Anyone NOT have a problem with Jiffy Lube type places?

The real problems I had with anybody else changing my oil were the upselling and having the drain plugs over tightened or even mangled. I think somebody with an air tool has no issue with taking a tight and maybe damaged drain plug off, different story for me in a tight space with my long torque wrench.
Well, I did suspect that a Subaru dealer was putting 0W20 in my FXT when the manual called for 5W30....they always swore that the right oil "must" have been used but it was fishy.

My daughter did complain about her Impreza after my wife had the oil changed at Midas, she said it was hard to start after a day in class at HS despite it being summer. Changed the oil filter on hunch and found that the cheap tiny filter Midas used had no ADBV, daughter said everything was fine with the Subaru blue can that had one.
 
In the uk we have places like quick fit, national tyres and halfords who are jiffy lube type places. Only thing i dont trust about them is when you specify fully synthetic i dont trust them not to use semi synthetic.
 
My hesitation with these places is that there are often "upsell" goals that the employees have to meet. I've been to these type places about a half-dozen times over the years and have been pressured relentlessly to get various additional services such as differential fluid, transmission flush, engine flush (double engine flush recommended, lol), wiper blades, air filters etc.

I hate having to deal with the sales pitch. I always install Fumoto valves in all my cars and try buying vehicles with easily accessible oil filters so l can do it myself.
 
Id say if in doubt take it to the dealership, but ive seen a car leave the bay being parked they had forgotten to put the drain plug back on, and this was a Lincoln dealership. The old man was [censored]. As for Jiffy Lube, I had the oil changed in my Land Rover and they insisted on taking absolutely everything apart and i specifically told them not to touch anything, they ripped a hole in the intake hose trying to get the air filter open. That was the last time i have been. Theres your horror stories that you guys are missing.
 
If I didn't care about the car, I take it anywhere as long as the price is right.

When I had a 2018 Civic Si that was a lease, I didn't give a rats [censored], as long as the car got the basic care... the only reason I never took it to an oil change place is because I'm cheap. I can do a synthetic oil change at home for like what.. $14 total? I did however, take it to get $7 car washes, who cares about swirls when its gonna end up back in a dealer lot and some kid is gonna buy it and mess with it.

But my 2015 STI and GX460 that i OWN and plan to keep forever, I'd never take it to those places, except for tire mounting... and even then, usually for the STI I will remove the wheels and tires from the car, and take them to the shop inside the GX. I don't want them messing up the ceramic clutch or using an impact on anything.
 
Originally Posted by super20dan
why are any of you people letting anyone else change your oil?



Because some of us are not parnoid shade tree mechanics.
Oh-And we can afford it.
 
The issues I personally see with quick change places and dealers alike is they charge a lot more for synthetic that they get for cheap. Then they push that your car requires it and due to some safety BS they can't use a non recommended grade oil.

As a kid my mom got Valvoline coupons regularly enough that her escape, sportage, and forrester all got conventional 5w-30 every 4-5k miles. When I bought my Impreza in 2015, I nearly pooed myself when Valvoline and the dealer wanted $75 for 4.7 qt and a basic filter. I balked at the price, and they balked back harder at me that my engine REQUIRES synthetic.

My frugality lead me to this site to find a good 0w-20 and the rest is history.
 
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Originally Posted by CKN
Originally Posted by super20dan
why are any of you people letting anyone else change your oil?



Because some of us are not parnoid shade tree mechanics.
Oh-And we can afford it.
i can afford it also -just that since i use my trucks in my biz i want to make sure its done right. hardly paranoid. its the smart thing to do. also since many cars now have canaster cartridges -there is more chance for some kid to screw things up
 
I just bought a '98 Camry LE 4 banger to fix up for a family.
The oil pan plug was not your typical 14mm head bolt.
The head is about 1"; a stripped thread pan fix. It is leaking.
Why?
 
