Meineke

I wrote once before with no one writing back to apologize or anything. The manager is a foul mouth, big mouth, dirty mouth pig and every time I have gone in there, he is yelling at those poor boys. The mechanics also yelled at my boyfriend for asking for his keys to go get money. We didn't know they didn't take checks. So he went to the bay to ask for the keys because there was no one up front to talk to and the manager, Thomas **, I guess yelled at him and banged on the desk in the back like a crazy person, then started yelling at him in front of other customers in the front office. So they had words and we got our things and left.

We will never go back there until that guy is out or if there is another one close by that is what I wanted to also not to be able to go to. I never had a problem when the other manager was there. He was very nice. So I would appreciate something from your company or the only place I will go is to another place down the street that treats us nice. Customers are not supposed to be treated like crap or be yelled at for any reasons. It is disgusting and I can't believe I haven't heard back from anyone from Meineke. This not a very good business sense.

First, I'd like to know if there are any current class action suits again Meineke that I may join in. In May of 2010, I went in to my local Meineke Car Care Center in South Toms River because I was having a problem steering my car. The steering was becoming increasingly difficult and making a metal crushing sound. Initially, their mechanic (Tom) looked at it, putting it on the lift, while I watched so that he could do a preliminary analysis. He told me that the wheels were not catching and that everything looked okay. I asked about the rack and pinion and was told to bring it in for further diagnostic analysis. I did that within a few days and was told by another mechanic, (Mike) that it was my right wheel hub and the struts. I trusted him because in the past, they've done muffler and oil changes.

First he asked me for my credit card before they could order the parts and I agreed. Then I waited more than a week while my steering became more difficult. I called them and then they finally ordered the parts. They installed the new struts and the wheel hub and Mike told me that my car could steer a bit rough until "the struts break in". Struts do not break in, I later found out. The car continued to drive very badly and I was terrified, so I called them and drove the car back in. Mike took it for a drive. I have no idea what he did or didn't do, but once again I was told to let the struts break in. Within that week, the car became so difficult to steer that I was afraid I was going to have an accident.

While out driving and on that particular day, knowing that I would not get any help from Meineke, I drove it into another mechanic who had serviced my car in the past. He diagnosed the problem immediately as being my rack and pinion steering mechanism and told me that I was in serious danger if I drove my car back home, that the rack and pinion was about to snap. They drove me home, fixed my car and it was fine. Meineke has refused to refund my money and has told numerous lies regarding the case. Even though I had my credit card company reverse the charges, they put them back on after Meineke lied profusely. I have gone through my local Consumer Affairs, Meineke corporate and Better Business with no satisfaction. I also filed a complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission but that was months ago and I have not had a reply. I believe that they did other repairs to get over a thousand dollars worth of repair money out of me, so that I'd have to come back later for the rack and pinion, which put my life in danger and didn't solve the original problem of severe steering incapacity in the first place.

I went to the Meineke shop 359 in Aurora, CO to purchase a muffler for my Dodge 1500 truck. The muffler blew out within 17 months. When I took the muffler back in for repair, I was told by the new shop owner that the muffler had been 2nd-party merchandise and it was too small for my truck. They offered to sell me the correct muffler for $300.00.

I made a complaint at the Meineke Corporate Offices, and they dismissed me by saying they weren't there when I purchased the muffler. So they don't know what deal I made. There was no deal! I went in to buy a Meineke muffler. This company doesn't care about their customers nor their brand name. Please boycott them and tell everyone.

Meineke in Mesa, AZ had broken a spark plug in my car, but refused to fix their damage. I couldn't drive my car with one less spark plug. They left my car sitting in my driveway for a year while I kept calling and stopping by, ''begging'' for them to do the right thing. My efforts were futile. I couldn't afford a lawyer, but I thought that, as a disabled person, there must be an organization or what that would be willing and able to help me. There was no one. However, once I contacted television's "Channel 12 For Action", they had my car towed to another Meineke location in Glendale.

During the process of removing and replacing the plug (according to my mechanic who provided me a ride to Glendale to pick up my car), the mechanic(s) in Glendale had utilized an inappropriate instrument to prop up the hood. The instrument ended up almost poking all the way through my hood. The hood is now left damaged with buckling in a large area surrounding where the instrument almost entirely punctured through the hood.

I have spent the better part of a year trying to get the right help about this matter, but haven't been able to. The climate/weather will eventually cause rust to eat through the hood; therefore, I want the hood to be replaced, not repaired, since there is no guarantee that any repair will permanently take care of the problem. I hope someone can help me. Thank you in advance.

This should not actually be a formal complaint, but a red flag to anyone doing business with the Meineke Car Care Center in Franklin, Indiana. I cannot prove anything against them, but I have a strong suspicion they tried to get me to pay for unnecessary repairs during my last visit. Here is the story.

About four weeks ago, my parents titled us a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan minivan they hardly ever drove because my car was old and becoming too expensive to maintain and purchasing something else was not in the budget for us. First off, those reading need to know that though my dad is not a mechanic, he is very good with cars, can do most anything car-related himself and takes meticulous care of his vehicles inside and out. Before titling it to us, my dad put new tires on the van, rotated them, and fixed a couple of other minor issues. Needless to say, the van was in excellent shape when we received it from him. The only thing he forgot to do was change the oil and when we got the van, he told me it was due for an oil change pretty much right away. So I scheduled one with Meineke in Franklin, which is where I've gotten my oil changed since we moved here three years ago.

On the appointment day, my wife and I both happened to be off work, so we dropped off the van for the oil change and left to run some errands in our other vehicle. We had just pulled out of Meineke from dropping the van off when we realized we had forgotten my son's stroller in the back of the van, so we turned right back around to go get it. They already had the van jacked up, but lowered it so my wife could get the stroller. I did not hear the conversation between her and the mechanic as I had to remain in our other vehicle with my son. But when she got back to me, she told me the mechanic had told her there were several problems with the back brakes, including a serious brake fluid leak, which I found odd knowing my dad's meticulousness in taking care of his vehicles—he never would have let us drive that van if the back brakes were as bad as the Meineke guy said. There is also no possible way, in my opinion or my dad's, that they could have deteriorated that quickly between the time we got the van and the oil change appointment day (a duration of about three weeks). Finally, there were no indications of any trouble with the brakes at all: no grinding, squeaking or crunching and the brake fluid light did not come on.

A couple of hours later, **, who I believe is the manager at that location, contacted me to say my oil change was done and to detail the supposed problems with the rear brakes. He then quoted me a price of just over $400 for the brake repairs he thought were necessary. I told him I would be by to get the van in an hour or so and that I needed to make a couple of phone calls before I came by. He then proceeded to tell me he did not think the van was safely drivable with the rear brakes in that condition. I immediately called my dad and he told me he'd had the rear tires and brake drums off about a week before giving the van to us and had checked the rotors, pads, calipers, etc., and that everything looked fine. He told me to forgo the repairs, that the van was fine as long as none of the indicator lights were on and the brakes weren't making any noise. He said to drive the van the next time we came to his place so he could look at it. I did not have the repairs done and still have not. And there are still no indications that there are any impending problems with the rear brakes.

Though I cannot prove anything, I believe the people at Meineke Franklin were trying to take advantage of me and get me to pay money for a repair I did not need. I am not particularly knowledgeable when it comes to car maintenance/repair and I made the mistake of telling them that once, so they might have thought they could capitalize on my ignorance. My question is if they honestly claim these problems with my rear brakes exist, why did they ignore obvious facts to the contrary (no brake fluid warning light on, no noise from the brakes, etc.)? I wouldn't trust Meineke for anything more than a basic oil change.

Warning! I used an HEB coupon at the back of my receipt for an oil change and tire rotation. I got my car back with three broken/cracked wheel caps on my rims. I have called at least a dozen times talking to the manager to replace them. This shop does not care about fixing their mistakes. Total incompetence. I am going to sue and write bad reviews about them everywhere. I am going to file a complaint with the Better Business also.

I printed Meineke's basic oil change for $19.95 from their website. I just got back from your Meineke location in Addison, IL 716 W Lake Street, owner Patrick Collins. When I was finished, I asked if they did rotate my tires, which they did not. They said it was a special request. It clearly states tire rotation and tire pressure check on the coupon. I then asked them if they checked the tire pressure and they gave me an attitude. I said that must be a special request as well. They did not comment back. Obviously, it was not done either. Also, my truck went in with 151,489 miles and they put a sticker on that the next service is 153,489. Since when is an oil change only good for 2,000 miles? They were not even busy, they were completely empty. Now I know why. Very disappointed, I should have went to NTB or Midas to get all of the items listed above for the same price, not the crooks at this location.

I called the Meineke in Fort Lauderdale, FL about getting my front brakes fixed. The guy who answered the phone quoted me $124+ tax for full brake work, including the brake pads and labor. They were having a 50% sale. When I went in, he told me that I only needed the front passenger brake fixed and the drivers side rotor cut. I also needed a part for the passenger side. But the price was now $305. The only thing that was 50% off was the actual brake pad. But my brakes were so bad (metal on metal) that I needed them so I said okay. They sent for the part, put it on the car, and gave me the car. I started to drive off and the car wouldn't stop. The brakes were worst than when I gave them the car. I immediately turned around and bought the car back (didn't even drive out the plaza). They checked the car and said the part was broken/defective. This is the new part I just paid for, waited on delivery and had installed. It went through a minimum of four hands before getting on the car and no one saw that it was broken.

At this time, I was at the location for two hours and was quoted that it would take 45 minutes max to do the job. The manager of the company saw how upset I was and said he'd go himself to get the new part for the car to replace the broken part they just installed. He stated 15 minutes and came back 40 minutes later. He brings the box and they opened it. He, the manager of the shop, bought the wrong part. So now, I'm sitting there three way hours with two of them being late for work, on a 45 minute job, paying $305 on a $124 job. I am fuming so I called my job and my mother because now they can't find the correct part for my car which is still up in the air without any brakes by the way.

My mother leaves work and comes to where I am to give me her car and find out what is going on. Before she reaches, they tell me they found a new/ correct part and it's on its way to the shop. I asked about compensation for my time and frustration and the manager stated to me, "It's not about the money really." I was so pissed at that comment because I am three hours late for work where I make the money to pay two times that was quoted to fix the brakes. He starts talking about the car and I just walk off. My mother comes and goes to him and he starts to get rude with her. Mind you, three hours in and I still haven't received as much as an apology. The shop owner first told my mother I have an older car and the parts are hard to find. I drive a 2003 Toyota Camry. Then he said it was due to the weather. It was drizzling but not hard that we needed an umbrella to be outside. Then he said it was the fault of the person who packed the part in the box. He refused to take any responsibility or even to say, "I'm sorry this has happened to you."

So the part finally arrives and they put it on the car. I have now been at the shop for four hours. The shop owner takes the car for a test drive and it comes back smoking on the wheel where the brake and rotor was repaired. I asked him why is it smoking and he says, "I pressed hard on the brake to make sure it was working." He proceeded to back the car into a parking space, turn it off, leave the key in the engine and walk away. On his way back into the shop, he says, "There is your car." By this time, a few waiting customers caught wind of the story and came outside. One customer's husband was a mechanic and she called him to see if the wheel was really supposed to smoke. He confirmed that if they replaced the rotor then yes because they should have oiled it. So why wasn't the wheel smoking the first time they claimed to have fixed the part?

My mother goes to the shop owner and again asked him for some form of compensation because I was there from 12:30 pm and this was now after 5 pm. I was now 3+ hours late for work. He told my mother in front of all the customers and I quote "Please leave and never come back. We did our job and we are not giving any of the money back," and he walks into the back of the shop. I proceed to leave and google the number to their corporate office. I called them the next day, as they were closed that day, and made a formal complaint. They took all my info and I told them this exact story. They apologized and said they would call the shop and call me back. The next day, they called me back and said they spoke with the shop owner Juan and he said unfortunately he will not be refunding any of my money. The lady on the phone said, "I'm sorry. Have a nice day."

I have since called her back and left her a VM stating that shouldn't the cooperate office (which she was at) intervene? Isn't it their responsibility to do something? They can give me some of my money back. I have yet to receive a response from her. I have made everyone within ears reach know never to do business with Meineke again, corporate or otherwise. I will continue to file complaints against them until they understand customer service. In the beginning, I was willing to pay the $305 for the one hour job. Had it been done right the first time, I would have had no problem because my brakes were that bad. But four hours later and what my mother and had to go through, $75 an hour isn't worth it for me. By the way, I am a female.

On 3/8/12, I went into Meineke 2020 on Central Avenue in Albany, NY to get an oil change. I downloaded a coupon that I found on the website for that specific location. The coupon said I could get an oil change for $19.99 which included a tire rotation. However, when I arrived, the guy denied the coupon and told me that the only thing I can be offered is a $29.95 oil change which included the filter, and tire rotation.

