[825]
Barbara Ann in Houston, TX Disregard For TxDPS Rules
October 13, 2007 Today I went to Jiffy
Lube store # 2135 located at 3302 Ella Blvd, Houston Texas 77018,
713 686-7907 to get my vehicle inspected. My car is a 2002 model;
however the inspector has it listed on the report as a 2001.
Inspector Tramain Hill placed a 09/08 sticker on my vehicle instead
of a 10/08. I noticed this as I drove away. I went to another
inspection station at 18th and Ella (Mobile Station) to
inquire if this is new rule. They advised me to return to Jiffy
Lube and have them remove the sticker and give me my money back or
place the correct sticker on the car. I went back to Jiffy Lube to
inquire why the wrong sticker was placed on the car and Mr. Hill
informed me he ran out of the October stickers and the remaining
October stickers fell in oil and could not be used. It is my
understanding inspection stickers are suppose to be secured in a
locked drawer instead in a working area and the inspection charge is
$39.75 and not $41.25 which Jiffy Lube charged me. Are they
charging each customer this added charge of $1.50 per vehicle?
Where is the extra fee going? I questioned Mr. Hill why he did not
tell me he did not have the proper month because I was waiting in
the waiting room. Mr. Hill said he should have done that but did
not. I requested he remove the sticker and give me my money back
and Mr. Hill said he could not do that only his supervisor Mr.
Marcus Beck could and Mr. Beck would not be in until Monday. I then
left the Jiffy Lube store.
I would like to make a formal complaint against
Jiffy Lube and Inspector Tramain Hill for irresponsible behavior and
disregard of the Texas Department of Public Safety rules and
regulations pertaining to Texas Vehicle Inspections. I would like
TX DPS to issue an appropriate fine/etc following the outcome of my
complaint and investigation into the circumstances listed above.
[824] Sandy in Exxex Junction, VT Consistent Failures
I have had very troubling
experiences at Jiffy Lube in Exxex Junction, VT and in South
Burlington, VT. They are:
· Consistently failing to
reset the light that indicates it is time to have my oil changed-
and rudely telling me to check my manual to reset it
· Leaving grease on the doors,
steering wheel, dash, and upholstery of the vehicle- and telling me
it is easy to get off myself or offering to clean it if I drive 30
miles (each way) back to their shop
· Failing to respond to voice
mail messages about these problems
They are expensive but on the way to
work, so I end up returning there. Since I live in a very rural
area, I am loath to make a special trip (40 miles each way) to the
dealership. It is frustrating.
[823]
Ken in Gainesville, FL Forgot To Replace Oil
I am writing to relay a situation that although it was detected,
may have been costly to me. On the afternoon of 10/12/2007, I
engaged the staff at site # 404,Gainesville,Fl, to perform an oil
change, in my Ford F150 pick-up truck. Upon completion, I paid
24.34 for the service - receipt # 909046. After arriving home, I
removed the dipstick to note both the color of new oil and the
level. To my surprise and dismay no oil wetness was even on the
tip. I phoned the Regional Mgr., Sean Curry( 352-258-2905), who in
turn had the Area Mgr, Leon phone and get my home address. Leon
confirmed the absence of oil, and filled the chamber with three(3)
quarts from his supply. Leon apologized for the mistake, and has
offered to reperform the oil change, properly in the near future.
This letter serves for me two functions : (1) complaint of
negligence, (2) foresight against bad intent from those involved
as employees of Jiff Lube. Thank you for your attention to this
incident.
[822] Alene in DE
Destroyed Engine
My engine was destroyed by Jiffy Lube. About a month ago, I made
the mistake of gettingt an oil change at the Jiffy Lube in Wall
Township. I drove to Delaware and almost back when my friend
called me to tell me that my car leaked oil in his brand new
driveway of his brand new house. I stopped at the next gas
station to find that I had no oil in my car. The engine was
extremely hot and loud. The gas station attendant filled my car
with four quarts of oil and it was still low. I called the Hyundai
dealership where I bought my car to get it serviced and to check
for the oil leak. My appointment was for two days later. The next
day I was filling my car with oil when a gentleman came to help.
He could see the oil pouring out from the bottom of my car as I
was filling it. He looked underneath my car and screwed the filter
in tight. As he tightened it, the leaking stopped immediately. He
asked if I had my oil changed recently and I told him I did last
week a t the Jiffy Lube. He said a friend of his just had a
similar problem and I should speak with the Manager of Jiffy Lube
and it was obvious they did not tighten the filter correctly. He
also said he would be happy to speak as my witness. I called first
and spoke to the Asst. Mgr who told me to come back to the store.
