Routine oil change goes wrong for mom at Walmart
By Monica Garcia
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PHOENIX (KPHO) — A Phoenix mom is stuck without a car after she says a routine oil change went wrong at a Walmart in Maryvale.
A charred mass of metal is all that’s left of Nikki Smith’s 2014 Jeep Cherokee. She shot video of her vehicle outside the Walmart Auto Care Center in Maryvale off of 51st Avenue and Indian School Road two weeks ago.
The Phoenix teacher and track and field coach said she took her vehicle in for an oil change and started noticing issues on her way home. When she called to complain, she says she was told someone forgot to put the oil cap back on and to bring her car back in.
By the time she made it back, her car had burst into flames. “I went inside Walmart for less than 2 minutes. I was talking to the manager and one of the mechanics working on another car said, ‘Ma’am your car is smoking.’ So I am just thinking, like, a little bit of smoke,” said Smith.
Smith, who is a single mother, said says she was told to reach out to Walmart’s corporate office for help. But she says she’s getting nowhere and is stuck paying $400 a week to rent a car so she can commute 45 minutes every day, between her two jobs.
“I work hard for everything I have. My car, I worked hard for that. I don’t have it all. I am scared; I don’t know how long it will be. I can’t even afford this; I had to pay my rent late just to get a rental car,” said Smith.
We reached out to Walmart’s Corporate office who sent us this statement
We are aware of the situation and we will continue working with the customer until the matter concludes.
Smith said she could only afford liability insurance.
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