“I can’t accelerate or anything.”
Oil changes are low-stakes car maintenance—or at least they’re supposed to be. One woman says a routine oil change at Jiffy Lube turned into a disaster. She claims she now needs her engine replaced. And says Jiffy Lube is ghosting her.
TikTok creator The Story Teller (@jinglesstories21) posted a video explaining what happened. “All I did was get an oil change and now I don’t have a car,” she says to start the video.
She says that she was driving a short time later on the highway when her car abruptly stopped. “I was driving on the 95 freeway in the middle lane, going 60 miles an hour, and my car flickers and stops responding to me,” she says. “I can’t accelerate or anything. I can just move the car over.”
After having her vehicle towed to a mechanic, The Story Teller learned the bad news: She says she needed a completely new engine and it would cost about $10,000. The car had no oil in it, she says, because it had leaked all over the hood.
Although she doesn’t specifically mention Jiffy Lube in the video, she includes #jiffylube in the caption. In the comments, she also says it was a Jiffy Lube. The Story Teller says she called the corporate office of the oil change location and they actually sent someone over to the mechanic that day to take photos and start an investigation.
“Corporate calls me last weeks, says, ‘We’re still investigating,’” she says. “That’s the last time I heard from anybody. I keep calling this man. My mechanic keeps calling. We are both being ghosted.”
In the comments section of the video, viewers reacted to the concept of a simple oil change going this wrong.
“I wouldn’t take my lawn mower to Jiffy Lube,” joked one commenter.
A second person offered advice. “You make an insurance claim against their liability insurance carrier,” they wrote. “Do not accept any other remedy except for a full replacement of the engine and then anything else resulting from their negligence.”
A third person said, “I only go to the dealership. I don’t care about the price; I need the guarantee.”
Jiffy Lube offers a nationwide limited repair warranty on eligible repairs and services. Its signature certified quality service warranty for oil changes lasts three months or 3,000 miles. There should be detailed information about how to file a claim on the back of the invoice.
Even though Jiffy Lube will generally send someone out to document the damage, it’s important to maintain your own photographs and records of everything. Experts also recommend working with a third-party mechanic like The Story Teller is doing. If working with Jiffy Lube directly doesn’t work, contacting a lawyer is another option.
Jiffy Lube has previously faced similar accusations.. Earlier this year, several Jiffy Lube locations in Chicago went viral after customers complained that poorly executed oil changes led to their vehicles being damaged. Jiffy Lube told a local ABC affiliate that it remediates damages caused by its technicians.
Motor1 contacted The Story Teller via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We also contacted Jiffy Lube via press email for comment.
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