Jiffy Lube and Blown Engine

[architechnik]

On Saturday I stopped off at Jiffy Lube to have them change my oil. I had all the necessary items to do it myself, but not the time. On Monday while driving to school my oil light came on, my engine gave a shudder and I took it out of gear and pulled over and shut off the engine as quickly as possible.

The oil filter felt loose when I gave it several turns. I poured in three quarts and it wasn't even at the bottom of the dipstick. I had someone from Jiffy come out and check to see that the spindle was extremely loose. The spindle had actually not been tightened, but backed out when the filter was changed.

The engine is now blown (rings - bad compression, blue smoke). I am now making a claim and I need a mechanic to verify that the O-ring gasket blew out because the cooler was not tightened.

I saved the old gasket and it seems supple (not terribly worn) but torn. Is anyone on here SAE certified that could back me up on the cause? Is there any respectable documentation that would support my claim that it was their fault?

I will be filing the paperwork tonight or tomorrow. If they do not support the claim (as they are currently resistant) I will take them to small claims court shortly after.

 

[Jetrosr]

Best bet, document everything, find the 1-800-jiffy lube number and a comfy chair. If you don't get a response there, find a district office number. Keep climbing the ladder until you're satisfied. They can't make a mistake like that and not pay something. I would settle for some sort of monetary settlement. Get an estimate on having rings replaced, they can't be responsible for making it brand new, but they should make at least as good as when it pulled in. Have some numbers ready before you call. Just don't give up, they will pay if you remain a thorn in their side.

 

[architechnik]

I've been working on quotes, but no local shops will do a rebuild. The quotes are for replacement used engines with dress-up. $2700 is the typical rate. I did the work myself, as I thought I pulled over soon enough.

I'm working with the franchise manager now and he has viewed the schematic of assembly and is much less assertive in his defense now than he was previously. I'm looking for similar cases to compare the event. The closest Mitsu dealer is over 30 miles from my car but likewise they would be the best reference.

 

[Jetrosr]

If you don't get timely resolution at the franchise, grab the district right away, the farther you go up, the faster the results. They want all their customers smiling

 

[freshlane]

I don't have documentation but Jiffy Lube as even been in the paper for things like this. I have even researched online due to the fact that it happened to my first DSM after there oil change and to my gfs dsm after an oil change (oil filter fell off). I tried to file a suit against them but not luck as of yet. Wish the best.

 

[hereitcomes]

Any major company will have insurance. You should talk to everyone you can and get reimbursed for the amount of a new motor. Business law states that you signed...and thats a contract. Something happened because of their neglect and its still on them. you went for an oil change and got no oil - so thats not your fault. What were you suppose to do? Ask the dude if he put oil in?

 

[architechnik]

It's not that they didn't put oil in. They backed the spindle out and the only thing holding the oil in was the filter pressure against the cooler, not the spindle nut. As the filter was not adequate pressure, the pressure was then driven to the o-ring gasket between the cooler and the oil filter mounting bracket, not distributed to the oil cooler and bracket. That gasket lasted a lot longer than I would have expected, but put enough pressure on rubber and it'll blow.

 

[chavez408]

I work for jiffy and half the people I meet at my work are ####ing idiots...

I regret working there, it is stupid. But back to the topic, every jiffy lube has a number you call if some kind of problem occurs it is usually found in the back of your paper work or you can go to their store and ask for it. This situation has happen to us before, and usually our insurance will replace your engine. Not a brand new engine as what most people think. What they do is they look at your mileage in your dsm and they go seek for a motor that has the same mileage as your blown motor and replace it.
Best suggestion I can give you is do the work your self next time so if you do #### up your car, you can say you did it!

 

[h8r]

Scan you tube you will find how shady they can be... Go up the ladder as everyone has said.... They should atleast meet you somewhere in the middle.... Don't take a quick deal... Push the issue... Call the BBB or a lawyer if things get sticky!

 

[architechnik]

I was hoping to save time and hassle (I live on a hill) by taking it in, but damn, this is sooooo much more of a hassle. My engine had over 200k on it, but it was a stable motor. The clutch has only needed to be replaced once in fourteen years, so you know it's almost entirely highway mileage.