The next day I came after work with my receipt and was told that a
defective filter was put on my car. He said they received a
defective batch #37 which was printed on the receipt. He switched
the filter and I asked what they were going to do about the noise
in my engine. He gave me the number of the main office and he told
me he would send an email to his district office documenting that
there was indeed a noise coming from the engine. The sound was
much lower than it was the previous day. I asked for the defective
fiilter back and he said he needed it so that they could send it
back to the company, but he would document everything. I spoke to
the c ustome r rep at the corporate office and he asked me what I
wanted done. I told him I wanted my car checked out by an
independent agency and if there were any damages I wanted Jiffy
Lube to pay for it. He said fine. I did just that and found that
my engine was essentially blown. After numerous phone calls,
emails, headaches, and stress. They replaced my engine with a
rebuilt engine that hesitates and it is no where near the
same as I had before their oil change. Of course, to add to the
story-before they agreed to fix anything they insisted I sign a
release that I wouldn't sue them. They had me fax over something
to the. That should have been a warning. As a single mother with
limited funds I needed a car to go to work. I just wanted the
damages they caused fixed. If I had it to do over I would have
taken them to court in the first place. The Hyundai dealership who
installed their engine, called it a "junk yard engine". They gave
me no ch oice. The car runs terrible! Another issue caused from
their mistake was my driveway has greater than six quarts of oil
stains from that incident. They sent a power wash company out to
remove the stains. I knew this would not work and I told them
that. They told me that they wanted to try this first and work
from there. They refused to do anything else as they said they
handled every situation. I will never go to Jiffy Lube again. I am
going to try and locate an attorney who will take on this case.
[821] Victim
No Early Bird Specials
Was at establishment today early bird special 21.00 and had wipers
replaced were supose to start at 9.99 they never priced for me
just put them on my bill came to 52.00 and on top they added wrong
oil first time so I had them drain it and put correct oil in I
was there over 1hr. not happy with this and manager only offered
to talk to employee no added discount nothing I will so not return
very upset all way around.
[820] Victim
Stripped Drain Plug
I’ve been
having my oil changes at Jiffy Lube for several years. Last time,
they informed me that they had broken the drain plug on my oil
tank. They tried to get me another one for my BMW, but they
couldn’t so they put an interchangeable one on there. I drove
home. The next morning, I had a puddle of oil under my car. I
drove it straight to my dealership and they informed me that the oil
pan had been stripped, so no oil plug would have fit on it anymore.
So I needed a new oil pan. I had to get a rental car, and I still
have it two days later, and my estimate for the oil pan and labor is
$1500. They are supposed to call me, but if they don’t by the end
of the day, I’m taking them to small claims court.
[819] Tracy in Saratoga Springs, NY Overfilled Transmission
On July 11th 2007 I brought my 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee to the 5
Lowes Dr. Repair Facility #7093371 Jiffy Lube #2804 in Saratoga
Springs New York to have the oil changed and the transmission
flushed and replaced. At the time my Jeep had 62,660 miles on the
odometer. I wanted to make sure I got these services done before I
drove down to Long Island. I paid the bill and drove down to Long
Island, stayed for three days and drove back to Saratoga. The
following Wednesday, July 18th 2207, I brought my car to Sams Tires
and Automotive, Inc. at 111 Congress St. Saratoga Springs New York
to purchase new tires and a tune up. At this time my Jeep had 63,264
miles on the odometer. That afternoon I received a call from Sams
Tires and Automotive, the mechanic needed to inform me the
transmission on my Jeep needed to be serviced. The mechanic at Sams
Tires noticed the Jeep wasnt shifting properly and checked the
transmission to locate the problem. When the mechanic did so he dis
covered the transmission was overfilled by 3 quarts of transmission
fluid. I was informed by the mechanic the transmission fluid had to
be flushed and the transmission filter and transmission fluid needed
to be replaced. I told the mechanic to please perform that service
for me. When I picked my Jeep up from Sams Tires and paid for the
services rendered I told them I just had the transmission serviced
(T-Tech Auto Transmission S. Multi Purpose Auto Transmission F. and
ATF Additive) at Jiffy Lube one week ago. The mechanic at Sams
Tires informed me that it was lucky the problem was discovered
because if the Jeep continued to be driven with the transmission 3
quarts overfilled the transmission would be damaged. At this point I
told the mechanic at Sams Tires I had driven to Long Island and
back with the transmission 3 quarts overfilled from the service I
purchased at Jiffy Lube. That means the Jeep was driven 604 miles
with a transmission that was 3 quarts overfilled, a serviced
performed by Jiffy Lube. I asked the mechanic at Sam Tires what I
should do about this incident. He suggested to keep an eye on the
performance of the transmission and bring it back in if I thought
anything was wrong. On July 18th 2007 I returned to Jiffy Lube to
inform them of the problem and to be reimbursed for the transmission
service I paid for from Jiffy Lube. I spoke to the manager and
explained the situation. I showed the manager my receipt form Sams
Tires and requested a refund. In my detailed explanation to the
manager I also explained this problem could have damaged my
transmission and if the transmission is damaged I was going to hold
Jiffy Lube responsible for the costs to repair the transmission. On
September 19th 2007 I brought my 2001 Jeep to Sams Tires. I brought
my Jeep in because I noticed the transmission wasnt shifting
properly. When the Jeep was at a stop and I took my foot off the
brake and put it on the gas to accelerate the Jeep forward 1s t gear
would not immediately catch. If took several seconds for the
transmission to shift into 1st gear and accelerate forward. That
afternoon (September 19th 2007) the mechanic from Sams Tires called
me and informed me that transmission needed to be worked on and I
needed to bring it to a specialist.
