It’s not unusual to go under your vehicle after having an oil change done just to check things out. But it turned out to be a revealing move for a couple who discovered that they actually hadn’t received the oil change they paid for.
Southern Californian creator @gabbattack shared her story in a two-part TikTok video. The two clips have more than 500,000 views combined.
AutoNation Toyota’s fake oil change
She names AutoNation Toyota Cerritos as the culprit, saying she and her husband got an oil change there for their new Toyota Tundra. They thought that oil changes were free with their maintenance package, but ended up paying $120 out of pocket.
But when the creator’s husband went under the truck to install a skid plate, he discovered that the filter and the oil pan nut had not been touched.
That led to a second video, in which the creator detailed her husband’s trip to the dealer to talk to the service manager.
“He was just trying to keep it cool, not being mad, or anything like that, because it doesn’t really get you anywhere,” she says. “So [he] basically told him everything that I told you guys in the first video, showed him the pictures. And the manager was like, “Hey, do you mind if I just pull the dipstick, check your oil?’”
The husband gave him permission, and the manager was immediately apologetic, knowing that the oil change had not been performed as the service receipt had indicated.
He then did the oil change right away and said he’d review security tapes to determine what happened. The dealership’s manager reported that a “new guy” was to blame. He also gave the couple a $200 credit toward any future service needs.
But she pondered whether all that would make for the lost trust. “Was it a one-time incident? Does it happen all the time?” the TikToker asks. “We have no idea. We can’t prove it.”
What are things to watch out for?
If you’re paying for an oil change and the person you’re paying doesn’t do the work, that’s an obvious scam. But that’s not the only thing to be on guard for.
According to the Oil and Tire Change Now site tied to a mobile oil change service in Ontario, you should be wary of cheap and quick services.
“A very common scam that is used for extra cheap oil changes is an oil change that is so cheap you can’t believe the price,” the article notes. “These often don’t include a filter change. This is very dangerous for the vehicle, and because of that we highly recommend spending more than $50 on your oil change. Many oil changes that are priced lower will have this as a way for the shop to save a bit of money on their bottom line.”
The site also warns, “There is also a tactic where the garage does not drain the oil, but just changes the filter for the sake of speed. This can be a common occurrence in quick lube shops. This is another reason to avoid a ’10-minute oil change.’”
@gabbattackkk We would have never known if my husband didn’t go under the truck today. How many people does this happen to? It’s straight fraud! #toyota #toyotatundra #toyotafraud #oilchange #oilchangefail #toyotalies #liedaboutoilchange #toyotacerritosautonation #autonationcerritos #autonationtoyota #fyp #storytime #storytimevideos #car #carmaintenance #oilchange #fraud #viral #viraltiktok #4×4 #tundra #toyota #reciepts ♬ original sound – gabbattack
“Toyota is doing this every time to a lot of customers.”
The story struck a nerve with some.
“Man, that was pretty bad they way you guys handled it,” one groused. “I’m pretty sure you guys are not the only ones, Toyota is doing [this] every time to a lot customers.”
“Why would you go back even with a $200 credit???” another wondered.
“I know people hate the quick oil change places,” someone else counseled. “But they do it fast…and show you the dipstick with clean oil. I wouldn’t want to take a half day to go to the dealership.”
“I would go above them now that they admitted fault and contact corporate,” yet another advised. “They will give you more than $200.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via TikTok comment and Instagram direct message and to the dealership via online contact form.
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