Phantom Oil Change

A couple of days ago I was sent a video made by a TV station of how ” Jiffy Lube “ and others are ripping off costumers by not doing the work that was paid for.


Well my car needed an oil & filter change.........so I thought ......what the heck I’ll mark the oil filter. Today we went to where I usually have my oil changed. When they were done we paid and left........got to the parking lot and opened the hood..........Wala........old marked filter was still on the car!

After many apologies from the manager they took the car back in changed the oil and put a new filter on. The manager then handed us an envelope with one free oil change and two free car washes in it.

Aren't there any honest people out there anymore ???

For reasons like this, I change my own oil. It is cheaper, I use a better quality oil, and I know it gets done correctly. Plus, I can get it done in the amount of time it would take me to drive to Jiffy Lube and back. No brainer.

They seem to be getting fewer and farther between.

Coupla years ago, my wife took her mini van to a local NAPA place, parts store and service facility combined, to have the oil changed. The owner told her the outer tie rods were loose and needed to be replaced and the tires were down to the wear indicators. He just happened to have a set of Michelon tires on hand, and he figured her an estimate of some $1300 for the whole bit. He had her freaked out to where she wondered if the van was safe to drive four miles home.

First thing I did was get out my tread depth guage and check the tires. Worst spot I could find was still 55%. Jacked up the front end and checked the outer tie rods. They were as solid as the day it left the factory. Same ones, still there, still tight, after another 50K miles. The whole thing was a total scam.

And this was at a so-called friendly small town NAPA store where I've known the guy for years. In fact, I was once a Ford Service Manager in the same building. He must have known I'd check the vehicle myself before we did anything.

The guy must be getting away with it with a lot of people, 'cause he just bought the Chrysler dealership.

Call me a cynic if you wish, but I stand by my comment on another thread a week or two ago when I said everything negative and derogatory that's ever been said about the automotive service business has been grossly understated.

And it isn't just lately. I remember once about 20 years ago the local Case IH dealer (I think the guy was OK) told me that way back when, when he was he was just starting to make his own way he went to work as a salesman for a Buick dealer. He said he lasted two weeks on the job, sold one car, and made $8.00 in commission. Said the salesmen who lied the most made the most money.

Didn't mean to hijack your thread into my own rant.

Yeah, I change the oil in the vehicles I drive myself, but it seems that when I have time to change the oil in my wife's van, I can never get it away from her long enough.

I bet the manager is the one behind the whole thing. The kid in the pit may want to do the job right but......the boss tells him to save $5 by not changing the filter. Azzholes.

Honest mechanics like me are getting rare.
Friend of mines wife took her car down for an inspection. She was told battery is weak and engine is overheating. So she opened the trunk and pulled out her battery tester. Battery was fine. She also pointed out. That engines don't overheat just because you pour BBQ sauce on them. She also thanked them for not trying the asprin in the battery trick.

Now defunct dealership once rotated tires on my dually WITHOUT streaking, smearing, or otherwise disturbing several months road dust on any of the chrome simulators/wheel covers. Still amazes me as they are a bear to remove/replace!

I just change the oil myself and do everything I can by myself. I hate to see the money leave my wallet, especially when it didn't even get done. I can't afford the parts to keep the vehicles running, forget the labour.

You should have gotten another total oil change. If I paid for a oil and filter change I would NOT want the quart of old oil mixed with the four quarts of new oil. also the shorted you a quart of new oil, assuming your vehicle needs five quarts of oil for a correct oil change.

Kent

You read too quickly. They did change the filter and oil. Certainly agree I would be upset if they only installed a new filter.

learned my lesson when I was young. was 100 plus degree day and didn't feel like crawling under my truck to change the oil so stopped by wal-mart. when I got home I smelled the burning oil smell and saw a nice trail my truck left on the driveway, how you can crossthread an oilfilter is beyond me, but it was done. after chasing the manager around the counter a few times for making a smart alec comment-the police helped manage the situation. they did pay to get it fixed though--last time someone has changed my oil.

I bought a new Buick crossover with everything that cost $35,ooo and had them change the oil the first three times. After a while the oil gage started to act up so I changed the oil myself and found that the filter had never been changed nor the oil and I can prove it. Took it to a local garage and had to change the sender because it was plugged up. The sender was $90.00. I guess that they don't need the business because they will never sell me another GM car ever at that dealer or any GM dealer.