The transmission in my 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee has been damaged
due to Jiffy Lube overfilling the transmission by 3 quarts of
transmission fluid. I need to have my transmission repaired and I
want Jiffy Lube to pay for this repair service.
[818]
Robert in Richmond, VA Transmission Problems
I took my car to Jiffy Lube and
I and missing a bolt and a rubber cap. My clutch adjustment is also
very different and the trans oil never was changed. And now my
engine light is one!
The details of the problem:
I was in two Jiffy Lube stores
this past weekend and received very bad service between the both of
them. I own a 2001 Kia Rio that was in very good working order
before I took it to Jiffy Lube. On Saturday Sep 15th I took my car
to the Jiffy Lube at 9215 Quioccasin Rd. in Richmond VA to have the
trans oil changed and have the coolent flushed and replaced. The
overall service in this store was ok but I was a bit unhappy that
they informed me that they did not know how to change the trans oil
in this vehicle.
On Sunday Sep the 16th I thought
that maybe another Jiffy Lube may know how to change the trans oil
in the Kia and stopped by another store and discussed the facts with
the manager of the store. I stopped at the Jiffy Lube at 8025 West
Broad St. and the manager informed me that they knew how to change
the trans oil in the Kia. I was the first person there and was
happy to find out I would be able to accomplish this car maintenance
this weekend after all. 1 hour and half later the mechanic
instructed me that he would not be able to finish the job because he
was unable to remove the drain plug from the Kia. I thanked him for
his time and left the store.
As I left the store and was
driving I noticed the clutch was now very spongy and the car was not
driving like the way it was before the mechanic started working on
it. I stopped the car and looked under the hood. I noticed a cable
left unbolted down and thought that the mechanic had forgotten to
put some of the pieces of the car back together.
I went back to the store and the
mechanic told me he had to remove the cable to be able to put the
new oil in the car. - (Which never took place). He also tried to
adjust the clutch back to the way it was. I watched him search
around for the bolt and try and put one back in the missing spot
that was holding the cable down. The mechanic instructed me of a
missing cap on the top of the transmission and stated that maybe the
Jiffy Lube that looked at my car the prior day had taken it off and
forgot to put it back.
I left that store and the Kia
still did not have the same feel to the clutch but was better. I
went to the first store I went to on Saturday and asked about the
rubber cap and was told that they did not remove this cap. The
mechanics there looked at the car and told me that the bolt that the
other mechanic put back was not the correct bolt and was not even
screwed in. He reached down and pulled it out of the hole and
handed it to me.
Now I was completely and totally
floored. Soon after leaving the Jiffy Lube my engine light
came on! What kind of business is Jiffy Lube? Now I need
to go to the dealership and have the car looked at.
[817] Pat in Vista, CA Disrespected
I got my oil changed at the Vista Ca location.
3 days later I notice a large puddle of oil in my driveway as I am
pulling out of the parking spot. I check the dip stick, and it is
about 2 quarts low. I ad oil and bring it to the dealer to check it
out. I figured it was a leak or something. No. They told me that the
drain plug was not screwed in properly. I went into the Jiffy Lube
location where I had the job done and tried to file a complaint. The
service manager accused me of intentionally doing it so I can get a
new engine out of them or something like that. My truck is less than
2 years old and is decked out with aftermarket EVERYTHING. I love my
truck. I would never do something like that. Who would? Anyway, I
asked for the General Manager's information so i could lodge a
complaint. The service manager was extremely confrontational. He
said that he doest have to give me that information. As I walked out
of the business, he yelled "Have a beautiful
F%#ing day!" I have never
been disrespected by anyone like that in my life! Do not go to this
location. They are incompetent and rude to boot! Thankfully there
was no damage to the engine that I know of. No thanks to Jiffy no
lube. If you value your car, go to a reputable place.
