Another Iffy Lube boo boo

[2002 Maxima SE]

We have a SnapLube up the street from us (Citgo). They do general maintenance (oil changes, belts, transmission flush, coolant flush) as well as inspections. Years ago, they were decent kids working there...but now those same kids seem to be under the pressure to make some money.

We take all of our cars there for inspection only. We used to be able to get in, drop off some used oil, get inspected and leave. When I went this past year, they started fiddling under the hood and looking around. They found that the belt on my Taurus was frayed and they "couldn't pass me on the safety inspection". I thought it was [censored], but I let them change it because I was aware it was about 10 years old.

The next time, my wife took our Forester in for inspection. This time, they would not pass her on inspection because the year old windshield wiper had a crack in it. She had them change it, but NC inspection says it only has to "clear debris". This was a crack in the rubber.

Lastly, I took my Maxima in to be inspected. I *meticulously* maintain and clean the engine of this car. They spent a good ten minutes...when I saw them poking and pulling I went out and asked what they were doing (inspection on the engine should be through the computer port alone). He said the give a "complementary safety inspection that our customers appreciate". I told them I didn't and they should stick to the inspection and finish. He said my car was in good shape but I should get the engine oil cleaner treatment they offer. I told them that was not recommended by the manufacturer and that several Jiffy Lubes had been sued for engine damage on poorly maintained cars that went through the treatment. One of the other techs came over and asked "then why does the Nissan dealer offer the service?". I had to explain to him that the dealer operates independent of the manufacturer and it is the manufacturer who does not recommend it.

Ugh! Never again.

 

[Vizzy]

I don't see the issue with ANY of the items they replaced.

You said yourself the frayed belt was 10 years old!!!!! I'm surprised it had not already snapped or broken years ago.

Wipers, if the rubber was cracked it was very old and they should be replaced.

The only problem I would have had is them pushing the oil flush product.

Remember if you had your belt or wiper blades fail out on the road in the middle of nowhere you'd be here complaining that they didn't do their job either.

 

[ZGRider]

Originally Posted By: Brons2
That's why I like Discount Tire, they only do tires and nothing else.

Well, that doesn't mean that they can't screw up too. I took my car to my local Discount Tire and had a print out off the Discount Tire website with the tires I wanted and when I started to get in the car to leave, I looked at the new tires and they were a different brand than the ones I asked for. So, when I went back inside and asked why they didn't put on the tires I asked for, the salesman said, "these are the same price and mileage tires as the ones you asked for, what's the problem?" I'm thinking, "[censored], is this guy's IQ?" So, I asked him, "If you went into a resturant and ordered a T-bone steak and they brought you a ribeye instead and when you complained they said, it's a steak and it costs the same, what's the problem?" "How would you feel." They put on the tires I originally wanted, but bodged the balancing and made me wait an additional 30 minutes.

How many times do they do that and people never notice?

The entire automotive service industry is set up to screw people or this stuff wouldn't happen so often.

 

[Vizzy]

ZGR:

I hear you. MOST customers don't pay attention, and sure enough whether by accident or deliberately, things the customer doesn't want are done.

For guys like us that pay attention and CARE about our vehicles I always double check at the time they are going to start work. I make sure I ask TWICE about services and work that is going to be done and get a confirmation that what I requested is what is going to actually happen.

This way if something IS wrong when the job is finished there is NO question about where the blame is, and usually they will bend ouver backwards to get it right the first time because they know they'll just have to do it again if it isn't because I'm paying attention!

 

[2002 Maxima SE]

Originally Posted By: Vizzy
I don't see the issue with ANY of the items they replaced.

You said yourself the frayed belt was 10 years old!!!!! I'm surprised it had not already snapped or broken years ago.

Wipers, if the rubber was cracked it was very old and they should be replaced.

The only problem I would have had is them pushing the oil flush product.

Remember if you had your belt or wiper blades fail out on the road in the middle of nowhere you'd be here complaining that they didn't do their job either.



Do you work for the Snaplube? lol

I said that I DID NOT have a problem with the belt replacement as it was in need of being done. The car had 90K miles on it and I had just bought it that week.

The wipers were not very old. As I said, the wipers worked fine by the definition in NC law. The crack was tiny...I never said the wiper was hanging off the car.

And no, I would not complain to them if my car was not maintained properly. My job is to maintain the car, their job is to do the inspection not push product and service.

It sounds like you expect the inspection station to tell you everything that is wrong with your car. My expectation is to receive an inspection and nothing more.

