Man Takes Audi A4 To Jiffy Lube. Then His Car Dies In The Middle Of The Road: ‘Completely Destroyed My Car’

Generally, some car owners don't think twice about where to go for their routine oil changes. For the most part, it's easier to opt for quick automotive centers like Jiffy Lube. After all, it's pretty quick, convenient, and gets the job done correctly, right?

From what Taylor Elson (@taylorelson) allegedly experienced, that isn't always true. He recounted how an innocuous oil change at Jiffy Lube turned into a string of disasters for his Audi A4.

As of this writing, his post has more than 5,700 views.

A story about Jiffy Lube

The San Diego-based TikTok creator said that a quick stop at Jiffy Lube almost ruined his car.

“Last Sunday, I decided it's finally time for me to get an oil change. I drive an Audi A4. So, obviously the oil change itself is kind of more expensive than a regular one,” he said. Because he had already made plans with his mom to go grocery shopping, he figured she could join him. When they arrived at a Jiffy Lube, one employee asked questions about his car, including the model and the engine type.

Confused, he responded, “I don't know. A 4 quattro turbo?” Instantly, the employee's “correction” raised the content creator's eyebrows. “Because your speedometer goes all the way up to 160, so that means it's a six-cylinder” he recalled the worker saying. “If it went to 140, it would be a four-cylinder.”

Despite the bizarre explanation, he shrugged it off and had them do the oil change. This would prove to be a grave mistake.

What happened to the car?

After the oil change, he and his mother turned the corner to exit the parking lot. Immediately, the first of several alarm bells rang. “All of a sudden, a giant [light came] flashing on my dashboard. It's the oil light, and it says, ‘oil pressure,'” Elson recounted. Upon a quick Google search, the internet urged him to turn his car off pronto. “We're turning around, we're almost there. It had to have been what they did,” Elson said. “So we turn around and the car dies in the middle of the left turn lane.” 

@taylorelson @Jiffy Lube #storytime #jiffylube #oilchange #audi #oilchangegonewrong ♬ original sound – Taylor Elson

A series of unfortunate events

Subsequently, he took matters into his own hands by contacting both the police and Jiffy Lube. Although the cops hadn't arrived, two Jiffy Lube employees did and helped push the car to the shop. When the workers asked to push the wheel, he was unable to. “My wheel isn't moving. I'm trying so [expletive] hard,” he said. A couple of people even joined in pushing the vehicle to the intersection. They had to overcome a steep hill to reach the shopping center. Before the group did this, a police officer intervened.

“You guys are not gonna make it up that hill,” he remembered the cop saying, “You gotta reverse it and stay in neutral and crank the wheel all the way.” Since the wheel still wouldn't move, the cop assisted him in cranking the wheel. With a joint effort, they were able to reach his destination. Well, sort of. “We got it all situated. He braked it, and then they had to push it again into the nearest bike lane, probably about 200 feet away from where the Jiffy Lube was,” he said. “Then, I had to call a tow truck.”

So what caused this? “They essentially put 7 quarts of oil in my car, and the max was 4.8,” he said. “The maximum capacity was 4.5 to 5.5. Do you know how much damage that could have caused my car? … They cleaned up my oil and gave me a new oil change, did some engine cleaning, and refunded me,” the content creator shared.

“If my car dies within the next week, I'm blaming y'all,” Elson warned, referring to Jiffy Lube. “So don't go to Jiffy Lube.”

What happens if your car is overfilled with oil?

Oil is crucial in lubricating the engine so your car functions smoothly and properly. Slightly topping it off is relatively safe because the excess can be burned off while driving. However, Elson's concerns are valid since overfilling the oil by even a quarter can do significant damage. When oil overflows to the brim, the contents in the oil pan seep to the crankshaft, frothing into foam, according to JD Power. As a result, the excess can enter the engine's nooks and crannies, destroying the entire engine or its components, such as the spark plugs, seals, catalytic converter, and gasket.

Moreover, Elson's car displayed some telltale signs of damage: the oil light and warning popping up on the dashboard, stalling, and a locked engine (the wheel not moving). But the outlet warns car owners to watch out for blue exhaust smoke, a burning oil smell, and the car running roughly. For peace of mind, it recommends checking the oil level using the yellow metal rod known as the dipstick located under the hood.

‘I wouldn't even take a Pinto to a Jiffy Lube'

Many claimed his first mistake was taking any vehicle, much less a luxury car, to a budget-friendly auto service center.

“Never take a [high-end] to any quick oil change place … They aren't professionals … You need to know what model and engine type your car is,” one viewer recommended.

“If you go to a place for auto repair, and they ask you what engine you have, what oil you want, etc, just drive off,” a second remarked.

“I'm sorry, but I wouldn't even take a Pinto to a Jiffy Lube,” a third stated.

“Can't drive an Audi and get cheap oil changes,” a fourth said.

A common occurrence?

There's no doubt that Jiffy Lube has a less-than-stellar reputation, and their oil changes are no different. ABC 7 News, for instance, recalled a number of “bad Jiffy Lube oil changes” consumers received. After listening to drivers' grievances, their I-Team learned that some routine oil changes at Jiffy Lube resulted in thousands of dollars in damages and repairs. Complaints included “internal damage caused from the oil change,” “the car wouldn't start anymore,” “all my oil slowly spilled out,” and “the transmission was destroyed.”

Moreover, Elson wasn't the first Audi owner to encounter this. In July, Motor1 reported on a woman who took her 2022 Audi Q3 to a Jiffy Lube location for Jiffy Lube's service. While it appears Elson's Audi is intact, hers did not have the same fate. According to the creator, her engine exploded within an hour after the oil change, due to the workers allegedly adding a whopping 7 quarts to her 5.5-quart engine. However, the company denied these allegations to Motor1, claiming “it was conclusively determined that the oil change service did not contribute to Ms. Landry's engine failure.”

While these situations aren't one-size-fits-all, be careful where you get your oil changed, especially if you own a specialty car, which should be taken care of by those specific dealerships.

Buzz News reached out to Elson via email and TikTok comment, as well as to Jiffy Lube via email.