Travis Jones shows the damaged metal plate from under his car, where a plastic zip tie from a May 2023 oil change at his local Canadian Tire in Clarenville, N.L., still hangs in place. CBC
What started as a simple oil change turned into a nightmare for Travis Jones of Clarenville, Newfoundland and Labrador. After leaving his local Canadian Tire in May 2023, Jones says his car began shaking violently and making a roaring noise. His 2017 Honda Civic struggled to speed up on the highway.
“It felt like the car was being dragged backward,” said Jones. “I was terrified. I nearly lost control with a transport truck right behind me.”
He turned around and drove straight back to the shop, where staff discovered several bolts missing from the engine splash shield, a metal plate that protects key parts under the vehicle. Instead of replacing the bolts, workers used plastic zip ties to hold the shield in place.
Jones says staff only admitted to using zip ties after he asked about the repair. “I was speechless,” he said. “If I hadn’t questioned it, I never would have known.”
Company Calls It a “Temporary Fix”
Canadian Tire’s head office later said the bolts had “failed” over time from regular maintenance and that the local shop didn’t have proper replacements in stock. The company described the zip ties as a “short-term temporary solution.”
Jones says no one warned him that the fix was temporary or unsafe. A few months later, while driving at high speed, several zip ties snapped. The shield dragged under his car, forcing him into a ditch.
“I lost full control,” he said. “I had cuts, bruises, and headaches, but I’m lucky to be alive.”
He filed a complaint with Transport Canada, which determined the issue likely resulted from the repair job, not a factory defect.
Experts Condemn Unsafe Repair
Automotive safety expert Mark Whinton says using zip ties for such a repair is unacceptable. “That was an improper repair from the start,” he said. “You don’t fix a car like that—ever.”
George Iny, head of the Automobile Protection Association, says the case raises serious questions about repair standards. “Customers need to ask who’s doing the work and what training they have,” he said.
Both experts explained that unlicensed or inexperienced staff often handle oil changes and other maintenance jobs to cut costs. Many shop positions, they said, don’t require formal certification.
A Long Fight for Answers
After months of back-and-forth, Canadian Tire offered to reimburse Jones for new bolts if he paid over $400 upfront for a Honda dealership repair. Jones refused, saying he didn’t have the money and no longer trusted the company.
“They should’ve paid Honda directly,” he said. “I shouldn’t have to pay for their mistake.”
He says the company later offered additional compensation, but by then, his trust was gone. For now, he has removed the damaged shield until he can afford to replace it safely.
“Canadian Tire used to be a name I trusted,” Jones said. “Not anymore.”
