Friend of mine called and asked if I would put brakes on her neighbor's son's truck. I said sure. It was dropped off this morning early and I jacked it up and removed front wheels. Pads were maybe 75% gone. I'm removing calipers and noticed the upper ball joint is about to fall out. Can't see the grease fitting for all the dirt and crud hiding it. Ball joints are not replaceable so have to replace the whole control arm. Checked other side, same way. lowers are okay but same with crud hiding the grease fitting. I called her to explain what I found and asked where they took truck for service. Jiffy Lube!!!! Every 5000 miles. Best I could tell they had NEVER touched a grease fitting. I ordered the parts online from detroit axle as I can get them for half what oreilly wants. She says I'll come pick it up and bring it back friday to get parts put on. I told her I'm sorry but your teen age son drives this and I'm keeping it here until parts come in. It is NOT safe for him OR anyone else on the road as is. She understood and thanked me. IMO Jiffy Lube should pay the bill as they were stealing her money by not doing a complete service.
Basically stealing IMO
Shadetree55
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Friend of mine called and asked if I would put brakes on her neighbor's son's truck. I said sure. It was dropped off this morning early and I jacked it up and removed front wheels. Pads were maybe 75% gone. I'm removing calipers and noticed the upper ball joint is about to fall out. Can't see the grease fitting for all the dirt and crud hiding it. Ball joints are not replaceable so have to replace the whole control arm. Checked other side, same way. lowers are okay but same with crud hiding the grease fitting. I called her to explain what I found and asked where they took truck for service. Jiffy Lube!!!! Every 5000 miles. Best I could tell they had NEVER touched a grease fitting. I ordered the parts online from detroit axle as I can get them for half what oreilly wants. She says I'll come pick it up and bring it back friday to get parts put on. I told her I'm sorry but your teen age son drives this and I'm keeping it here until parts come in. It is NOT safe for him OR anyone else on the road as is. She understood and thanked me. IMO Jiffy Lube should pay the bill as they were stealing her money by not doing a complete service.
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713 Posts
Jiffy Lube is a joke! My oldest daughter decided to be independent when she got her first car, a Chrysler Sebring, so she took the car to Jiffy Lube without telling me. When she came home she asked me how much is a typical oil change, I told her around $45 (that's how much at that time), she said Jiffy Lube just charged her $96 ! She told me they told her all older cars needed special oil to protect it. The car had 76000 miles on it. I was livid, and called Jiffy Lube and asked for the manager, then told him what had happened, he said they recommend high mileage oil for all cars with over 100,000 miles, I then told him that was BS and that my daughters car only had 76000 miles on it, he had no answer. I then asked to the "tech's" get a commission for upselling and he refused to answer, which answered my question. I told him I was going to report him to the corporate Jiffy Lube, he begged me not to and offered some free oil changes, I told him there was NO WAY any one in my family or my friends would ever be back to Jiffy Lube, so free oil changes was a waste of time, he told me that's all he could offer. Moral of the story, don't go to Jiffy Lube!!
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19,066 Posts
NOW, on further inspection both inner tie rods on the rack and pinion are flopping.
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6,507 Posts
I don't know if the culprit was Jiffy Lube or another quick oil change place, but...
Several years ago, my niece wanted to buy her uncle's VW. Her uncle really didn't want to sell it her, but agreed to - but only if he could talk to me first.
My wife and I live in the same county as our niece, though a fair distance away. Her uncle lives in a small town on the other side of the state. She was attending nursing school and needed an inexpensive but dependable car. Keep all these facts in mind.
Her uncle wanted to sell the car, but had a dilemma. The car required a motor oil with a very special specification - and there was only 2 oil companies that sold the required oil here in the US. If you used the wrong oil, in about 1000 miles, the engine would sludge up, oil pressure would drop to near zero, and you had to spend $600 or so to have a VW dealership flush the sludge out of the engine and refill with the proper oil. He'd made that very mistake, but only once! He feared if he sold the car in his small home town, if the buyer screwed up and did the same thing, he'd get an unwarranted reputation for selling them a lemon.