When I received my bill, my total bill is $53.94. They made me purchase an oil filter, even though it should have been included in the price of the oil change for an additional $16.99. They didn't even tell me about the oil filter fee until after it was installed. They also charged me a $3.00 oil disposal fee, even though NYS mandates that auto shops accept used oil for recycling at no charge. I would like to further point out that another customer had a coupon in his hand, which the store clerk gladly accepted from him.

I own a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse, and this is my story.

On January 17, 2009 at 8am, I took my car to Meineke Car Care Center, #1440 (15510 E Mill Plain Blvd Vancouver, WA) for my 90, 000- mile service. I was told when I dropped my car off that they would need to keep it for the majority of the day, to which I told them would be fine. I left my phone and cell phone numbers with them, so that they could call me when they were ready for me to pick it up.

Just before 5pm, I asked my husband to take me over to the shop, as I had not heard from anyone and was getting concerned. When we arrived, as I was walking towards the shop entrance, the mechanic came walking toward me and said that he had tried to call me. I asked him what number he had tried calling me at, because I had not received any calls from them. The mechanic then said, "We have an issue." I asked him if it was an issue that I did or something that they did. He told me that he's not sure.

We continued walking into the shop where my car was at with the hood opened. The mechanic told me that he has been there for 5 years and has never had anything like this happen. He proceeded to tell me that he had performed the service and that everything had checked out great. He said that he took my car for a test drive after the service (Remember this; it will be important later in my story.) and upon returning to the shop, he left the car running for a minute and then all of a sudden, he heard this loud bang. So he ran over to my car to see what was going on. He said he turned my car off and looked around to see if he could figure out what happened. He then showed me what seems to be metal shavings in an oil content in the engine compartment.

I told the mechanic that I have never had any problems with my car. I kept outstanding records of all of the services I had done on my car and followed my owner's manual from the first day I bought my car (brand-new) and that it was running just fine when I dropped it off. He then said, "Yeah, I know. It ran well while I drove it too."

He then told me that he cannot allow me to take my car because of them not knowing what was wrong with it. He said with the next day being a Sunday and Monday being a holiday, he wouldn't probably get a whole lot done on it until Tuesday morning. I inquire about a rental car, and he said that sometimes they do offer one but that I would need to talk to the owner and manager of the shop.

I would like to point out that while we were there and the mechanic was talking about the car, he was smoking and swearing inside the bay area. He did not came across professional at all. It seemed like this was the "norm" for them.

When I left the shop, I was sick to my stomach. Upon arriving home, I got online and do a search for Meineke Car Care Center and a ton of complaints came up, which made me feel even worse. There was one story very similar to mine, except the guy had just taken his car in for a new thermostat and water pump, and they broke his timing belt as well. $8,000 later for the repairs (which I don't know who paid), but the guy did say not to take your car to any Meineke Car Care Centers. This is just one of the many complaints/stories on the internet.

Tuesday afternoon came, and I have not heard from anybody. When my husband got home from work, I sent him down to Meineke to see if they know anything on my car yet. He spoke to the manager who told him that he has been trying to get in touch with the mechanic all day and has not been able to do so. At that point, they still don't know what was wrong with my car.

My husband called me and told me what the manager has said to him. I told my husband to go back into the shop and asked for the owner's name and number. My husband called me back with the general manager's number. I called him and left a message and asked for him to call me. Wednesday morning came around, and I still have not received a call from the GM or the shop. I call the GM again around 9am and left another message, stating that if I don't hear from somebody by 11am, I am going to seek legal counsel. At 10:30am, the manager of the shop called me and said they know what happened to my car.

He proceeded to tell me that the timing belt broke and my engine is ruined. He then told me that I should have replaced the timing belt at 60, 000 miles. I told him no and that it is supposed to be replaced at 100, 000 miles according to my owner's manual. He said that he called Mitsubishi in Milwaukee and spoke to a Scott in service (which I later found out upon taking my car there that there is nobody by the name of Scott who works there and they had no record of Meineke calling them).

He told me that he has gone ahead and gotten a quote for me on a new engine as well as a used engine. He said that the used one has around 60, 000 miles on it but that he can't be exactly sure how good of an engine it is because of not knowing how hard it was ran. He said that a new engine will be approximately $10, 000 and the used one would be $3, 000. By this time, I was in tears; and all I can think of was how I was going to pay for this. I told him that I need to make some calls and that I would let him know what I would be doing as soon as I can.

I placed a call to the owner at Louie Lube on Mill Plain, as he has done some work for me in the past on my car. (Louie Lube actually did my 60, 000-mile service, and the owner remembered the owner's manual as well stating to change the timing belt at 100, 000 miles.) I explained to him what happened and asked his opinion as to what I should do. He suggested that I have it towed to another shop over off Fourth Plain to have it looked at.

I called that shop and spoke to the owner. He said that he could look at my car but could not guarantee if he could pin-point what they had done over at Meineke. This was critical for me because Meineke was refusing to admit fault. I then called Mitsubishi in Milwaukee and spoke to Jerry whom I had spoken with earlier when I called to ask about the replacement of the timing belt. (Jerry also confirmed that for the year and model of my car, the timing belt would need to be changed at 100, 000 miles.) Jerry told me that if I can have my car towed to Mitsubishi, he would be able to see what Meineke had done and that he could make a precise analysis for me to give to my insurance company.

I called my insurance company to get a tow truck to meet me at Meineke. I called Meineke to let them know that I was going to have my car towed to Mitsubishi and that I would see them shortly. When I arrived at Meineke, I went inside to gather my owner's manual and a discount card that I had purchased for $69.99 from a marketing company that was selling them on behalf of Meineke. The card allowed you so many oil changes for free, discount on labor, and many other services at a discount. The owner's manual and an estimate on a used engine were given to me, but the discount card was not given back to me (not that I was ever planning on coming back to Meineke anyway).

I also wondered if they were going to charge me for the service they had done, as I was not going to say anything. Ryan (the manager) didn't say a word, and I thought that he must know that since they messed up my car it would be hard for them to charge me for the 90, 000-mile service. I then proceeded to the shop area and saw that my car was up in the air. The tow truck driver arrived and told me that my insurance company had authorized the first $75 but that I would be responsible for the other $75. The total charge to tow my car from Vancouver to Milwaukee was $150.

Once my car was on the ground, the tow truck driver looked in my engine compartment and asked the mechanic where my engine was. The mechanic points to a work bench where there were yellow plastic bags. They had dismantled a majority of my engine without my consent verbally or written, and then they put it in bags. I now believe that this was done in an effort to conceal what they had done to damage my car. The tow truck driver places the bags that contained my engine in the trunk of my car. Before I left, the mechanic came over to me and asked if I would call him as soon as I hear from Mitsubishi on what they found with my car because he was just so baffled on what could have happened.

My car arrived at Mitsubishi at around 4:40pm later that day. Jerry (from Mitsubishi) called me and said he cannot believe the condition of my car with the engine literally in bags in the trunk. He said that he was going to take pictures of how the car came in. He said that due to it being so late, he probably wouldn't get a whole lot done until the next day.

At 11:15am the next day, Jerry called and said that he was 100% convinced that Meineke was responsible for the damage. According to him, he said that the timing belt would have easily gone until at least 100, 000 miles and maybe even more. It was obvious that they had done stuff to cover up their tracks. That is why so much of the engine was torn apart.

I had a report as well as a statement from Mitsubishi that confirms their findings. Jerry informed me that all of the fluids, spark plugs, etc. (basically everything that had been on my car when I took it to Meineke and the service they had done) had been removed. This would explain why they did not charge me for the service to begin with. They even drained all of the fluids, etc. from my car! Meineke did not tell me this when I was there to retrieve my car. Jerry said that I have an excellent case, and if he was me, he would get an attorney.

I contacted my insurance company to see if my policy even covered anything like this. They said it would but that I would be responsible for the deductible and some other expenses that pertained to the service that was originally done but then undone. My insurance company covered me for a rental care for one month and then I was on my own to find other transportation. I had made 3 car payments for a car that I didn't have. I was without my car for more than 2 months. It was a very stressful situation and was a huge inconvenience. I missed some work during that time as well due to having no transportation.

Mitsubishi took pictures when my car was brought in as well as the damage that they uncovered while going through the car. I have had no contact with Meineke since I had my car towed. Mitsubishi discovered that while having my car in the shop at Meineke, a mechanic dropped a washer into a cylinder causing the timing belt to break.

I decided to sue Meineke for all of the costs associated with my car as well as rental reimbursement, missed work, etc. On July 14, 2009, Meineke failed to appear in court. So the judge awarded me the entire amount of the claim on default ($3, 873.33). The judge let me know that Meineke has 30 days to either pay me or to challenge the decision by the judge.

On day 30, I got a notice that Meineke was challenging the decision. So it's back to court once again. On September 9, 2009, I was back in court. This time, the owner of Meineke as well as the mechanic who worked on my car appeared to dispute the charges. Because the judge has a few cases in front of us, he asked us to step outside of the court room to try and settle this and see if we can come to some resolution and we both agree. I had brought my mechanic from Mitsubishi along with me, so the four of us step out of the court room to discuss things.

My mechanic from Mitsubishi proceeded to tell the owner of Meineke exactly what happened to my car. Neither the owner nor the mechanic from Meineke disagreed with what the mechanic from Mitsubishi was saying. The owner then proceeded to tell me that he doesn't know how this was going to get resolved because he has no money. We then went back into the court room.

When it was our turn, my mechanic and I spoke first as to the details of the case. Then the judge listened to what the owner and mechanic from Meineke had to say. The owner from Meineke said that he had just learned of the issue with my car a few days ago. His mechanic then said he did do a test drive, yet it was discovered that my odometer never changed from the time it was originally dropped off to Meineke to when I had it towed to Mitsubishi. There was no way my car was driven after the washer was dropped into the cylinder, as the timing belt broke immediately, causing my bar to be un-driveable. The owner announced that he filed bankruptcy, so he didn't know how I wouldl get my money.

The judge reviewed the amount that I was asking for and started deleting some of the amounts such as time lost from work, etc. In the end, I won again and was awarded $2,719.

The judgment was to be paid in 30 days. I never saw my money, so I decided to do a Writ of Garnishment. Again, that was ignored. I contacted several collection agencies in an attempt to get my money again; nothing. Not knowing what to do next, I called the corporate office which I had originally done when I first got the news of my car. Wouldn't you know that they would have nothing on file of me originally calling?

The person I spoke to said that they would not be able to help me and that I should have called them first when the problem originally surfaced. I said that I had but was told that because these stores are franchised, I had to deal with the store directly. I then found the rep who is the Franchise Development Specialist for the NW. At first, he seemed concerned and very apologetic for the runaround that I had been through. But he came back with an email stating simply "Joni, it is out of my hands. Sorry."

Bottom line, don't take your car to Meineke Car Care Center if you don't want your car to be returned to you in pieces with an "I don't give a damn about you" attitude.

I went in for an oil change and they were told that it needed to be synthetic oil. I even told them the brand that I usually use for my car. They had to go out and buy it. I finish with the oil change, $68.00 later. I think that my car is good now for a while. Then, three days later my oil pressure light comes on and my car starts to feel like it's slipping. I then find out that the tube that holds the dip stick is broken, half of it is in the motor, the oil is blacker than blacktop, and they never did a safety check on my car. I now have a ruined motor in my car. Motor is all over my engine and my turbo. If you press on the gas pedal, it actually smokes so bad that at the shop that looked at my car after the oil change, the cops came by and asked if the building was on fire. It makes a horrible noise.

The motor is shot. It would take at least $4500.00 to get it running again. My car is only worth about $3000. I contacted the owner and he stated that they did not do anything and didn't offer anything. He actually told me to let him know what happens to my car. Now, I was told buy some people that he does like to rip his customers off. I'm at a lost of what to do now. I need a car ASAP!

On Saturday, February 25, 2012 approximately 10:15 a.m., my five-year-old son, my niece and I entered a Meineke Car Care Center on Yakin Road in Fayetteville North Carolina for a basic oil change service. We were in the facility for approximately 30 minutes, when another individual walked into the center and requested an oil change. I noticed that the clerk carefully explained each type of oil change packages that they offered.

At first, I thought to myself that this individual received a better service than I had. The clerk never explained any service options to me. About 45 minutes later, the clerk called the individual to the desk and proceeded to do the check-out process. I did not say a word, but felt as if I have just been discriminated against because of my race. Needless to say, the individual who entered the service station after me was a white female.