I'm working on getting a cash settlement so I can just get the parts and labor myself to keep costs low. This is going to be "I know a guy that used to work at a parts store and he fixes cars on the side" sort of replacement. I just need something to last the rest of the term (I'll be on campus next term), and then I can do my own rebuild this summer.

 

[snox135]

Jiffy-Lube put 6 quarts of oil in my A4 which is suppose to hold about 3.5 quarts. First time and will be the last time I pay someone to change my oil for a long time. Lucky Audi paid for the damages, it was covered under warranty.

 

[architechnik]

The best part about this entire conversation is the ads by google. All of them are about coupons and oil changes at Jiffy Lube!

 

[16gpoweredgsx]

Scan you tube you will find how shady they can be... Go up the ladder as everyone has said.... They should atleast meet you somewhere in the middle.... Don't take a quick deal... Push the issue... Call the BBB or a lawyer if things get sticky!

Yea, never go jiffy lube. If you dont do it your self take it somewhere reputable. I watched those vids on youtube of them driving cars into the cut-out in the floor, charging for work they never did(camera's were in the car to watch them), and what happened to you. They should be shut down.

 

[KGB Pilot125]

First off I will start by saying I am an area manager for a company that owns 5 quicklubes and carwashs in 2 states and the following is my opinion and in no way a reflection of the company I work for. (not jiffy lube)

If the jiffy lube is a franchise owned place the jiffy lube corporate isnt really going to be able to help you. Also they will not buy you a new motor, most likely if they are going to do something it will be an offer to put in a 200k mile motor.(comparable to what your have) or they might offer you what ever their deductable is, our company's is 1000k bucks. if you take that then they wont have to turn it into insurance. I would definetly agree that the failure is their fault you always check for the spindle being tight. If they tell you they are not going to do anything to help you hire a lawyer and their insurance company wil probably just settle with you, cheaper than going to court.

 

[KGB Pilot125]

Yea, never go jiffy lube. If you dont do it your self take it somewhere reputable. I watched those vids on youtube of them driving cars into the cut-out in the floor, charging for work they never did(camera's were in the car to watch them), and what happened to you. They should be shut down.

FYI those Jiffy lubes are privately owned by a company called heartland for the most part.
Not all quick lubes are like that some companys out their still take pride in their work.

 

[tqmx1]

I would say you are buying it. That center bolt on the OFH are known to come loose. The only way you might get something out of them is to prove when they took off the old filter some one noticed the center bolt was loose.

At that point and time it's your word against theres. In the last year on this forum I know of at least 3 engines that have been lost from that bolt. By the way your #3 that I know of

Sorry to be a wet blanket.

 

[93 GSX TURBO]

This is very true. Happened to my 93 about a year ago. Got to my job, parked and when I went out for lunch I noticed a puddle of oil. Then I checked the oil filter and it was loose because the center bolt got loose which they are known for backing out, so in my opinion I don't see you winning this one.

 

[architechnik]

When I pulled over on the highway and found all the oil that sprayed out near the oil filter I checked to see if it was tight. The filter spun around several times. I thought the filter was stripped or cross-threaded. I called up Jiffy Lube and made one of their guys come out (about 40 miles) to check before I touched anything.

I had a spare filter, as I mentioned previously that I was going to change the oil but didn't have time, but I was not going to remove anything until they looked at it. The guy verified that the thing just kept spinning and he took off the filter they put on we saw the spindle just spin. We then put on the filter I had. We checked the oil level and started the car but it was just pouring out by that time and I quickly cut it off.

The spindle was so far out that it could not have been from normal driving, it had backed out when they removed the old filter, that's for certain.

This particular Jiffy Lube is owned by "Jiffy Joanne" and I do not know how many other locations are owned by the same franchisee.

At no point would I think they would replace my engine with a new one, only to return the vehicle to its previous state... working. My engine has been the most reliable part of my vehicle since purchasing it a year ago and with such a strong, stable track record it's hard to accept it as a loss.

