EZ Lube Investigation Undercover Video(Auto Repair Fraud)

[IamTheeEgg]

CLOSE DOWN THAT NASTY LYING BUNCH OF SCUM SUCKING THIEFS.. CLOSE ALLOF THEM DOWN.. TEACH THEM ALL A LESSON. I BET THEY ARE GOIGN TO GO BANCRUPT NOW THAT THEY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED.. . YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW...

[MaddDogg81]

I could tell the tranny fluid looked good

[HistoryHmoobGuy]

STUPID FUCKING WETBACKS !....They are natural cheaters and scammers !, They are also extremely racist, although they are just a mutt race !!!

[r7blue]

To the lady with the Jetta... i bet they said your car takes synthtic oil correct? I work at a dealer as a mechanic.... im on no ones side but i would like to say they recommened synthetic oil, not because your a female but because your car is a vw jetta any models after 2005 require synthetic and they are not allowed to put the wrong oil in your car... if your jetta is older than a 2005 then its highly recommended to use a synthetic based oil because vw engines run very hot and love to burn oi

[SubaruWRXtreme]

HAHAHAHAHAH "see the transmission fluid is red see how bad it is already ??"

It's supposed to be red damnit !!

[hellzone100]

@SubaruWRXtreme lol dipshits...

[razoredge45]

I wonder how many complaints the B of AR get’s and they are just too busy to fallow them up because of overpaid State Union Employees. That’s what happens when the government runs stuff! Every store should have a number and go on to a website and login and rate the store with the State, to many bad complaints and an investigation should become automatic! We need a cool down period Law! They can diagnose it but they can’t sell it or perform it 48hr’s!

[benjenings]

Its sad but they all do that.. EVEN MAJOR DEALERSHIPS! I worked at advance auto parts store for 5 years, We had to do online training weekly on how to convince customers to upsell to a product they dont need. And if we were caught selling autoparts without trying to add "attachment" products we were threatened to get written up... what you see here is a company issue not an employee.. These people arent crooks.. they are doing what they have been trained to do.

[benjenings]

@benjenings Best thing for the customer to do is educate themselves on what they have. If you own a vehicle educate yourself on what good fluids look like and just use common sense! ITS FREE!

[danakscully64]

Today an associate told me that the only oil they would put in my car was the $79.99 one. That's bull, I drive a freaking Jetta. They tried to scam me because I'm a female. I told them never mind and I'd just do it myself. EZ Lube has lost my business permanently.

[TheCoolfez]

Here is what I suggest people do. Find a mechanic through craigslist and insist you watch them do the work. I found a certified mechanic who does weekend work on his own. I watched him work, help hand him some tool. Not only did I get a great deal (since he didn't have to pay the garage their share) I also learned a lot about my car and we made small talk. People who know you are less likely to rip you off

[naughtydorf18]

@TheCoolfez I agree with you. I found a mobile boat mechanic on craigslist and contacted him to set up an appointment to work on my boat. He came over, watched him do service on my outboard, asked questions, and he gave me pointers for DIY jobs on my own. Great mechanic and price.

[DanSVT03]

@TheCoolfez I used to be a marine mechanic before I was an engineer, and I did a lot of side work on weekends. To be honest, it can be a pain in the ass to have the customer "watch over your shoulder" while you're working, as it becomes an annoyance in no time. It's more efficient to work by yourself without a customer staring at you and asking you "why are you doing this" every 10 seconds. But that's just me, some guys might not mind it so much.

[aceron54]

@DanSVT03 Dude, that is true, I have a friend who has a shop and he has a solution to that problem. He tells his customers up front and in writing that if they want to watch and ask questions he will charge them 30% extra for their service. Technically thats not illegal, he's not telling them they can't watch, he just charges extra if they decide to do so.

[GrumblingCustomer]

These lube shops are almost as bad as the car dealerships. Years ago I brought my Monte Carlo to a Chevy dealer in Wharton, NJ to replace the water pump, which was covered under the warranty. The service advisor tried to make me purchase a coolant flush. He said "You need to flush the old fluid out." I told him that when the water pump was removed all the old fluid drained out anyway, so what did I need it flushed for? Unless of course, did they pour the old dirty fluid back in? He got mad! :D

[shaochiavang]

i got my brakes switch just a wk before i went in to get mah tires switch, and they came out said mah brakes are " almost " worn out. WTF? so i saved the dude some face and said, its ok, i dont want it fix. left after they siwtch mah tires and DOUBLE CHECK mah tires to see if it was legit, haha..

