Jiffy Lube Customer Experiences

JJiffy Lube Customer Experiences

Customers of Jiffy Lube describe a similar problem they say the company's employees caused. A consumer alert to advise you to carefully consider who you let service your vehicle.

Joan of Oak Park IL (8/18/04):
On Friday, 2/27/04, I took my Chevy Blazer into the Jiffy Lube at 1351 West North Avenue in Melrose Park for an oil change. On Saturday, 2/28/04, oil was leaking from under my vehicle. I had never had leaks prior to this date. On 2/29/04, my friend and I were on 190 Expressway West when my car filled up with smoke - the car was burning oil.

I pulled off the highway and into the nearest service station at which time I bought a quart of oil, put it in the car and got directions to the nearest Jiffy Lube at Clyborn and Fullerton. Dave, the service technician, inspected the vehicle and found that the screw that seals the oil pan was stripped and was not even the correct screw for my vehicle. He stated that if I had not gotten to Jiffy Lube as quickly as I did, Jiffy Lube would have been responsible for replacing a blown engine.

He put a screw in and I thought this was a permanent fix. On Monday, 3/01/04, I contacted Damen at the Melrose Park Jiffy Lube and told him I wanted my money for the oil I bought on 2/29/04 along with other money incurred as a result of their negligence. I also asked for compensation for distress in this situation. Damen told me over the phone that the money would be refunded; however, when I arrived at Jiffy Lube, he stated he could not refund the money without authorization from his boss. The boss refused the refund even after speaking with me via phone until I told him that Dave had said Jiffy Lube almost had to pay for a new engine due to their negligence. He then authorized the refund.

For several weeks, I was homebound due to illness and did not drive my vehicle. When I returned to driving in late March, early April, I paid 2 separate visits to Jiffy Lube for fluid checks as I was constantly noticing leaks now. Both times I was told I was losing oil and antifreeze. One service technician told me that whatever plug the Clyborn/Fullerton service technician put into the oil pan was not a permanent fix and I would eventually have to replace the plug and possibly the oil pan. In early April, the car began to fill with smoke each time it was driven. I realized the vehicle was becoming hazardous and ceased from driving it.

I contacted Jiffy Lube corporate office to seek compensation. On 4/12/04, I spoke with Jay in Houston TX and found that corporate is not liable for the store's negligence but that he would contact the Melrose Park location about my complaint. He suggested I contact a mechanic to get estimates on the damage and assured me that a regional manager would contact me within 48 hours. On Friday, 4/16/04, I still had not heard from a manager. I spoke with Jay again and he told me to contact J&M Oil Enterprises, the owners of the Melrose Park Jiffy Lube. The number was not in service, so I contacted Damen who stated he or the manager would call me back within the hour. I was out of town 4/19/04 to 4/27/04 and upon return still had not received a call from Jiffy Lube corporate, regional or J&M Oil. I lost approximately $700 and use of my car for 2 months and put myself and others at risk driving this vehicle.

Source: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/jiffy_lube_damage.html

Jiffy Lube Breaks Cars - Quickly!
Posted By: arcurlyq on 7/27/2005 (Washington, DC)
I took my car to the Jiffy Lube in Gaithersburg Maryland in December of 2004. Soon after this visit, I noticed my car was losing a lot of oil (I check it regularly but it's a 3 year-old car). I had Jiffy Lube top it off on a couple of occasions, but they insisted Volkswagons just "burned oil" and that there was nothing wrong.

In March of 2005 (My next oil change) I went ot the Jiffy Lube in Burtonsville, MD while en-route to Baltimore. They went to change my oil and informed me that the last people who changed my oil had stripped the oil plug.

I had to call back the original shop and I requested at this time to have my car fixed by a Volkswagon dealer and paid for by Jiffy Lube (since they damaged the car). Each shop tried to blame the other for what had happened, even though they were both corporately owned Jiffy Lubes. They went around and around for days and it cost me $200 to have the oil-plug replaced.

It took more than two months to get my money back and this was only after calling the CEO's office at Jiffy Lube. What a headache! I will never let those grease-monkeys touch my car again.

Source: http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=10473

[90] Daniel & Terry in Tulsa, OK
Took 2002 Kia Optima to JIffy Lube for oil change 12/9/04, mileage 14,194.

On 8/9/05 took Kia to dealership for warranty work, mileage 16,772. Left car, went home, found oil on garage floor of brand new home where only the Kia has been parked, so it came from the Kia. Jiffy Lube had been last one to do any work on car until now. I called dealership and told them of the oil leak and asked the to check it out since they already had the car. I was told the oil plug had been stripped and that was why I had oil leaking from my car. Kia dealership took pictures and save the faulty parts for me. Ordered new oil pan, repair bill $215.09, plus I was without my car for five days. If the plug had fallen out while driving the car and lost all the oil, it would have void my warranty and I would have been out the cost of a new engine. Called owner of the Jiffy Lube store and he said he was not liable, didn't want to see the evidence, and we could just take him to small claims court. He tried blaming the Kia dealership saying they tampered with the plug causing the leak. Hellooooo, it was leaking before I took the car in, only I didn't know it until I saw the empty space with oil on the floor. Kia service advisor said this was not the first time he'd seen this same thing from Jiffy Lube. Hope this helps

Source: http://www.jiffylubeproblems.com/Experiences76-100.htm

[79] John in Gilbert, Arizona
I took my wife's car in for an oil change at the Jiffy Lube location at 931 South Val Vista in Gilbert, AZ. When I arrived I was told by a sloppy dress employee that they were backed up and couldn't help me for at least forty minutes. I was then directed to another location several miles away. Upon reaching that location another employee told me they couldn't service my car because they didn't have the tool needed to remove the oil plug. I then drove back to the original location and found waited about ten minutes before I was able to drive in.

After another twenty minutes of watching what was possibly the most colossal display of incompetents transpire as the "Team Members" bungled about trying to replace a pair of windshield wipers I noticed someone had begun working on my car. After removing the oil filter another young man approached me and asked where I had my last oil change done. I removed the receipt showing that the service was done at this very location and asked, why?

I was told that the last team member who did the oil change stripped the oil plug and they couldn't get it off, therefore they couldn't change my oil. I then asked, "If you admit that the damage was done at this location, then why don't you simply removed the plug and replace it with an undamaged one?" To this the young man replied, "Well, we don't have another one...sorry."

So after nearly an hour and a half of driving around and waiting, nothing was accomplished except making the decision that Jiffy Lube has lost my business.

Source: http://www.jiffylubeproblems.com/Experiences76-100.htm