Mechanic fixes oil leak supposedly caused by Jiffy Lube mistake “they lied”
Harris Automotive of Philadelphia had a driver come in with a Jeep dripping oil. Fast. So they asked the customer about the problem. Things went from bad to worse.
The Jeep driver had reportedly told Harris Automotive they’d had an oil change at Jiffy Lube. Then, they drove away and found new oil dripping out of the bottom of the vehicle. Jiffy Lube’s response? They’d need to dish out hundreds more to have the engine oil pan gasket swapped.
The Harris Auto technician said, “let’s get this filter down and see what we have.”
He unscrewed the Service Champ brand oil filter and found its O-Ring wasn’t nearly thick enough to seal against the bottom of the engine. They add that a quick-thinking technician could have set up “a double O-ring” to seal the filter.
The technician swapped in an AC Delco brand oil filter and checked that it came with a thicker O-ring. Then they filled the engine with oil. “Problem solved. Problem solved.”
Did Jiffy Lube mess up the oil change?
Harris Automotive posted a video of the job to its TikTok account. There’s no evidence the customer actually went to Jiffy Lube. They could have gone to Quick Lube and forgotten the name. They could have had a family friend work on the vehicle and didn’t want to admit it. And note, that Harris Auto has an interest in customers choosing their shop over Jiffy Lube. But it’s certainly an intriguing problem.
Certain oil filters may come with cheaper replacement O-Rings. Sometimes they’re dried out or too thin. I’ve used double O-Rings on my own vehicles, or built a cardboard spacer to make certain a filter will seal. That part of the story is very believable.
The Harris Auto technician posted a video titled “Why You Should Avoid Quick Changes at Jiffy Lube.” He concluded: “Okay, for the last time, folks, do not take your cars to Jiffy Lube and Quick Lube places to get your oil changed. They lied to this customer and told her that she needed an oil pan gasket that was leaking was actually just their oil filter…Also think about this: Will a skilled technician or mechanic even apply for a job at Jiffy Lube or a Quick Lube place? These people don’t know what the h— they’re doing, so do not take your car there.”
You can see his entire video embedded below and decide for yourself:
