Warning: Wal-Mart Automotive Not As Competent As Other Automotive Shops
Posted: Wednesday, January 21, 2009
by Asher Ricard
Traditionally, Wal-Mart has had a reputation of being the knight in shining armor for small townspeople everywhere. I grew up in Arkansas so Wal-Mart was a household name. You shopped there for everything you needed, sometimes ate lunch at the McDonalds in there, registered there when you got engaged and often had social reunions in the aisle.
Unfortunately, since Sam Walton died, the quality and service has just disintegrated. So was the case with my recent trip to automotive department for a routine oil change.
As a woman, I still hate venturing to deal with routine automotive procedures. However, my husband was very busy before Christmas so he asked if I could get the oil change. He felt Wal-Mart would be safe because it is a chain and of its reputation.
Boy, was he wrong. I pulled in to a man obviously not happy to see me. There were no cars lined up at the time. He continued his conversation with another employee before eventually coming out. All of our information was in their computer from past repairs so he informed me it would be about 30 minutes.
I unloaded my kids and walked in to shop for teacher presents since it was before Christmas. It wasn't ten minutes and I was called to the back. The guy informed me that my air filter was hideous and not working at all.
He asked if I wanted it replaced and after being told it was $12, I agreed. It wasn't until I was rang up that I realized Wal-Mart charges a lot more for oil changed than the old days. It was $40 just for the oil change. I could get a better oil change for $15 less at the dealership in which I bought the car.
I apologized to my husband, but he felt like it was not as big of a deal as I did. Fast forward to after Christmas.
My car is in the shop. The mechanic has informed us that not only did Wal-mart not change the oil filter that is part of the oil change I was charged for, they also left something unscrewed and my car has been leaking and spraying oil.
After being towed to the mechanic, I am now looking at having to replace the entire engine in my car because of their negligence. Wal-Mart has not even responded to the complaint.
It is frustrating because since that time others have stressed that they would never go to Wal-Mart. It is also frustrating because not only was the oil change more expensive but it is going to cost me thousands before it is all said and done.
My advice when needing any kind of car work including tires is to go right pass that so called "hometown" establishment and move on to the one that really cares.
This Article has been viewed 1,069 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Asher, who is. I have not had a repair done effectively in years. If it isn't back for the same problem they find another. Now as for Wal Mart fact. I purchased tires. I wrote to this a few years ago. They do not warranty them, they will refer you to the manufacturer, another facade. Yet I purchased 4 and got three the right size one completely different. I drove out one door and in the other. Thanks.
We took our car a 2004 Chevy Trailblazer to Walmart for it's regular oil change and vehicle checkup.During the checkup it came to our attention that the transmission dipstick had been broken off and they could not check the fluid in the transmission.They said they did not do it and that it most likely happened the oil change before which was also at a Walmart.At that time we ask Barry if it was okay to drive the vehicle and he said yes.One week later the transmission locked up and had to be towed to a transmission specialist who said the faleure was do to lack of fluid in the transmission.We feel that in fact the dipstick was broke off at the previous oil change by a walmart employee and he simply got rid of that part of the dipstick and signed off on the transmission to relieve himself of blame not telling us the the stick had been broken and unable to check the fluid.If he would have informed us of this issue it could have been solved with out the $2900 cost for a transmission rebuild.We filed a claim with CMI (Claims Management Inc.)Phone # 888-213-7534 (we dealt with a Barb there who was rude talked down to us and even called the mechanic at the transmission shop a liar and that the transmission had to have a leakage issue and she would have to deny the claim he explained to her that there were no leaks and it was a walmart topping off issue.When CMI received the statements from the walmart fluid checkers not mechanics (which barb at CMI called them) they had changed the statements made and told her that they never told us it was okay to drive the vehicle and did not recall placing blame on the previous Walmart oil change.We went to our Attorney's office on 2-27-09 and are in the process of suing Walmart and CMI.Please take our advice and never let Walmart fluid checkers touch your vehicle as the internet shows that they have more complaints than praises.This will be taken to the next level and will make it a life long goal to expose Walmart Automotive.Consequences. Describe the economic or physical damage that resulted.Transmission cost $29003 weeks without the vehicleTreated like a idiot and lied to.Hi, I service trucks and vans in our fleet at work. I work on my own hot rods and other vehicles. In response to the statment above, I am sure that the poster does not realize that most car automatic tranmissions hold 15 quarts of tranmission fluid. It is not a comsumable, there is no place for it to go. In an engine you can burn oil after 120,000 miles, but it is not possible in a transmission. Sure Walmart should have checked it. Sure they should have told you they broke the dipstick. Sure they should have told you to have it towed somewhere such as the dealer to get a new dipstick and check the oil. Or go call the dealer and have them bring one over. But 15 quarts of oil does not disappear overnight or even over 10 years. That is unless there is a leak. Either a bad transmission gasket after a filter change, or some pressure problem because you never changed the transmission filter caused fluid to spurt out the dipstick tube. Burnt tranny fluid could gunk up the stick causing it to break off after being left on there for years. My 2 cents.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.