I am appalled that this type of behavior is still happening in the 21st century, and individuals like this clerk is still getting away with action. My money is as green and as good as the white female's money. I also noticed that the customer waiting area has a security camera and monitor. I am not sure if the security camera has a recording ability, which I hope it does, because it could be used as a training material for improving their customer service skills. Apparently, the clerk is very prejudice and should be trained on how to service all individuals no matter what his/her race.

I need some help for my aunt who is disabled. I took her 1995 Ford F250 truck in for an oil, air filter, transmission fluid and filter change. I tried to change the fuel filter myself. No luck, so in the morning of 2/3/2012, we went to the Meineke in Yuma, Arizona. After they said they were finished, they could not get the truck started. So I started the truck and the tech said that there was a water leak from the bottom of the water pump and said it had to be replaced. About an hour went by and they said there was a crack in the housing. I looked at it and you could tell the crack was new.

So after they were done, I looked at the work they did. They spray painted the old water pump and charged for a new water pump! The primer paint was still wet! I said some thing to them and three techs ganged up on me, trying to intimidate me. Not only that, they did not replace the air filter! I went back on Monday and got the money back. They admitted in writing what they did and would replace the housing for free!

It's been two weeks and no call back. I really do not want them to work on the truck. They cannot be trusted! I know this is not what Meineke stands for. The truck has been going to Meineke for years. I called corporate, still no call. Please help!

The manager was very rude with me, I was an unhappy customer dude to unprofessional exhaust work. So he started to give me a very nasty attitude dude and also told me to take my business else where and forced me out of Meineke.

I was told that if they fixed this part of my car, then it would stop the stalling or misfiring in my car. So I agreed to let them fix the problem and paid $746 for that. It did not fix the problem at all and now my car won't start anymore. They say it's an ER value that's the problem now and want $600 more. When I took the car to them, I just wanted the misfiring to stop and it didn't and the car doesn't work at all. I only went with the first one because their specialist said that would stop my car from doing that. I'm a college student who does not have money but is trying to make it.

Today, I took my 2006 Ford Freestyle into Meineke for an oil change. This is the second time I have had Meineke change my oil. I bought a Groupon for an oil change package which includes three oil changes, wiper blades and a summer and winter check ($39). Because of my good experience at the Happy Valley, Oregon Meineke just a few months prior, I decided to purchase the Groupon and use it at our local Meineke, 15510 SE Mill Plain Blvd, Vancouver WA (#1440) but now am wishing I never have to deal with them again.

In November 2011, we had the oil changed in our 1997 Buick at this same Vancouver store. Last night, my husband checked the oil in the Buick and found it to be low and very black, which confused him because the oil had been changed by Meineke less than 3,000 miles earlier.

So, we brought both cars in today and asked them to take a look at the Buick and see if something might be wrong. Not only did they not top off the oil like we've been used to at Les Schwab, Jiffy Lube or Oil Can Henry's in the past. Tom, the man at the desk, became very defensive and quite rude to me. To prove his point that the oil always looks dark when it's ready for a change, he took some oil from our Freestyle, which was just shy of 6,000 miles between oil changes, and compared it to the Buick which was about 2,500 miles since oil change. The difference was significant. The Buick's oil was black and the Freestyle just brownish.

Tom's only offer was to do an engine flush for $50 and another oil change (not free). I was surprised at how rudely he was treating me when I had not accused them of anything but was certainly concerned at to why it might be so black so soon. He did not change his demeanor when I expressed my discomfort at how rudely he was treating me.

I don't know if it's just Tom, or that Tom had a bad day, or if this is typical for this store but I will never use Meineke again in the future and will make sure to let others know about their poor customer care.

I went to Meineke to have my oil changed on the 21st of January 2012. On the 23rd of January 2012, I got up, started my car and the low oil warning light came on. I went back to Meineke and they said it was an oil sensor. They said it would take an hour to do. Well, three and a half hours later, it was done. But I wasn't kept informed at all. There was no one in the office at all. Another customer was there and he was upset too as he wasn't kept informed for two hours.

On 11/1/10, I drove into Meineke in Middletown, CT. I had worked done there some years ago so I assumed same people. I asked if able to manufacture and install exhaust pipe on my vintage Buick convertible but using modern flange application and gaskets. The manager, Renenalt, assured me 110% they can do anything. I was quoted a price of $182,56 for total job done in two hours. I agreed, gave him all pertinent info, cell phone and credit card. Car was done in four hours and with in one mile fell apart in the street. I opened the hood to find the manifold of the engine smashed where the pipe meets it. Also the new style flange they charged me for was not incorporated in the pipe but old rotten warped unit salvaged from the old pipe had been welded to new pipe. Also obviously bent too much and too short where as it hit again horizontal truss on frame. I immediately returned.

The manager made a lot of excuses blaming me for the failure. He said the main fold was warped and I refused replacement where he pointed to said imaginary deviation was opposite end where the pipe attached. It did not leak. He also promised an authorized approved factory repair. When I left Meineke that night some time after 11 pm, within a short time, smoke filled the car and the pipe fell in the road. Next morning, I attempted to call Meineke on my cell phone. No fewer than five times in four hours and no answer. When I used the neighbor's home phone, instant pick up. I was told the repairs were valid. They used Jiffy weld. I asked to speak to the owner or how I may speak to him because the manager's answers were getting more and more bizarre.

I was told it was he and only he I could speak to. Meineke home office has never returned my many calls or e mails. The CT BBB of whom they are a member has been unable to get a reply from either the franchise or home office. Attorney General of St. of CT has received an explanatory statement from the snow ever present owner so full of lies and falsehoods, it boggles common sense. Here it is over a year after that fateful morning and my car still sits in the garage with nearly $2,000 of damage estimated by a licensed facility near the Meineke in question of also whom I have absolutely no affiliation.

My husband talked to service at Meineke on Gallatin Pk near Rivergate, next to Northern Tools. He was told a price of "about $75.00, maybe a little more to install". This was for labor only to install a catalytic converter on my 2003 Toyota Corolla. I took the exact match with doughnut flange gasket complete.

The next morning, I took the car in for service and my husband came by to explain exactly what service was needed and an hour and a half was the factory dealer time to change out, two bolts and one weld. The service writer and mechanic stated that, "with the converter change the O2 sensor(s) would need to be changed too." My husband said, "Ok, I know the one on the converter is about $69.00," and the service writer said, "Right" and agreed. The service writer called my husband with a, "complete total" and said "the o2 sensors and labor included, tax and all". My husband agreed after checking that one o2 sensor is $120.00 and the other is $64.00, adding $75.00 for labor making $259.00 total. Dealer should be making money at these retail prices. We picked up car and of course tax was added again. No problem, we paid the $25.00 extra and received a blanket and a quote for changing a $50 water pump for $250.00. A good deal considering the work involved.

I took the car the a few days later for inspection with Marta and the inspector said the car had not been driven enough to set a code. I drove a tank of gas out and went back only to fail inspection $9.00 more and $12.00 more for another drive out tag. I took the car back and the service writer said he only changed one O2 sensor and the failed code could be a bad spark plug (a 2003 Toyota Corolla does not use spark plugs). I left ASAP. My husband will confront when he returns to town.

Mesa, AZ Dobson & Broadway location. Owner: Frank Perez. I went for the preferred oil change (includes rotate, balance tires, tire air check and fluid top up). Horrendous experience! I was quoted 30-45 minutes for service, it took 2.25 hours. They did not rotate, balance or check air in tires and no fluid top up. I called the next morning and was berated by the owner, Frank Perez. Frank is clearly off his meds! When I explained all the work not completed, he only focused on the tire balance, advising me it's a balance check over and over again.

Although they never removed the tires to balance, check air or rotate, I am very confident that you can not check if tires are balanced visually? When I requested a refund for the upgrade, he hung up on me. I called again and he advised me he was a business owner and was too busy to waste his time with me. I too am a business owner and was disgusted by Frank Perez and his behavior.

I took my truck in two weeks ago with a light problem. The manager crew messed up the wiring and he told me he would order me another part. Each time the part came it was wrong. Now the manager is gone and another manager started. Now my radio and tail lights don't work and they are not trying to fix the problem. I've got to get my truck work because it's my company truck to make income. So I guess I'm going to take it to the dealer and spend money for their mess up.

Service was good, no problem with employees. I took my vehicle in for new shocks, they inspect it and say I need front and rear replaced and can have them next day. No problem. My complaint is the price of the shocks is 2-4 times more expensive than any parts stores I contact. That's a pretty excessive mark-up don't you think?

On 6-18-11, I went to Meineke located at 545N Highway 67. I was charged for new rotors and pads. My steering wheel vibrates when I applied brakes on average of 55 to 60 miles speed on highway. In less than 5 months, it started having the same problem. On 11-5 -11, I returned to the same store. Now they told me I needed rear brakes and this would resolve the issue. My car was inspected on 11-4-11 at Mullanphy Tire. I was told my front rotors were warped but back brakes were good. So, why would Meineke replace my rotors only if they perform rear brake service? By the way, they service my rear brakes the same date they were supposed to put on new rotors.

I brought my car in with a shake in the front end. This was at least the 4th time the car had been brought into this same store with the shake. The first couple of times, they said it was the brakes (rotors) and they said I needed new rotors. However, each time, the shaking comes back after a couple of months. Then, it was the left tie rod. Note also, the place where I go to get my tires said that my tires are wearing very unusually over the past couple of years as I had gone through tires very fast. I should look into an alignment/front end problem. With this, I brought my car in to Meineke in July and this they determined it was the right (passenger) control arm and the right tie rod.

They brought me into the shop, showed it to me under the car and said it was dangerous. We discussed the cost and he said that the job would be $1200, but he would see if he could make it lower. I asked about allowing me to get discount parts online as I had done before with this shop for previous work. He said "no problem, we will get you parts that are as inexpensive as online". I instructed him that I would check this and he could service the vehicle only if he used parts at a price equal to that online. When I got this bill, the parts total was higher than expected. I had to take the car (and pay) but I called back in 2 days. I called 4 times the first week, but he would not return my calls. I had printouts of parts from online stores at the price I expected. I dropped by the store unannounced, twice in the next two weeks, but he was not there. I complained to the person there and he just said it was the other guy, you have to talk to him. They did not honor our agreement to use discount parts.

I brought my car in 12/31/10 to have 3 engine mounts fixed for $600 on Salem Street, Dover, NJ center. I came in because they have a sign that says "Meineke" outside; that is a chain with warranties of one year for parts and labor. Today is 10/17/11, all three engine mounts are broken and need to be replaced. They told me that the warranty is 6 months and I have to pay to have it fixed again. They have a "Meineke sign" outside and write up things on their own company invoices "Dover Auto Center". Now they tell me that Dover Auto Center only has a 3 month warranty?

Is it legal to bait and switch and represent yourself as Meineke, then bill and operate as a different company within the same building and not have to fulfill Meineke warranties?

I took my truck to repair a leak in my upper manifold. I had initially taken my truck for a coolant flush, but the leak was discovered. I had the problem before, so I was familiar with it. The tech replaced the manifold set and did a coolant flush. They asked me to return a week later and I did. They said everything was good. About three weeks later, I noticed drops of antifreeze on my driveway. I didn't think of it as a problem at that moment since I had just had my truck serviced 3 weeks earlier. The leak hadn't stopped and my truck was running and smelling hot.

I took it back to Meineke and was informed that there is a leak. They said that the deposits, from the earlier visit, clogged the radiator. The tech who did it told me that he thought the flush they had done was good enough but it was apparent that it wasn't. I was given an estimate sheet for a new radiator and thermostat, all totaling $676.97. I am being asked to pay for replacement parts that I didn't damage. If they were damaged, they would have found it in my first visit. I wasn't even told that they had a problem flushing the radiator enough. If I had known, I could have easily gone and get more flushes done vice having to pay for another radiator. Now, I am not feeling safe driving long distances. I was advised to just take this case to The Better Business Bureau, but wanted to at least make you all aware of this first. I am not trying to scam anyone. I feel I was not treated honestly with this issue

I have been trying to deal with an issue I have had with my local Meineke in Poway California for over 4 months. No one wants to give me any answers to resolve the situation and I am tired of saying I will receive a call back when no one has the decency to return my calls. The issue has escalated to the point that my engine blew because of the work that was done by my local Meineke and I have hired another mechanic to fix the work right. Let me give you a background of the situation.

I visited Meineke in June to have my air conditioner recharged. I dealt with the manager, Tyler, at the Poway Meineke and the day after I have my air conditioner recharged, my air compressor went out that has just been replaced 8 months prior. I spoke with Tyler immediately and he informed me that the compressor was broken and that it needed to be replaced for the AC to work. But that it would not damage my vehicle to drive it with the compressor out.