[PneumaticTire]

Just want to add something about the transmission fluid. The so called "expert" did not change all the trans fluid, only about HALF if they were lucky. When you drain a trans, you only get out what's in the pan. The torque converter is holding a good 10 more

Quarts on average. So guess what happens when you start driving the car right after "changing" it? It turns darker in color from it mixing with the fluid left in the torque converter. So that's why that "mechanic" recommended a fluid flush.

[dannycrouch]

EZ Lube recently switched to "Raceteam" motor oil which is also sold at Dollar Store Markets.

To get a name brand oil (i.e. Castrol, etc.) you have to pay an additional fee on-top of their advertized price. This is another way to get you into the shop and charge you more. I was unable to find any certifications or standards for Raceteam oil & I don't plan on letting them put it in my car again. Raceteam isn't even listed as one of the 60+ Brands on the Wikipedia Motor Oil page -as of 2/18/2011.

[TheCoolfez]

@dannycrouch also they buy them in barrels. You never know if you got oil from a freshly opened barrel or the muck from a barrel opened weeks ago.

[kenman1717]

yes prices vary from shop to shop. but upselling stuff, yes some places try to rip people off, but others are just doing their jobs, and the stuff trying to be sold is needed. but can you honestly say that when you bring your car in for an oil change, your pissed off if they come tell you that you need an air filter and that you have a severe axle seal leak, and that your transmission fluid is burnt, and they procede to show you whats wrong. at least where i work we show people.

[MTHKITEBOARDS]

Craigslist for auto repairs is the best, all the money goes to the person doing the work.Most of the time you take the car to there house and they really don't want to screw you because its more personal and you know where they live.

[apagan65]

i believe, in my opinion, that if anyone who owns a car should learn how to service it. light repairs, such as oil changes, air filter changes, or any such service that the "lube service stations" perform,car owners should do the repairs themselves.They should purchase a repair manual for their vehicle and learn the mechanics behind their vehicle.if there is an extensive repair to be done, or if they just don't want to get dirty,car owners should go to mechanics that they know and trust.

[7onisesa5]

"thieves THE ENGINE PROS. 209 BLAIR ST. CORONA CA."

DO NOT EVER GO THERE

[7onisesa5]

whatch out for THE ENGINE PROS. engine rebuild shop in corona ca.first they will give you a quote..they change it when they have your engine dissassemble.if you decline further repairs cause by then they sky rocket the upsells.. they will charge you 85% of the original estimate of rebuilding the whole motor. so by then you cannot go anywhere else.if you agree their quality is very poor using cheap chinnese pistons.. my brothers engine blew a rod 198 miles later." remember209 blair st.corona ca."

[braketool]

thats one company I had my car insurance company. transmission company and a tire company and a dealer try to rip me off caught all of them and had one shut down I have over 30yrs in automotive and trucking. thought they had a fool. get a 2nd opinion before u spent your hard earned money

[shakiralover2004]

NBC is notorious for catching fuckers..To catch a predator and now this hahaha...GO NBC!!!

[doronecw]

I got taken for a ride a few years ago when I went in for an oil change. Major chains are notorious for this.

[BillyL6]

gotta love channel 4.

[bambambullies1]

stay away from these lube joints bc they will rip u off or cause damage to ur car

[paleza10]

still happening out there; STAY AWAY FROM THE COVINA LOCATION! Took Advantage of my 83-year old mother when she brought her coupon in for an oil change only! They managed to charge her up for $200 in unnecessary services. If this happens to you, remember to complain to the Bureau of Automotive Services!

[Fannysue65]

I just had my oil changed at EZ Lube and was told my power steering fluid needed to be replaced. What the service guy didn't know was that I had had it done at my Lexus dealer onl8y 5 months before and it onlyl needs to be done every 2 years.

