Valvoline Instant Oil Change — Attraction in Round Rock

Valvoline Instant Oil Change 2710 S Interstate 35 Round Rock TX 78681

The short version: My wife went to Valvoline in Round Rock of i35 for an oil change, the Valvoline tech made a mistake, and a mile later our car had to be hauled away on a wrecker to be assessed and repaired as it is entirely inoperable due to poor workmanship from Valvoline technicians.

Don’t let this happen to you. Don’t take your car here. You might have ten great oil changes. However, when they leave your car inoperable on oil change eleven, they will fail to take responsibility and leave you with a completely broken car.

The full story: Last night, my wife got her oil changed at this Valvoline store. afterwards, when she was blocks from our house, which is a single mile from the Valvoline location, the car began to lightly smoke. She parked the car immediately. I checked the car when I got home late, and oil was left side of the engine bay., and the serpentine belt was off the pulleys and INTACT.

First thing in the morning, I went to the Valvoline location and told them what had happened. The store manager sent employee “John” to our house specifically to evaluate the issue.

Upon arriving, he opened the hood, checked oil filter and immediately said one of his employees did not properly tighten down the oil filter, leading to significant oil leakage. He checked the oil, added maybe 3/4s of a qt, and also took the filter with him when he left. He did attempt to say that the car “had not lost enough oil to cause the serpentine belt to slip maybe a half of a quart or so”, however I disagreed, there was half of a quart of oil under the car on the ground alone, never mind in the engine bay, and the belt is saturated in oil, INTACT, and off the pulley.

The store manager informed me they would not cover repairs because the serpentine belt “was faulty”. The serpentine belt was OK, as noted verbatim in the 18 point inspection ONE MILE EARLIER.

This is a very clear case in which the filter was not properly tightened, which lead to pressurized oil spraying onto the serpentine belt, which lead to the serpentine belt jumping the pulleys.

I was not offered a refund on the oil change. I was denied contact information for the area manager. The store manager would not take my card and have the area manager contact me.

I am low maintenance. I would have accepted any effort to rectify the situation properly. Mistakes happen. However, not taking responsibility for those mistakes is completely unacceptable.

I take being treated as if I am stupid personally. I take endangering my wife far more seriously than my own feelings.

I am very active in the Austin/Round Rock car community. I am going to make it my personal mission to make sure that no has this same experience, and I have the resources to follow through.

It will be my hobby to make sure this doesn’t happen again. I will tell every driver at every meet that I attend what happened. Cars and Coffee at Circuit of the Americas. The national Mopar WAM show at Texas Motor Speedway. Pistons at the Park in Round Rock. Dragway nights in Little River. Instagram. Strap in.

Unfortunately, you all let this happen to the wrong guy’s wife, and you redefined the phrase “adding insult to injury”.

Notes: John was excellent through the experience and straight shooter. I am sorry that he had to deal with this issue.

The store manager looked straight at me and said he didn’t know what the condition of the serpentine belt was and couldn’t be held accountable, even though the store has a data logged 18 point inspection with virtually the same...

If I could give zero stars, I would. I took my 2021 truck into Valvoline for service, they looked on there computer and said I had a couple of services due, and the transmission oil flush was one recommended. After this, everything went downhill. Before their service, my truck was running perfectly. No shifting issues, no slipping, nothing out of the ordinary. After the transmission flush, I immediately began experiencing hard shifts and transmission slips. I returned three times to try to get the issue resolved. One of their techs decided to “let some oil out” why? which only worsened the problem. They then suggested redoing the flush, which led to even more issues with my transmission. I came back yet again because the same problems persisted. At that point, the employees said they would speak to their manager. Instead of taking responsibility or at least speaking to me directly, the manager refused to come out and talk to me. I was basically dismissed. I went to a different Valvoline location, hoping to find someone more competent or willing to help. They actually advised me to file a claim so I did. A week passed and no one contacted me like they said they would. I called back and was told the area manager had written in the notes that they were “not responsible” because my vehicle had over 60,000 miles. They pointed to the fine print on the invoice that supposedly exempts them from liability. Here's the real kicker: At the time of service, no one mentioned this “over 60,000 miles” disclaimer. They were more than happy to sell me on the transmission flush, but conveniently only mention the risk after problems start. Had I been warned ahead of time that it might damage the transmission or void their responsibility, I would have never gone through with it. They also tried to justify everything by saying, “Oh, if the transmission fluid has never been changed before, this can cause issues.” So let me get this straight: they know this can cause problems, but they still push the service to make a sale then when something goes wrong, they hide behind technicalities and offer no accountability whatsoever? This is not how a reputable business should operate. This is dishonest, unethical, and completely irresponsible. Valvoline’s refusal to take any accountability and the lack of transparency during the service process is absolutely unacceptable. And the funny thing is the Valvoline rep. said that this location is a franchise so she cant help me only the area manager! Beware before trusting Valvoline with your vehicle Their sales tactics are misleading, their service caused problems, and their customer service is non-existent when something goes wrong. I'm extremely let down, especially since I've been a loyal customer for years, with...

I have been a loyal customer of this establishment for several years and have appreciated their prompt service. However, a recent experience has compelled me to reconsider my patronage. My car encountered a starting issue, prompting me to have the battery checked at this oil change store. According to their assessment, the battery was deemed "healthy," and they recommended further inspection by a mechanic. Acting on their advice, I visited a mechanic service center, where they recommended replacing the battery. Returning to Valvoline, as the battery was under warranty with them, I was surprised when they insisted that the battery was in good condition and advised seeking a third opinion before they could do replacement for me.

Upon consulting another mechanic, it was confirmed that the battery needed replacement due to an inability to hold a full charge (and Valvoline's check didn't reflect that). Contacting Valvoline again on the phone, they finally agreed to replace the battery. However, upon arriving, I faced a prolonged wait as they rechecked the battery, only to inform me once more that it was deemed "healthy," and they could not proceed with the replacement. I understand their policy on battery change (that's why I called before going, so that I won't waste both their and my time), However, this inconsistency was frustrating, considering the time and effort invested in multiple visits.

While I appreciate their patience and time, I am dissatisfied with the lack of professionalism displayed. This incident also brought to mind a previous issue during an oil change a few months ago. They misplaced an item in my car, spent hours searching without success, and assured me it wouldn't affect anything. Subsequently, I incurred additional costs to rectify an oil leak by another mechanic, possibly linked to their previous oversight.

Regrettably, these experiences have eroded my confidence in their services. I have decided not to return to Valvoline for oil changes, inspections, or any other maintenance needs in the future. If you need quick and sometimes cheaper oil change, it's still OK to come this place. For other services, I won't recommend.

Updates: Finally, the battery died completely on the road, and I had Autozone replaced the battery for me. The Autozone guy found the battery is still within warranty and told me it should be reimbursed by Valvoline. I know it's kind hard to deal with those guys to get money back, not worth wasting lots of time and energy. Ironically, when you pay them money, it's quite...