What's Wrong At Jiffy Lube?

[575] Sam in Gainesville, FL Stealing

[574] Rich  Wrong Mileage

[573] John  Boycott Shell Oil Brands

http://pennzoil-quakerstate.com/brands/default_brands.htm

Since the parent company (SOPUS) doesn't care about its customers, you can do more than just boycott Jiffy Lube & Shell. They also sell additional products well known to most consumers. Pennzoil, Quaker State, The Outlaw, Snap Products, Gumout, Slick 50, Blue Coral, Axius Products, Black Magic, Fix-A-Flat, Westley's, Rain-X , & Medo Products.  Many of these products make claims that they can not substantiate. Slick 50 for example, was proven by the FTC to be a fraudulent product. SOPUS still sells it through out the US with out any regard for the consumer.

[572] Betsy in Houston, TX  Radiator Cap

They did not place my coolant cap back on and I nearly burnt my engine out completely! I can not get a hold of the office now as I am attempting to get compensation for the fluids and cap I had to purchase (which was discovered just in time). Also discovered during the fiasco, they quite possibly did not cap of my fluids during my routine maintenance with them. Will never go there again. Visited store on Holcombe Blvd. in Houston, TX

[571] Kerrylin  NBC Video

[570] Employee in Sacramento, CA

I worked at Jiffy Lube #656 in Sacramento for 1 yr and 9 mo. I liked working there due to my extensive knowledge of working on cars handed down from my father. I have dealt with, unruly customers and a variety of other situations. I can openly admit that when I once performed a transmission flush, that I forgot to fill the engines crankcase with oil. I caught it after about a minute or so. No damage incurred, thank goodness. When the new manager had come on in October of 2003, it wasn't three days later that SOME ONE (and I tried to plead my case here) ran at the mouth and made an ethnical slur at the manager. I took the heat for it and was terminated. I got a job down the street at a tire shop and while on break one day, I went to a local fast food place and then went to my old work to say hi to the Assistant Mgr. and anyone else who I might have known while working there. The new manager sees me eating my lunch and tells me to leave. I tell him I am not bothering any of your customers, why should I? He goes back in the bay and grabs a hood prop rod and goes over to my car threatening to smash my windshield in if I don't get in my car and leave. Not wanting my 1992 Caprice to have any damage done to it, I complied. Then he takes the rod and holds it like a bat as if to swing it at me. I tell you this manager needs to be relieved of his duties permanently because of his hot tempered attitude. I have several people who can vouch for my hard work. Hopefully, I can have the opportunity to work with this company again.

[569] Donna in Minnesota  No Oil

Feb. 05,  I drove across the country and had my oil changed at Jiffy Lube in Minnesota.  When I got to Gig Harbor, WA. four days later, I was low on oil, which is odd for a Camry that runs perfectly.  They will top you off for free if you have your oil changed by them, so I called the local shop.

I went to Gig Harbor Jiffy Lube and they told me my engine was dry and I needed a valve job ($2,000!!).  I showed them my receipt from MN and told them I had just had this work done four days ago and my car was fine then; their employees must have not tightened the oil cap in the bottom of the tank and that caused me to lose my oil.  This is my fourth Toyota, meticulously maintained, I knew something was very wrong.  Just doesn't happen.

Of course they said, no, it was very tight.  My valves just happened to go after they worked on it. 

I filled the oil and kept it full, and my car is actually okay.  So, they didn't do the job right the first time and ran my oil down to dry.  Then they tried to scam me into $2,000 worth of work that I didn't need.

Seems endemic, not just CA.

[568] RW in Simi Valley, CA Air Filter

Today at the Jiffy Lube Store near on E. Los Angeles Av., near First St in Simi Valley, my wife had an experience.  We have a 2003 Maxima, and during the service the attendant removed the Air Filter and then walked around the far side of the car out of my wife's view.  Then came back and informed her that she needed a new Air Filter. 

The Air Filter is in an enclosed plastic shell, where the Air Filter itself is encapsulated and protected from any access unless the element is removed from the car.  It doesn't even have any direct (straight) access externally with the baffles in the plastic shell.  There was also no debris in the plastic shell that could explain how a puncture may have occurred.

My wife refused and brought the car home.  When I removed the Air Filter it had a finger hole pushed into the paper element tearing the element.  This was a very obvious intentional damage by the attendant. 

Is there anything that I can do to warn other consumers of the continued fraud being perpetrated by this company?

[567] Darrell  Laughed At

[566] Sophorn  in AZ  No Oil

I just moved here to Arizona last July of 2006 and didn’t know anyone at the time.  Of course, the story goes stupid me decided why not take it to Jiffy Lube since it’s just down the street from work (been serviced twice).  Not even two weeks of my second visit of oil change I notice every time I starting my car the maintence light would flicker off and on for a few seconds and disappear as I started to drive.  Well, I thought it was just a fluke or something and didn’t think at the time to even acknowledge it.  Two weeks later as I’m driving half way home on the highway the maintence light came on and this time stayed. I decided to exit off the next exit and will need to take a look at it.  Well as I discovered there was hardly any oil and what was left on the dipstick was black oil which I believe they never bothered to do the oil change.  Not only that, as I refilled/replaced my engine with some oil I could hear and see the steam coming out from my engine.  Now let me tell you JIFFY LUBE is #1 in my category of never to step foot in again.  I still retain their receipted as of this day.  

[565] Andy in Cupertino, CA  Engine Smoke

I went to Jiffy lube at 2 afternoon to get an oil change for my BRAND new subaru impreza. I will regret this. Later that night, i decided to drive to my relative's house which was only 10-15min away. at about the midway i noticed a burning smell in the car, and my first reaction was that it is probably from the outside. i swiched the fan to inside and noticed the smell worsen. when i popped open the hood, there were smokes coming out of the car. i quickly contacted subaru and got a tow truck back to my dealer's place. i contacted jiffy lube and spoke with the manager who said he was the one who changed my oil and said he noticed a little bit of oil that was spilled but it was nothing serious and told me the oil will burn off in couple days as well as the smell...After i went to my dealership they told me that alot of oil leaked into the exhaust and the heat shield...this will be my first and last time going to jiffy lube.

[564] Chad in Northridge, CA  Too Much Oil

[563] Scott in Troy, MI  Wrong Plug

Last week, I went to a Jiffy Lube in Troy, MI (I recently noticed another complaint about this same shop.)  They did a standard oil change.  That night, my car started dripping oil.  I took it to my dealership a few days later.  The dealership told me that the Jiffy Lube had replaced my drain plug with the wrong plug!  If everything went well, they could remove the bad plug and simply replace it with a new one.  But were doubtful that it would come off easily.  If removal of it stripped the threads, then they would need to replace the oil pan.  (Total cost: $477.00)  Luckily for me, the plug came off without damaging the threads.  But this could have been much worse.

I still wonder... How on earth could they have replaced the wrong drain plug?

[562] Brian Oil Filter

Took a 2002 Nissan Altima in for a standard oil change. Drove it home 10 miles(verified by receipt and odometer) and the engine threw a rod. Completely ruined. Had the manager come out to the residence and look at the car. He produced an oil filter( off the car? I don’t know because I didn’t see him physically remove it). The filter looked old to me and had a little oil in it that looked old to. What is worse is he apparantly took the filter with him because when I had the car towed to Ford the mechanic said there was no filter. Why did he take the filter? Speculation on my part but the mechanic agreed it was fishy. Jiffy Lube has denied my claim stating there is no proof they caused the damage. Nice day for a quick oil change turns into thousands of dollars to replace an engine. I will tell everyone I can find to never use Jiffy Lube.

[561] Niki in Gresham, OR Oil Filter

[560] William Oil Cap

Had oil change on 4/30/07, drove very short distance to home.  Spouse drove the car on April 1 about 25 miles and complained about oil smell.  Oil cap was sitting on radiator, oil all over inside and on the engine.  Dip stick showed no oil, but took only two quarts to refill.  Don’t know if there is any damage.  Spouse to go back to store today to complain and see about getting engine compartment cleaned.