He made me promise that I would ALWAYS change the oil for her with the exact oil he specified to me. I agreed. Our niece heartily agreed too, so the sale was made.
Several months later, we got a panicked text from our niece. I told her to call us. Turns out - she'd gone to some quick oil change place, and now had no oil pressure. Uh huh - how long ago? Uh huh. And, what did your uncle make you promise to do when he sold you the car? Uh huh. And what did he say has to be done to fix the car, and how much will it cost? Uh huh...
Several years ago, my niece wanted to buy her uncle's VW. Her uncle really didn't want to sell it her, but agreed to - but only if he could talk to me first.
My wife and I live in the same county as our niece, though a fair distance away. Her uncle lives in a small town on the other side of the state. She was attending nursing school and needed an inexpensive but dependable car. Keep all these facts in mind.
Her uncle wanted to sell the car, but had a dilemma. The car required a motor oil with a very special specification - and there was only 2 oil companies that sold the required oil here in the US. If you used the wrong oil, in about 1000 miles, the engine would sludge up, oil pressure would drop to near zero, and you had to spend $600 or so to have a VW dealership flush the sludge out of the engine and refill with the proper oil. He'd made that very mistake, but only once! He feared if he sold the car in his small home town, if the buyer screwed up and did the same thing, he'd get an unwarranted reputation for selling them a lemon.
He made me promise that I would ALWAYS change the oil for her with the exact oil he specified to me. I agreed. Our niece heartily agreed too, so the sale was made.
Several months later, we got a panicked text from our niece. I told her to call us. Turns out - she'd gone to some quick oil change place, and now had no oil pressure. Uh huh - how long ago? Uh huh. And, what did your uncle make you promise to do when he sold you the car? Uh huh. And what did he say has to be done to fix the car, and how much will it cost? Uh huh...
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5,470 Posts
I had a friend send a friend of his wife to me to figure out what was wrong with her new car. It was a 2 year old Nissan with a V6 and a transaxle. She went to a oil change place, not a Jiffy Lube but the same type of outfit. When she left the car was not shifting correctly and by the time she got home it smelled like it was on fire and would not move without her revving the crap out of the motor. She had it towed to the dealership where it is still under warranty and was told it had no transmission fluid in it, that the transmission was totaled and it was not going to be warranted. That is where I was contacted.
I had the car towed to my shop and we did a cursory inspection. Her story was she asked for an oil change and that is what it said on her receipt. No history of transmission problems. I put the car up on the lift and saw that the transmission drain plug was freshly "wrenched" with some interesting scratches all around it. The drain plug for the engine is on the other side of the pan but both plugs are visible. It was obvious what happened and we started taking pictures and video with her cell phone and pulled the car down and sent her off to see the manager at the oil changers. They of course denied any mistake on their part and refused to talk to anyone.
Last I heard she paid 13 grand to the dealership for a new transmission and was shopping lawyers.
I had the car towed to my shop and we did a cursory inspection. Her story was she asked for an oil change and that is what it said on her receipt. No history of transmission problems. I put the car up on the lift and saw that the transmission drain plug was freshly "wrenched" with some interesting scratches all around it. The drain plug for the engine is on the other side of the pan but both plugs are visible. It was obvious what happened and we started taking pictures and video with her cell phone and pulled the car down and sent her off to see the manager at the oil changers. They of course denied any mistake on their part and refused to talk to anyone.
Last I heard she paid 13 grand to the dealership for a new transmission and was shopping lawyers.
Location:
Eastern NC
I used to travel alot for work. I had mentioned to my wife that when I got home from the traveling the oil in the car she then drove would need an oil change and service. She decided to save my the time and trouble and took the car to jiffy lube . They put oil and filter in and sold her a new air filter (throwing away or stealing my K&N filter). They also did not replace the filler cap on the overhead cam four cyl turbocharged car. I flew into town and was waiting when she came home that Friday afternoon, the car was about to catch fire, underhood insulation soaked. The manager told me my wife probably tampered after they serviced and she left the cap off. I informed him she had likely never even seen under the hood much less handled anything. Took a regional manager to get close to resolving that mess.
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I think when you're in the "lube" business anything with with a grease fitting should be attended to. With many of those "jiffy" or "speedi" places seems most of the lubing is with Vaseline.
