If you’ve ever wondered what a 2014 Lexus ES 350 sounds like when it’s driven at 55 mph without any oil in its engine, Gregory Greer has your answer.
The noise, Greer said, is “like an earthquake, like vooo vooo vooo. It’s like a bomb going off. And very heavy shaking. Obviously, there was a problem.”
In Greer’s opinion, there’s still a problem. His engine disintegrated on the evening of Nov. 21 on the Clara Barton Parkway because Jiffy Lube forgot to fill it with new oil after taking out the old oil. He wants Jiffy Lube to pay for a new engine, rather than the used one the company offered him.
“All I’m trying to do is be made whole,” said Greer, 55, a technical writer who lives in North Bethesda.
Greer brought his Lexus to the Jiffy Lube on Route 7 in Falls Church on Nov. 21. The car had been his late mother’s, a gift to him when she stopped driving. He’d used Jiffy Lube in the past with no problems.
Advertisement
When Greer collected the vehicle, the Jiffy Lube service representative told him they weren’t able to figure out how to turn off the car’s “low oil” light. He suggested Greer take it to a Lexus dealer.
“That seemed a little bizarre to me,” Greer said.
It was also incredibly prescient. When the engine went kaput, Greer steered the car to the shoulder. Then he drove it home, limping at low speed.
I asked Greer whether there was a burning oil smell. No, he said. There was no oil to burn.
The next day, he had the car towed to Ourisman Lexus in Rockville, who confirmed that the engine was toast. Greer called Jiffy Lube. He said a manager there told him they checked video of the service bay and, indeed, the old oil had been removed but no new oil added.
As compensation, Jiffy Lube’s insurer, Erie Insurance, offered Greer what it called “an industry standard replacement.” This was a used motor with approximately 52,000 miles on it. When Greer’s car died, it had 72,077 miles on it. Erie explained that it provides new, OEM — original equipment manufacturer — parts only when a damaged vehicle has fewer than 15,000 miles.
Advertisement
Greer feels that’s not good enough.
“Whose engine was that?” he asked of the replacement. “Did they drive 200 miles per hour on the Beltway?”
Greer said that just as he wouldn’t want to wear somebody’s used underwear, he doesn’t want a used engine.
Said Greer: “I want a brand-new engine, that means brand new: Nobody else has used it.”
When Greer declined the offer, Erie sent him a check for $7,983.14, the cost of a used engine. Greer also got $5,984.40 from his insurance company, State Farm. He said Ourisman Lexus of Rockville told him installation of a new Lexus engine costs $24,000. (Ourisman declined to comment.)
Jiffy Lube locations are independently owned and operated. I contacted the franchise headquarters in Houston, who passed my questions on to the Falls Church franchisee, CB Squared Services. In an email, the franchisee responded:
Advertisement
“We strive to provide every customer with quality automotive maintenance services, and we apologize to Mr. Greer for his most recent experience at our store. Our goal is to return Mr. Greer’s vehicle to its proper condition. In this situation, we have offered to pay for service and installation of an engine with lower mileage than the engine that was in his vehicle when he brought it to us, along with a three (3) year extended warranty.
“When Mr. Greer declined our offer, we directed our insurer to resolve his claim for engine damage as soon as possible with his attorney in accordance with Virginia law. It is our understanding that Mr. Greer’s attorney declined our insurer’s offer to restore his vehicle to its proper condition as well.”
They added: “Despite our best efforts, unfortunately mistakes happen, and we regret that Mr. Greer’s experience failed to meet his expectations and that we have been unable to remedy his vehicle’s condition.
Advertisement
“We remain available to work with Mr. Greer to resolve this situation.”
Greer said he’s already asked Ourisman to put a new engine in his nine-year-old car. Unless Jiffy Lube changes its tune, he’s out more than $10,000.
I asked Greer whether he would ever let Jiffy Lube change his oil again. Sure, he said, if they reimburse him for the new engine.
“I’d give them the benefit of the doubt,” he said.
Helping Hand
We’ve reached the halfway point in our annual fundraising drive for the three local charities that are partners in The Washington Post Helping Hand. The Post’s readers are showing tremendous support for Bread for the City, Friendship Place and Miriam’s Kitchen.
Won’t you join in? To give, visit posthelpinghand.com and click where it says “Donate Online Now.”
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZLGkecydZK%2BZX2d9c36OamloaWJkt6qyxbJkpa2SmnqmusaipZ5n