That"s sad.

I own a repair shop, it may be a little more hassle for me sometimes, but thats why I itemize out every bill. It helps alot especially when you have customers who have been taken by another shop. They can walk in and before they write a check out, you can show them every part you replaced and why you replaced it.

But, in my line of work doing mostly transmissions, I rely heavily on word of mouth and referals.

Remember ,Nightline is filming ! I work on every customers car like it's my moms . Sometimes that is a pain ,,but it's what honest business and repeat customers are all about . Remember how Sears got busted big time ? I get reg customers coming mad because they stopped at Tires Plus ,,they had gift coupon for free oil change , telling me they need tie rods or ball joints , etc. I pull car on hoist and show them , explain that everything is checked out , every oil change or when their car is on the hoist . Rip off marketing ,,grrrrr

We used to run into this rip off a lot. It seems the local national brand name places have targeted women. Have seen them scare the gals into doing work that was not needed. They soaked 1 for over $2000.00 in front end repairs. We had just put 4 new tires on the Jeep the week before and we always checked the tie rod, ball joints, brakes, etc. We know there was nothing wrong. She and I went to the place and explained to the manager he would be in court if he did not return her money. After an hour of arguing,and a cell phone call to her attorney, he went to the cash register and pulled out the 2000.00 and returned it to her.

I bought 4 new tires for the car at wally mart. The price was as
good as any I found. For a few bucks more you get life time rotate
and balance for free, every 6000 miles.So at 6000 miles I took it in
for rotate. I didn't ask for balance but the guy told me he couldn't
balance them because they had gravel stuck in the treads. I had just
driven 65 miles to the store so I don't know how there could have
been gravel in the treads. I questioned them about the rotate and
they said they just rotated 1 tire because the rest looked pretty
even. I just left because I don't have time for idiots any more. But
I'm still wondering how they rotated 1 tire.

my niece took her 5 year old mustang to a local ford dealer to get the heater core replaced
because it was leaking.They called her the next day and said she needed a new engine and it would cost 4000. She said you must have the wrong person my car runs fine.She and her dad went to the dealership and the car had a pretty loud knock.They had it towed home.When she went back to pay the bill the service manager was on the phone telling somone else they needed a new engine.About a month later her dad tore the engine down and it looked like it had been run without oil.It had a spun bearing and the crankshaft was blue.

How to rotate a tire.
1) put vehicle on lift
2) put both hands on tire
3) using both hands spin the tire
4) lower vehicle from lift
Now the tire is rotated!

Now I understand. how could I be so dumb?

If they want it to look really good they will remove the tire, walk around the car and put it back on again before rotating. ha

here's the sad thing...these issues aren't "corporate policy", just plain ol' pi$$ poor employees. I don't know how any company can afford to be in the oil change business anymore: you can get a coupon on line for an oil change for $12.99, and I can't even get 5 quarts and a filter for that. THEN add in the liability of blown engines from oil outs, double gasketed filters, "never ins" due to poor employees, stripped pans, stained seats, on and on and on. Oil changes are a "loss leader", and a big loss at that!

Flat out right- we always worked on every car like it was dad's, because the cameras were always rolling. Oil change? The used filter goes in a bag so we could SEE the old o ring wasn't still on the block, and so we could show it to the customer. I worked with some Sears and NTB stores out your way and those guys tried to be all over doing it right. 'course, Nightline still bogused up a battery issue in Va with supposedly used Diehards

I change the oil in my stuff, but won't even consider doing the wife's Chevy HHR. It's not because I don't know how, because I do, but only because she is EXTREMELY critical of any little noise or vibration, real or perceived.

It costs about an extra $20 over what I could do it for, but it is worth more than that to keep her off my case. DOUG

In 78 or so my Brother in law was a "mechanic" at a local department store auto center. I went in to get something and he was in the back room. They sold shocks for something like, 9.99 for cheapest, then 14.99, then 19.99 for the best per pair. The cheapest were white the best were blue. Well, you guessed it. He was lining the white ones up and painting them blue, the extra cash in his pocket!

I bet it was a mistake,,, oil filters cost less than $2 for most cars, why take the chance when you are probably get'n off the wall house mix oil they make a good money on not to mention cheap labor ,,, you just caught the mistake, he did not denie it " Find a real garage to do your service work...