AVOID AT ALL COSTS! I've been a loyal customer of this JL for over 2 years. They've been through 3 sets of staff (what I was told). Previous staff used the wrong oil for my type of vehicle. I was informed it was the wrong type and given a $10 discount, which seems small for something that might've caused damage to my engine. But I was assured it wouldn't happen again. It was a new team. I tried to forget.
I went in for an oil change last month. I was told by a new girl behind the counter that it would cost $120. I was shocked and asked why. She fumbled around for an answer, then corrected herself that actually it would be $80 with a military discount. Then said she would double check.
I didn't want to pay $80, so I took my car to another shop. Upon doing the $40 oil change, that shop tells me that my oil pan needs to be replaced soon because someone had stripped where the plug inserts. Guess who?
After submitting a complaint to JL online, the district manager contacts me and offers to take a look. We set up an appointment. The first time, he doesn't show. I call him and he says he forgot (despite me taking work off to do so). We reschedule.
At that appointment, he initially looks at it and after about 40 minutes tells me the pan is fine. The other shop must've lied to make JL look bad and get my money. (I hadn't told the other shop where I'd been getting my oil changed prior.) After another 20 minutes, I get an additional call to inform me that the pan is, in fact, stripped. He tells me that I can't prove it was JL. He was certain it was that other shop. But he "went out on a limb" for me with corporate to get a repair approved. We schedule the repair a week out because he has to order parts and he's bringing in "his best guy" to do the job.
Repair day, 8am drop off. It's supposed to take 2 hours. I wait in rib mountain. 11am I get a call from the repair guy telling me that the wrong oil pan was ordered. He doesn't have the right one. And he's already taken apart my oil pan and had to damage it to remove it so he won't be able to get my car back together. I calmly explained my frustration that the parts were not checked before removal and asked what was to be done because it was my only car, and I needed it for work, etc. He said he would see what he could do and would call me back. Noon comes and goes. 1pm I call JL and they inform me that he is driving to Milwaukee to get a part. I appreciate the dedication to getting the job done, but I couldn't believe there was no call and I wasn't informed or asked if this would work. I've now spent 5 hours unplanned in rib mountain away from my family, and they tell me he won't be back until 4pm. I try to stay calm and waste time until 4:15pm before calling (though once again it would've been nice to get a call from them for any kind of update). They tell me he went out to get washers of some kind at the hardware store. Once more, I ask myself why the best repair guy did not check what parts he had and needed for the job prior to working and then prior to driving all the way to Milwaukee and back. But I'm told he should be done around 5pm. I wait. I call back for an update at 520pm. The shop is now closed. No one answers. I try several more times. I finally reach him and he says it will be done shortly. I get a ride back to JL and the work is finally done at 7pm - 11 hours after dropping it off. Nevertheless, I thank him. It's done.
Only it's not. I notice a leak. It wasn't leaking before. It doesn't stop after a week, so I reach out to the district manager. He schedules a time for me to bring it in. The repair guy isn't there. The shop says he left for Steven's Point and he had no knowledge of the check-up. He returns and determines the timing belt cover is leaking. They claim it's unrelated - only then I take it to 2 other mechanics who say it was probably damaged when replacing the pan. I reach out to the DM again. He rudely tells me they're not willing to fix it.
This JL is unreliable, unprofessional, and WILL DAMAGE YOUR CAR. BEWARE. read more