[supatoker420]

What else would you expect from a company that sounds like they are ready to stick something up your ass?

"it should be nice and red ;)"

[CMSpida]

lol the name of this place always makes me laugh

[frosty4700]

Just change your own oil. It realy isn't that hard unless you are handicapped or have medical conditions there is no reason to go to places like EZ-Lube. I have no mechanical experience but even than I was able to change shock absorbers and struts on Toyotta RAV4 2000. There are lots of good guides on you tube on how to do that....

[newtnice]

@frosty4700 i did change my own oil a few times,its just a hassle. first i need the proper epuipment some jacks to make it safe and then need something to put the old oil in and then take it to recycle it. its a lot of work. dont want to keep old oil just sitting there

[carsforkeeps]

Quality auto maintenance pays! Just goes to show that cheaper is not always better.

[enutin]

being in the business for many years ez lube had been after ne to work for them but always refused finally i gave them a chance 22 days later i was out of there dm asked why respond dont like ripping people of still in the business

[jaymorpheus01]

the goose that laid the golden egg... greed often overtakes itself played out to the max here.

[RSherlock1]

Brian Lopez at the Canoga park store deliberately sabotaged my A/C on very new car because I turned down a $100 cabin air filter.

These kind of people should be criminally liable. I have filed a complaint with BAR for whatever good it will do.

[69acoustic69]

@RSherlock1 if he is responsible to any damage caused to the car after the repair, especially if it was a component that you did not specify to be repaired, he/the shop is required to pay for the damages. same happened to my friends 67 camaro. they claimed that they had built the intake bottom up, so new gaskets etc. the car came back with a dent in the hood. they had improperly mounted the carbourateur. they claimed that the damage was caused by the engine being too high.

[69acoustic69]

@RSherlock1 they said that to fix this, they removed the engine and lowered it . my friend brought me the car for inspection, im a certified mechanic. when i inspected the work that they claimed they did, i learned that the engine had not been adjusted at all, instead the carbourateur had been modified (without declaration of service) the shop has been ordered to refund the "engine height adjust" and pay for the hood dent to be repaired as it was consequential to their improper carb mounting.

[bambambullies1]

i got cheated by purrfect auto service and they got busted by consumer affairs.i woulnt trust any of those places.

[newtnice]

@bambambullies1 never trust a auto service named purrfect auto

[carrieyazel]

You all out in Calif. sure have a lot of regional chains that rip people off. As opposed to us Easterners who normally get ripped off by the NATIONAL chains. I never heard of this one, but I had heard of Econo Lube and Tune, a Calif. chain that was known for big-time rip offs back in the 80's and 90's. Many of them got shut down permanently, thievery was so rampant.

This EZ place is just a lube shack, right? People who are dumb enough to go to these sorry lube shacks deserve it.

[newtnice]

@carrieyazel we have econo lube out here in L.A also.one right by my house. just a few them only

[bambambullies1]

@newtnice yup we sure...but i wouldnt trust them either...im also from LA

[wgpsats13]

fuck them they scamed me so bad out of 315$ when i did not give them consent to do the repairs! they just did them with out asking and didnt even do half the shit they charged for!

[IntellectualConcepts]

From NBC March 3rd: EZ Lube is being investigated by the Bureau of Automative Repair and might be forced to shut down over 70 SoCal locations that have shown to rip people off and in some cases do serious damage to peoples cars. fuckin grease monkey crooks! i say throw them in jail!!!!!

[rockstarmyles]

use to work at one of these ez lubes bein shown and enjoyed working there... but some runchy shit was being sold to whom ever bought into it.

[Duffies007]

hahaha nooobs! i always go to EzLubz and take the $21 full oil change coupon, when they call me in to tell me my transmission is falling off i tell them "LOL@U FAGG0TS I TOTTALY N0 DAT ALREADYZ ESE!!! JUST CHANGE MY OIL OKAY? TNX"

[drs0834]

Well then thats why your car is trippin.....

[Duffies007]

i tototlay n0 dat

[frogca1]

Unfortunately, if you paid $21.00 get that oil and filter out of your car ASAP! Most likely the oil was recycled or was somebody elses old oil and the filter never was changed. I had a friend that worked for Goodyear and this what they did to people they could not upsell to.