I had a warranty on the compressor at the time and Tyler was dealing with that mechanic to have a compressor sent to the Poway location so it could be replaced. He said he would pay for the compressor on the company credit card if he had to and I would have to pay $90 for labor because he felt the repairs caused the malfunction. After 2 weeks, I called Tyler and he told me that the warranty had expired during the process and I would now have to pay for a compressor. I told him I did not think I should have to pay for repairs when they caused the damage and he referred me to corporate.

I called corporate and never received a call back so I went back to Meineke weeks later to find out Tyler no longer worked there. Caleb and his team inspected my car and said that it would not do any harm to drive it with the compressor out but they could not offer the repair to me unless I paid full price. I continued to drive with no AC for about 2 months and my car would not turn on. My new mechanic told me that the belts and radiator caused the heads to blow in my engine because the compressor was not working. I had addressed this issue with the local Meineke for 3 months and no resolution. It is now costing me $1,500 to replace my engine and compressor.

I visited Meineke today and spoke with Marcus to get a printout of the services I received and asked for corporate's number. Kelly in corporate was not helpful and said she would forward a message. I have left 2 messages prior and never received a call back. I need someone to take this issue seriously as I am a single mother, a full time student, and a nanny and I need my vehicle. The money I am spending on my vehicle is the money I have to live. $1,500 may not be a lot to some, but it is a fortune to me.

The series of events at Meineke has affected me financially and has left me without a vehicle for more than a week. I really need a reply and I am asking for a full refund for the repairs I have had to get done because of this issue. I expect a refund for my invoice at the minimum.

Meineke damaged my vehicle when they were recharging my air conditioner and caused my compressor to break and my engine to blow up. I have been dealing with them for 4 months, and there's no resolution. I have emailed Kenneth Walker, the CEO at ken.walker@meineke.com.

After my daughter took her car to get her alternator replaced, they discovered she needed brakes. After she paid the bill and brought it home, I saw they charged her 3 times. Yes, 3 times for the work! To replace shoes, bleed the brakes and resurface rotors. Take advantage of a girl! Wow, watch out. I will never ever go back and tell everyone I know to never ever go there!

While dropping off our son at school, the starter on our Trailblazer died. We had it towed to Meineke in Statesboro, Georgia after receiving assurances that they could replace it. Fast forward. One of the two nuts securing the starter was left off. To make matters worse, the electrical wires were connected so close together that the starter started intermittently even while the engine was running, causing the starter gear to engage with the engines flywheel. The new starter died after eight days.

A local shop that specializes in starters detailed the installation problems and showed me where the loose starter damaged the flywheel. I requested a refund just for the total labor only. George refused and offered a small percentage. I then called the national customer service group for Meineke/Macco/Driven Brands who could only echo the partial/unacceptable refund offer. Drive on by.

I took my 2002 Chrysler Sebring to Meineke Car Care Center (located at number 246, 7344 Ritchie Highway, Glenburnie, MD 21061) to have my check engine light checked on March 2, 2011. They charged me $ 79.00 for shop labor and $ 19.56 for the gas cap plus tax. They performed a smoke test. They told me that my car had a vacuum hose leak; it needed a gas cap replaced, and they turned off the check engine light. They told me that was all it needed. In less than a week later, the check engine light came back on. I took the car back to Meineke on March 12, 2011 and was charged an additional $345.11. They said the car had a vacuum leak and charged me for coolant housing unit ($97.06), shop labor ($194.00) and intake gasket ($21.38) plus tax. Four days later, the check engine light came back on. I took the car back to Meineke on March 16, 2011; they said the same thing, and then charged me additional $325.88 for plenum gasket ($10.13) and shop labor ($291.00 plus the tax). The check engine light came back on less than a week later, and the guy who worked there plugged up a computerized gadget to my car, and just turned off the check engine light--it came back on few days later.

I had came in to get a state vehicle inspection. While waiting, the manager Sam came in. He was telling me common things, such as I may want to consider shocks and belts as preventative maintenance. That I thought was good customer service. And then, in casual conversation, he said that they also noticed my rear high position brake light was out, and they are going to just replace that for me. Now I thought, that is "great" customer service. Nothing was ever said about a charge or cost.

Then came the bill, brought by someone other than Sam. My pre-quoted cost was $12. My bill was $44.72 including $3.59 for the bulb. That would have been fine. But then I paid $26.70 for labor. While I had been waiting for all this, I happened to notice a few Meineke signs posted: "before you leave here if you're not satisfied, please speak with the manager first, as I may get a satisfaction survey call." Another sign was posted: "No surprises on your bill. Nothing will be added without your approval."

Well I did speak with Sam. His response was: "No, I didn't say that. I said we can replace the bulb for you." Having been in the auto repair business myself before, I know there are a lot of shady people. If this was the case, he should have said "we can replace the bulb and will take .30 hrs. labor and the cost of the bulb is $3.59". Is that not correct? Does that not count as a surprise on my bill? First off, I do most of my minor repairs on my own. I would never have spent $30 to replace a bulb. Matter of fact, I had a spare bulb in my glove box.

Finally, Sam's resolve was: "Fine, we'll take the bulb out and fail your auto inspection." Is that good business? Would he really go through the man hours to pull the vehicle back in the garage and take the bulb out. That's childish! Over the past 3 years, I work for the largest cell phone provider in customer service. And we are ranked #1 by JD Powers over all business. I think I know good and fair customer service. It may seem petty that I take my valuable time to write this over $30. But it's the facts of this situation that count.

I am writing with a specific complaint regarding the Meineke located on the West Side of Bloomington, Indiana. I went to Meineke thinking that because it is a chain, they would have reputable service and quality repair standards. Boy was I wrong! I brought my car in on a Sunday because the check engine light went on. They said they could check the code and diagnose it for $82.50. Not knowing if the car would make it to work the next day, I agreed to pay the fee. They called me 40 minutes later (though I was charged for a one-hour diagnostic) and informed me that a small hose was loose, the check engine light was off, and I should have no further problems. I was pleased since the service was quick and I was happy to have peace of mind for my two-hour commute to work. Three days later, the same check engine light came on (EVAP code) and the car began to stall at intersections. I took the car to Meineke on Saturday and sat there with it for two additional hours while they performed a smoke test to see where the leak was. They then informed me that the Oxygen Sensor code was on as well, which could account for the stalling. However, it would be an additional charge for them to look into that issue. At that point, I was thinking that clearly I paid $82 for a misdiagnosis (I believe the hose was not all that was wrong if the same code popped back on three days later) and now they were trying to get an additional diagnostic fee out of me for the second issue!

I asked them to just give me the diagnosis for the original EVAP code (which I had already paid for) and they said that they were unable to find a leak during the smoke test, but it "could be" the leak detection pump. Since it was Saturday at 2pm, they couldn't provide me with any further information until Tuesday. I received no paperwork providing any information about the smoke test and never heard back from Meineke, which is completely unprofessional. So two weeks later, here I was with no clearer idea of what was wrong with my vehicle - how is that a diagnosis? I called the manager, EJ, a few days later saying that at this point, I just wanted a refund for the diagnosis because two weeks after I paid the diagnostic fee, I still had no written or verbal diagnosis as to what was going on with the car. All I have is an invoice stating, "Engine Diag. Check Codes. And up to one hour of diag. to find no start/check engine".

The manager said that he could refund me over the phone, but that I would have to come in to the store for a credit card refund. And this is the reason that I am going straight to the Better Business Bureau - I came to the store like he asked, at which point he proceeded to argue with me for twenty minutes about how he felt that they diagnosed me so I didn't deserve a refund. I disagreed since I had no idea what was wrong with the car, which is what I thought was the entire point of a diagnostic, and he said that it was my fault that the car still had an issue since I did not want to move forward with the repairs. I told him that I didnt know which repairs he was referring to or even how much they would cost because I never received any additional information. He then informed me that he had a family emergency that's why he could not get back to me last week. Is there a reason that he couldn't have had someone else contact me to relay the information? I believe he dropped the ball and was trying to cover himself by blaming it on an "emergency". The manager flat out refused to refund me and then tried to bully me into having the work done there saying that the best he could offer me was a percentage off the final repair.

If he believes he had no wrongdoing, as he claimed after I came in to speak with him in person, then why would he offer me a discount? What a scam! He said that if the repair didn't fix the problem, then he would refund the diagnostic fee, which told me that he had no clue what will actually fix my car. I asked why he even told me to come into the store, again wasting my time, and he said that I called when he had four customers in the store so he couldn't talk to me. This is also unprofessional, as I don't know why he wouldn't call me back instead of bringing me in the store under the guise of offering me a refund. AutoZone read my EVAP code for free and gave me the exact same amount of information as Meineke did. I think that this location should be reprimanded for failing to follow up with customers, failing to provide a service that was paid for, and providing customers with false information (saying they will refund me when they won't).

We had our brakes replaced on front two wheels. Upon leaving the company, we noticed a clicking type sound. Then, the brakes started to squeak. We attempted to bring the car in but the establishment was closed. Unfortunately, both myself and my boyfriend work a lot of hours and we were unable to get the car into the shop that same week.

During the weekend, I was driving up a mountain on my way home. Then, the front end started to shake and a thumping noise came from the driver side front wheel. Before I could get the car pulled over, the entire wheel rim came off our car. I almost got into a car wreck, not to mention that the tire could have hit another car. The car traveled about 60 feet roughly before I was able to safely get it stopped.

We had it towed to a local shop because Meineke was closed at that time and it was closed until the following Tuesday. Two men (one being the owner) went to the place where our car was and put on the same destroyed rim and tire. They only replaced the rotor and they did not even bother to see if anything else was wrong on the vehicle. They did not apologize and they did not even call us to tell us that they were done fixing the car. Unfortunately, the car is still not drivable and we had another mechanic look at it. Not only is it still unsafe to drive, but Meineke wants us to bring the car to them so they can look at it.

We have been in touch with a lawyer and have heeded his advice. We expect to have our car repaired (all the damage caused by faulty brake job), the price of towing, and our rental car expenses refunded to us. We have given this shop a chance to rectify the situation but to no avail. Apparently, our lives and the lives of others do not matter to your company. We want our mechanic here to fix all of the problems caused by your company's negligence. We have both missed two and a half days of work and will not take another minute off work to fix your mess without ample compensation.

In October 2007, I drove my 2000 Toyota Tacoma from Sacramento to Portland/Vancouver Wa. area for work. On November 2nd, I drove out to Multnomah Falls to hike around. Upon returning to Portland I stopped and ate dinner. While inside, my catalytic converter and an O2 sensor was stolen off my truck. The next morning, on Saturday, I went to the Meineke in Vancouver to have it replaced. The man who helped me no longer works there, but he was having a hard time locating a replacement part as California emissions are the toughest in the USA. So, finally, he said he found one. It was put on my truck.

The next February I decided to move up to Washington as the company I was working for had plenty of work for me. I lived there until May 2011, so I registered my truck in Washington from 2008 to 2010. Upon returning to California, I needed to register my truck, so I went to have a smog check run. To my surprise the smog station and a smog referee told me that the catalytic converter was not the right part. So, I called the Meineke in Washington and talked to Zane. I told him the story, and he told me who the manufacturer was who sold them the part. I called Maremont and talked to a representative who told me the part was for a 1994 and older vehicle. So, I was sold a completely different part.

I called Zane back and he said the only thing he could do is replace the part at his store in Vancouver. I cannot drive 700 miles to do this. So he had me go to a local Meineke, get a quote, and fax it to him. He then told me to call Meineke customer service, which I did on August 5th. I finally heard back from them nine days later. I faxed my receipt and quote to Joseph, who was the customer service rep. He told me he would make some calls and call me back later that day. Nine more days he called me, and left me a message telling me they put the right part for the state I was in, not the state my vehicle was registered in, and Zane was not going to incur any cost in replacing the part with the right one.

Meineke used the wrong oil filter on my vehicle and they are trying to deny responsibility.

On April 26, 2011, I had my wheels aligned, tires balanced, and oil & oil filter changed at the 3421 West Millbrook location (Invoice 9205). Apparently, they used and charged me for a Napa 21356 filter when they were supposed to have used a Napa 21396.

On Monday, August 8th, my wife was driving our car and the filter fell off completely--running the engine out of oil and destroying the engine. I went to Meineke on the morning of the 9th to discuss it with them. The assistant manager requested that I bring the vehicle and the filter to the shop. I had the vehicle towed there and brought the filter as soon as possible (about 2.5 hours later and within 24 hours of when the incident occurred). The assistant manager determined that the wrong oil filter would be able to work on the vehicle, but it should not have stayed on as long as it did. It was not an acceptable answer. I provided them with a detailed account of what had happened by email, as well as all the necessary pictures and documentation. I am told on Thursday, August 11, that everything had been submitted to their insurance.

On the afternoon of Friday, August 12, I spoke with their insurance company and found out that Meineke is denying that they even carried the part that they used on my vehicle at the time they serviced it. This is not true and I have the evidence that they are not being honest about this. But based on what they are telling their insurance company, the insurance denies the claim.

I have been as patient and reasonable as possible about this situation and they have had the opportunity to do the right thing. But now, I am in a situation where I have to hire a lawyer to resolve this. I have never had to hire a lawyer and I have never sued anyone. But due to Meineke's negligence and dishonesty, my car is completely useless and we are stuck with a massive bill just to get it repaired (about $9,500 and will be well over $10,000 by the time the rental and legal fees are factored in).

This entire situation has consumed numerous hours of my time and caused an incredible amount of unnecessary stress. I am certainly not looking forward to the additional headaches that I am going to face before I am able to resolve it. But I absolutely refuse to let them get away with this without pursuing this as far as necessary and without letting as many people as possible know. I hope others read this before ever considering using Meineke again.

My mother and I bought a car care card at another merchant. When I tried to use it for one of the free oil changes, the manager told me that the card was no good. They don't sell them so I better get my money back. Their phone number is on the back of the card and that was explained to me to be the only Meineke that I could go to, to use the card. And they would not accept it when I tried to use it. He was rude, not helpful and I didn't appreciate the attitude I received from him.

So, I decided to go up to this Meineke and explain to them the issue. Todd, then, told me, "We don't have those. We don't accept them. They are only for franchise owners." It didn't make sense to me. Then, he rudely stated, "I am the manager and I don't sell it. I don't know what to tell you!" He added that he didn't know where they even came from but I saw that he had one in his hand exactly like what I have. These should not be sold to people if they are no good from Meineke. I am not sure if I would get an oil change there because of the way I was treated. But I am sending this because I don't think it is fair that these are being sold under false pretense from Meineke representatives!

Sincerely,

Crystal **

I was serviced for spark plugs. I went outside. I was informed by Dejon, the mechanic who had already taken apart my wires. He said that I needed new ones because they were burnt inside. I agreed to replace. Then after Dejon installed plugs and wires, he took my car off lot for over twenty minutes. He came back with my car making a loud ticking noise. I asked why my car was now making this noise. He replied that now I need an oil part that would cost approximately $500 to fix. I was so upset. I asked, "Why would I pay to fix something that was not in need of repair when I arrived? And now this problem exists due to what happened during the 20+ minutes you were gone with my car." I refused to have any more work done. I paid for my plugs and wires at $175 and left in tears.

I first brought my car to Meineke in October 2008. I had work done on my suspension. It was a 1200.00 dollar repair where they replaced many parts. The main parts were the front and rear struts. My car seemed to run okay after the service. But then, it developed a very bumpy ride in the right front tire over the course of two years. I brought the car back to the same Meineke dealer. They test drove it with me in the car. They said I needed new front struts.

I brought in my warranty paperwork that clearly states on the back that the struts are warranted for as long as I own my car. They said the struts were only good for 90 days, because they had made a notation on the front of my document to that effect. When I questioned the owner John, he said he would give me half off of the struts. I was not satisfied with that. And I told him that is not what the warranty indicated. He became aggravated and said he would give me the struts for free. Upon looking at my bill, he charged me for the struts. Needing my car, I paid the cost of the repair and went on my way.

I then called Meineke corporate customer service. They told me I was not warranted, because they wrote on the front of my bill "warranty = 90 days". I find this very confusing and misleading. Why would they provide a document that clearly states the struts would be replaced for as long as I own my car on one side of the paper, and on the other side limit the warranty? When I asked the customer service drone to allow me to talk to her manager or supervisor, she refused and said that nobody could help me. Meineke is a rip off. They are like professional con artists. The tactics are terrible. I will never use Meineke again. Plus, my car still has the same problem in the front suspension.

I have spent about a year in dealing with Meineke's incompetence. I finally had my case arbitrated by the BBB of Kansas City and won. This vehicle was brought in originally for an oil change and possible leak. After two visits, the second one being a "comeback", Meineke still failed to change the engine oil and filter. Meineke "allegedly" found numerous leaks in the power steering system, including the power steering pump, hoses and the rack and pinion. The "alleged" replaced rack and pinion leaked and had a torn boot among many other concerns.

Meineke utilizes a "shade-tree" mechanic approach to diagnose concerns in order to maximize customer repairs, resulting in fraudulent price-gouging of parts and labor. Meineke fabricates phantom parts and labor cost in order to justify their invoices. Meineke did offer to make repairs under warranty, but the facts are that this vehicle has been back to Meineke twice at a cost of over $3,260 and continues to leak even more each time returned. I had absolutely no confidence that Meineke's "mechanic" could perform repairs a third time.

This complaint was based on Meineke's (1) failure to perform basic diagnostic procedures and basic repairs (2) price-gouging of parts and labor (3) incompetence over safety and (4) their lack of principle and integrity towards the customer. Instead of going into details here, check out my videos on YouTube, just search for "meineke rip-off" and leave a comment. Let's stand up against incompetence and being ripped-off. Thank you.

I was told by the manager at this service center that i needed a tune up done. this was about 60 days ago. I took it in to have the tune up done on the 4 of this month. my car was running fine before i took it in to have this done. now my car will not run right. when it is in park it the motor go up to 2000 rpm's. when i was drive the now i have to put on the brake to keep from speeding. because the motor runs at 1500 rpm's when in drive. i took the car back over to the shop twice that day because of this issue.

The manager told me they could not find the problem with the idol of 2000 rpm's. Nor could they fix the problem. sense that time i have called the corp phone number. some one from corp did call me back. this was on friday the 5th. i was told by the lady that called that she needed to call the manager at the shop and she would get back to me shortly. well now it is the weekend and my car is not fixed nor do i have anyway to get around town but by bus. In other words because my car is not running i can not drive it.

I took my Toyota in for just a brake change at 9:15 am on 06/24/11 and sat there for 3 hours before they worked on them with no explanation why I had to sit for so long. They insisted that I needed the rotors rotated before they would put brake pads on, which they did. When they finished, I got into my car and there was a loud banging noise, everytime I pushed on my brakes. I went straight back and the manager refused to get into the car and check it out. He sent the repairman out to see. The repairman had remarked to me that he noticed a banging noise after repairing my brakes and said he did not know what it was before I drove off the first time. This was not there when I entered the shop at 9:15 that day. When they rechecked the brakes, they said it probably was the motor mounts, half shaft, or transmission mount and this would be an extra fee.

I did not leave that shop until 3:30 pm. I was in tears and the manager did not care about the problem. I drove straight to the Toyota house; they provided me a rented car and checked everything out, and finally found that the rotors had been bent and needed to be replaced, costing $424. I notified Meineke's manager and he argued with me on refunding my money and refused to call the Toyota dealer for an explanation of the problem, and refused to let us talk to the owner. Finally, they requested we bring my car up so they could fix it right. My car was torn apart at Toyota; and at this point, I did not trust them and was afraid they would tear more up at my expense. He made me bring all the messed up parts to him and refunded the $188 amount, only after checking the rotors at their shop and said their machine must had messed them up. They did not offer an apology; rather, a refund for the rotors, and was mad for giving the refund.

I called to ask about how much it would cost to fix my A/C. I was told to bring my car in so that they can do a consultation, free of charge. Once I arrived, they then charged me $70. They said that in order for them to detect a leak, they would need to pump 1-2 pounds worth of Freon. So, it was not a free consultation. After being manipulated and convinced to pay them for the Freon, they then said that the problem was in my compressor. They took an extra effort to show me and point out, under my car, where this leak was coming from which is in my compressor. They went on to say that the entire compressor would need to be replaced.

I was told that the entire job would cost $780, and that it was a "good deal". I left the store overwhelmed. I did not pay that cost because I knew I was being overcharged. After finding a local mechanic, I was told that the only thing that needed to be replaced was the bands on my hose and the actual hose. The job would only cost $180. Meineke took advantage of my business and overcharged me for the wrong service. Improper consultation was done and I will no longer give them my business.

I wasted $60 initially when I paid for the Freon. Luckily, I did not resort to letting them do the entire compressor job. However, as a customer, the consequence that resulted was a lack of peace of mind. They are not to be trusted. My trust and my peace of mind as a loyal customer to Meineke have been completely tarnished. I no longer will affiliate with Meineke from this day forward.

January of this year, my brakes started squeaking. I choose to take the car to Meineke in San Bernardino, CA. I was told that I needed front and back brakes. I did the front on 1/8/2011. I paid $126. My brakes continued to still squeak. I was told it was because of the back brakes still needed to be done. On 2/12/2011 I had the front done. I paid $259.

Three months later my brakes are squeaking again. San Bernardino Meineke was closed for business. My son took the car to the Meineke in Riverside. The manager, Joseph, indicated that squeaking was the "hub". I paid $400 for that. Out of trust I had the job done. The squeaking continued. My son took the car back and was told that brake pads were "cheap". Authorization from the manager was needed to replace the brakes.

I spoke with the manager, Joseph, on May 26, 2011 who indicated to me that the brakes were cheap and unless I pay more money for dealer's brakes, they would continue to squeak for months. This does not happen at other shops. I would like the brakes replaced at no charge and the squeaking to "stop". I want the mechanic to do whatever it takes to stop it. I should not have to have squeaky brakes because I chose Meineke. I called the corporate office to resolve the issue. I was told that the brake pads are "inferior products". I will need to pay additional money to have the noise stopped.

Resolution sought: I would like to have my brakes replaced with ones that do not make noise when stopping. In addition, I want future customers to be notified of the potential of the squeaking brakes, prior to purchasing the brake services. There should be a "notification warning". Date problem started: 3/1/2011. Date of transaction: 1/8/2011. Amount in Dispute: $741. Product issues: Front and back brakes and HUB assembly.

I asked for an oil change (Oil flush Service) and shop service man named Kevin told me that it would be $38.99. I agreed and after the oil change he presented me with the bill for $66.32. So I told him that's not the price we agreed upon, then he replied that there is $1.60 shop supply, $1.75 sales tax, $19.99 parts and $42.98 labor. Now, what I don't agree with is the $19.99 parts. I was overcharged for $19.99 and had emotional distress of being ripped off.

I have used this Meineke location for a few years and the employees there were always wonderful and I never had any complaints. Now, I haven't seen any of those guys. Not sure why it's a whole new crew. My car was running fine and have never had a problem since I bought it in 2008. I took my car in because its engine light came on. They said it needed a new cam sensor. Okay, I paid $250 and got in my car to leave. I did not get out of the parking lot because of this noise and hesitation that was happening. I went right back in. They looked and said they couldn't find anything wrong and didn't hear any noise. Maybe it was the brakes and they need scuffed up.

I must look stupid, but I'm not. I blew it off and tried to drive home, but it was so bad I didn't know if I would make it home. So I dropped it back off, but they were now closed. After two more days of them telling me they couldn't find anything wrong, all of a sudden they found that the engine was misfiring but couldn't figure out why.

They said they were calling around looking for help, then finally they called me to say that I needed new coils - five of them. The estimate was for $481 I had to say okay because they suggested I don't drive it - it wouldn't be safe because of hesitation if I needed to pull out in front of someone. So they knew it was hesitating. I had no way of paying for this. I had just paid them $250 and that was hard. I had to get my mother-in-law to agree to pay for it. Now, they've had my car for 5 1/2 days. They called to say it was done and I was so happy to have my car back. John said he had to put three guys in it and that all is okay now, he test drove it himself.

No sooner did I pull out onto the road then it I realized it was still doing the exact same thing as why I brought it back for the first time. Which is something that it wasn't doing at all when I originally brought it in to get the engine light on checked. Anyway, I absolutely needed my car for the next day work and appointments, but I called John and told him how upset I was and he said to just bring it on back and they'll look at it and they won't charge me. And not to mention, If it is still having the exact same problem, what did I pay $482 for? I am at my wits' end and simply don't have the time or the money. I will be bringing it back tonight and wait to see what they have to say now. I certainly am not happy at having to pay $482.00 for nothing!

I bought 2 new front tires. After pulling out from their lot into traffic, I had very little control of my car. (I thought the alignment was off) After a hair-raising drive home, and multiple near-accidents, I get the car home, only to find Meineke had only put 1 lugnut on the passenger-side tire! The tire was basically off my car. All I got from Meineke's mgr. was an apology and an offer for a $100 coupon for future Meineke repairs. No thanks, I'll never let them touch my car again. My love of driving is gone, and every noise, etc. my car makes gives me anxiety attacks. Do I have any recourse?

I took my 2007 Jeep in Orangeville Ont. Campus today, March 21, 2011, into Meineke Shop to have an oil change. When I got my car back, I noticed the door in the driver's side all chipped and scratched up.

