This is totally old news and everyone should already know this, but in case you are a noob and didn't, CHECK YOUR TIRE PRESSURES after you visit the Jiffy Lube.

Even after asking them nicely several times to NOT do the stupid rip off "Signature Service", they still did some half-assed version of it. They said it was because I put in Mobile 1 synthetic. Whatever. They checked off every box like they had done all of the checks, but didn't do most of the items. Didn't replace the interior air filter, didn't vacuum my interior, but they did manage to set my RF tire to 43, LF to 38, RR to 38 and the LR to 40. When I was on the highway and noticed that my front end was vibrating like a beotch, I went to a gas station, waited about 15 minutes for the tires to cool as I gassed up and cleaned the windows. With my low-profile 18's, tire pressure differences are very noticable. Once the tires were cool, I checked and saw that they had messed with them.

Last time I was there, they tried to sell me a lot of items because they said I missed my 30,000 mile tune up at the dealer. I let him talk and then pointed out the obvious... I was at 28,000 miles. The guy was all flustered. I went back to the waiting room and told the other people, "Let this be a lesson to all of you. Know thy car." They all shared stories with me about how Jiffy Lube had tried to rip them off.

I also supply JL with crush washers I bought at the dealership and they tell me that they use them, but the one I give them has twice in the past ended up sitting in my cupholder. When I called them on it, they admitted that they didn't use the crush washers and that if I had any leakage, I should come back immediately.

Whatever. I'm going somewhere else from now on.

Better advice- DO NOT EVER GO TO JIFFY LUBE or any similar place.
There are too many well-documented cases of them stripping drain plugs that later fell out and blew motors, also engines being drained and not refilled, drain engine/fill trans, drain trans/fill engine, and so on.
Use a dealer or competent full-service shop for your maintenance, or do it yourself. Avoid the "quick lube" joints at all costs.

If all they did was mess up your tire pressures you are very lucky. In fact I highly suggest that you go to your car right now, and check the following-
Drain plug in place and secure. If it's stripped you may not find out until the next oil change, but you can put a wrench on it and see if it can be loosened easily and then retighten it. If you don't back it out too far no oil will come out.
Engine oil level correct, and be sure it's really oil not trans fluid.
Trans oil level correct, and be sure it's really trans fluid and not oil.

I am not kidding about any of the above.

I do almost everything, insofar as regular maintenance, on my own now. Oil, brake rotors/pads, sparkplugs, etc. But I'd never go to Jiffy Lube. Way too many horror stories.

Before I started doing oil changes myself, I'd always gone to the dealership. Prices were about the same anyway, and even if they were jerks, they could be held accountable to a point. That's at least an advantage over a quick lube place.

=S2=

jiffy lube is the devil

i would NEVER go to Jiffy lube or any place like that

IMHO
completely unreliable, unsafe to both you and your vehicle.

The good thing about these places is that they can dispose of old oil properly. I used to change my own oil but it just takes too long, is too messy, and it's too difficult to transport the old oil to a disposal yard.

I (used to) just go to JL for oil changes, nothing else. But there's a family owned place called Super Lube in Villa Park, IL that has been great and has been serving our family for about 15 years. The owner takes his business very seriously and gives us a family discount. I'll just start going back to them, even though it is more of a hike for me.

Dealer sucks. Here's why:


more expensive
they are jerks
they take way too long
they are too far away (local dealership is not an option)
they won't put in Mobile 1 Synthetic (they have to special order it they say)
you have to make an appt. a week or more in advance
I don't want to warranty-proof my car before I go in there

Well if you have a local place that you know and knows you that's a lot better than going to a chain like JL. A full service shop would still be best but as long as you trust this place that's up to you.
Any gas station or service shop has to take your waste oil by law. You don't have to go to a yard.
And please go check your car as I suggested.

The good thing about these places is that they can dispose of old oil properly. I used to change my own oil but it just takes too long, is too messy, and it's too difficult to transport the old oil to a disposal yard.