 

[Car_guy_09]

Jiffy lube just sucks...A few years ago my mom decided to take her mini van there and get the oil changed and they where having some sale where you could get tire rotation too, soo she did it (even though i told her not too) . They bent both rocker panels with the lift, Then striped out the drain plug (and just shoved it in there by like one thread). They didn't say anything about either thing, About 3 days later we seen some oil on the floor looked under the van seen the rockers and oil dripping. I looked at my mom and said i told you so

 

[KGB Pilot125]

When I pulled over on the highway and found all the oil that sprayed out near the oil filter I checked to see if it was tight. The filter spun around several times. I thought the filter was stripped or cross-threaded. I called up Jiffy Lube and made one of their guys come out (about 40 miles) to check before I touched anything.

I had a spare filter, as I mentioned previously that I was going to change the oil but didn't have time, but I was not going to remove anything until they looked at it. The guy verified that the thing just kept spinning and he took off the filter they put on we saw the spindle just spin. We then put on the filter I had. We checked the oil level and started the car but it was just pouring out by that time and I quickly cut it off.

The spindle was so far out that it could not have been from normal driving, it had backed out when they removed the old filter, that's for certain.

This particular Jiffy Lube is owned by "Jiffy Joanne" and I do not know how many other locations are owned by the same franchisee.

At no point would I think they would replace my engine with a new one, only to return the vehicle to its previous state... working. My engine has been the most reliable part of my vehicle since purchasing it a year ago and with such a strong, stable track record it's hard to accept it as a loss.

From what you say it sounds pretty cut and dry. they F-ed up and your engine blew they need to make it right by you. Like I said if they dont take care of you get a lawyer and they will most likely settle with you. One thing to remember document everything the one with the most proof usually wins.

 

[KGB Pilot125]

any updates on this? Could be good info for other people.

 

[architechnik]

I'm waiting for quotes on actual repairs. I want to ensure I get reimbursed for full value of the work, even if I do it myself. Most places, especially the auto shops that are regular chains, require the vehicle to be in their possession for providing quotes.

I know this is only so that they can take the car apart, then give the quote and say they will need to charge to put it back together if I do not have the work done there. It's a typical scam that the shops around here try to shove down people's throats but there is no real strength behind their claims. It's still a hassle to deal with.

The form that Jiffy Lube provided was a claim on services, to get money back for only the service they provided, not damages they caused. I'm taking it a few steps higher and creating an entire report with printed, reliable quotes and a complete description about their fault. It's really just prep for when I take them to small claims court so they cannot say the did not know anything about the situation.

It will likely be another week before it even comes close to resolution. I will post in here when I receive official quotes, when Jiffy responds, and if needed, when I take them to court.

 

[T9S1i]

my friend is manager of a jiffy lube in san francisco and he's never f'd up my cars. He always lets me come in to change my own oil/trans fluid/tcase/rear diff of my talon, and he'll go ahead and change the oil with his workers on my daily driver. He's never let me down. Also, when he closes up, we can work on our cars there after hours. Ive never seen them f up any cars either. I think it all has to do with pride of work and responsibility. If you train some stupid high school kid to work and they are joking around all the time then shit is going to happen. If you take someone responsible who takes pride in their work then they will do a good job and tell you if something is f'd up to cover their own ass by not being the last one to touch the car before it breaks.

To the op... i hope you get a new engine out of it. YOu should try to get a high quote, use that and then just pull the motor yourself and do most of the work and build a nice motor with forged internals!


good luck

 

[architechnik]

Just an update. Jiffy Lube is still claiming innocence and getting the report done was a PITA. I'm now rebuilding my own engine and keeping track of all the receipts. There will be several other threads as I come up with various questions about the internals... like clearance that I was just reading in Vette's thread.

 

[T9S1i]

that really sucks. It should be plain and simple. They touched the oil filter last. Messed up installation, you drove away and lost all your oil and the engine failed. It wasnt like a month later something happened, you were on your way home correct? Or at least it was the same day? Seems like they are at fault 100%

Ive never dealt with a situation like this, so i cant give you really solid advice but i would go to your Local Better Business Buerau or to a news station that helps the "small man" get back at corporations like this (ie 7 on your side) or something like that. Threaten them with makind this public somehow and im sure they will offer you some kind of monetary value for the engine failure.

Good luck again getting this worked out. I know it sucks to be broke and try to rebuild an engine. I payed for mine all last year, but the forged light internals were soooooo worth it!