Consumer News And Recalls

by Joe Bergantino
(CBS4) Every year, thousands of people pull into Jiffy Lube to get their vehicles serviced. But is Jiffy Lube doing the job it promises to do? Or are they ripping you off? I-Team reporter Joe Bergantino investigates.

You are looking at one of the most frightening moments Phyllis Finstein has ever experienced.

Phyllis Finstein, North Easton: "Some girl knocks on my passenger window and yells your car's on fire, your car's on fire." So I said to her, get away and I turned my car, grabbed my pocketbook and ran."

Only a few minutes earlier, Phyllis was here at this Jiffy Lube in Canton getting an oil change.

Phyllis Finstein, North Easton: "I drove not more than three miles and my car started smoking."

And eventually burst into flames. The Stoughton Fire Department responded and videotaped the fire for training purposes.

Phyllis Finstein, North Easton: "You go in for an oil change. You have a perfectly good car when you go in. You have a burnt car when you go out."

So how did this happen?

Take a look at this report from an investigator with the Finstein's insurance company. In the investigator's opinion "motor oil or transmission fluid spilled or sprayed on to the hot (exhaust) manifold…..It is evident the fire was caused by faulty service work performed by Jiffy Lube."

Phyllis Finstein, North Easton: "It was a scary thing and they put my life in danger."

So how often does Jiffy Lube make mistakes? The I-Team found dozens of complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau over the past three years, just from Jiffy Lube customers here in Massachusetts. There are hundreds of complaints nationwide.

Jiffy Lube says that's a good record considering they service tens of millions of cars nationwide in a three year period. Dan Parsons at the Better Business Bureau sees it differently.

Dan Parsons, Houston BBB: "This is a horrific record. It is not impressive and it hasn't gotten any better."

The Better Business Bureau says given the basic, elementary service Jiffy Lube performs, it shouldn't make any mistakes, never mind serious ones.

Dan Parsons, Houston BBB: "This is not deep mechanics. It is a simple procedure that almost anyone can be trained to do."

So we wondered, what would happen if we took three cars to three different Jiffy Lubes. Would we end up the victims of sloppy work or even worse?

First, we had mechanic Tom Morabito, who works on our CBS 4 news vehicles check out each of the three cars. Then we brought them to Jiffy Lubes in Reading, Medford and Canton.

At each location, we asked for an oil change and anything else the car needed. They did the basic oil change and in most cases a fluid check. Did Jiffy Lube in Reading miss anything?

Tom Morabito, Mechanic: "The rear tires could use more air. Chances are they weren't checked and it did seem as though the differential plug hadn't been removed."

At the Medford Jiffy Lube they sold us a battery and several services our mechanic said we didn't need. The bill, about $200.00.

Tom Morabito, Mechanic: "I think it was unnecessary to change the fluids in the transfer case and in the differentials. In particular, it was unnecessary to change this battery."

At the Jiffy Lube in Canton, where Phyllis Finstein took her car, our mechanic found several problems.

Tom Morabito, Mechanic: "Somebody has loosened this drain plug right here and what it means is eventually all of the fluid will drip out of the differential housing. It could lead to an expensive repair."

Our mechanic found that Jiffy Lube had failed to lube eleven of the SUV's fourteen fittings and tried to sell us five services that, in his opinion, we didn't need.

Tom Morabito, Mechanic: "Overall, I'd give the job in this vehicle poor marks."

So we went to Jiffy Lube in Canton to talk with manager Scott Rabb.

Joe Bergantino: "How does this happen?"

Scott Rabb, Manager: "It happens by some people not paying attention, as far as a training issue. It's the point of having to have a talk with my lower bay tech that performed on this vehicle and see exactly why he didn't follow procedure. I would call it laziness, that's what I would call it."

And what about the fire in Phyllis Finstein's SUV?

Scott Rabb, Manager: "It wasn't due to us. It was not."

Joe Bergantino: "It was not due to your mistake?"

Scott Rabb, Manager: "It wasn't due to no mistake by Jiffy Lube on oil or anything."

Joe Bergantino: "It's just a coincidence it would catch on fire five minutes later?

Scott Rabb, Manager: "I couldn't even answer how it caught on fire."

Bottom line, Jiffy Lube refused to take any responsibility for that fire, until the I-Team got involved. The company then re-opened the case and offered the Finsteins about $3500 which they've accepted. As for what happened to the cars we brought to Jiffy Lube, the company told us they recommend certain services based on mileage only. They did concede that some of the problems we encountered indicate the need for additional training and Jiffy Lube promises to address that.

Here's what you can do the next time you visit an auto repair shop. (thanks to Boston Consumers' Checkbook)

• Write down a detailed description of your car's symptoms and give it to the shop.
  
  
• If possible, talk directly to the repair technician who will be working on your car.
  
  
• Either get a written estimate in advance or write on the repair ticket that no work is to be done without your approval based on a written estimate.
  
  
• Get a written, dated invoice detailing parts and labor along with the vehicle's odometer reading.
  
  
• Pay by credit card.
  
  
• If the car is not right when you get it back, tell the shop in writing immediately.

For more information on auto repair shops, visit checkbook.org.

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