[living4fire]

they are crooks, had them flush my coolant once and the very next time i came in for a routine oil change they told me i needed it again....they are crooks. DONT GO TO EZ LUBE, they will screw you over good. I laugh everytime I see a car pulled out getting their coolant flushed (usually brand new looking cars). I think they kept the old filter on the oil change too, never been back since. I do my own oil changes for cheaper knowing things are done correctly.

[ethicomm]

15 months ago Mr. Lube in Abbotsford, BC took 28 minutes to do a simple oil change and I was their only customer. The teen working there continually tried to sell me services and products I didn't want. He even told me my battery was shot. After 15 months that same battery is working just fine. I felt like I had been taken hostage. Googling "Mr Lube complaints" I found I wasn't alone. complaintsboard. c o m has many people voicing similar complaints. Mr. Lube didn't respond to my complaint.

[fuhrman66]

People luv to get ripped off. That is why EZ Lube makes money! Ching Ching!

[charliegrs]

i used to work at EZ lube in southern cali a few years ago. they are the shadiest company ive ever seen. you have to maintain a "ticket average" of upsells, and you are expected to keep atleast an average of 60-70. well an oil change is roughly 30 bucks, so that means they expected you to rip off every single person that came in. the "top techs" were averaging a 100 dollar ticket average. we would often not even do the services too. many times oil filters were not changed. its a criminal busines

[bakerspatchs]

Had my oil changed 4/16/08

Transmission problems 6/4/08

$2,142.30 + transmission

Need an oil change where do I go now?

[xyling]

Go to your dealership if you don't do it yourself.

[inkey2]

Find a local place you can trust....even if they charge a bit more. I go to a private owned shop on Lincoln st, newton highlands, massachusetts. My brother told me they were good....first time I dropped by, the owner "talked me out of" buying 4 expensive snow tires on rims from him. He said my existing all weather tires looked fine. I knew I had found the right place to do business.

[drs0834]

dnt go to your dealership..they will charge you way even more and take long go to EZ lube they will do it....tops 20 minutes...and save you alot of money youlll pay like 135 dollars not that bad

[nsx4life2008]

Last time I checked I got charged $25 for an oil change , carwash and battery check at a dealership.

[newtnice]

@nsx4life2008 my dealership charges $39.95 for an oil change and no tire rotation

[japaneseaggression]

ok people im gunna ask you to do two things. 1)dont go to a huge lube chain or Big O. simply go down to the corner to jacks shop. every city has one. you can trust good ole jack, fuck the lube chains and big O

[phatchase]

OWNED!

[janaejanae]

Great!! I have been to that NoHo location, got some work which, after it was done, my boyfriend told me i didnt need and was on my way back today becaue its been 3000 miles and my other place is too far away. AARGH!!! I just want an oil change!!!!

[magicpet]

Honest mechanic is an oxymoron. Especially in Florida. Doesn't matter if you're white, black, woman or man, old or young, or anyone else they rip off EVERYONE.

[BongHitBrian]

looks more like ESE lube to me

[elcondepatula]

=P

good one.

[nitefly8]

well first of all, if you really care about your vehicle, you'll take it to a repair shop that employs ASE certified mechanics. as far as fluid exchanges, if it's brake fluid or coolant, ask to see their test strip, they have to test the acidity/ ph balance of those fluids before they can recommend servicing. i must say these other comments about the transmission are correct. unless the "expert" used an actual transmission fluid exchange cart, there's still plenty of old fluid left in the tranny

[marlist1]

WATCH out when letting the guy drive your car into the carage! I hve been taking my car for oil changes, transmission, fuel injector services. Noticed knife "cut" marks on the ctr plastic logo on steering wheel(where the airbag is)! AND a small compartmnt nob is "cut" someone leaned on it?! damaging the metal spring! Now it doesnt close. THEY always go thru the interior (wo/telling you they will)take out glove dpt-to chk cabin filter. I change it 2 sec- $10/part-EZLub $49!!