I asked to speak to the owner or the manager of the shop. He went and looked at the damage in my Jeep. After a few minutes, he said that they were not responsible for the damage. He also told me that I was trying to scam them and ordered me to get off their property. When my Jeep came in there, it did not have a scratch on it. I took the Jeep to 2 body shops for estimates after this happened. They both said it is about $800 in damages. What can I do to get them to take the responsibility for the damage they caused?

I took my car for a oil change 02/24/11. Next morning, there are lots of oil on my garage, underneath my car. I took back my car to them and said that they need to diagnose my steering wheel at a cost. I decided to take my car to other mechanic. We find out that the caused of oil dripping was that the tray under my engine was full of oil which was due to the change oil they done. If not intentional, then it is incompetence on the part of Meineke mechanic (poor work). One thing for sure is that I will never bring back my car to Meineke for service. Beware dealing with Meineke.

About 2 weeks ago, I visited Meineke for a simple oil change and have since experienced oil leaking from the oil pan of the 2005 Hyundai Elantra as is obvious by the spots on the garage floor.

I thought that something was fishy when the car sat in their shop for an hour and 15 minutes while several other customers came and went. I suspect that they tried to cover up stripping the oil pan threads that would have been caused by cross threading the plug after draining the oil. Honesty would have been a preferable policy than deception and letting someone else take the blame when the oil is changed the next time.

November 1, 2010, I took my car to Meineke at 8:15 in the morning when my exhaust became extremely loud. The manager Reginold assured me, "No problem, we'll make appropriate complete repairs. It will take 2 hours". They had the car for 4 hours and gave me a bill for $182.56. As I drove off, I found all kinds of black substance smeared on the front seat. Suddenly, the car became extremely loud. I opened the hood to find the same black, gooey substance all over the fender and the manifold of my car smashed. This same black substance was all over the damage, in an attempt to hide the damages.

I immediately returned there until 11PM that night, I was assured 100% correct repairs. On my way home, I got about 6 miles, the car caught fire. The Middletown Police helped to extinguish the fire to show that they attempted to epoxy the damaged smashed parts. The glue had caught fire! Next morning, I contacted MasterCard to put a stop on payment of the charges, I contacted Meineke and the manager said that it was the appropriate repairs and refused to let me speak to the owner!

I attempted to contact the home offices of Meinike, who told me that my stopping of the MasterCard payment was enough and refused to get involved. I sent copies of estimates for repair to the damage on the engine alone to Meineke and Connecticut DMV. These came to just over $1,600 and there is about another $300-$500 in cleaning costs to remove the black cement all over the inside and exterior of the said car. With this damage to the engine, the car is presently inoperable. I had the car shipped to my home in North Carolina at an additional $1,000 expense to myself.

I took my 1999 Lexus to Meineke with an engine light on. I had O2 sensors and knock sensors replaced. It returned to me with the same problem. They then told me it was the computer and it was rebuilt. Again, it was returned to me with the same problem. They then told me it was another sensor or switch, but returned it again with the same problem. Then, they say it's the wiring harness - same problem, and now, they are telling me a new part.

I'm sorry but with today's technology, this very expensive part by part method of repair should not be happening. This car has never had a problem before. That's one car. I also brought my girlfriend's car in to have EGR valve replaced, which was found to be bad on code machine by the mechanic at my work, who works on cars to big rigs at a very large beverage company.

To get to the point, after being installed at Meineke, it also came back with the engine light on. I took it back and they said some dirt or something was in the line, and they cleaned it out. Needless to say, that didn't work, and I refuse to return to this very incompetent place for further repairs. I'm out $2,000.

On the 20th of December 2010, I took my car in to have the oxygen sensors, serpentine belt and an oil change. While they were examining the car leakage of the surrounding hose was pointed out, and I had the hoses replaced. I was given a price of approximately $500 to make these repairs. I was called later and told that the coolant housing also needed to be replaced, which would boost up my price to approximately $700. This actually came to over $1,000. I gave them the go ahead.

When I picked up the car, I questioned whether or not they had done the oil change. They had not. A mechanic in the shop quickly changed the oil while I waited. My car was at the shop all day. I picked up the car just before closing, and did not make it home before the car overheated and shut down. I waited on the side of the road for a few minutes, and I drove the car the rest of the way home. I live less than 2 miles from the shop. I called the shop when I arrived home informing Pete ** that the car was not right-- it overheated before I got home. I was told to bring it back, which I did the following business day. I could not drive the car during this time due to the danger of it overheating. My car has been back to their shop five times as of Saturday 20th December 2010. They do something to the car to get me away from their premises, only to have it overheat again. This week the car was towed to them twice, yes, in the same week.

They also towed it to the shop after I called the corporate office. The next to the last visit, I was told that the radiator and heater hose were bad; I had them both replaced-- another $662. Mind you, this was after the manager told me he had replaced my hoses. He also told me he replaced the thermostat. I don't believe the original thermostat was bad as it had been replaced the previous summer. Omar **, the assistant manager told me this heater hose was on the opposite side of the car, so it was not replaced. I picked up the car at closing: I made it less than a mile from the shop before it ran hot again. I called their corporate office the next day and I explained my situation. By this time, I'm out of $1800 for repairs and $200 for towing.

My car is now sitting in my driveway--I can't drive it. I believe Meineke damaged my engine, and they will not make good on it. All I want is my car running like it should. It actually ran better before I took it to them, a mistake I won't repeat. When I spoke to the corporate office, I was told the owner would call me, he hasn't. I get no further than the manager Pete **. At this point, I want Meineke to tow my car to Coulter Cadillac, and repaired correctly. I want a rental car while my car is being evaluated and repaired. I want my money returned and for Meineke to pay for the necessary repairs to my car.

I drove my classic 1937 Buick to attend my eldest grand daughter's birthday. Morning of 11-01-10 the front exhaust pipe broke so I drove into closest garage Meineke. This was as they just opened and the manager Reginold promised it to be done in 2 hours at a set price. I made it perfectly clear I wished to have all new parts, assured not a problem. The car was finished at noon! I paid and as I drove out I noticed some kind of black goop all over the front seat. I stopped to wipe it form my clothing when suddenly the front exhaust pipe, the one they replaced fell off the motor. I immediately returned. Inspection revealed the pipe was made too short and hung on frame of car. In attempt to draw the pipe to the motor with bolts of the engine they broke the entire exhaust manifold off the motor and attempted to reinstall with oversize washers and some kind of black sealant.

At 1pm Reginold promised to make the car 100%. I told him he either had to get a welder certified in welding cast iron or replace the manifold. I waited in the unheated garage until 10 pm that night. He assured it a perfect professional repair. As I drove to my daughter's house some 7 miles away the car caught fire. A police officer assisted in putting out the flames, small but very smokey. Meineke had used an epoxy risen to fix the broken manifold and it was this glue that caught fire. I abandoned the car in a parking lot and walked the rest of the way home. Next morning a local garage towed the car from the parking lot, cleaned off all the burned glue, made a temporary welded repair and gave me an estimate for a proper job when parts are available from a special order. The Meineke people, either the franchise or home office will do anything to make good the beaten damages fully documented by Ct. DMV. I have made a formal complaint to the Connecticut department of Motor Vehicles and I'm now seeking legal counsel in this matter. Anyone out there if out of town on vacation, do not go to a Meineke muffler. It is a corporation who has no concept of doing the right thing.

The car was towed and dropped on Monday, 1/3/2011 by AAA. On Tuesday morning, I received a phone call telling us that it was the alternator and a spark plug that had supposedly popped out. Anyway, they wanted to charge $375.00 so I called and seen how much the part cost. It was $75.00 cheaper buying it myself and when I asked to purchase it myself, they said they couldn't put it on so I went and picked up my car. I took it to two different businesses and neither one of them said the alternator is broken. However, I did need left front barring assembly, in which I let another organization do it. However, I was also told that the brake rotors in the front were bad so I took the car back to Meineke and was rudely lied to from the beginning.

They first said my car had been there and they didn't know what I was talking about. Then, I started showing receipts and their story started changing. I had a man named Kevin **, who openly admitted he was drunk. I told them to call the police. They had taken off my front tires, messed with some rod and now trying to blame the other company, but is also telling me that the car is now not safe. I believe they did something to its case. I called the police and accused them of ripping people off. I paid in April 2010 for brand new rotors, brake pads and shoes. Then in May 2010, I paid for the complete rear. Now, they are telling me they won't honor the warranty and that it's normal for putting less than 20,000 miles on the car for them to go bad when I have 3 other mechanics saying that it was not necessary true.

All I know now is that I have a car with supposedly a warranty to cover what I paid for, but they aren't honoring it. The owner expressed he will have my ** if I contact the BBB on them. I am disabled and for a man to threaten a disabled woman is really bad, especially when he is the owner. So now, I have a car that can't be driven because it's deemed unsafe. Thanks to Meineke.

I own 2 vehicles; both are 1998 year models. One is Ford Escort and the other is Oldsmobile silhouette. I suffered brain aneurysm hemorrhage this year in March. I have been off work and my elder son and wife has been driving most of the time. Being old cars, especially the Escort, they have been in and out of workshops a couple of times a year. This past week, I had an appointment booked for oil change. As I have started driving a little bit after my surgery, I took the Ford Escort myself. At the desk was a person aged in his 50s. Next to him was some IT person connected by his laptop to the shop computer doing some computer/software update.

This IT person is a witness to what happened. The older person looked like the owner/manager of Meineke. He from the start started sermonizing me about his shop that it's not a low down cheap lube place, that people come to change oil but not other mechanical stuff. He asked me where I get my mechanical issues fixed. I informed him about my medical condition. I told him that due to being incapacitated, my wife or son must have taken the car somewhere when it had problems. As far as I am concerned, I take it (when I was working full time) to someplace very near my office as it helps me in reaching my workplace on foot or be dropped off by the mechanic.

Anyway this person continued to ramble about how he is being used as an oil change outlet. He brought my car in and then came back and tossed my keys. He then told me to get out as I had lied to him. I was shocked and hurt. I did not understand his diatribe. I asked him politely what the problem was. He then said that the ball joints had been repaired recently and I wasn't straight with him by not informing about it! Last time I checked, in Canada we don't have any "lube/auto mechanic police" force. I informed him that due to my medical issues, I don't have much knowledge where my car had been and even if it had been, what's that got to do with an oil change?

It's an old car and things break down which have to be fixed. It's at this point he said I don't want to do business with you people. At that point, I realized maybe it's my name (I am Muslim) or something that put him off. I am hurt and feel as I have been punched in the stomach. His attitude and smirk has given me mental and physical anguish/pain. I thought of taking my young teenage son with me so he could learn about cars /workshops. I just thank God that he wasn't with me to see his father humiliated like that. I expect to follow this and also expect you guys at Consumer Affairs to take up my case. Thank you.

I will contact the AZ State Attorney's General Office and the BBB about product and service given by this location. I spent $800 and the car was worse than before!

With the economy as bad as it is, I am a strong believer in keeping local small businesses alive. If I am able to get my brakes checked by a local business then why not. I went to the Meineke location at Cave Creek and Bell Road after another local auto shop had recommended them. When I asked the manager if they were corporate-owned, he assumed I was selling something.

Once I informed him I wasn't, he still continued to shoo me out of the business. After being greeted with a smile and then asked to leave, I had no choice but to let people know about my experience. Whether corporate-owned or not, I will not be going to any of their locations or recommending them.

Recently I bought a used 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee that had no heat. Only cold air would blow out regardless of the temperature setting. I took the Jeep to Meineke Car Care in Cockeysville across from the Target on York Road. After inspection, Jun at Meineke informed me I needed a new heater core and several other related parts to get everything working correctly. I was told that not only did the heater core need to be replaced, but several other parts that controlled the air flow as well.

I was put off at the high estimate given to get heat completely fixed, but with winter right around the corner, I gave them the green light to make the necessary repairs. After a couple of days, I got a call that the car's ready. I went to pick up the car and the manager told me everything's working perfectly. After writing a check for more than $3000, I went to start my car and drove out onto York Road. The car immediately began shaking violently like the wheels were about to fall off and I pulled off onto a side street as fast as I could, half scared out of my mind. A second later, their mechanic, who must have watched me pull out and saw the violent shaking, pulled up in his car behind me yelling out his window, "Don't move! Don't move!".

He got out of his vehicle and came over to my car with a huge wrench in his hand. They forgot to tighten the bolts on the wheels. Unbelievable! This, even after the mechanic drove the car out of the bay and parked it out front for me. After I settled down, I asked the mechanic to take a test drive with me to make sure the wheels actually stay attached to the vehicle and to check out the heating system. We came back in to the shop 10-12 minutes later... no heat whatsoever. I told the mechanic that I can hardly believe it would take over 12 minutes to feel any heat whatsoever coming out of the vent. The manager said to leave the car and he'll have to look into it further. What else could I do? I already paid the total bill for the repairs.

