WARNING: Quick Lube Shops

[Atrail]

I went to my Honda mechanic for an oil change today. Got out of my car and noticed an engine laying on the shop floor, looked a lot like mine. I asked the shop mechanic about it and he said he pulled it from a 98 Civic. The girl had the car towed to his garage after leaving a quick lube shop (forgot to ask which one). She had just had her oil changed at the place she goes to all the time, after she left she got about 6 miles and she started to hear some knocking noises. Turns out that one of the guys did not drain the oil from the motor. When he drained the motor at his shop, it had well over 6 quarts in it. (3.75 is the norm for the motor I believe).

The quick lube placed offered to let her take it to "Their Mechanic". She refused and said she would take it to the dealer, or this guys shop. Good move on her part, the shop told her NO they would not pay for it unless she went there. Our mechanic knew the man they wanted her take it to and he knew exactly what he would do to rig her car. It cost over $6,000 for the motor transplant and now she is sueing the lube place.

Be Careful

 

[amdskip]

This is unusual as what normally happens is the oil filter doesn't get screwed on tight enough and then all the oil drains out.

 

[RU482]

Have you ever noticed that when you take your car to these places (firestone shops are the worst at this) for brake pad replacement, instead of just pads, you wind up paying for new rotors or calipers or something. It's always some lame excuse too...bastards

 

[MrBond]

<< Have you ever noticed that when you take your car to these places (firestone shops are the worst at this) for brake pad replacement, instead of just pads, you wind up paying for new rotors or calipers or something. It's always some lame excuse too...bastards >>

My buddy just had to have his breaks redone on his car, he took it to midas, and I was very impressed with them. They gave him an estimate and matched it (maybe that's SOP, I dunno, I do my own auto work), and showed him his old parts so he could see how dangerous his car was getting.

 

[Mikelh]

and most of those generic shops don't replace the drain plug washer on Honda..which is required.

 

[Atrail]

I have never met anyone who has had a problem like this before.
Embarrassed to say but I did go to a Car Wash place that also does oil changes and stuff.
The idiot lube tech either leaned on my hood while it was propped up, or did not put the bar that holds the hood, back in its' little plastic holder and shut the hood. One or the other and he bent my freakin hood.
Not real bad but noticeable if you really look.

 

[rgwalt]

Yeah, I'm probably going to have my break work done at a midas. I like firestone... they have treated me well, but I don't think I'm going to let them fool with my breaks.

Ryan

 

[rgwalt]

One last thing... I remember someone on the forum telling a story about how he was changing the oil in his sister's car. Aparently, the last time she had her oil changed, she had taken it to a quick lube place. They stripped the drain plug, and instead of fixing the mistake, they just epoxied and MIG welded it into place.

Ryan

 

[freeway]

A guy in my first year torts class said in the summer he worked for one of these Quick Lube shops. Well, he drained the oil OK but forgot to refill it and drove the car out of the shop. He thought it sounded sort of funny and then remembered that he did not put oil in it. The customer never found out, but who knows if any damage was done? I'll never go to one of those shops - I always do the easy stuff myself, oil, plugs, brakes etc.

 

[Passions]

and most of those generic shops don't replace the drain plug washer on Honda..which is required.

Yeah, that's right. You have to change the washer everytime. I just don't understand why more people don't do their own oil changes. It's so ridiculous hearing these stories. Oh well. I hope she sues them big time, they have to learn their lesson.

 

[Atrail]

I take it to the Honda shop cause the mechanic is a really great guy, who knows a great deal
about Hondas and Toyotas, factory trained and certified. I can change my own oil, plugs, distributor, rotor, cap, filters, and then some if I need to, but I am lazy most of the time and he does a better job than I ever do.

 

[waggy]

I took my wife's 98 escort to a quick lube shop in early 99. actually i think it was wal-mart lube and tire.
anyway they have a large window so you can watch them do the work. I watched the tech (a young girl) drain the oil then she left. some other guy came over closed the hood and moved the car. I was yelling and banging on the window and people were looking at me funny.

There were about 10 other people waiting to get ther oil done and i told everyone to go to jiffy lube cause they just messed up my engine by not putting oil in it and driving the car. Well a fewlaughed and didnt belive me till a manager came out and apologized heh they left after that.

Well Wal-mart had it towed to the ford dealership to get worked on. they payed for all damage and gave me 10 free oil changes and $200 in gift certificates =) not to mention fired the guy that didnt check the oil and drove my car heh

 

[MajesticMoose]

A friend of mine was actually the guy who put the second 3 quarts in once (he works at a honda dealer) They caught it before it went out though. I think it was all due to a miscommunication