[816] Lynn
in Raleigh, NC Damaged Exhaust
September
5, 2007
Mr. Luis Scoffone
Jiffy Lube International
700 Milam St.
Houston
TX, 77002
Mr. Scoffone;
I just thought you might be interested in how a subsidiary of your
company is handling business here on the east coast. I have been a
loyal patron of this establishment since long before your company
acquired the “Quick 10” franchise. In fact, I worked for the company
which designed the building and I personally produced the
construction documents for this facility. With all this in mind I
must tell you I can no longer take my vehicles to your establishment
for service. Please refer to the rest of this letter and the
attached correspondence for a description of my experience with your
franchise. I must say, to date no one has apologized for the damage
which incurred to my vehicle and even more they have the nerve to
claim it was my fault my vehicle was damaged. You may wish to visit
the Raleigh office of “Lucor Inc.” to check in on your vested
interests. Should you come to town please feel free to contact me, I
would be happy to buy you lunch and discuss your company’s future.
Below is a brief description of my experience;
I took my
1977 Corvette to store #2731 on Glenwood Ave. in Raleigh NC on
07/29/07 for a North Carolina Vehicle Inspection. During the
inspection process they damaged my vehicle. The car sits very low as
all Corvettes do and I warned the technician to be careful when
driving it on to the service rack. They drove the car onto the
larger of the two racks they have at the center and damaged my
exhaust in the process. The technician whom damaged my car no longer
works for Jiffy Lube as he walked off the job and quit. Per your
customer service representative I obtained estimates for the repair
to my vehicle. Upon review of the estimates they informed me store
policy would only pay for half of the damage and not the full
amount. Further he stated the damage to my vehicle was partly my
fault due the low clearance of my vehicle. Your offer to pay for
only half of the damage which occurred to my vehicle during a
routine North Carolina Vehicle Safety Inspection is not acceptable.
My vehicle suspension has not been modified from stock
specifications and thereby their claim that all of the inspection
ramps within your service center #2173 located on Glenwood Ave. are
sized to accommodate all vehicle DOT specifications is not valid. At
the point of service I was not warned that their establishment, as a
policy, does not service Corvettes and thereby I did not wave my
rights to any damage which may occur to my vehicle during routine
service. Their claim to half of the damages which occurred to my
vehicle is an admission of liability. They insist it is Lucor Inc.
policy to only pay half of any damages which may occur during
routine service. If this is so they need to quote the General
Statutes of the State of North Carolina which absolve them of
financial responsibility to any or all compensatory damage which may
occur during the course of performing routine service.
The damage
which occurred to my vehicle was not my fault or responsibility. My
vehicle needs to be restored to the condition it was in prior to any
service preformed upon it by your employees. I have filed a formal
complaint with the Better Business Bureau and the North Carolina
Attorney General's Office in hopes to resolve our dispute.
The damage
which occurred to my vehicle was not my fault or responsibility.
Their offer of “gift checks” for the remaining amount is
unacceptable. My mortgage company will not accept their coupons for
my house payment, the “Food Lion” won’t take their coupons in
exchange for food, and my mechanic will certainly not accept their
coupons in trade to repair the exhaust system damaged on my vehicle.
On three separate occasions Jiffy Lube has damaged my vehicles. I
returned twice to give them another chance but I can no longer
afford to have them service my vehicles. Thereby, the “gift coupons”
are of no value to me. They need to accept responsibility and cover
the damages they incurred to my vehicle.
[815] Lloyd in Ames, IA
Forgot To Replace Oil
I went to Jiffy Lube #342 in Ames, Iowa for the
last time. I got an oil change and paid my $40 and out the door I
went. I drove apprx 1/4 mile and I realized the oil light was
still on. I turned onto a back alley way and heard my engine
start to knock. I quickly turned of my car which is only 2 years
old and popped the hood and checked my oil. The dipstick came out
completely dry. I walk back to the store and tell them they did
not put oil in my car! They assured me that they did, but they
would have one of their guys come take a look. They talk for
awhile and out comes one of the technicians. I noticed that he was
empty handed and I told him to grab some oil...and he did. We
walked back to my vehicle and he checked the oil and noticed that
it was empty as well. I asked him if it is their process to fill
the car with oil and then check the dipstick..he said yes.
