Image via Complex Original
We've said multiple times that the best way to keep and maintain your car is by doing all the work yourself. But for many reasons, this is not possible for people. Eitiher they know nothing about cars, they don't have time to do the work themselves, they don't have the proper equipment to do it, or they don't have the right space to do it. It's just simply not possible sometimes. In this case, it's important to find a mechanic that you can trust. In general, that means not going to a big box chain like Jiffy Lube.
We point out this particular brand, because they've had a number of complaints, they've been exposed by news teams, and many former workers have come forward to admit the company's faults. We combed through these many, many examples and picked some out to warn you why you should not be taking your car here. Read our 10 Reasons You Should Never Go To Jiffy Lube.
And by the way, every source link is the reason for the slide. We're not just pulling these complaints out of nowhere.
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10. They might turn down some oil changes, because they will take too much time.
The "mechanics" at Jiffy Lube work on a strict "get in, get out" philosophy. The workers are told that the average time for an oil change should be about eight minutes. Because of this and supreme laziness, if they see a car with an oil filter that is difficult to get to (like on a BMW), they'll say that they can't do it. This coming from a company that supposedly specializes in oil changes.
9. They might charge you to top off coolant for only a few ounces of liquid.
Many auto shops will add the phrase "top off your fluids" onto package deals like they're doing you a huge service. In reality, that "top-off" is probably nothing bout a few ounces that are costing them about 20 cents. That top-off is probably adding $5-10 to your total payment, an amount that could buy you an entire bottle of said fluids by simply going to Autozone and picking it up yourself.
8. New hires aren't required to have any previous knowledge about cars.
The entire reason you're probably taking your car to a garage for an oil change is because you don't know anything about car maintenance. So why would you leave your car with somebody who has the exact same amount of experience that you do? This is a fact direct from a former Jiffy Lube worker, as he explained you don't need any education or prior experience to work here. You just need to show up and be numb enough to be able to rip off unsuspecting customers.
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7. They try to sell you services you don't need.
The Jiffy Lube employees are almost more sales people before they are mechanics. They have to reach a general average cost per car every day (around $60-70), so they're constantly trying to upsell you or trying to charge you with things you didn't originally agree to. If they aren't reaching the amount, they're going to get written up. This company is really jacked from the management down.
6. They'll accidentally break things, then tell you it was already broken.
Have you ever noticed the three letters "PTS" on your receipt? That stands for "prior to service," which is basically trying to rid the company of any responsibility that the company broke the part. In reality, it was them, and they're just lying.
4. They might break things and tell you it NEEDS to be fixed.
"Oh, I didn't realize that needed fixing, as well." Yeah, no kidding, that's because there was nothing wrong with it before you rolled it into your local Jiffy. They did this to your car, just so they could tell you how much more money you needed to give them.
3. They overtighten and strip everything.
Going back to the entire mantra of doing work in a "Jiffy," the "LBT," or Lower Bay Technician is mostly worried about getting that car out and moving to the customer, not about how gently he's tightening your screws. That's why so many of the drain plugs and oil filters are stripped, loose, or tightened so hard that the gaskets are destroyed.
2. They write names of cannibalistic sex offenders on your parts.
One person posted this photo on Reddit after a trip to Jiffy Lube. This is real, not photoshopped. But maybe he should just be happy they actually changed out his filter?
1. The only way to stop them is to stop going.
Unfortunately, this is one of those big business situations where it's hard to really get them to stop completely. They've been exposed numerous times, and there have been scandals revealed to the public, yet they continue to do thousands of cars all over the country every day. People don't know what they're risking, which is why we wanted to inform you of what happens and encourage you to find a garage you trust and know. For every person who stops going to Jiffy Lube, there will probably another new customer that same day replacing the service, but at least you know your car will be just a little bit safer.
