them. I’ve
learned my lesson, and I hope that by telling my story, I save someone
else from dropping a wad of cash that could better be spent elsewhere.
All because I wanted to save some time and effort and get my oil changed
“in a Jiffy.” Lesson learned.
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