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6,507 Posts
Like I said in my post, I don't know what outfit changed the oil on my niece's VW. That being said - I think the so-called tech who serviced her car should be called "Jiffy-Boob". 
A few years ago, we bought a year-old Camry, and it came with free Toyota routine maintenance for 2 years or 24k miles. In other words - oil changes and tire rotations. It was due for an oil change when we bought it out-of-state at a non-Toyota dealer.
As soon as we'd paid for the car, we drove down the street to the local Toyota dealer. I knew nothing about the dealer, so I watched them like a hawk while they did the oil change and tire rotation. The next time, I took to a dealer in a nearby town with a good reputation. Fortunately, everything went fine both times.
In the Toyota situation, they use Toyota-brand motor oil and filter. The service is also logged in their database, which can be looked up online if you have the VIN. (That's one thing I did before we bought the car - check the Toyota service records.) Free service aside - you want to let them do the oil changes, in case there's a problem covered by warranty.
A few years ago, we bought a year-old Camry, and it came with free Toyota routine maintenance for 2 years or 24k miles. In other words - oil changes and tire rotations. It was due for an oil change when we bought it out-of-state at a non-Toyota dealer.
As soon as we'd paid for the car, we drove down the street to the local Toyota dealer. I knew nothing about the dealer, so I watched them like a hawk while they did the oil change and tire rotation. The next time, I took to a dealer in a nearby town with a good reputation. Fortunately, everything went fine both times.
In the Toyota situation, they use Toyota-brand motor oil and filter. The service is also logged in their database, which can be looked up online if you have the VIN. (That's one thing I did before we bought the car - check the Toyota service records.) Free service aside - you want to let them do the oil changes, in case there's a problem covered by warranty.
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We got free oil changes etc for the first 3 years on wife's Hyundai. But only got 3 done because the first 3 yrs she was still working and it didn't have but 15,000 miles on it. Now since she retired last year all of a sudden it has 32,000 ,miles on it and I have done 2 and soon to be the 3rd one in a year LOL. BUT, I keep all receipts and an excel sheet with everything documented as it has bumper to bumper 10 yrs 100,000 miles.Like I said in my post, I don't know what outfit changed the oil on my niece's VW. That being said - I think the so-called tech who serviced her car should be called "Jiffy-Boob".
A few years ago, we bought a year-old Camry, and it came with free Toyota routine maintenance for 2 years or 24k miles. In other words - oil changes and tire rotations. It was due for an oil change when we bought it out-of-state at a non-Toyota dealer.
As soon as we'd paid for the car, we drove down the street to the local Toyota dealer. I knew nothing about the dealer, so I watched them like a hawk while they did the oil change and tire rotation. The next time, I took to a dealer in a nearby town with a good reputation. Fortunately, everything went fine both times.
In the Toyota situation, they use Toyota-brand motor oil and filter. The service is also logged in their database, which can be looked up online if you have the VIN. (That's one thing I did before we bought the car - check the Toyota service records.) Free service aside - you want to let them do the oil changes, in case there's a problem covered by warranty.
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6,507 Posts
I do the same, as the drivetrain warranty is much longer than 24k miles. At the same time, I figured - as unlikely as a problem would be during the free maintenance period, why let them raise an eyebrow by asking why I didn't take them up on the free maintenance?
But yeah - I'm certainly capable of changing the freakin' oil, and then there's no question it was actually changed and done so correctly.
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I had a 2010 Tacoma I bought new and had the dealer service plan, they used Toyota oil and filter and did tire rotation as well as check and top off all fluids. They would do it for less than I could buy the materials so I let them do it! Problem was 3 out of 4 times they would screw something up, loose lugs (finger tight) over filled oil by a quart and etc. The service manager told me the tech thought it was an automatic. Another time they kept my lug lock wrench, glad I noticed, unfortunately after I got home. So I guess in that situation verify everything they do!
