Valvoline Instant Oil Change

I had a really frustrating and honestly stressful experience at Valvoline. As a first-time driver with a manual transmission car, I expected a basic level of guidance and safety when going in for something as simple as an oil change. Instead, the situation turned into a complete mess that left me feeling blamed for something that could have been prevented. When I arrived, I was directed to drive my car over the service pit. Because I’m still fairly new to driving a manual transmission, this kind of maneuver can be a little nerve-racking, especially in a tight space where there are employees and equipment around. I assumed that the staff would guide me clearly or even drive the car into the exact position if needed to make sure everything was safe. Instead, I was told to drive forward myself with very little direction. As someone who is still learning and trying to be careful, this put a lot of pressure on me. These pits are obviously something the employees deal with every day, but for a customer—especially a new driver—it’s not something we’re used to navigating. Situations like this are exactly why staff should be helping ensure the car is positioned correctly. When things didn’t go smoothly, instead of helping resolve the situation professionally, I was told I might have to pay for a tow truck. That completely shocked me. I came in for a simple oil change and suddenly I’m being told I might be responsible for towing costs because of how the car ended up positioned over their pit. From my perspective, this should never have happened in the first place if there had been proper guidance or if a staff member had handled positioning the vehicle. What made the experience even worse was the lack of understanding or empathy from the employees. Being a newer driver is already stressful, and instead of helping calm the situation and find a reasonable solution, it felt like they immediately shifted responsibility onto me. Places like this should prioritize customer safety and clear communication. Not every driver has years of experience, and not every car is the same. If you run a shop with a service pit, there should be clear procedures in place to prevent situations like this from happening. Customers shouldn’t feel pressured, confused, or threatened with unexpected charges over something that staff could easily help manage. Overall, the entire experience left me feeling uncomfortable and disappointed. What should have been a routine oil change turned into a stressful situation that could have been avoided with better customer service, clearer guidance, and a little more professionalism. I definitely won’t be returning, and I would recommend other drivers—especially newer drivers or those with manual cars—to be cautious before coming here.

I came to write an update to my review and it appears to be gone. So I will write another and hopefully it stays. I came to get a routine oil change before a road trip. They changed my oil and proceeded to tell me that I had a severe oil leak. I questioned them how that was possible because I haven’t seen a drop of oil in my garage. They told me I needed to take it to a mechanic. I left and my car sat in my garage over night. In the morning I had a decent amount of oil that leaked everywhere. I took it to my mechanic who has worked on my family’s cars for a decade. He couldn’t get to it for a day which means I had to get another car for my road-trip. While away he calls me and assured me there was in fact nothing wrong with my car but that they did a terrible job with the oil change. He said they spilled oil everywhere and the filter was so dirty he wasn’t sure they even changed it. After way too many hours dealing with different customer service people nothing was resolved. They kept asking who the mechanic was because they have video proof of them doing things “right “ so he must be wrong. I don’t know how the area manager works in customer service. I’ve never dealt with someone like her . At one point she hung up on us. She was so disrespectful! Besides all the time and money I wasted ( on a bad oil change and taking it to my mechanic) all I wanted was an apology and a refund. I got neither. I will never ever take my cars to a Valvoline again based alone on how I was treated through all this. I know mistakes happen and maybe the techs working that day could have made a mistake but the customer service I received lost Valvoline my family’s business and I tell everyone about my experience.