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
I just bought a '98 Camry LE 4 banger to fix up for a family.
The oil pan plug was not your typical 14mm head bolt.
The head is about 1"; a stripped thread pan fix. It is leaking.
Why?


Maybe some guy read BITOG and decided to try doing it himself and had a bad go of it. Maybe Beavis at the Quickie Lube did it.

The world will likely never know.
 
My only beef with my local Valvoline store is the little cheap jobber filters they use. Does it matter, who knows? I've had worse luck with dealerships than quick lube places. I did take the GLI to Port Charlotte VW when we were in FL last week...had a great experience with my freebie 10k oil change/tire rotation. Seems like one of those cheesy "superstore" type dealerships with a big phone room drumming up leads, but the service dept was terrific. Since it's nearly impossible to find VW 508 oil "in the wild" the dealer was my best bet. That, and it was free...
 
Originally Posted by super20dan
why are any of you people letting anyone else change your oil?


Ummmmh … cuz some of us are older and/or disabled.
 
My advice is to just do some internet sleuthing on the various places local checking reviews and make a decision. If he has good service the first time, I would advise him to stick with that one place and not hop around.

If things go south, old people tend to blame the last person that gave them advice.
 
A co-worker took his old ranger there for a rear diff fluid change. They drained the old out and sent him on his way with no fluid. After about 3 months of arguments he got his rear diff changed out at the Ford dealer at there expense. I think he had to have a lawyer send a certified letter of intent to sue to get anywhere.

I also knew someone that suspected his oil was changed but not his filter. On the next go he marked his filter with a sharpie. It was not changed but his invoice stated it was.
 
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Originally Posted by NHBFAN
Originally Posted by super20dan
why are any of you people letting anyone else change your oil?


Ummmmh … cuz some of us are older and/or disabled.


Because lying on ones back on a snow covered driveway @ 15F isn't everyone's cup o' tea.
 
Most of these places do the job right or they wouldn't be in business. Will they do it to BITOG standards? Probably not. I like my oil level exact, not over or under. Just look up reviews of the particular one you're going to and when you're there if you get a bad sense from the workers, go to another one.
 
Originally Posted by electricmarquis


I also knew someone that suspected his oil was changed but not his filter. On the next go he marked his filter with a sharpie. It was not changed but his invoice stated it was.



If I could climb under there and remove the 10+ fasteners to remove the cover Honda installed to see if the filter was changed I could go ahead and do the oil change myself.

I do have a lot more experience with a local 5 Minute oil change with good experiences. I went with Jiffy Lube last time because it offered PP.

i think next time I'm going back to 5 Minute Oil Change but it will be back to Mobil 1 Synthetic. They don't pressure the "up sell" so much.
 
I change my own oil and always have. The only time I've had dealings with a quick lube shop was when I drove a company truck for a small firm years ago. One day I drove the firms owners wifes brand new Lumina down for it's first oil change. After a few minutes and a good bit of commotion down in the change bay, I asked what was going on? The shops now pale looking owner tells me that their guy had stripped the drain plug out. He wondered if a helicoil would be OK and I told him it wasn't mine and told him to call the number on my card and ask for Keith. A few minutes later the now even paler shop owner comes out and says "hop out and I'll take you back to your office". He had his guys push the car outside and he hauled me the 2 miles back to the office and they ordered a new oil pan.
 
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I don't get how anyone has issues with jiffy lube and such, you all sit here and call these kids useless and stupid etc......when I go, I get out of vehicle and observe everything they do.....I bring exact oil, so no way they can overfill. I can see them put in filter remove drain bolt and put back. And shoot the breeze with them the whole time. So either you guys do not observe what they are doing and just stay in your car, or do you not look at the dipstick after they are done and physically shove it in your face, or if they don't instead of complaining days later or when you get home, check it there. Bring your own oil in the exact amount, and filter. In years of using them I have had zero issues. None zilch.
 
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