[quetano]

The old rock in the manifold rattaling trick

[Spendawg10]

That trans fluid did need to be flushed, the reason is that a trans fluid change(which is obviously what NBC did) will only replace approx 5L of approx 12L of the total capacity of the transmission. A flush, however will cycle a cleaning solution throught the system and exchange ALL of the fluid with nice bright red fluid. By comparison, the oil on the dipstick should be the same colour and consistency what the lady poured into the car.

[rhilly04]

this motherf*cker is correct fellows, the transmission did need to be flushed and a new filter kit cause of what i have seen in the video it was a brown/black, (or maybe i am color blind), transmission fluid is bloody red, so yeah, he is correct,

[96b18c]

It's illegal to be recommending or saying a fluid is in need of replacement judging by the color of the fluid ; )

[Spendawg10]

not illegal, just inaccurate. Problem is that most people don't follow their manufacturers recommendations on service intervals. So what other method is there? So follow your owners manual and you won't get screwed.

[spasticclown]

I just got ripped off and caught them BIG TIME. DO NOT GO TO EZ LUBE!!!! THEY ARE RIP OFF ARTISTS.

[mykalroze]

I'm surprised those bastards are still in business. I love how, after a $5 million settlement, EZ Lube says that's not an admission of ANY wrongdoing. Those punks took about 1,000 bucks of my money, and they didn't REPLACE the axel or anything that they said they replaced, and my car all of sudden was leaking transmission fluid, so much that after one drive or so, all the fluid was gone! I hate them with all my heart, and hope they're out of business....

[gooshkoob]

Damn! That's fucked up. Can't do nothing about it, huh? bastards.

[mykalroze]

no, probably not, and the thing is, I KNEW they had jacked me, but what was I to do? I was suspicious from early on... but, unfortunately, not early on enough. I wish I could go back and said, no, don't do the repairs, I'll get back to you, and then find someone else. But the problem is, WHO can you trust? I'm just still surprised those blood-sucking vampires are still in business. Why weren't they shut down? They KNOW full well what they were doing.

[kevinpalooza]

You're supposed to call your local district attorney. They've set aside a restitution fund for full refunds for people who have been ripped off.

[mykalroze]

Even if I don't have a receipt? I was thinking, how could I prove that I paid for about 1,000 bucks in shoddy services when I don't have the receipt....

[kevinpalooza]

Every time you go there though they take down your license number and address and type in what services you purchased, so I'm sure they still have it in there. I doubt they'd destroy evidence like that, otherwise they'd get criminal charges piled onto it. And considering they've already settled, you shouldn't have trouble getting them to turn over your history with them.

If worse comes to worst you can call your bank or credit card company and ask them for a statement history. Good luck!

[blackbeetle]

i also got ripped off by EZ Lube (Dec 2006/April 2007). I hate it when you come in just for a $30 oil change, then they upsell the shit out of you. I went to two different EZ Lubes to compare them (both in LA)...same pressured unncecessary work/repairs.

I don't care if they are "trying" to be "legit" now. I hope they shut down for all the people they screwed over!

[gooshkoob]

Man people get ripped off by many auto repairs and services out there. I have taken same car to 3 different shops to fix, I have received offers ranging from $900-$2300. Then I take it to someone who my friend knew, and he fixed it for little over $400. Another time, a mechanic shop fixed my other car for $400, and then my transmission got screwed up because of what he had done, and he made me pay another $1200. All of them are crooks, I swear. And My car is still not fixed!

[mykalroze]

Why can't doctors, dentists, mechanics, etc. be made to post ALL their prices for, AT LEAST, the basic, regular type services they perform? It should be like a fast-food joint, where all the prices are put up there on the board, so they can't try to pull the wool over our eyes? Vampires....

[wishfoolxx]

it is kinda wrong. i mean that car prolly did need a transmission flush.. the "expert changing it" wasnt doing a 100% flush she was just filling it meaning she prolly just drained it and that only changes some of the fluid.. but whatever i dont know shit about ez lube im just sayin these tapes .. all the news tryin to bust oil change places.. its all just media i mean the normal viewer will believe it but i mean i see a lot of faults in the points they make..

[gonegoogling]

more like fucked in the ass with no lube....thats not easy lol

[fgrainusso]

good job