CHARLOTTE — Robby Turk loves his Jeep. “It’s never given me any problems,” he said.
That was until now. Turk says he took it to Take 5 on West Mallard Creek Church Road in northeast Charlotte for an oil change and coolant exchange, which cost almost $260.
“Everything was great when I got the oil change,” he said. Then, on the way home, he says, “I saw some steam coming up from my car.”
At the time, he didn’t worry too much.
“Probably just some fluid that spilled over, hot engine, pipes drying off,” Turk said.
But a few hours later, he says, “The engine started kind of shaking ... just feeling really off. The engine light came on. And then it said oil pressure low, which was the first time I ever seen my car say that.”
He says he had it towed to the mechanic the next day. The shop determined the “oil filter was not tight and caused oil to leak out.”
They also said, “There is oil covering the engine bay and the entire underside of the vehicle.”
Turk paid more than $1,600 to fix it.
The mechanic told him they couldn’t tell if there was “permanent damage,” but did note a “slight ticking noise... likely caused by running the engine low on oil.” The estimate for those repairs was more than $3,000.
“Frustrated is the number one word and honestly just disappointed really,” Turk said. “I was fortunately in a position where I could even pay that out-of-pocket… at a moment’s notice. But so many people living paycheck to paycheck and, something like that happens, they may not be able to get their car out at all.”
Turk says he complained to Take 5, got the runaround, and then got a claim denial. The letter says Take 5 watched video of their workers and feel they did the work right. It also says Turk waited a week to take his SUV to the mechanic. But according to the receipts, that’s wrong. The paperwork says brought the SUV to Take 5 on April 1 and the mechanic April 2. It was about a week later when he finally got his car back.
So Action 9 attorney Jason Stoogenke reached out to Take 5’s parent company, Driven Brands, which is based in Charlotte.
The company emailed him, “At Take 5 Oil Change, we take all customer service concerns and claims extremely seriously. This matter has been escalated to our corporate leadership team for a thorough internal review of both the service and the subsequent claims process. We are committed to working directly with our customers to ensure a fair and appropriate resolution as soon as possible.”
The business also emailed, “Upon denial of a claim, we will always consider additional information or evidence as it becomes available in the future. Following a secondary internal review of this matter, we determined the vehicle experienced a mechanical failure shortly after service was completed at this location. As a result, we accepted liability. The claim has been transferred to our claims administrator who will manage the resolution process moving forward. We are committed to working as quickly as possible to ensure the customer receives a fair and timely resolution.”
They didn’t give details about Turk’s case. But he says they did follow up with him the same day they responded to Action 9, more than nine weeks after he first reached out to them.
He says they reversed their decision, saying they’ll pick up some or all of the tab. It’s not clear yet how much. He has to send in all his receipts.
Stoogenke says if any mechanic damages your car:
- Think of it like a car accident: whoever caused the damage, should foot the bill.
- Ask the shop to pay for it (like Turk did).
- If they refuse, try using your insurance, depending on your policy.
- If that doesn’t work, you can file a complaint with the state Attorney General and talk to a lawyer.
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