Here is my story (Jiffy Lube). ~11 or 12 years ago, I was heading for a 9-10 hour trip up to Ohio. Being the
very responsible twenty-something I was, I went ahead and got my oil changed in advance. Drove up, all was good. Coming home, I made it about an hour south of Columbus before my car suddenly started making some horible rending/screeching noises coming from the engine. Hit the breaks and started to pull over, the minute I touched the breaks the car shut
off. I don't mean the engine, I mean everything, digital odometer and all. So I manage to slow down and pull over without the help of power brakes or steering (probably started at around 70-75 mph). Had to pay a tow truck to drive down from Columbus, pick me up, and drive back (because I was in the middle of nowhere).
Anyways, long story long, the mechanic was pretty sure that Jiffy Lube must have accidentally unplugged the transmission fluid instead of the oil, re-plugged it, and then gone on with the oil change. Unfortunately, the transmission needs to be resealed somehow (not a car guy, don't know details here) and it did not appear Jiffy Lube bothered, so I was basically slowly losing fluid until it was bone dry at which point the engine ate itself (I think that's the technical term
).
I can't prove this, but the mechanic who performed the autopsy seemed fairly certain. I think my parents got like $150 for scrapping the car.