[559] Robby In Burbank, CA  Engine Smoke

I went to the Burbank Jiffy Lube, located at 107 S Victory Blvd, Burbank, 91502. I went there out of convenience. My trusted mechanic was closed as it was Sunday. I was at about 4,900 miles and I was planning a trip, later in the afternoon, of about 100 miles, so I decided to go to Jiffy Lube.

My car is a 2001 Honda Accord. It has had every necessary maintenance (scheduled, oil changes, brakes, filters, fluids, fuel system, etc). It is (was?) in perfect running condition; I had never had an issue. NEVER!!! It has just under 70,000 and Hondas are known to last into the multiple hundreds of thousands (100,000s) of miles.

So I went and I was offered all sorts of services. I was even told that I needed to rotate my tires. All four or my tires are brand new, only months old. I should have known then. The man in charge of greeting and talking to people was charming and nice, but he did not know how to spell R-O-B-E-R-T.

He was entering the data about my car into the computer. 2001... Accord... automatic... etc. He then asked me, ME! what type of engine I had. Should he know that if he is to opperate on my car? I should have known then.

Anyways, after the offers and the entering of data, I opted for the most expensive, synthetic blend. I did this because it is better for the car and because I wanted to used as little petroleum products as possible. An hour later, it is done and I leave. The car should be in perfect condition and at its prime.

Here is where it gets good; bad. When I got home, I smelled a strange smell. It smelled like burning plastic or rubber or like a car over heating. So I jumped in and unlatched the hood. When I opened it, smoke spewed out of it, like a smoldering campfire. My god! This is not MY car! My car has been meticulously maintained! I was frantic at this point. I called them; I told them that what had happened, thinking it would be of concern to them.

That was not the reality. I went back and they minimized it. They acted like it 'happens all the time.' Smoke from an engine is not an okay thing; it is a great indicator of something seriously wrong. They claimed that it was simply oil that had leaked on the outside of the engine and told me that they had cleaned it off, so I left. When I returned home, I opened the hood.

More smoke than before rose up from my engine. I was nearly in tears I was so angry and frightened for my car. "What have they done?" I thought to myself. So I called them; this time I wasn't so nice. The man who answered the phone, Martin, gave me explanations in 'technical' car terms, most of which I didn't understand. My guess is that that was his intention.

One was that they got oil in the exhaust system. He said this so non-chelauntly; as though it were a fact of life; not their concern. Another was that it was simply "rinse." Rinse, a water solution was steaming from my hot engine. Any minimal amount of "rinse" would have evaporated within seconds of the engine heating up. Did this man think I was a complete idiot.

I will be going back, but only after a trip to MY mechanic. I want this problem fixed before it turns into a BIG problem. I will get ANOTHER oil change; I do not trust that they put in synthetic or the right type of synthetic or the 'PLUS' synthetic that I paid extra for. The oil filter that they put on was of a generic brand and unknown quality. I will expect a refund from them for the full amount of the oil change. I will demand reimbursement for an inspection by a real mechanic (minus the other oil change). I will never, ever step foot in another Jiffy Lube.

I do not recommend that anyone who reads this ever goes to a Jiffy Lube or any other chain like it. Go to a mechanic that you trust; one that you wouldn't think of watching the whole time.

[558] Keith  Bad Attitude

I had been a happy customer at Jiffy Lube for years at the Roanoke, VA stores up until now. On Sunday January 28^th I went to the store on Peters Creek Road at about 4:45 PM , to have my oil changed. The store is schedule to close at 5:00 on Sundays. All of the bays were empty and there were three workers leaning on the counter drinking coffee doing nothing. I pulled up to one of the bays and a worker walked up do me and said that they were having computer problems and could not do oil changes.

You do not need a computer to drain oil, fill the crankcase and replace the filter. I feel that these guys were just too damn lazy to do the work since they were going to close in 15 minutes.  I do not think that I will go back to Jiffy Lube again. There are just too many other oil change places to go that want your business.

[557] Hector in Hamilton, NJ  Greedy

[556] Danny Not A Victim

I never got to be a victim. I've never been to Jiffy Lube. I decided to try them. I went into the office and was ignored for 15 minutes. Two employees behind the desk. finished what they were doing and walked right past me with out a word.Not so much as a "Hello" or "May I help you?". So I left. Maybe that saved me from having to post here with a real problem.