Meineke called me a day or two later, telling me another motor related to the heater now needed to be replaced. As you'll recall, he said previously that everything was working perfectly the last time I came for the car. The next day I got a call that the car is ready again. Extremely wary of the whole Meineke experience by this point, I went in to pick up the car. I was told again that everything's working perfectly. I checked that heat was coming out of the vent this time after paying the bill and quietly left, probably at this point never to return again. A few weeks later, I had the occasion to use the air conditioning on a hot day, and after a few minutes, my wife complained that heat was coming out on the passenger side.

Not having time to check it out myself, I just turned the air off and we dealt with the hot drive. The next day I checked it out and sure enough, turning on the air conditioning now dispenses cool air on the driver side and heat on the passenger side! I try the heater again-- heat on the driver side and room temp air on the passenger side. I called Meineke again, explaining that I'm dropping the car off that evening after hours and will drop by in the morning to give them the keys. At the time of drop-off, my Jeep is the only car on their lot. Two days pass... no call. I passed by the Meineke Car Care Center where I dropped it and my car was sitting in the exact same spot I parked it in.

I finally called and one of the mechanics, Dean, answered. He told me the manager was off so I'll have to call back the next day. I conveyed my angst regarding the whole distasteful service experience to Dean and asked that he pass along to the manager that I want the heater fixed and I am not expecting to incur any further costs to get this work completed. In the middle of my tirade to Dean, I asked him how he would have felt if he took his car to a shop and had a similar experience. He was in agreement that my experience was unacceptable. That settled me down slightly as I was thinking that at least they realized it was a completely unacceptable experience for the customer (me), and I figured they would quickly resolve the matter to my satisfaction. Stupid me.

The next morning, the manager finally called me back. He explained that now another new part is needed to make the heater work properly! I conveyed my extreme distaste with the entire experience and indicated that I expect Meineke to get the heater in my vehicle working at no further cost to me (at this point, I have handed almost $3500 over to Meineke for the heat and a couple other unrelated repairs). I probably talked to the manager for over 30 mins while he steadfastly maintained that he will not make any further repairs to the heater without another payment from me to cover yet another part directly related to normal heater operation in my car.

During the conversation the manager revealed that he personally tested everything related to the heater when I picked up the car and that everything was working. I inquired as to whether they guarantee their work. He told me yes, and I countered with the fact that the guarantee should then kick in because the heater is malfunctioning a mere month later and I'm sure probably was from the day of pick-up but I didn't think of checking the passenger side air flow when I drove the car home. He indicated that since he found yet another part that needed to be replaced, he wouldn't honor that.

At one point in the conversation, this guy had the gall to tell me my car needed so much work and that I made "a bad buy" as if that ridiculous and insulting statement somehow relieves him of the responsibility to deliver courteous, honest and upright customer service and satisfaction. I overlooked the senseless insult and continued trying to support my position. In my final attempt to reach a resolution, I asked the manager to answer me this one final question - Does he believe I received satisfactory customer service through this experience at his shop? His answer... "Absolutely". Scary!

In late July, I got a brake job on my 2001 Nissan Maxima at the Meineke Car Care Center #1804 in Union, MO. I also got an oil change at this time. Before I left, I asked the lady at the front desk, what kind of guarantee I get with this service. She said the brakes were guaranteed for 90 days.

After a week or two, my brakes started squeaking. I drove the car for a few more weeks thinking that the squeak would work itself out and go away. After a couple more weeks of the squeaking, it really got annoying. I called the Meineke shop and told them about the noise. They said to bring it in and we will fix it. After a few more weeks, I finally had a free afternoon where I could get my car in for service.

I called the Meineke shop the morning of September 29th and asked if I could get my car in for the brake adjustment at 4 or 4:15. The owner Lenny ** told me that he could get me in. When I got there, I was told that they were booked and they couldn't get me in. I thought it was no big deal, since it was on the way home. So I made appointment for Friday, October 1st at 4:15, to get my brakes adjusted, my tires rotated and an oil change.

I arrived at Meineke Car Care Center #1804 at approximately 4:15. At that time, Meineke performed the service that was discussed. Before I left Meineke, I noticed that I did not have a new oil change mileage sticker. I told Lenny Lahm and he put a new sticker on my windshield. I left the Meineke shop at approximately 5:45 and drove 43.9 miles to my home in St. Charles, MO. I pulled my car into the garage, where it stayed the rest of the night. The next morning I had an office training exercise for my part time job at 8 am I started my car and it sounded like a diesel engine. I backed the car out of the garage and turned the car off. I popped the hood and proceeded to check the oil. I pulled the dip stick out and it was bone dry. I looked under my car and in my garage to see if I had an oil leak. I did not see any oil on the ground. I saw my neighbor pull into his driveway and I called him over. I showed him the dry dip stick and told him that I just had an oil change yesterday afternoon. He could not believe it.

I drove my wife's car up to Napa Auto Parts and they weren't open yet. So I drove a little farther down the road to Wal-Mart and bought two quarts of Pennzoil 10W/30 oil. I bought the oil back and put both quarts in my car. I started the car and let it run for 20 to 30 seconds and checked the dipstick again. Still, there wasn't any oil showing up on the dip stick. At this time I was thinking, "No way." So I took my wife's car and drove up to the now open Napa Auto Parts and bought 3 more quarts of Pennzoil 10w30 oil. I brought the oil home and put two more quarts into my car. Finally, the oil appeared on the dip stick to the level it should have been. The problem was that my engine had a significant ticking noise that was not there before the so called oil change.

I called the Meineke Car Care Center #1804 and told Lisa ** my story. I was not happy, but remained calm. I could not believe that I drove 43 miles without any oil in my engine. Later, I talked to the owner, Lenny *** and he suggested that I bring the car in and run a mild detergent through the engine to clean it out and then add the Synthetic blend oil that he originally was supposed to put in my engine. I eventually told him I would come in Monday afternoon and called Monday morning to confirm.

I arrived at the Meineke Car Care Center #1804 around 4:15. Lenny *** drove my car from the front of the store to the side of the building where the garage access was located. They proceeded to work on my car as I watched for the majority of the time. After the engine flush and oil change was performed, my car was pulled around to the front of the building. I was given the keys and Lenny **8 was talking to me in the front of the building. At that time, I noticed that I did not have a new oil change mileage sticker in my window again. I told Lenny *** and he said Oh, you want another sticker? How many miles did you drive? I told him at least a couple hundred miles.

My round trip to work and back is 130 miles. He brought a sticker out and asked if we decided that the oil change interval we talked about was 7,000 or 7,500 miles. I said 7,500 miles. I had 155,988 miles on my odometer. I told him if he wanted to round it up to 156,000 miles to make the math easier, it would be fine with me. It was only a 12 mile difference. He said Okay, wrote something on the sticker and applied it to the windshield.

We stood outside my car, which was running as we talked. He told me that ticking noise that we were hearing may come and go. He also said he drove the car and it seemed to have power. I was there the whole time and the car never left the premises. Lenny *** only drove my car from the front of the building to the side of the building. I saw him drive the car at that time and he never drove faster than idle speed.

I realized that was a lie right off the bat, but I didn't say anything. I don't think he noticed I stayed around the whole time my car was being serviced. As I drove my car home, I noticed that the new oil change mileage sticker had 166,000 miles written on it. That was 10,000 miles in the future, not the intended 7,500 miles. Again, I was disappointed.

I called a service technician at St. Charles Nissan at lunchtime on October 5th and told him what had happened. He said there is no telling what the ticking noise could be unless they opened up the engine and looked inside. He said it would take 5 to 6 hours of labor just to open the engine up for a look. After that, he said they would be able to assess the damage. But, until then he couldn't give me an estimate on a repair that he didn't know what was exactly wrong. I asked him, what would a new engine cost? He told me $8,200 installed plus any incidentals.

I believe my engine has internal damage that may not be noticeable in the coming months. I have taken extremely good care of this car and have spent a lot of money on it over the years. I am planning to give this car to my son, who turns 16 next April. I truly believe that I was going to get another 100,000 to 150,000 miles out of this car. So here I am, stuck with an engine that is probably fried on the inside and there is no telling what damage the negligence of Meineke Car Care Center #1804 has caused.

I would like to pursue that Meineke replace my engine with a new engine at their expense. I would also like a Nissan Dealer to perform the installation. I will need a rental car while my engine is being replaced, so I can get to work. I also wish not to talk to any person at the Meineke Car Center 1804.

I went to this Meineke Car Care Center located at 39 Finderne Avenue, Bridgewater. I made an appointment for oil change at 1:00 PM. I dropped my car at the center. When I came back around 2:00 with my wife to pick my car, the guy who was at the counter of customer service, was on phone and then I asked the owner, Mike, "Is my car ready for pick up?" He replied in rude manner, "That guy will tell." When I asked that guy, who was continuously talking on phone, "Please let me know, is my car ready for pick up? I need to go to my office at 2 PM."

And then Mike again replied in a ridiculous manner, "Let him finish the phone call." We have to wait for about more than 20 minutes to talk to that guy who was handling the customers and he was just talking on phone. The owner went back to his cabin at the back and started eating. He insulted us. He discriminated me for not being white. This is not the way how service centers should behave with their customer if he is not white. It was really a very bad and worst experience and I will never go back to this Meineke Center for car repair. Even I will never recommend any of my friends to go to Meineke for car repair. We are not getting our work done free. We are paying for it.

A $19.99 oil change cost $5,700. Meineke put the wrong oil filter on and blew up my daughter's engine in her car that she only had for 2 months. Her insurance is picking up most of the expense but they tell me I have to pay deprecation on the car because it has 38,000 miles on it or get a used engine, which is not happening. I did not cause this problem. They did. His first mistake was the computer told him what kind of oil filter the car needed but instead he tried to match what was in it. And there, put the wrong one in then tried to tell me it was not his fault. The one that was in there before was wrong. Don't you think the car would of blew along time ago. She had a little over 4,000 miles on the filter. The one he put on had only 12 miles before engine blew up.

Overview: 1. In credit card dispute. 2. Loyal customer for several years. 3. Service on 8/13/2010 - include replacement of brake pads, remove/install rotors, front CV axle, etc. 4. Drove car with mechanic to indicate problems with car. 5. Total bill $3,105. 6. Assurance that car was in good shape for long trip. 7. Drove approximately 120 miles when brakes gave out and fluid gushed out of brake line. 8. Extremely scary experience. 9. Meineke continues to tell me that this is not as a result of anything they did or did not do. 10. Coincidence? - Possible not probable. 11. Spoke with Gabriel today. His boss is to call me back. When I asked his boss' name, phone and address was told by Gabriel he did not know his boss' last name, first name Jeff nor his phone number or address.

I'm very unsatisfied with the poor and awful service that I received on my last visit. First of all I brought my van in for a preferred customer oil change (the usual) that includes brake check and fluid top off (at least that what the ad says). So I drop off my car and about 2 hours later I get a call form the guy at the shop to let me know that my car was ready but that one of the lug nuts and stud had broke when they where taking off the rim.

Number one mistake: As far as I know if they brake something, aren't they responsible? Well, as far as I know if they would've called me and told me, "Hey, you know your rim lug nut is loose or weak and might brake if we try to take it off," then I would've said that it was ok for them to proceed and then it would've been my fault. But the only call I got from them was to let me know that they had broke it and that I had to pay for the parts and labor to get it fixed (which was going to cost me $80.00)—if I wanted to get it fixed.

Ok, so I come in to get my van and explain that I have to go get my daughter at school. So they tell me that I can take the van like that and bring it back later if I want them to fix it but that they don't have the parts there. If I wanted, I could go and buy them from the Chrysler dealer. So I go and pick my daughter up from school and then run to the dealer and get the parts (out of my pocket). So I buy the parts and go back to the shop and they tell me I have the parts. Again, I ask them that since that was something they did, they should be responsible for getting it fixed.

Again, they say no. Now I'm not sure if they were treating me like this just because they saw me by myself with my two girls, but whatever the reason is I'm still very upset by the situation. So about three days later, I start to hear an awful sound whenever I'd hit the brakes. But according to Meineke they had checked my brakes as a "courtesy inspection." Obviously, that wasn't the case. So I took my car to a different shop and they showed how bad my brakes were and couldn't believe Meineke didn't say anything. Well, I know why: because they never even checked them.

Not only that, but this morning as I was driving my daughter to school, my dashboard began to alert me that it was overheating! Why? Because it had no coolant. so I pop open the hood to find that the coolant container was completely empty. Therefore, that sure tells me that Meineke never checked my brakes and never topped off the fluids! I'm very disappointed. I expected so much more from a place like Meineke. Just if you're wondering, my van is under the 100,000 miles and I'm the type of person that likes to get their vehicle serviced every 3,000 miles. I wasn't going to say anything about the first incident but then when I noticed they had never checked my brakes I began to heat up and then his morning when I noticed my fluids hadn't been topped off. Well, that did it. I've been calling the customer service number but no one answers.

