Just say NO to Jiffy Lube

[cantdrv55]

Check out this nice piece of investigative work from NBC Channel 4. I must admit, I use Jiffy Lube for my company car, but I have no choice in where I can take it. They get my business every three weeks or so. They're probably not the only ones to do this though.

http://www.nbc4.tv/video/9152183/detail.html

[VINMAN]

Jiffy Lube cost me an engine in my Bronco. The only time I ever let someone touch my vehicle, (I was away on vacation). They put used oil back in. When I tried to fight it, corporate told me they are individual franchises and couldnt help me.
So F*#k them!

[legion]

Is there a summary for those of us that can't see the video?

[sand_man]

FOKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Big Ed]

They sold services that they didn't perform...tranny flush and fuel filter replacement. 5 of 9 Jiffy Lubes tested cheated their undercover people.

[wcc]

Yup, I'm done with Jiffy Lube!! They put in windshield washer solvent in my wife's car and over the winter froze and cracked the reservoir. They won't take responsibility. I'll replace it this summer.

[vash]

damn. people like me have a prayer. if i had tranny fluid changed i would check the work. at least pull the dipstick. i better see clean red stuff. same with the oil. my mom would get ripped. not cool at all. i hope jiffy lube pays up.

[widebody911]

One day a neighbor of mine asked me to come look at his car, because it 'sounded funny'. He'd just got the oil changed (guess where)?, and it started going south on the way home. I checked the oil - not a drop on the dipstick. I got underneath and saw it didn't have a drain plug, although there was still some oil dripping out, so my guess is they didn't tighten the plug all the way and it fell out on the trip home.

[techweenie]

Yep. I used them 3 times for a Jeep I used to haul junk around in. 2 out of 3 visits were okay, but on the third, they sold me windshield wiper blades and gave me the car back with the old blades. They seemed a bit irritated that I made them go get the blades and install them.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

My wife "did me a favor" to be nice to me once by taking my truck (had a GMC pickup back then) into J-lube to get the oil changed. To their credit, they filled the crankcase to the correct level (show me a 5-year-old that couldn't). They did however use a different viscosity versus what I generally ran (this was in Chicago - I ran 10w30 and they put 10w40 in - probably not THAT heinous of a crime), but they also used "el cheapo" dino oil instead of the synthetic I normally ran. Oil filter was garbage too. 3,000 miles later I went to change the oil (myself, thank you very much) and found they'd torqued the oil filter to over 100 ft-lb. Had to destroy it to get it off. Similar results on the drain plug (although I was able to get that off without destroying it or buckling the oil pan, thankfully).

Idiots and air tools should never mix.

[Oh Haha]

I use a local Pennzoil 10 minute service for my company ride. They always show me the dipstick after starting the car to prove thqat it is up to the level. Now, I know that the reading isn't accurate so I always check after letting the car sit for a couple of hours to let the oil drian into the pan. No problems so far.

[RANDY P]

What is really sad is that they are all probably compensated hourly -What exactly is to gain as an employee if you intentionally screw people? Save yourself a few seconds of work?

Some people will never get ahead in life - being unethical like this is the biggest reason why.

rjp

[vash]

wait, i remember them once using silicon on the tranny pan instead of a gasket. it pulled a piece thru and blew the thing up. this was on a friend's car.

ATF and silicon is a bad mix.

[john70t]

Overtightened? But if you don't use a 1/2in impact on the drain plug it's going to fall off! Those guys are great. They even replace oil pans too. Even the ones wedged under the front clip(for a little extra charge).
I once had a Midas muffler. After 1 year the car ran like doodoo until the whole thing fell off. Nice Midas guys (in a different state) only tried to charge me $45 for an "extention" piece.

[JavaBrewer]

I've been there several times for oil changes w/o issue and once they also changed my air filter. I get a bigger creep out taking my car to the dealership service department. At least at JL I can watch them do the work...

[Tim Hancock]

In general, most chain auto repair businesses have complete nimrods working for them (this includes tire shops, muffler shops etc). There are way fewer kids today who grow up wrenching on cars, minbikes etc. I am almost to the point of buying a tire balancer and mounter as most shops (other than a few high end specialty shops, cannot be trusted to do even the simplist repairs without screwing something up.

I do ALL (including alignments and AC!) of my own service and repairs now (except for tires). I trust NO-ONE!

[FrayAdjacent911]

I don't trust anyone to change my oil anymore.

Used to take my '95 Tacoma to Walmart, but they'd constantly only put 4 quarts of oil in it, when it took 5. I'd tell them to put 5 in it, but they rarely listened. I'd just grab an extra quart when I checked out.

Once, when I had my '84 Saab 900 Turbo, and was just out of highschool, I took my car to a quick lube place (no name brand), and they got it in the bay. 10 minutes later, the HUGE greasemonkey came out saying he couldn't get my drain plug out. He chewed it up with a vicegrip. Crap, I went and bought a new one... then went home, got a vice grip on the lip of the plug and then put a 3 foot breaker bar on it. Got it off lickety split! Went back, found the greasemonkey, handed him the new plug I just bought and told him I got the dang thing off all by myself (I was a skinny little highschool grad back then!)

And then there was Pep Boys... I'll never let them touch another vehicle I own. I'll buy parts there

[Don Plumley]

http://jiffylubesucks.tharmon.com/

"Next time you want to be serviced, visit JiffyLube®"

[Brian 162]

Took my Tahoe in for an oil change,and coolant flush (DEXCOOL) at the dealership. On invoice it said rad seeping at lower left. Two days later rad is leaking. Took it to a friends mechanic. He found a crack in plastic end of rad.Dealer must have pressure tested rad at 1000 pounds. Friends mechanic said it would have happened anyway. Crappy GM design using plastic ends on rads. AND the dealer didn't grease the u-joints on driveshaft after I asked them to do it.

Brian

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

Originally posted by john70t
Overtightened? But if you don't use a 1/2in impact on the drain plug it's going to fall off! Those guys are great.

This happened to a friend's bug after going to Jiffy Lube.