- Joined
- Jul 16, 2014
- Messages
- 29,130
- Location (City and/or State)
- South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
I have one more horror story. This one should be a warning about "JIFFY LUBE":
Years ago I had a brand new car. My first new car. A 1987 Toyota FX-16. I always do my own services, but I could NOT remove the oil filter from the engine, so I went in to Jiffy Lube and spoke to the manager and told him my situation and gave him the oil and filter that I wanted them to use. "No problem" I was told.
A short while later I was told that it was all done. I paid and as I was walking out to my car, I noticed a large pool of coolant underneath. Closer inspection revealed that there was now a big gouge and a hole in my radiator!
Long story short, Jiffy Lube would only pay to have it REPAIRED and not replaced even though it was a new car with 1,200 miles on it.
I drove for the next few years with a glob of solder on my radiator as a reminder.
Fast forward now to about 1995 and I had an old Toyota Starlet that was my "work" vehicle. (Different state this time). I was having back problems and I wanted my manual transmission fluid and rear end lube changed out and as it so happened there was a special at Jiffy Lube.
I drove in and got the service. Drove out and got on the highway and noticed my shifter not shifting smoothly and then before I could get back home I was stuck in third gear.
I got a tow back to Jiffy Lube and on inspection it was found that there was NO lube in the transmission. Partially because there was no drain cap.
This time dear old Jiffy Lube would not cover the transmission because it was an old car and I couldn't PROVE that it was their fault.
I installed a junk yard tranny that worked for another five years and did eventually get Jiffy Lube to send me a check for a whopping $250. It covered the tow truck and not much else.
Now I've been on a quest to alert people that if they don't know how to service their own car, don't go to Jiffy Lube, because they hire idiots that don't know any more than you do and they get payed to learn on YOUR CAR.
I am an ASE master mechanic and should know better.
Thanks for letting me vent.
I have stories about good experiences too, however, they are far less interesting.
Years ago I had a brand new car. My first new car. A 1987 Toyota FX-16. I always do my own services, but I could NOT remove the oil filter from the engine, so I went in to Jiffy Lube and spoke to the manager and told him my situation and gave him the oil and filter that I wanted them to use. "No problem" I was told.
A short while later I was told that it was all done. I paid and as I was walking out to my car, I noticed a large pool of coolant underneath. Closer inspection revealed that there was now a big gouge and a hole in my radiator!
Long story short, Jiffy Lube would only pay to have it REPAIRED and not replaced even though it was a new car with 1,200 miles on it.
I drove for the next few years with a glob of solder on my radiator as a reminder.
Fast forward now to about 1995 and I had an old Toyota Starlet that was my "work" vehicle. (Different state this time). I was having back problems and I wanted my manual transmission fluid and rear end lube changed out and as it so happened there was a special at Jiffy Lube.
I drove in and got the service. Drove out and got on the highway and noticed my shifter not shifting smoothly and then before I could get back home I was stuck in third gear.
I got a tow back to Jiffy Lube and on inspection it was found that there was NO lube in the transmission. Partially because there was no drain cap.
This time dear old Jiffy Lube would not cover the transmission because it was an old car and I couldn't PROVE that it was their fault.
I installed a junk yard tranny that worked for another five years and did eventually get Jiffy Lube to send me a check for a whopping $250. It covered the tow truck and not much else.
Now I've been on a quest to alert people that if they don't know how to service their own car, don't go to Jiffy Lube, because they hire idiots that don't know any more than you do and they get payed to learn on YOUR CAR.
I am an ASE master mechanic and should know better.
Thanks for letting me vent.
I have stories about good experiences too, however, they are far less interesting.
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