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3,853 Posts
years ago I installed all new front end parts on my 69SS427 impala.......upper/ lower ball joints,control arm bushings tie-rods....you get the idea....after finishing I put all the old junk ...in the new Moog boxes closed my trunk (to pitch later)...and Calleld Midas to get a front end alignment...$28 ....I could handle that ... BTW , they were not too busy and could get me in ...usually I went to the shop At Montgomery Wards....anyway....20 minutes into my appointment the manager comes out and informs me they cant give a alignment...WHY ?!!?!!? well the impala is 11 years old and you well know parts wear he tells me.....the upper and lower balljoints are shot along with the upper control arm bushings....for us to align the car properly and it be SAFE we will have to replace it all....$360 cash he quotes me.......hmmm I says and he is looking for my answer......"well before you go any farther I have something I want to show you" I says to him.....had him grab my keys and opened up my trunk....pointed the the Moog boxes and asked if he knew what they were.....he replied new parts for your car??? I said F-bomb NO !!! I proceeded to tell him they were all the old parts from my front end cuz all the new parts were already installed .....that why I was there to get the car aligned.....needed $360 bucks to install new parts huh??? Some more F-bombs were thrown around.....hopped in my car fired it up.....and Geeze the throttle stuck and the 427 roared to life.....1st gear on the 4speed and a 4.11 posi.....my gosh.....that smooth concrete..... the rubber burned and burned and burned.....until their shop was billowing smoke from my shredded tires.........So much for ever going to Midas ever again !!!!! An hour or so later with a trip to Monkey Wards....my ride had its alignment and was good to go
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similar story---had a 67 Chevy stepside when about 19 or 20 and knew absolutely about front end alignments I would get a shimmy between 40 and 45 when I hit a bump in the road--not every time so I stopped at Firestone and had it checked. Needed both upper ball joints and a tie rod end to the tune of around 100 bucks. I didn't have 100 bucks so left and went to Goodyear for a 2nd opinion. Between Firestone and Goodyear those parts "healed" themselves but I needed a center link and a tie rod. still almost 100 bucks. Drove to a little 2 bay shop on other side of town and talked to the guy there, Told him what was happening. he just got in my truck, pulled it in a bay with an alignment pit. Grabbed a couple wrenches and did something. Pulled out, drove it down the highway and back and got out and said drive it around some and see what you think about it now. I did, hit every bump I could find and never shimmied. I came back and told him I was happy, how much?? he said nothing at all. Wouldn't take any pay. I I asked what was wrong and he showed me. The upper a arm bolt had loosened just enough to lose 1 shim. He had replaced the shim and tightened it. He did any alignment I ever needed after that until I went to work for raben tire and learned how to do alignments. He's retired now but his son and brother still own and operate Earl's Alignment.
None of these stories surprise me, there have been lying cheating repair shops since we gave up horses. Jiffy-Lube happens to be one of the worst, trading there is like buying knock-off chinesium parts. You think you're getting a good deal, until it's not. Buyer beware, if you live these cars and enjoy working on them you should know that.
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2,484 Posts
I
I’m certain there were blacksmiths cheating customers when we still had horses as our main mode of transportation as well.
We have a shop out hear in Oregon called Less Schwab. They sell their own brand of tires and do alignments, brakes and some other stuff. My buddy had a 67 Malibu he brought there for an alignment. I was in the Parking lot at work when he came back, and I couldn't quite understand why his car looked so off kilter. Told him to pop the hood and noticed all the shims had fallen out of the upper A arms and the nuts were all backed out. We never went back to them again.
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9,382 Posts
Stories from my days as a Chevy district rep are hysterical and maddening.
Some of the stuff I dealt with was nutz.
Even the real dealers have some shady operators.
Our zone mgr had the correct policy.
"If there's a questionable call by the dr, take care of the customer, and we'll deal with the dlr later".
Not so much in recent yrs. No more field reps. This handled by contract people that don't know up from down.
Warranty fraud was rampant in some dlrs.
Some of the stuff I dealt with was nutz.
Even the real dealers have some shady operators.
Our zone mgr had the correct policy.
"If there's a questionable call by the dr, take care of the customer, and we'll deal with the dlr later".
Not so much in recent yrs. No more field reps. This handled by contract people that don't know up from down.
Warranty fraud was rampant in some dlrs.
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