Obviously those two important steps were skipped. I returned and
they checked over my car and I asked to speak with a manager. The
manager assured me that if any damage was done it will be
noticeable in the first 3,000 miles and that I am under warranty
until then. I am not a car guy so I do not know what amount of
truth that holds. He offered me my next oil change free...and I
quickly stopped him and said that there won't be a next one and I
am not paying for this one that technically never occurred
anyways!
Well I will see what happens. I hope I noticed
it fast enough not to cause any damage, but only time will tell. I
don't really want to deal with these ignorant individuals again.
[814] Jason in
Minneapolis, MN No Caps
I went to a jiffy lube in Minneapolis, store
#2005, and they left both my radiator cap and oil cap off. Coolant
was everywhere. I am the idiot though because so many people warned
me not to go to Jiffy Lube. Hopefully this will help someone.
[813] G. in
Fairport, NY Damaged Plug
I took my Honda to the Jiffy Lube on Fairport Rd in East Rochester
NY for an oil change.The manager soon informed me that I needed a
new drain plug to which I said"OK."Several months later I returned
to the same place for an oil change.The manager soon returned to
inform me that the drain plug hole was damaged and that they
wouldn't perform the oil change.Upon inspection,they had cross
threaded a standard plug into a metric hole.When I told them it
was their doing originally the denied it.Bye-Bye Jiffy Lube
forever!
[812] Keith in Forest, VA Fraud
On September
17, 2007 during my lunch hour I went to my local Jiffy Lube in
Forest, VA to get the oil changed in my 1997 Ford F-150 4X4. I was
redeeming my buy-one-get-one-free coupon I got for a Pennzoil oil
change purchased in May 2007. The young lady who processed me pulled
up the recommended services for my truck. According to her records,
I needed the transmission serviced, tires rotated, serpentine belt
checked, rear-end lube checked and wipers checked. I told her just
change the oil and went to the waiting room to wait. There wasn’t
much business that day so I expected to be finished quickly. After
about 10 minutes she came in to show me my plug from the rear-end
that her tech had removed to check the rear end lube, even though I
had told her not to. The plug had a lube with visible (though
miniscule) metal fragments on the inside surface. She said it needed
to be changed. I was in a hurry to get my truck back so I asked how
much for the service, she said 52.99 but would let me have it for
32.99. I said go ahead. While I had the plug in my hands I got some
of the lube on my fingers and went to wash it off when she left me.
It was then that I realized the “dirty lube with metal fragments”
was nickel anti-seize lubricant. I wanted to check out the lube in
the rear end with some mechanic buddies and found out that the lube
should be a 90 weight light oil that would be oil colored, not
silver. This is a clear case of fraud. I am contacting you via
e-mail instead of the local Jiffy Lube because I do not trust them
to tell the truth when confronted. I will expect a prompt answer and
satisfactory resolution. If I do not then I will escalate this up to
the next level.
[811] John
in Memphis, TN No Banner Pricing
This morning
[11 Oct 2007) I went to Jiffy Lube at 5171 Poplar in Memphis, TN and
they had a banner out front that said that they had an early bird
special from 7-10 am Monday-Friday .I had seen the banner after
taking my daughter to school and made a mental note. I arrived at
Jiffy Lube at 9:20 and the banner was still hanging there when I
arrived. I got a phone call when I got out of the car and while I
was on the phone they started to take the banner down. I got off the
phone and asked the guy folding the banner (that I could still read
in front of me) if they were still honoring the early bird special
and he said no. I decided not to get the oil changed there. I will
be happy to pay full price for an oil change somewhere else.
[810]
Barney Just Say No
I have been going to Jiffy Lubes in various towns and with
various cars since the early 1980s. The convenience is outstanding,
and even the prices are OK to good including on such things as air
filters, windshield wiper blades, and light bulbs. I have never had
a problem with any of the outlets not doing work they charged me for
(in all cases, the shop floor is openly visible so you can watch
them work), nor have I had any problem with work being done
improperly. However JL routinely says you need oil and other fluid
changes more frequently than specified in the owners manual
maintenance schedule. As long as you know this policy going in, it
is easy to just say no to extra services. Or if you don't remember
the manufacturer-specified interval, just tell them you will catch
them next time on that one, then go home and look it up. A couple of
caveats. If most of your driving is stop and go in big city commuter
traffic, this qualifies as heavy duty usage and you should change
oil more frequently according to the heavy duty maintenance schedule
rather than the normal schedule. Or if you don't drive very much,
i.e. it takes a year to put 3000 miles on the car, I would not go
all that time without an oil change based on mileage alone. Finally,
keep in mind that regular car maintenance places can be dishonest
also, and they have more opportunity to cheat you because they work
on your car out of your sight. So, yes, be wary at Jiffy Lube, but
keep the trouble reports in perspective. Overall, this is a good
service to have available as an alternative to a full service repair
shop. Also there is a lot of comfort and reassurance in being able
to watch them at work on your car. My two cents worth.