[555]  TS Oil Filter

Yesterday I drove to the door and waited until a so called attendant came out and spouted off a bunch of specials, mostly involving car wash. I stated I wanted only an oil change and filter. Leave the car running and step into the office he said. A half hour later the car still running he moved it to another door, checked the windshield wipers and in a few minuets finally moved it in and began changing the oil. He had said they didn't  have the weight oil I wanted---10-40, so I settled for 10-30. Then came the air filter pitch and said to be really bad. Looked fine to me as I had replaced it a month ago. After another 15 minuets the desk clerk said $35 please and another speal about car washes. I paid and went outside while they looked at a big puddle of oil under the car. They drove it around back and in again (still pouring out oil). Now a couple more reliable looking chiefs (from somewhere) began looking also. They said the oil filter they put on was leaking (bad connector on filter). While they were distracted some where else I looked at my old filter and their filter, they were not the same  number. After a while they figured it out and replaced with the right one. On my ticket it stated Penzoil oil and filter. I have no idea of what the bulk oil was but the filter was unreadable. Not the familiar yellow Penzoil filter. Was not the type of Jiffy Lube I had been accustomed to.

[554] Danielle Drain Plug

[553] Brandon in Columbia Heights, MN  Too Much Oil

I brought my truck into a jiffy lube in Columbia heights MN and had a basic oil change done, I had a coupon for $19.99  for a standard 5 quart and filter change. I left and went to a friends and realized they over filled it by a quart, so I returned and the drained roughly a quart, it was fine. So roughly 2500 miles later I return to another jiffy lube in st.louis park MN tell them the story about the experience in Columbia heights They shook their  heads called them idiots. I got the basic oil change $44.00 this time and I left. Got home checked oil what do you know? a quart over so I got receipt to call them and I noticed they even charged me for the extra quart. I had them drain it and refund the $3.22 extra.

[552] Scott  No Oil

As usual I took my car to JL for an oil change only this time I had them flush the coolant as my dealer said they noticed rust in the fluid when they replaced my starter a couple of days before. They drained the oil, flushed the coolant, re-filled the coolant, and sent me on my way. After driving home a couple of miles and then over to my mothers house to run some errands for her I noticed valve noise while leaving her driveway. I looked down and saw a oil light. I popped the hood, pulled the dipstick, and nothing was on it. I motioned the neighbor over to verify. I went back to JL just around the corner and the Asst. Mgr., Mike, confirmed this. He put oil in and offered me 15 dollars off my next service. I contacted JL corp. and was told to take the car to the dealer where it was found to have “bottom end scoring” at only 32000 miles. JL sent a “third party” to inspect and said there was no damage. Claim denied….after 3-4 miles driven with no oil. We are going to court.

29 March 07 Update: I talked to jl hq today and now they refuse to pay the $250 inspection fee AND cancelled the rental car retroactive to the day I picked it up! The jerks got balls.

[551] Victim in Woodbridge, VA  Bait & Switch

I have been a long time Jiffy Lube customer, I like my cars very much and take great care to keep up on maintenance and repair.  I always go to the same JL shop in Woodbridge, VA... recognize the employees, etc.  I had a basic 5 quart oil change mid-march ($50), the technician pressed a coolant flush, so I finally said Id get that later.  2 weeks later I went back to get the coolant flush, this time I brought a coupon for $5 dollars off any service, which I got online (I am a jiffy lube "special promotions" member).  The coolant flush was $90, and then I got talked into a belt replacement on a Jeep, another $80. Total time to complete these services was only about 15 minutes.  When I presented the coupon upon checkout, the cashier said that was for 0il changes only...then got the manager after I asked for him...he very quickly said no as well...$5 off oil changes only.  They would not give a long time, loyal customer...who had just dropped roughly $220 in 2 weeks at the same shop (not to mention how much over the year) a five dollar break..with a valid coupon.  As I was leaving, one of the service techinicians (who must have overheard  this), walked out and handed me a "customer loyalty card" for 5 dollars off any service performed,  he said.  I said thanks.  Later, i took a closer look at my receipt and card...in fine print it said "for oil change only".  What a scam...watch out for the bait and switch!!

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