My garbage company provides containers for oil and used filters, and picks both up curb side. :D

I understand what a pita it is to dispose of used oil, though. Better advice than going to a chain, is to find a local mechanic you trust. There was this guy I used to do the oil in my old Honda. He turned out to be a great find, and I've recommended him to lots of friends with old cars that need work. He's reasonable and fair. Look around, there are alternatives to inexperienced 20 year old's changing your oil, if you don't want to do it yourself.

Subarus are the best for oil changes. The only problem is if you have a skidplate/cover.

I have a regular Legacy wagon and even though it is low to the ground, I can change the oil with it parked *anywhere*. The filter is not far from the drain plug, and stands on end. After about 2 changes, you will be a pro. The addition of the Fumoto valve makes it even easier.

Look around at auto parts stores - my local Kragen takes oil for free. They even sell a nice catch pan that you can close up for transporting the oil to them without putting the used oil in the empty bottles.

I swear I have sold my friends on Subarus for this point alone.

And yeah, somehow Jiffy Lube cannot understand it when I said, "OIL CHANGE ONLY, NOTHING ELSE."

I watched the guy try to 'check my differential fluids', I called him on it, and then they charged me the 4WD oil change price. (34.95 vs 24.95) They don't get my business anymore.....

We have a local Goodyear shop that follows instructions well, and they offer like $10 basic oil changes if you are a repeat customer. (dino oil, but I don't have an STi or a turbo) +1 for smaller local shops

Bill in SD

jiffy lube is the devil

+1

I shudder everytime I see someone posting that they brought their car to Jiffy Lube.

Jiffy Lube = horrible.

My Gf got her Plymouth Laser back from an oil change there one time... the filter wasn't tightened on all the way. 50 miles later *screech* junk engine. Good old Jiffy Lube got to pay for the repairs and a bore :)

Your driveway and 20 minutes of your time probably sounds more appealing than 3,000$ engine damage and legal issues. Unless your a massicist(sp?)

~Levi

jiffy lube sucks

Why do you take your precious Subaru to Jiffy Lube?

You only take piece of crap beaters where you really don't care about grease monkeys messing up with it...

a friend of mine is currently getting a replacement short block because of jiffy lube. they're actually owning up and paying the bill.

JL left the oil fill cap off my wife's car once. How basic is that?
Hauling the used oil back to the parts store is a task I'm willing to do for the peace of mind doing my own changes brings me. Now if they'd only take the filters too, I'd be all set.

Yea, my babies mama (no pun intended) called me up and said the just had her oil changed at Jiffy Lube and all the did was "Toped off the oil". I said didn't you have Royal Purple in there? She said yea, but her car's making funny noises and she askes can I look at it for her. So I go and test drive her car around the block.. I hear a wierd ticking... So I check her dipstick.. no oil. I run to Autozone and grab 5qts of Mobile 1 and proceeded to change her oil. Turns out she had less than a quart of oil in there. I took a quick look at her engine cover, and noticed there was evidence of oil splattering everywhere. They probably used their cheap oil in the filling stations, and splattered everwhere and procedded to clean it up and forgot to fill her oil up. But that is some bull****, cause she drove around for a week befor she called me. She could have caused some major damage to her motor.

#1. NEVER EVER TAKE YOUR **** TO JIFFY LUBE!!
#2. IF YOU ARE TOO DAMN LAZY TO CHANGE YOUR OWN ****.. DOUBLE CHECK THEIR WORK!!

Quit whining and change the oil yourself. I change it outside in 10 degree weather and have been doin it since i was 12. Set down the purse and pull up the skirt and get down there and have fun!

Better advice- DO NOT EVER GO TO JIFFY LUBE or any similar place.
There are too many well-documented cases of them stripping drain plugs that later fell out and blew motors, also engines being drained and not refilled, drain engine/fill trans, drain trans/fill engine, and so on.
Use a dealer or competent full-service shop for your maintenance, or do it yourself. Avoid the "quick lube" joints at all costs.