[809] Donna in Los Angeles, CA No Reverse Transmission
LOS ANGELES LOCATION - 3061 Overland Ave.,
Store no. 1803
Today I went to Jiffy Lube for a standard oil change on my 1999
Mazda Miata. It has 80k miles, so the technician talked me into
getting their $39.95 Manual Transmission Service, which consists of
draining the transmission fluid and adding in new fluid. Jiffy
Lube's computer showed that for a Mazda this service was
recommended. I agreed and the service was done. I paid and the
technicians sent me on my way.
As I was driving the 3 miles home to my place, I noticed that my car
kept popping out of fourth gear. It had never done this before. I
tested it and found it was consistent, so I called Jiffy Lube and
was told to bring my car in for them to look at. I drove back to
the location and pulled in about 20 minutes after I first drove
away. I pulled up to a bay and the technician asked me to back up
so they could move cars. When I went to back up, I noticed I didn't
have a reverse gear. I told the technician this and he drove my car
into the bay.
A different technician then went under my car, wiped the gear box
repeatedly with a rag, wiped his hands, then asked for a water hose
which he used to spray around. After looking for about 5 minutes,
he returned to me mumbling something about a bolt and said he wanted
to take the car for a test drive. I asked if a bolt could be why my
car had no reverse, he looked at me puzzled, got in the car, tried
to back up and realized it wouldn't back up. He then drove my car
around the block, pulled back in the lot, tried to back into a
parking spot and realized there was no reverse, so he just parked my
car, got out with door held up and keys in hand and said, "here you
go." LIKE I WAS SUPPOSED TO JUST DRIVE AWAY!
I said I wouldn't move my car from the spot and that they needed to
figure out what was wrong. The technician then told me that the
problem was a "pre-existing condition" and when I cried foul, he
said, "well, we had problems getting into your box. Your
transmission was shot." Like this is coincidence. I called him on
it, asked why they didn't point out that there was a problem before
I left, and then said I wasn't leaving without talking to a
manager. I called the store manager on his cell phone. The manager
assured me that Jiffy Lube would replace my transmission if it
turned out that the technicians erred and offered to get me a rental
car--all appropriate responses that I hope he will honor. I had to
leave my broken car there. I am not happy about leaving my car in
their care without me there for one minute given what has
transpired.
I got home from the store wiped and upset and feeling completely
vulnerable and abused by this experience. So, I went to google and
researched and found the following information which clearly
explains what happened to my car, from
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3828/is_200510/ai_n15740765
"Mazda
No 5th gear or Reverse engagement. The owner of a 1999-2003 Miata
with a six-speed manual transmission may come into your shop
complaining that he can't get the box into 5th or Reverse gear. If
he does, ask if he had the transmission fluid checked or changed
recently. If he answers in the affirmative, there's a good chance an
inexperienced tech handled the job-with dire consequences. Here's
why:
As the illustrations below clearly show, the transmission case on
the Miata six-speed has several different plugs. The 8mm hex plug on
the right side of the case is part of the crank lever shaft, which
retains the 5th/Reverse counter lever. Remove that plug and the
lever shaft comes out with it, causing the counter lever to drop to
the bottom of the case. The result is that both 5th and Reverse
gears go south. And the only way to get them back is to pull and
disassemble the transmission!
Now look at the left side of the case. Here you'll find two 24mm
plugs. As you can see, the fill plug is at the midway point, the
drain plug at the bottom. This is where you want to be when doing
any kind of maintenance work on a Miata six-speed."
THIS is what happened. What concerns me most about this incident is
that the information above clearly indicates that if a technician
takes out the wrong plug the lever shaft comes out with it. To me,
this means: THE TECHNICIAN WHO WORKED ON MY CAR KNEW HE SCREWED
UP. Instead of owning it and consulting a manual to see what that
meant, they sent me on my way--into BUSY LA traffic with no
reverse. I could have been seriously injured had I gotten into a
situation where I might need to back up but couldn't. I am insensed
that: (A) the technician did not consult a manual to determine which
plug to remove in the first place, (B) didn't own up immediately
when the wrong plug was removed, (C) didn't consult with a manual or
a mechanic to see what the blunder meant, and (D) sent me out into
traffic with not even a HINT of an indication that anything was or
could be wrong. If Jiffy Lube can't better train its technicians to
perform such services, then they ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT PEDDLE THEM.
