There’s a lot that can go wrong with your truck, and sometimes it’s not even the fault of the owner. Even if you know how to make a lot of minor repairs, most truck issues will have to be serviced at the dealership or another auto body shop. At the very least, you’ll need to have the oil changed by a professional once every couple thousand miles.

During an oil change, the shop may also include a general check-up of the car to see if anything else needs immediate attention. However, before you take your car into the shop, check the reviews of the shop online to make sure it’s trustworthy. If not, you may have an experience similar to one of these many Reddit users.

Jiffy Lube’s oil changes

In a forum completely unrelated to car or truck service, many drivers came forward to voice their complaints about Jiffy Lube. It’s an auto body shop with around 2,000 locations across the United States. It’s famous for offering primarily oil changes, but also provides other services like inspection and tire replacements.

However, many people claimed that Jiffy Lube couldn’t even perform an oil change correctly. One user reported that the mechanic had punctured the car’s oil filter as they were changing it, causing the user to need another oil change two weeks later.

Other users had similar stories of Jiffy Lube staff making mistakes, like unauthorized removal of certain parts like knock sensors and speed sensors.

Trying to sell unnecessary truck services

Jiffy Lube also has a reputation for charging customers to repair “issues” on parts the driver doesn’t have. One user reported that the mechanic was pushing them to have their car’s cabin filter replaced that day, despite the user’s car not even having a cabin filter.

While they were able to catch the mechanic in a lie, many users also reported that the Jiffy Lube staff claimed to change the users’ oil, only to have it suspiciously run out a few weeks later.

The auto shop’s unsavory practices even made the national news. In 2003, reporters from KNBC went undercover into several of Jiffy Lube’s locations after many complaints from drivers.

The journalists found that more than half of the employees didn’t perform the services, but charged the reporters anyway. In response to this, Jiffy Lube claimed to introduce better training practices for its employees. However, in another investigation 10 years later, the auto shop didn’t seem to have changed its ways at all.

Potentially endangering customers

Jiffy Lube’s failure to repair cars has resulted in some almost deadly situations. One Reddit user reported that while the shop claimed to have fixed their car’s brakes, the mechanic failed to mention that one of the brakes was almost worn out. The customer’s brakes gave out as they were driving the car, but they were able to stop safely. Jiffy Lube refused to take responsibility for the issue.

How can drivers avoid bad truck service?

In many of these cases, double-checking the mechanic’s work could have saved these drivers a lot of hassle. However, the average driver doesn’t know a lot about the inner workings of their car. It’s much easier to trust a “professional”.

However, with the amount of informational material on Youtube and online blogs, it may be worth it for drivers to educate themselves a little about their vehicles.

Another way to avoid issues is to be on the lookout for shady mechanics. Just like some car salespeople, there are mechanics who are only out for your money. If the mechanic tries to sell you a service for your truck that you’re sure you don’t need, take your car elsewhere.