Got a call on one of these today from a "well known retail store". The guy that called was obviously the manager and was hoping not to get the answer I gave him. They drained the transmission and overfilled the oil, but didn't realize it until the vehicle was driven "a short distance". The trans isn't shifting right. Seems to me like they just bought a transmission. Haven't confirmed it yet, because it was being towed in tonight. The manager didn't seem to happy. And this was on an 05 Forester.

all the Jiffy Lubes I've ever been to seem to consider their "Signature Service" to be:

1. oil change
2. trying to get me to change the air filter I put in last week
3. checking off all the other boxes on the checklist without actually doing it

:p

only bad things from from jiffy lube

Okay, I'll jump in and defend "those places". :D

I take all of my cars to the local Valvoline oil change place. They use Valvoline oil (best dyno oil imho), use your filter and crush washer if you bring them in. They listen to all instructions you give them...and follow them to the letter. They let me pull my own car in and out of the bay. They even show you the dipstick level after the oil change so you verify that they filled it correctly. They do great work and are meticulous about following manufacturers recommendations...they even use a torque wrench set to OEM specs. on the drain plug.

I've never had any problems with them, and I've even found several of the guys work or have worked for local tuner shops as well (rx-7 tuner, domestics/mustang tuner, etc.).

My local Subaru dealer on the other hand...is on the other side of town, took 4 hours for an oil change :huh:, and had a porter drive my car back out who nearly hit me with my own car as he did 30+ mph through the parking garage. :furious:

So, I wouldn't discount ALL quick oil change places as the debil...check around and find a good one to go to. :)

i hate jiffy lube from the start

Okay, I'll jump in and defend "those places". :D

I take all of my cars to the local Valvoline oil change place. They use Valvoline oil (best dyno oil imho), use your filter and crush washer if you bring them in. They listen to all instructions you give them...and follow them to the letter. They let me pull my own car in and out of the bay. They even show you the dipstick level after the oil change so you verify that they filled it correctly. They do great work and are meticulous about following manufacturers recommendations...they even use a torque wrench set to OEM specs. on the drain plug.

I've never had any problems with them, and I've even found several of the guys work or have worked for local tuner shops as well (rx-7 tuner, domestics/mustang tuner, etc.).

My local Subaru dealer on the other hand...is on the other side of town, took 4 hours for an oil change :huh:, and had a porter drive my car back out who nearly hit me with my own car as he did 30+ mph through the parking garage. :furious:

So, I wouldn't discount ALL quick oil change places as the debil...check around and find a good one to go to. :)


You were lucky to find one that is that good. But, I can bet, if you go to another Valvoline place, they will not be like that.

I just realized that if I had taken the extra step of contacting JL corporate and complaining about the location my car was serviced at, I could help the next guy not get screwed. The next guy could be my sister, my in-laws, or my coworkers.

http://jiffylube.com/CustomerCare/_CustomerCare.aspx

Even though I won't go back. How can they gain anyone's trust after hearing some of the horror stories? I also realized I am more apt to complain to Subaru about a dealer than to JL Corporate about a bad experience at one location.

<humor> Subaru owner's unite! Change Jiffy Lube to serve our needs! </humor>

Bill in SD

Got a call on one of these today from a "well known retail store". The guy that called was obviously the manager and was hoping not to get the answer I gave him. They drained the transmission and overfilled the oil, but didn't realize it until the vehicle was driven "a short distance". The trans isn't shifting right. Seems to me like they just bought a transmission. Haven't confirmed it yet, because it was being towed in tonight. The manager didn't seem to happy. And this was on an 05 Forester.


UPDATE: Recieved the car late last night as a night drop. Pulled the car into the shop this morning to inspect it. From what I gather, the "well known retail store" realized their mistake after the customer drove it "a short distance". Upon inspecting the vehicle we determined that they definately drained the transmission and overfilled the oil. In an effort to correct the problem, the drained the oil, but never filled the transmission fluid......THEY OVERFILLED THE DIFFERENTIAL INSTEAD. The transmission fluid was still bone dry.

