A woman got an oil change from Walmart only to be left with a handful of unexpected issues to arise days after her service.
In a TikTok with over 5,200 views, Merida (@greatvaluemerida) says she no longer trusts Walmart after smelling burning oil, popping her hood, and seeing for herself what the technicians did. “So much incompetence for such a BASIC service,” the on-screen text of her clip reads.
The customer claims that within 24 hours of getting an oil change at Walmart, she noticed a few things off with her vehicle.
Walmart Oil Change Gone Wrong
“So I took my car to Walmart for an oil change. And yesterday, I noticed that my skid plate—like the plastic plate up under my car—wasn’t put back together right,” Merida begins.
Merida says she’s worked on skid plates in the past, and she knows they can be a pain to reassemble when the clips break. However, she says she doesn’t understand why Walmart didn’t replace the clips if they broke.
“Walmart carries extra clips to fix that. Like, there is no excuse for that to not be put back in place. It’s hanging down,” she says.
It Gets Worse
The poorly reinstalled skid plates were just the beginning. She says she eventually noticed something more alarming.
“I kept noticing a burning oil smell,” she says.
Merida says she stopped the vehicle in a nearby empty parking lot to inspect the burning oil smell. After popping the hood, she says she noticed the oil cap wasn't screwed on correctly. The oil cap, she says, was installed sideways, allowing for oil to spill out.
Merida says at that moment, she realized the burning oil was caused by the hot engine block. She says she decided to check the oil itself and was in disbelief at what she found.
“I checked my oil, and my oil is so freaking overfull. Like so overfull. He said he put 4.8 quarts in there, and it’s been slowly leaking oil for the past two days,” she claims.
Merida says she checked the oil dipstick and found the oil went above the two dots. To make matters worse, she says the Walmart technician left a dirty handprint smudge inside of her vehicle and forgot to fill up the tires with air.
“Now I don’t trust them literally at all,” she says, referring to the Walmart technicians.
Dissatisfied with the quality, she urges Walmart workers to leave the job if they don’t want to be there.
“Don’t work there if you can’t do your job because you could have destroyed my f—--- car,” she vents.
What Should You Do When Your Car Is Overfilled With Oil?
Viewers in the comments section shared their horror stories when getting an oil change at Walmart.
“I had an oil change done at Walmart and drove less than a 1/2 mile to my parents’ house. Parked on a slight incline and came out to all my oil drained out down the street. Never went back again,” one said.
“My husband had his oil changed at Walmart... and then his piston rod blew through the top of the engine block... they never filled his car with oil,” another added.
“The last time Walmart changed my oil my van blew up in the Arizona desert,” a third shared.
Viewers also encouraged Merida to escalate the matter with Walmart management and get it fixed elsewhere.
“Overfilled oil can damage your engine as well. Get it corrected ASAP. so you don't lose your car,” one commented.
“Please go speak to the manager. If no one speaks to the manager, nothing changes,” another wrote.
Merida did reveal in the comments that she did end up going to another oil change place to have the job redone.
What Can Happen To A Car That’s Overfilled With Oil?
While oil changes can be DIY, many drivers opt to have a professional complete the task, as having the proper amount of oil is essential for keeping a car’s engine running properly.
According to Shield Oil, having too much oil in the car can lead to serious engine damage. When too much oil is added, the engine can undergo increased wear and tear, reduced efficiency, and, in some cases, have a total failure. This happens when the oil creates air pockets when there is excess oil.
The air pockets cause the oil to not effectively properly flow and lubricate the engine components. A foamy or aerated oil is created, which increases friction and causes the engine to overheat.
With this, damage additionally can take place with the seals and gaskets as well as the catalytic converter.
Knowing what signs to look for early can potentially save your engine when it’s is overfilled with oil:
- Oil leaks
- Foamy oil
- White or blue smoke
- Unusual noises
- Reduced performance in the engine
Drivers should remove the oil dipstick, which will indicate where the oil levels are at. The oil needs to be in between the minimum and maximum points of the dipstick. If overfilled, excess oil can be drained out. It’s best to check this when the engine is cool. Drivers should also replace the oil filter if damaged.
Motor1 reached out to Merida via Instagram and TikTok direct message as well as to Walmart via email. This post will be updated if either party responds.
