My son was SCREWED by Jiffy Lube..what should we do?

My son needed some maintenance stuff done on his car.

He went to Jiffy Lube for and oil change and fuel injector cleaning.

They talked him into letting them change his fuel filter.

They told him the quick connect on the end of the fuel line needed to be replaced and said they had to order the part. He had to leave his car overnight.

He picked it up the next day. Drove it for a couple of weeks and then the check engine light came on and gas was leaking everywhere.

He took it to my mechanic who put it up on the rack where we learned that when they replaced the fuel filter they DID not put a new connector but in fact had CUT the fuel line and put an aluminum clamp around it where they spliced the line together.

1. Gas lines are pressurized. You aren't supposed to cut and splice them. When that thing blew it was spraying gas next to the exhaust. Could have set the car on fire.

2. They they talked him into letting them do something they didn't know how to do properly and as a result the repairs to the car, and replacement of the fuel pump and lines will cost $650.

3. They say they were doing him a favor and that it was a temporary fix.

4. My mechanic and the dealer say you NEVER EVER splice pressurized fuel lines.

How do we get the fuckers at Jiffy Lube to pay for the repairs?

 

Sue them in small claims court

 

My recommendation is to consult an attorney. Call the Oregon State Bar for a referral. If you want to PM me I can recommend a few depending on where you live. I am an attorney, but I am on the other side so it's not going to be me. In Oregon there is a statute that allows you to send a written demand for an amount that is $5,500 or less and if they don't settle before you sue you get to collect your attorney fees which are almost always many times more than the damage. In other words, with a single letter from an attorney you probably can get them to pay for the repairs. Also, tell your son to just say no to the hard sell

 

yeah. quick lube places always fuck your shit up..last time they sold me on a transmission flush....which caused a small (minor leak)...of course..they don't know anything about it.

Fuck EZ Lube, Jiffy and all those fucking drive through places. I've never been screwed by Oil Can Henry's though in Portland.....dunno...they seemed on top of it...but maybe not.

 

...with your pants down....

take pictures.

post here.

 

Here's a Central Oregon

Subaru's have a small gasket/washer on the oil drain plug.

Jiffy Lube did not replace it or even use the old one, instead discarding it.

The owner's car leaked out all it's oil while driving, destroying the engine.

Jiffy Lube ended up buying him a new engine.

Changing oil is supposedly something they are qualified to do, but apparently are not.

They most certainly are not qualified to work on more complicated parts of your car.

A letter from an attorney should be all you need to get reimbursed. They are gambling with being sued for misrepresentation and endangering your son's life (gas burns and explodes), in addition to the damage they did to his car.

I would email Ralph Nader while you're at it.

 

http://www.jiffylubeproblems.com/index.html

 

Make it very clear to the store manager, the owner, the corporate office, and the people in their waiting room that if they don't take care of it, you'll write letters to the Better Business Bureau, the editor of every newspaper and television station and radio station within 150 miles, the Chamber of Commerce, Consumer Reports, Ralph Nader, David Horowitz, Click and Clack...

 

Keep us posted on what happens.

SlyPokerDog - I didnt you can bring in your own oil and filter. Thanks for the info!

I agree with BlazerWookee and Zybot's advice.

 

You are partly correct. That letter can only be sent by an attorney.

But first send a letter outlining your complaint and what you feel you need to rectify the situation.

 

Quik Lube here in Texas messed up a friend of my wife's car by doinf something like that. Her husband had passed away, and didn't know what to do, so she asked me if I could help her. I simply contacted the corporate office and told them what had happened. They gave me a bunch of crap, and I informed them that I had a mechanic ready to testify against them, and the next phone call they would be getting was from a lawyer. All I was looking for was for them to pay to fix what they had broken. I gave them my number and a deadline to call. They called about 1/2 hour later and said we could take the car back to them to fix it. I said no, and then they gave me a list of mechanics I could take it to. I asked my mechanic friend if any were ok and he said yes, so we took it there. It was a bit of a hassle, but they took care of the customer in the end

 

Maybe a dumb question, but have you given them a stern call on the phone yet? Believe it or not, this sort of thing happens frequently at Jiffy and they're pretty well set up to handle it. If it's an open and shut case, the last thing in the world they want is to have it go to court -- it's way more cost effective for them to settle.

When you approach them, calmly describe all the screw ups and ask what they'll do to resolve the problem. They'll likely offer to handle the problem inhouse or offer you crazy amounts of free future service, none of which will be too appealing given that they caused the problem. Calmly point that out, then tell them you've got estimates from 2-3 reputable mechanics (which you definitely should get first) and then see what they do. If they don't buck up, be calm yet vaguely perturbed and frustrated. Tell them you don't want to get an attorney involved. At that point, I'd be shocked if they don't cave.

We went through this with my wife's car a couple months ago and were surprised at how quickly they resolved it. They tried to get out of it on the cheap, but when they saw we were savvy, organized and serious they paid our mechanic danged quickly. Probably didn't hurt that we're both attorneys, but I don't think it even got to the point that we had to play that card.

Stay calm and focused -- that scares 'em more than belligerence (which I suspect they get a lot of.)

 

My '96 Explorer (fuck Cash for Clunkers) is in Jiffy Lube right now for an inspection. She only failed her brakes and had to stay overnight--Now that I've read this thread and they say that something needs replacing, I think I'll get it done somewhere else for a second opinion!

 

ucatchtrout,
What Jiffy Lube did your son go to? So we can all avoid it!!!