Valvoline Instant Oil Change

I would strongly advise anyone with a vehicle they actually care about to stay far away from the Valvoline on Jones Road in Houston. What should have been a routine oil change turned into a situation that could have destroyed my engine and left me stranded on the highway at night. I brought my truck in on Thursday for an oil change before several long road trips with my band and specifically asked them to check my tires, fluid levels, and belts as well. I also told them up front that the truck had been leaking a little oil and that I’d had to add about half a quart since my last oil change at this same location. I made them aware of it immediately so there would be no confusion. After the service, I was told the oil leak “looked like” it was coming from the head cover gaskets and that I should have it looked at by a mechanic. Fine. What I was NOT told was the actual problem that my mechanic found afterward: the dipstick tube had been pulled out of the engine, and the dipstick had been shoved in so hard it was bent and broken. According to my mechanic, that is why the truck was losing oil — not because of some “major head cover gasket leak” they guessed at. On the drive home from a show, my oil pressure kept dropping and I had to stop multiple times to add oil just to make it home. That is not an inconvenience. That is the kind of negligence that can ruin an engine and leave someone stranded in the middle of nowhere. When I took the truck to my mechanic, he confirmed that the issue was the dipstick tube being ripped out/pulled out of the engine and the dipstick being damaged, not some mystery catastrophic engine leak. In other words, I paid Valvoline to service my truck, and after they touched it, I ended up with a vehicle that was in worse shape than when I brought it in. Here’s what makes this even worse: - They did not show me the dipstick/oil level after the service, which Valvoline locations have done for years. - They did not reset my oil life monitor, yet the paperwork says they did. - Their notes mention a “loose dipstick upon arrival,” but they never told me they supposedly couldn’t remove it, never showed me any problem with it, and never documented the actual damage that my mechanic found. - If they truly had trouble with the dipstick, why was that not clearly communicated to me before I left? Why was I sent out the door in a truck that then started losing oil pressure on the highway? When I filed a complaint, I ended up on a call with corporate and the location manager, Ian Sparks, and the response was basically: “We’re not responsible.” He said he was the one under my truck, yet somehow no one thought it was important to tell me that there was a serious issue with the dipstick/tube before sending me on my way. Their “solution” was to offer me a free oil change. A free oil change. After your shop’s negligence nearly left me stranded and could have cost me an engine. That is insulting. If a business damages a customer’s vehicle, misdiagnoses the issue, fails to communicate a serious problem, puts inaccurate information on the service report, and then refuses to take responsibility, that is not customer service. That is dishonesty and incompetence. And for the record, this is not my first bad experience at this location. On a previous visit, I used a 50% off Valvoline coupon generated for this location through Valvoline’s own system and was treated like I was trying to scam them. So between the attitude, the sloppy service, the inaccurate paperwork, and the complete refusal to take accountability when something goes wrong, I am done. I will never trust this location with my truck again, and I would encourage anyone reading this to think very carefully before handing them your keys. If they can’t be honest about something as basic as an oil change and a dipstick, why would anyone trust them with the rest of their vehicle? Do yourself a favor: skip this location and take your vehicle to a real mechanic or a shop that actually stands behind its work.

First time visiting this location. I have to say it was a great experience. It was quick, and the folks were courteous. Definitely a go-to location.

Advisor was able to answer all my questions and provided guidance. As always, process is quick and efficient. I discovered Valvoline last year and have now had 5 positive interactions and zero negative at 3 different locations. I appreciate the time they take to always answer my questions.