Mary A.
Disappointing Service and Zero Accountability
Take 5, Stratford, Ct / Barnum Ave Location; After my daughter’s oil change, her car started leaking oil. We brought it back, and within five minutes we were told everything had been checked, everything was fine, and the car was safe to drive. Unfortunately, because the car wasn’t parked in one place for very long, we had no idea it was still leaking. It wasn’t until the car sat in our driveway for three days that we discovered it was continuing to leak oil. By then, she had already driven the vehicle all the way from Connecticut to North Carolina with the leak, leaving our brand-new driveway covered in large oil stains. We took the car to our local Take 5 in North Carolina, where they found the problem almost immediately: the Connecticut location had failed to install the gasket on the drain plug during the oil change. Mistakes happen, but what is unacceptable is that we recognized there was a problem, brought the car back, and were reassured that everything was fine after only a few minutes. That reassurance led to a 600+ mile drive with an active oil leak. This could have caused catastrophic engine damage, and instead it left us with a damaged brand-new driveway. This wasn’t just an honest mistake—it was a failure to properly diagnose and correct a problem they created after we specifically returned because the car was leaking oil. Extremely disappointing service and a preventable situation that never should have happened. To make matters worse, it has now been three weeks since I first reported this issue, and despite being told that someone from franchise ownership would contact me, I still have not received any response. It’s disappointing that a franchise location can seemingly avoid being held to the same standards and accountability customers expect from the Take 5 brand. When customers choose Take 5, they trust the name—not the ownership structure—and that trust should come with accountability. I do want to add that I have had nothing but positive experiences with the Take 5 location's I have use in North Carolina.

