“Stay away from places like Jiffy Lube, Quick Oil, Walmart.”
A woman is calling out Take 5 after alleging that a faulty oil change broke her car. Now, she says the chain is denying fault.
In her video, TikTok user Gabriela (@ghabriila1369) explains that she took her car to a Take 5 location in Irving, Texas, on June 21. However, she says she realized the next day that something was not right with her car. According to Gabriela, it was “feeling really, really heavy.”
As her father was in town, she says she invited him to take a look. After pulling out the dipstick, the pair discovered that it was “bone dry, with no oil,” she says.
Concerned, Gabriela says she called Take 5. An assistant manager eventually looked at her car, but, in Gabriela’s estimation, proved to be of little assistance. Instead, Gabriela says she reached out to another mechanic “out of my own pocket” and had him look at the car. The mechanic was able to promptly identify the issue, she says.
“They didn’t put the filter or the little seal part to close, right? They didn’t do it right, and it completely ruined the whole motor,” she explains.
From here, Gabriela says she reached back out to Take 5. The assistant manager took a look at the car and, according to Gabriela, saw that “it was their mistake.” Consequently, Gabriela decided to file a claim with the company.
In the meantime, Gabriela accrued multiple major expenses owing to her car’s blown engine. She says she had to pay for the car to be towed several times and that she had to hire a rental car in order to get around.
Then, on August 28, she says she got a phone call.
“Take 5 is denying the claim,” Gabriela announces.
Now, Gabriela says the only option left is to take them to court, which she says she plans to do.
“I want them to take responsibility that they’ve already messed up my car,” she shares. “And not just mine—because I’ve heard and I’ve seen people post on that video that I posted showing that they’ve already got their car messed up too, and they’re going through the same thing.”
Gabriela adds that her experience dealing with Take 5 has been unpleasant and that getting a new engine for her car will cost an estimated $17,000. She also says that the person who changed her oil had only been changing oil for three weeks before she changed Gabriela’s oil unsupervised—something that Gabriela says is “BS.”
Gabriela isn’t the only person to lodge such a claim against Take 5.
Last year, a woman shared a story about taking her car to Take 5 for an oil change. Later that day, her family discovered the car was not behaving correctly. When they examined the dipstick, they found that it, too, was “bone dry.” While Take 5 initially took some minor responsibility, the woman alleged that they did not cover additional problems that resulted from the failed oil change.
Others have also shared problems with Take 5. For example, one man claimed that Take 5 broke his oil pan plug and replaced it with a hard-to-remove alternative. Another alleged that they had to get their radiator replaced after getting their coolant flushed at Take 5.
While customers can file claims against Take 5 in hopes that they get their cars repaired, there’s no guarantee that such claims will be successful. If a claim is successful, its scope may be limited, and the customer may have to fight to have the extent of their damages fully covered.
This is part of the reason why many recommend avoiding quick-service oil change places, instead opting for trusted local mechanics.
In the comments section, users offered their own Take 5 experiences, with many claiming that visiting the store at all is ill-advised.
“Everyone needs to stay away from take5 and Walmart,” wrote a user. “Everyone wants the cheapest price on vehicle repair and maintenance and this is what happens. Spend a little bit more and get it done right by a reputable shop or mechanic.”
“The horror [stories] I have from customers that have taken their vehicle to Take 5,” mused another.
“Girl my transmission from my Infinti messed up shortly after I went to do an oil change there,” recalled a further TikToker.
Motor1 reached out to Take 5 via email and Gabriela via email and X direct message. We will update this story if they respond.
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