CHICAGO (WLS) — The I-Team continues to hear from drivers facing repair bills totaling thousands of dollars after bringing their vehicles to area Jiffy Lube shops.
The investigative unit first reported on similar allegations late last year. Since then, additional customers who went in for routine oil changes say they have been met with delays and frustration, claiming faulty service left their cars damaged.
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One of them is Eric McRoberts of southwest suburban Yorkville, who said his family is still dealing with the aftermath of what he describes as a botched oil change in late 2025 at a nearby Jiffy Lube location.
“It started smoking, so we just had it towed home,” McRoberts said. “It looks like when they changed the oil, they threw away the center piece that is attached to the oil filter cap.”
McRoberts said he initially covered the cost of repairs himself.
“But then it got worse. There was further internal damage caused from the oil change,” McRoberts said.
In a second diagnostic video from the dealership, the mechanic said, “There is a lot of coolant and oil mix underneath the vehicle… It’s likely there was contamination that worked its way in main bearings… At this point, the vehicle will unfortunately need an engine.”
A brand-new engine is estimated to cost more than $28,000. McRoberts says Jiffy Lube wouldn’t cover the costs, so instead, he submitted a claim to insurance to get a new car. The Yorkville Jiffy Lube store said McRoberts contacted them about a month after the oil change and, “By that time, the vehicle had already been taken to a BMW dealership, where work had begun, limiting Jiffy Lube’s ability to directly inspect the vehicle or independently assess the claim.”
“I feel slighted,” McRoberts said. “They so dryly wiped it off, stopped returning my calls and emails.”
The ABC7 I-Team first reported on complaints of bad oil changes from Chicago area Jiffy Lubes in November of 2025. Two consumers saw results and payouts after the I-Team’s investigation.
Now, McRoberts and several others are turning to the I-Team, too.
Eight other drivers say they have had similar experiences with area Jiffy Lubes, including engine or transmission issues after receiving oil changes. The damage and costs, they say, range between $1,400 and $13,000.
“I couldn’t drive my car away,” said Angela Dugan.
“So, my car, it had had stopped running. I had to call a tow truck,” said Jordan Tims.
“I was on the way home back to my house. I noticed there was huge clouds of white smoke blowing out of my car,” said Angel Vazquez. “All my oil slowly spilled out.”
“The filter being too small caused it to explode inside of my engine, leaving debris inside of it,” said Jared Jeter.
“I drove one block, stopped the car. It was a stop sign. The car wouldn’t start anymore,” said Barbara Fleming.
The I-Team gave Jiffy Lube receipts and estimates from the consumers in our report. The company said, “each situation involves additional context,” including one consumer whose small claims lawsuit was dismissed.
The company told the I-Team it “strives to provide an outstanding customer experience to every one of the 19 million customers who visit our service centers annually,” adding that most locations across Chicagoland are owned and operated by independent franchisees “who are committed to providing the highest quality service. Unfortunately, we may not always deliver on that commitment.”
Jiffy Lube says it wants to hear from customers when they are not satisfied and takes feedback seriously, investigating every concern, saying “In situations where we find we were at fault; we take accountability and work to resolve the issue promptly.”
“The transmission was destroyed, basically trashed, and the Subaru cost to replace was like $13,000,” said Mike Johnston.
Johnston ended up settling for $7,000. But some, like Barbara Fleming, say Jiffy Lube has not offered help.
“They ignored me. They treated me like I was the invisible,” Fleming said.
Some consumers have filed small claims cases and Illinois attorney general complaints.
Jiffy Lube says customers with concerns can call their customer care team at 800-344-6933.
When getting an oil change, verify that the correct manufacturer replacement parts are being used. More tips can be found here.
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