Needless to say, they bought the customer a brand new transmission. (The forester only had 15K miles on it and they were from out of town).

im sorry to hear these stories. i work at jiffy lube but its only for a part time job while im in school at UTI. theres idiots everywhere but you cant base a whole company on one store. McDonalds didnt cook my eggs once but i still go there. all i can say is the guys i work with know what they are doing and we've never had problems. the only problems come from people neglecting their cars and waiting 100k miles to change their ATF and then they wonder why the tranny blew and they try to blame it on us cus they dont want to look bad. and one more thing, if you're one of those people who come in for an oil change but say no to the other services cus you are a "master mechanic", get out of my store, if you have a t-tek machine at home, then go use it and change your own oil too. just my two cents. if you can put gas in it, you can change its oil, it takes the same amount of time to do.

DO NOT EVER GO TO JIFFY LUBE or any similar place.

I think that about sums it up.

... if you're one of those people who come in for an oil change but say no to the other services cus you are a "master mechanic", get out of my store ...

nice attitude.

If you offer a service, and someone comes in and asks for that service, and that service only, why would you not do what they asked? Doing things despite what the person who owns the car you are working on asked you to do, or doign things they told you not to do, is pretty poor customer service if you ask me.

If you don't want to change oil, don't offer it as one of the services you sell.

im sorry to hear these stories. i work at jiffy lube but its only for a part time job while im in school at UTI. theres idiots everywhere but you cant base a whole company on one store. McDonalds didnt cook my eggs once but i still go there. all i can say is the guys i work with know what they are doing and we've never had problems. the only problems come from people neglecting their cars and waiting 100k miles to change their ATF and then they wonder why the tranny blew and they try to blame it on us cus they dont want to look bad. and one more thing, if you're one of those people who come in for an oil change but say no to the other services cus you are a "master mechanic", get out of my store, if you have a t-tek machine at home, then go use it and change your own oil too. just my two cents. if you can put gas in it, you can change its oil, it takes the same amount of time to do.

No one on here is basing their opinions on one store or even one "brand" of stores. Everyone on that has posted on here has an opinion about at different store/brand. When more than one person can say the same thing about different stores/brands, then obviously there is a problem. Is there a problem with ALL stores? No, but there are alot.

Trust me, people neglecting their cars and blaming it on you IS NOT THE CASE. We are talking about actual "technician" errors. I have seen more than once where shops have messed up people's vehicles and we have had to clean up the mess.

You also have to realized that people have wised up when it comes to their cars. Why do they go to your places? Time. Period. They don't have the time to do it themselves, or they don't have time to take it to a dealer 40 minutes away, etc. They know what their car and does and does not need based on what they have done to it already. For example, I had a customer call me yelling and screaming that we didn't change her transmission fluid with her 60K service. She was told by the tech at Jiffy Lube that it was dirty and needed replacement. She immediately called me up and I told her we would prove we replaced it, which I did. Basically, they were trying to sell her something she didn't need.

When you are done with school and if you decide to work in a dealership, or even an independent shop, you will see what we are talking about.

Your shop may not be like that, but there are plenty that are.

I have had problems with both dealers and quick lube type places. With my old car I took it to the dealer for an oil change and some other tune up services. When i got it home I decided to check the fluids and they did not put any oil in the car. Personally I can change my own oil but i dont like to dispose of it so that is why I used to go to quick lube places. Now it is mainly because I like the dealer to keep records of the oil changes and service of my new car.

I have had problems with both dealers and quick lube type places. With my old car I took it to the dealer for an oil change and some other tune up services. When i got it home I decided to check the fluids and they did not put any oil in the car. Personally I can change my own oil but i dont like to dispose of it so that is why I used to go to quick lube places. Now it is mainly because I like the dealer to keep records of the oil changes and service of my new car.

If they didn't put any oil in the car, how did you make it home, or why did you even leave with the oil light on?

hey its cool if ya hate. i hate firestone, midas, goodyear, etc. all those chain stores that have sales quotas and incentives to sell or be fired. it makes sense people dont have time to change their oil, ah well, it pays my bills right now. i think this thread is exhausted. goodnight.

i went to jiffy lube once and the guy behind the counter stomped on my foot and then gave me an uppercut as i bent over in pain. he ran outside and keyed my car, slashed the tires, unzipped his pants, and proceeded to piss in my open passenger's front window. he then charged me $200.

needless to say, i don't go there any more.