DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — A Douglas County woman says a routine oil change left her car undriveable and her engine sitting in the backseat of her car.
She called Channel 2 Consumer Investigator Justin Gray after seeing his report on a similar problem from another customer at the same store.
Jihan Johnston-McGlotten said her 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee was severely damaged after an oil change at a Take 5 location on Thornton Road.
“What they pulled out of my car looks like something from a sci-fi movie,” she said.
Photos show extensive engine damage, along with what mechanics say is a piece of a towel found inside the engine.
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Johnston-McGlotten believes the damage started during the oil change when an oil pan was not properly replaced.
“The manager told me that I forfeited the warranty that is on the contract of an oil change because I did not bring it back to them,” she said.
Her case is the second reported by Channel 2 Action News at the same Take 5 location this month.
Regina Lee said the engine in her 2023 BMW X3 was destroyed after an oil change at the same Douglas County shop. In that case, the oil drain plugs were not properly reinstalled.
“I just want them to take full accountability for their mistakes, that’s all,” Lee said.
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Even when customers go to a national chain like Take 5, Channel 2 consumer advisor Clark Howard said it’s the local franchise owner who you end up negotiating with if something goes wrong.
“You’re dependent on that individual store and that store owner to do right by you,” Howard said. “And the big company is like, we wash our hands.”
Since our last story, Shehzaan Chunara, vice president of Chunara Group of Companies, the owner of the Thornton Road location, emailed Lee, writing, “I look forward to settling the mess our mistake has put you in …”
However, he also refused to increase the amount he would pay toward a new engine, telling Lee he “wasn’t thrilled to do so when you decided it would be a smart move to go to the media and tarnish our business’s reputation.”
In a separate email to Gray, the Chunara wrote, “Taking care of a guest that has a genuine concern or complaint is absolutely our responsibility, but there is a line between that and those that want to try and game the system.”
Chunara told Gray he would agree to an interview but did not respond when Gray attempted to schedule it.
Meanwhile, Johnston-McGlotten said the situation is taking a daily toll on her family.
“It’s a big burden. I’m not able to go to work. I have no car. I’ve been Ubering,” she said
Howard said consumers may want to consider building a relationship with a local mechanic instead of relying on quick-service chains.
“I like to save money. I’m cheap, but to me, if I do things scattershot with my automobile, that’s actually really expensive,” he said.
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