I feel completely victimized by this experience.
I am now out my car for an extensive, time consuming, invasive and
expensive repair of PULLING AND DISASSEMBLING THE
TRANSMISSION. Please, if you can post any kind of warning to folks
with my transmission about this, you could save people from a lot of
time, headache and potential expense. This has been an
unbelievably bad day!
[808] Jeb
in Norfolk, VA Snippy Employees
When I took my 2000 GMC Savana van to
the dealer to address a specific (not oil-related) problem, they
asked if I wanted an oil change; I said yes. They then told me
that the oil pan drain plug had been screwed in too tightly and
asked where I’d had the oil changed. I told them Jiffy Lube, and
they told me I should take it back there so they would know about
it and correct it.
I did take it to the same Jiffy Lube
(#131 on Little Creek Road in Norfok, VA) and I told the man who
checked me in about the problem. The visit proceeded normally,
including conferring about the kind of oil to use, until they
called me back out for the checkout. At that point they
offhandedly said, “Oh, we didn’t change the oil, because the drain
plug was damaged.” When I pointed out rather forcefully that I
was aware of the damage, and thought they were the ones who caused
it, they maintained that it was normal wear and tear, and that
they didn’t have a drain plug that would fit my van. They also
dismissed what the dealer’s service manager (a certified GM
professional) had told me, as if he didn’t know what he was
talking about.
I asked if they’d change the oil if I
obtained a replacement plug and they said they would. There’s a
parts store less than a mile from the Jiffy Lube; and I said I’d
go get a plug and be right back.
I went out to the van; the key wasn’t
in it. When I pointed this out, the manager very snippily said,
“Oh, we won’t give you the keys until you’ve paid for the work
we’ve already done.” (They had changed the fuel filter.) When I
protested that the job wasn’t complete and that I was intending to
go out on my own to get a part they needed to complete it, the
manager pulled a phone from her pocket and said, even more
snippily, “I don’t have to deal with irate customers; I’m the
manager. Are you going to pay for the work we’ve done?” I
replied that of course I was going to pay for it; I wasn’t going
to stiff them. “Well,” said, “You’d better go to the cashier
window and do it then, or I’m about to call the police!”
I went back into the building, where
the manager pushed the cashier away from the counter and handled
the transaction. I told her to enjoy getting my money, because it
was the last of my money they were going to get.
I went to the parts store and got the
drain plug. Then I found a different place to get the oil
changed. I’ll buy jugs of oil and do my own changes (something I
used to do regularly) before I’ll take any vehicle of mine to
Jiffy Lube again.
[807] Lissa in
Kent, WA Too Much Oil
I had my oil changed at Jiffy Lube(#2063) in
Kent WA on 8/31/07. Approximately a week later 9/8/07, my engine
siezed. I towed my car to Firestone in Tacoma WA and they diagnosed
the car to having too much oil, approximately one qt ($115.00 for
diagnostic). I then towed my car from Tacoma WA to Kent WA and the
store was closed. I went to JL on 9/9/07 and the manager told me
the reason that my engine siezed was due to no coolant in the
radiator (which they had checked and topped off as well on
8/31/07). To make a long story short, they have had my car for a
month and it has went from sitting in their parking lot to sitting
in a Transmission shop parking lot down the street from them, which
was towed there on 9/28/07. The man there stated the same thing
that JL is saying (this is the shop of thier choice). I am taking
them to small claims court the end of January and I believe that
they will not do anything at all. I n the meantime, I am a single
parent of two and I am a subcontractor that needs a vehicle to go to
the different job sites. If I have no transportation, I have no
job.
[806]
Michelle Wrong Oil
I recently went to a Jiffy Lube and paid to
have my rear differential fluid replaced. After about a week, my
car began vibrating while taking turns. I finally took the car to a
mechanic to see what was wrong and he found that the wrong kind of
fluid was put in my car. He had to drain it twice and replace it.
This took a few hours and $180.00 but my car runs well again. I sent
an email to Jiffy Lube and told them what happened, I received a
call asking me to fax the invoice from the mechanic, which I have,
and I have not heard anything back in close to a month.
[805]
Victim in Austin, TX Imaginary Crossmember
Zip code Austin Tx - 78727 - Jiffy Lube on Parmer Ln... about a
year ago.
Wanted to get my transmission fluid changed and transmission
filter changed.