 

[SilverC6]

My wife took my Toyota van to an oil change place twice while I had a cast on my arm.

The bozos working there had partially disassembled the splash pan under the engine to ease their access to the filter.

It was flapping in the breeze.

Also a fine screen pre-filter under the filler cap was gouged out so the fill would be a little faster.

I took the vehicle back and told them they had taken some liberties with the car.

They blamed another oil change place.

I told the morons that I was the only other person to touch the car and I wouldn't be complaining if I had made the changes.

They found a bolt and tightened up the floppy splash pan.

The little pre-filter was, unfortunately, lost forever.

They also had used bulk oil when we had paid a premium for YBP.

I felt funny telling them that the oil they used tasted like Quaker State to me.

 

[Spector]

Wow, I have never heard of a STATE inspection that goes under the hood, all the states that I have lived in were safety inspections and they would never look to see that a drive belt is frayed. Drive belts are not much of a safety issue, timing belt could be if you died at high speed on an interstate in heavy traffic but 90% of the time one cannot even see the condition of a timing belt.

I would bet the condition of the belts is not even on the state inspection check list!

 

[Vizzy]

Actually it is pretty common for some states to have brake lines, belts, and other wear items, even rust out on the body, included in their inspections. Of course I would rather go to a state run inspection factility as they only check and pass or fail the car they don't do the repair work there so no conflict of interest as a result.

 

[MCompact]

I may have posted this in another thread, but here's my horror story: I was on my way to Hilton Head and hit a pothole, ruining the RF tire. I was driving my Club Sport, which does use a bit of oil(1 qt. every 3000 miles or so), so I checked the oil at every fuel stop AND when I got to Hilton Head. I NEVER added any oil. Fast forward three days-I'm at the Hilton Head Tire Kingdom having my tire replaced. On the way back to the condo I smell burning oil and the CEL illuminates. I pull over, pop the hood, and find that my oil filler cap is missing. I call Tire Kingdom and they treat me like an idiot: "Sir, you need to go back to the shop that changed your oil." Funny thing, I drove the car from the Ohio Valley to SC and never smelled any oil or noticed the CEL... Luckily, I found the cap laying on top of the motor mount. After an hour of scrubbing and a roll of paper towels the engine bay was presentable again. My guess is that Trainee N. Bred Goober at Tire Kingdom thought the car was in for an oil change and got ready to pull the drain plug when someone yelled "No, Goober! That 'uns jest here to git the tar changed." So, Goober closes the hood without replacing the cap. Morons.

 

[saberz]

I can thankfully say I have NEVER gone to a quick lube place. Only went to the Chevy dealer 1 time in the 7 years I owned my Impala for an oil change and that was while it was having additional work being performed.

Was fortunate enough to have my friends shop do the majority of work and maintenance on it(i'd buy the oil and he would do it). Now I do almost all the work on my X unless its something I don't have a tool for, then I go down by him.


My cousin wasn't so lucky, she had an 02 Eclipse and I had taken it to my friends to have the oil changed as a favor to her. She knows him, and I paid for the oil change etc everything was cool. So she then goes to a quicklube place at her next OCI and they sit there and say that her drain plug is in crooked etc etc. So she started to talk smack about my friend and I told her that I was there the whole time, he takes his time and double checks work etc, not in a rush like the quick lube places and they wanted extra money.

To this day she doesn't believe me and would believe the quick lube place. BRAIN WASHING! They probably screwed it up trying to put it back in.

 

[Evil_Charles]

Originally Posted By: daman
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I remember I went to NTB to get two rear tires one time.........I get home,pop my hood,and the oil dipstick is like halfway out? W-t-f were those stupid fu*ks doing checking my oil? That really pizzed me off to the point I almost drove back and kicked the dude`s a$$. Makes me wish I had the equipment to install my own tires!

next time pull the tires and take 'em in...


Next time make sure you can see them. I use Amsoil and will even tell them DO NOT top off the fluids especially oil. The only thing better I do is go to a tire place close to me. They are not a chain trying to sell you things you don't need. Last time I was there I did not see Curly, Larry, and Moe. I like them on TV not working on my car.

 

[AdRock]

I've only gone to one of the quick lube places once and that was for a drain and refill of the tranny on the stang. The only reason I stopped at that place was because there was a built 55 Chevy and a built Chevelle sitting in the lot that belonged to the two guys working at the time. It made me feel better about them not being complete idiots. They were real cool and the guy that did the job let me down in the pit with him so I could check some stuff out and watch him do the job. Only charged me $10.