Another Jiffy Lube horror story...

The condo I live in does not allow us to change our own oil, so that means that I have to go to Jiffy Lube to get my oil changed(this never ends good). Anyway, my wife had the oil changed in February and last week I went to check the tire pressure and none of the valve stem caps would loosen up. They wouldn't even budge with pliers! So I tried a socket and was able to get one off BUT part of the valve stem was broken off inside the cap! My car has the TPMS so the dealer has to fix it.

 

So now I have to take time off of work and drive 30 minutes each way to go the nearest Subaru dealership to hopefully get it fixed under warranty. I'm scared to even take the other 3 off for fear of the same thing happening. All this because some slack-jawed yokel decided to see how tight he could put the valve stem caps on.

 

Long story short: JIFFY LUBE BLOWS!!!!!

Yep, I went to them once years ago. All I wanted was an oil change. They wanted me to buy a new air filter, coolant, transmission fluid -basically sell me everything they could.

I have to go to Jiffy Lube to get my oil changed

 

You HAVE to go to Jiffy Lube?

You HAVE to go to Jiffy Lube?

 

take tools to random parking lot perform oil change there, have local garage do oil change, anything but jiffy lube?

 

I have gone to a valvoline place in RI and they have done an excelent job like 10 times on my chrysler and now once without issue on my subaru. I do my own when I can but at school I dont but i have heard nothing but bad things with jiffy lube.

just a tire???? consider yourself lucky!!!! my gf brought her jeep cherokee to one for a full fluid changeout...yeah, they didnt put the rear differential plug in and the rear gears ate themselves...it took a court battle go get them to admit the fault and fix the car. wont ever go to that place. good luck...atleast it wasnt too painful a lesson to learn.

I had a friend take his 4Runner to a place like that and they cracked the transmission case by over-tightening the drain plug.

 

I'd rather goto the dealer and pay more than go to a quick-lube place.

My dealer worries me. I brought my wife's car in for an oil change and asked them to rotate the tires. Any time they do a service on a vehicle they perform an inspection and check off all the things they inspected. We got the oil changed and when we got home I noticed the tires hadn't been rotated (still lots of tread on the back and none on the front). We look at the paperwork, and "check tires and pressure" was checked off. How much you wanna bet they didn't check shit? Even when I specifically asked for a rotation.

1. What material was used for the stem caps? They have to be plastic or brass - no other material or you will get them "welded" in place.

 

2. If they did nuke your tire valves - are you sure they did change the oil?

They were a set of chrome valve stem caps from NAPA. The service advisor told me this as well. Expensive lesson to learn I guess.

The condo I live in does not allow us to change our own oil

 

Sounds like its time to find somewhere new to live......

 

that or find a nerby lgt member that is willing to let you do the work at their house.

how much did it cost u?

i went to the dealers to do it and they charged me $28.

wow, you took your LGT to jiffy lube?

 

dealership >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> JL

Do a "Jiffy-Lube" search..........:eek:

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTJjqr0QbIk]YouTube - Jiffy Lube Scam - Pay for work never done[/ame]

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x312/kagenmateer/2cegfmo.jpg

take tools to random parking lot perform oil change there, have local garage do oil change, anything but jiffy lube?

 

I have gone to a valvoline place in RI and they have done an excelent job like 10 times on my chrysler and now once without issue on my subaru. I do my own when I can but at school I dont but i have heard nothing but bad things with jiffy lube.

 

 

We have used the same Valvoline Instant Oil Change for years and never had a problem. However, being a franchise, they can and did change ownership. The new owner brought in a new crew whose lack of competence was exceeded only by their arrogance. They did a lousy job on my Subaru and repeated calls to their "customer care" number have been completely ignored. The Valvoline Corporation refuses to get involved since they maintain that they have no control over franchises, although they too have had their calls ignored by the new owners. What Corporation would stand for a franchisee that ignores a customer as well as the corporation they are contracted to represent. As far as I am concerned, my 35 year loyalty to Valvoline and all their products is now a thing of the past. I will never again use or recommend any Valvoline products.

Welcome to the 21st century.

When I was in school, it was quicky changes in a parking lot. Having a pick-up truck really helps in that situation. I think I went to the quick change places about 5 times in my 8 years of college and that was due to sub zero temps and using exhaust manifolds as heat is only so much fun.

 

All of those quick change places are terrible. JL, Valvoline, etc. They all charge too much for what you get and the horror stories of what goes on behind the scenes and down in the pits is frightening.

 

Ever wonder how those places do a 10 min oil change? I know when I change the oil it takes close to 10 minutes for the pan to drain out completely. From what I have heard (mostly from BITOG and former JL techs) they drain for 1 minute and then put the plug back on. Plugs and filters are generally taken off and put on with air tools. Some places just clean off the filter and don't change it.

 

Then there are all the hard sells. How many people have been on a long trip, you hit 3,000 miles...then 3,500 ...then realize you have GOT to get an oil change. So you go in for an oil change and the hard sell starts. You should get your coolant flushed, you need to get your tranny and diff flushed, need your tires rotated, need a new air filter, blah blah blah.

 

I do mine, my wife's and her sister's cars. Mine and my wife's (both turbos) get Pennzoil Platinum every 3k miles. So for my wife that is twice a year (maybe and my car about every 4 months. My sister-in-law has a Focus and gets motorcraft synth/blend and a motorcraft filter. Costs me $12, she buys me some beer and I change her oil when I change mine.

They were a set of chrome valve stem caps from NAPA. The service advisor told me this as well. Expensive lesson to learn I guess.

 

OK, but Chrome on Brass or Chrome on Aluminum? The latter is bad.