First they tried to convince me to just have the transmission
fluid exchanged using thier machine that sucks out the old fluid
and replaces it with fresh fluid. I explained that I was wanting
the transmission filter replaced so that was not an option I was
interested in. So the guy explains to me that on my car, a 1988
Corvette, that it would be expensive ($100) to do because there is
a crossmember under the transmission that would have to be removed
in order to do the job. I am very familiar with my car and knew
that was not the case. The oil pan on the botton of the
transmission is completely accessible. So I said "really"? At
that point, he directs the question to the guy in the pit under my
car and asks him if there was a crossmember under the transmission
that would have to be removed in order to remove the
transmission's oil pan. He says "Yes there is". So I asked, "How
many bolts are there on the crossmember?" The guy under the car
answers "Four". Then I asked the salesman if I could see them,
but he says that customers are not allowed into the pit under the
car. At that point I just went down the steps anyway. Once under
the car, I asked the guy to point out the 4 bolts to me. Of
course, he couldn't and at that point I said, "Well, I'm not even
seeing the crossmember, could you point out where this invisible
crossmember is that is going to cost me $100 to remove... well...
where is it?"
At that point I came up from the pit, looked into the eyes of the
salesman and told him that it looked to me like he was nothing but
a lying, motherf***ing asshole who was trying to rip me off for
$100. His response was that 'maybe I should leave now" and I
said, "well, duh... I'm certainly not going to be paying some
rip-off artist $100 to do imaginary work on my car, of course I'm
leaving dipshit, do you really think I have any intention of
letting you even touch my car at this point?!?!
Then I walked into the customer waiting area and loudly announced
to everyone in there "Hey, these guys just tried to charge me $100
to remove a crossmember under my transmission that is not even
there!!! If I were you, I wouldn't be sitting in here trusting
these guys to be doing the work they are supposed to be doing, I'd
be out there watching them to make sure they are actually doing
what they claim to be doing on your car"
At that point, the salesman physically pulled me out of the
customer waiting area. Looking back on it, I should have called
the police and had the guy charged with assault, especially since
there was a room full of witnesses, and am sorry now that I
didn't.
Oh well, that's my jiffylube story. I ended up just doing the
work myself a week later. I didn't have any problem at all with
the removal of the imaginary crossmember.
[804] Tom
Ripped Off
I've only been to Jiffy Lube 3 times and each time I was ripped
off. 1st they talked me into getting my transmission flushed, 3
months later (time 2) I returned and they told me I needed my I
needed my trans. Second they told me I needed an air filter, which I
had changed the the day before. Their third scam is a new gas
filter. They could fix their problems by paying the employees
more
[803]
Steve Hosed Again
Just got done getting hosed
again. Now JL does not honor the frequent oil change cards anymore
where you can get a free oil change after X number of changes or
so. What value does JL bring to the market? The older baby boomers
may like it since they may not be physically able to change their
own oil. But what are these stories of $194.00 oil changes. I'm
sure they take some of these folks for a real ride when they can.
For me there is no benefit by
taking my cars to JL, which I have done for the past 7 years.
Exactly how fast do I need my oil changed and at what price. Sorry
if the environment can't take it but I might be going back to
changing my own oil and dumping it where I can. Sorry Mother Earth,
but I am tired of paying that kind of money for a bunch of pimpled
faced KIDS to change my car and then hand me a coupon for a FREE
Aquapel treatment, it just does not add up!
[802]
Won in Gaithersburg, MD Vouchers Not Honored
I am entitled to 3 free oil changes through
your Pennzoil/Shell buy one get one free promotion you ran sometime
during the summer. Essentially, when I didn't receive any
coupons/vouchers, I contacted the rebate center, entered the info.
necessary to check my rebates, and the automated response said, "we
were not able to honor your claim for the pennzoil two for one
offer/promotion due to non-participating store/location."
What in the world is that supposed to mean? The two locations I
went to, #719 in Gaithersburg, MD & #714 in Belleville, NJ, both
sent in my forms. How can these locations be invalid locations if
they were offering the promotions?
Please let me know how you will rectify this situation. If you
choose not to make this matter right, not only will you lose a
faithful customer, you will have an angry lawyer after you.
[801] Dean in Houston, TX Theft
Monday October 1, 2007 I went to Jiffy Lube on Dairy Ashford in
Houston Texas. First they overfilled my crankcase by 1/2 quart and
said "it would be fine." The following day I realized my cell phone
which I leave in my console was gone. No one else had been in or
near my car except me and the diligent workers at this location. I
did not see the theft but am highly certain it was taken at that
location. So an oil change cost me over 300.00 for a new phone.
Thanks Jiffy Lube.
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