With a name like Take 5 Oil Change, Shannon Gerdauskas thought she and her Mercedes would be in and out of the DeLand, Florida, shop. Right after leaving, though, the car started acting strangely. “It was shifting by itself. It was like trying to go into reverse and neutral while I was driving down the road,” she recalled.

What should have been a quick stop landed in the form of an $18,000 repair estimate. To add insult to the numbers, she’s also been without her Mercedes since October.

The oil change mistake was simple but catastrophic

A technician accidentally drained the transmission fluid instead of the engine oil and let Gerdauskas drive away.

Take 5 Oil Change later admitted the error, with workers sending apologetic texts confirming the transmission had been emptied by mistake. Her local dealership confirmed the damage, telling her the transmission would need to be replaced.

Take 5 uses a third-party company, Fleet Response, to handle claims

That company initially pushed for a transmission flush, suggesting it was the first step toward a replacement.

But even after the flush, Fleet Response denied approving the full replacement. According to WFTV Channel 9, emails from the dealership clearly outlined the need for a new transmission, but Take 5 initially closed the claim after covering just the flush.

After further review, the company agreed to cover the replacement and provide an extended warranty.

This isn’t an isolated incident, I can personally confirm

Action 9’s investigation found similar complaints across the country. Drivers have reported oil and other fluid mistakes leaving engines or transmissions damaged.

In one case in North Carolina, a driver lost an engine entirely after Take 5 drained oil and let him drive. In Georgia, another customer described the aftermath as “bam bam bam, really bad.”

The City of Jacksonville, Florida documented 45 complaints from police officers reporting substandard work on patrol vehicles.

But it’s not just Take 5 that’s doing this. I worked behind a service counter for years, fielding second opinion tickets after customers regretted using a variety of quick lube shops. In many of these cases, the oil change tech double-filled the oil, forgot to fill the engine entirely, or drained and filled the wrong system.

Liability in cases like this generally falls on the service provider

Since Take 5’s employee caused the damage while performing a service, the company is legally responsible for the resulting repairs. That includes both the immediate replacement costs and any additional expenses caused by driving the car without critical fluids.

Gerdauskas says she’s cautious about driving her car and wary of any future maintenance. She says she’ll never use Take 5 Oil Change again.

Everyone should know how to confirm that an oil change was done without issue

In my opinion, it’s important drivers gain at least some knowledge of their cars. After all, it’s something most of us rely heavily on.

After an oil change, check under your car. You’re looking for drips or even a puddle underneath. This is an obvious sign that something went amiss in the process. Loose oil filters and drain plugs leave clean oil on the pavement in the center front.

If it looks clear underneath, pop the hood. Learn to check your oil level. Confirm if it’s in the healthy zone, low, or overfilled.

Doing these simple checks can prevent a bad oil change from turning into an $18,000 catastrophe.