On Saturday, September 18, 2010, my daughter took her 2001 Oldsmobile Alero to Meinke to see about a oil leak and she spoke to a guy name Booker who told her that her oil sending unit needed replaced and that he would change it out and it would cost $20. She told him to go ahead and do it so she waited around for him to complete the job. Booker came back and told her that the oil sending unit had broke off in the tower and he had to use some J B Welds to hold it and it would have to stay there until Monday the 20th so he can make sure it hold to put the oil in it. So she left the car at Meinke.

On Monday, my boyfriend, daughter and myself went there to get the car and Booker told us that the J B Welds didn't hold and the oil shot out of the car, and that I need an Intake Manifold. So I tried to locate one so I called Spurlock auto and he told me he had one for $65 and he could put it on for around $425 not including the part.

I had to get a friend of mine to take the car to them and once we were there they told me at Spurlock that I need the Cam tower that the oil sending unit had been broke off in the tower and that's going to cost up in the thousand. So I went back to Meinke to see what they were going to do about it and he the manager said he didn't feel they were responsible for that if it broke.

They can't fix everyone car that come in there with old parts especially with that being a older model car. So I told him this is not the last of it. So I took it to this guy's house that got a garage in the back of his house and he looked at it and said that the car was messed up and I would need a cam tower for the car in order for it to be fixed correctly.

Later that day, we came home and the guy Booker was at the house next door to me and asked have we found the part for the car and I said no and he said, "I'll tell you what, if you get the the part for the car I will fix it away from Meinke." He is letting me know that he know he messed the car up and want to save his job but I feel they should be responsible for what happened to this car that was at no fault to us. We just had it up there for a oil change on August 9, 2010 and there was no oil leak that they told me about then. But when the light came on and I know we just had an oil change. We had it checked out at Meinke.

I took my car there because the parking brake pad was worn with the rotor and scored on that side. The complaint is that the manager told me that I had to have the caliper replaced as well as the rotor because the caliper was 'frozen'. I had researched the issue extensively and knew this unlikely. I proved it a lie by replacing the rear pads and rotor on that side for expediency because it would have been inconvenient to take the rotor to be turned myself this past Friday, my day off.

The point is that this is a dishonest business. There are specific criteria for the caliper needing to be replaced. Also, there was no wheel removal 'inspection'. When I did it myself, spare caliper on-hand, the piston went back into the caliper without difficulty and the 'brake job' I did for myself is fine. The point is that this is a dishonest business.

On 7/28/2010, I took my 2002 Saturn SL2 into this shop for an oil change. I knew there was a problem with the ignition so I alerted the store manager of the problem and told him not to turn the key into the lock position. I then asked him to come to the car with me and I showed him how the car needed to be turned off to avoid a problem. After this, I asked him if he understood and he replied to the affirmative. He stated he would inform the mechanic what to do. At this point, my friend and I left.

When we returned, the car was outside the bay and I was told that the key was in the lock position and could not be started. I too attempted to start the car but could not. At this time, I approached the person who identified himself as the new owner. His name was Mark. I explained to him that I had told the manager of the problem and the consequences if the car was put into the lock position. I was assured that this would not happen by the manager and would like to know how we were going to resolve the situation. I was told by Mark that he would have his mechanic look at it and try to fix it. But I would have to leave it overnight. This was done. When I returned the following day, I was informed that it was an electronic problem and would need the electronic part of the ignition. I went to the local auto zone and purchased the part and returned it to them. Due to them working on the car in between other cars, I had to leave it overnight again.

When I returned the next day, I was told that the electronic was not the problem and I would need a new ignition cylinder. Fortunately, the auto store took the part I brought back and I then went to an auto dealer and bought a cylinder taking it back and gave it to them. Once again, having to leave the car overnight again. Upon my return the next day, I was told that they did not know how to remove the cylinder. After two more days, I was told that the only way they could fix it was to replace the whole ignition system. I then asked to take out the ignition system so that I could get them exactly what they needed. I was told they would. I also contacted a locksmith and asked him to come and look at the car. He did and told me that whomever worked on the car had no clue what they were doing and had taken a hammer and screwdriver to it in an attempt to remove it. To shorten this story, the locksmith was able to fix the car.

During this time, Mark had become less and less helpful and more argumentative. He stated that he would take no blame for my situation due to the car having a pre-existing problem even after admitting they had been made aware of it. I would have to bear all the financial cost myself. In the end, a simple oil change cost me over $300.00. I am unemployed and could not afford to spend this money on this. My question to you, is the store responsible for at least some of this cost?

My engine broke down near Weston, FL and a tow truck took me to this Meineke "Black Hole" of Car Care. It finally took them 3 days and $700 to change a timing belt. I was traveling so I had to spend $300 on a motel for three nights, but they didn't speed up my repairs any. The problem was very basic; they could not get the valve cover seal to stop leaking oil! For 3 days! The first two times they said it was fixed. I ran it in the parking lot to verify it wouldn't fail on the highway and it leaked after the engine warmed up twice! The third time looked good, but it leaked again in two days and this customer had to fix it himself the right way. Ludicrous.

It's cost me a thousand bucks with the hotel bill to get my timing belt replaced. Don't go here unless you have the time and money to waste. I mean, this was simple, a valve cover gasket is not rocket science and they could not take the time and concentration to fix it. Three days delay and hotel expense added to my vacation. One day of personal labor to fix what should have been a simple repair itself.

About two months ago, my husband went to this Meinecke location to identify and repair the noise my brakes had been making for a few weeks. They replaced the rotors on the back brakes and the brake pads on the front. A short time later, I looked at my back wheels and saw that the rotors were completely rusty after about 2 to 3 weeks! I wasn't able to take it in for another 4 to 5 weeks and after the manager looked at them, he first told me that it can happen when the car is somewhere where there is a lot of moisture, especially if there are no flaps.

Really, after a couple of weeks? I never heard of such a thing, especially since my car was in no more moisture than any other car in the city of Tulsa! He put the car up and told me that they (the manager and crew had been almost completely replaced since the first visit) had used the cheapest rotors. They were only "one-use" rotors and that was why the rust had developed. He offered to put the top of the line rotors in for the price difference between the two and half the labor. Woe! This should have never ever happened in the first place, especially after a few weeks! Well, I had it done because the rusty ones looked pretty bad on my 2005 car, but I will never use them again!

My husband took my car into the local Meineke store to get the oil changed.Then after driving the car a short time, it started to sound bad so he gets almost home and the engine light comes on. So we decide to take it the next day and have the diagnostic test done on it. The test said that it had cylinder misfiring so we change the plugs, that didn't help. So we went back for diagnostic again said the same thing. It could be the core packs on the misfiring spark plugs so we changed them, still didn't help so parked it trying to figure out what could be wrong. Then my husband decide to check the oil thinking that this did start soon after the oil was changed. When he pulled the stick out he was shocked to find that this car had been overfilled with oil.

So I called and talked to the manager and told him what my husband had found and he sent someone to my house to look at the car. So he gets under there and takes out nearly 4 quarts of oil out of my car so that it would be were it should be but the oil he took out had gas in it. So this guy says that someone is going to get in trouble for this. When he gets back and that the manager will call me back in a little while but he didn't. So next morning, I called him and he says that they didn't do anything wrong to my car. But the oil stick has in bold letters "do not overfill".

So I had a mechanic to come to my house and check my car over and he says that my car is ruined. I called the store manager back and he still says that he is not responsible for the severe damage to my 2003 Jeep Liberty limited edition. But there was nothing wrong with this vehicle when it went there only wanted an oil change. Is there any way that I can get him to pay for the damage that his store caused as I don't have money for such a large expense.

I took my F150 to Meineke to have my tail-pipe and chrome tip replaced on right side of my exhaust. This shop had replaced my dual exhaust from the cat back on 01/16/2007 with a Flowmaster muffler and pipes and I was told the muffler was warranted for life or as long as I own it. The tail pipe rusted out at the hanger and that's what I went in for today 07/12/2010. I was told to have it there at 8am and it would be done at or around 12 pm. I told Bill, the mechanic, all I want replaced was the tail pipe and tip and was told okay.

When I called at 1pm, they said it was just going in. At 1:30pm they called and said both tips where out of stock and I told them it was only 1 tip because just the 1 side. I called back at 3pm to see what was taking so long to put on 1 tail pipe, they didn't know. They called at 4pm and told me to come get my truck. When I got there they gave me a bill for a new muffler 2 pips, 2 hangers, 2 tips and labor, for a total of $400. When I told them that's not what I came in for, I came in for a new tail pipe and 1 new tip, they took off the price of the muffler, which is not a Flowmaster but a cheep one, and still charged me $310 to get my truck back even though I didn't ask for or authorized a new exhaust or down graded muffler. On top of that, Bill, the mechanic, said yes I did say I only want a tail pipe and tip when I dropped it off. He didn't work on it or write it up. Sorry.

I took my car to Meineke in Carson City when I received an advertisement in the mail. The advertisement states that the oil change option I chose, the Supreme Option, "includes oil and filter, top-off fluids, lube chassis, rotate tires, balance check all tires, 23 pt courtesy check". There is a disclaimer stating, "Includes up to 5 quarts of standard motor oil and a standard filter. Additional disposal and shop supply fees may apply. Special oils and filters are available at additional cost. Rotation service for vehicles with TPM systems is available at additional cost. See additional offer details below. Expires 7/15/10." I made my appointment and took my car in on 06/16/10 at 3:00 p.m. The service took approximately 30 minutes. I paid $46.51 which included hazard disposal fees and tax and went on my way.

I drove 30 miles to my son's house in Reno, NV and when I left his house I heard a terrible crunch. My youngest son was in the car with me. We had carpooled to dinner at his older brother's house. He got out and found that part of my bumper seemed to have pulled loose under the car so he pushed it back in place. The noise seemed to stop and after dropping him off, I continued home. The noise started again when I crossed into the exit lane off of the freeway near my apartment. I drove the short way to the apartment. When I got out, I found that the entire plastic protection piece over my left front tire had popped loose, caught under my tire, and had torn my front bumper loose and taken off some paint. I had to cut the large, long plastic piece off with heavy-duty scissors, so that I could park my car and continue to drive it.

I went back to Meineke on 06/17/10 at approximately 12:30 p.m. I told the man at the front desk what had happened and said that I thought perhaps the tech had damaged the plastic piece when he rotated my tires. He said my tires had not been rotated and that he was the tech that had done the oil change. I asked why he had not rotated my tires when that is the service I had paid for. He said that they only rotated tires if they needed it and my tires did not need it. He said that they would never have touched that plastic part even if they had rotated my tires.

On 06/22/10 I received an automated call from Meineke asking me to complete a two-question survey regarding my experience. My response was "extremely dissatisfied with the service" and I was then given the number to the Carson City Car Care Center #1262 where I could talk to someone about my experience. That number connected me with the assistant manager who listened to me. Then, the assistant manager informed me that Meineke did not have to do the items listed in the advertisement or the memo on my invoice if the tech deemed that the service was not necessary. He stated that the tech had the right to determine if the tires needed rotated or not. He then told me that there were clips that held the piece I was talking about on my car in place and that he had a similar car, so he knew what I was referring to.

I asked Mr. Assistant Manager if my car would have been raised on a stand to change the oil to which he said, "Yes." I asked him if my car would have been placed on the stand if the tires had been rotated to which he said, "Yes." I asked him what a 29-point courtesy inspection included and he said that would include brakes, fluids, oils, and things like that. I then asked him why, if my car was already falling apart, I was not informed upon this inspection that I had a problem that needed to be checked out. Mr. Assistant Manager replied that Meineke was not a body shop and the part in question was something a body shop would need to take care of. Therefore, Meineke had no responsibility to tell me there was a problem given that there was a chance. The tech doing the inspection even saw the issue. He then said that I could not prove anything and that was the end of it.

I took my car to my insurance company where I was told I needed an estimate. The preliminary estimate to repair the damage is $857.52. I had requested a service that I felt was in my best interest to insure the safety of my car. Within hours of seeing Meineke, my car fell apart. I cannot even begin to understand how the tech could have lubed the chassis, checked my tires to determine that they did not need rotated, balance checked my tires, and done a 29 point courtesy inspection without ever seeing that I had a problem. However, according to the assistant manager, the work is only done if it is listed on my invoice with a No Charge next to it. With that in mind, the only things listed on my invoice are the Supreme Oil Service at $19.50, the filter at $7.98, the Hazard Disposal/Haz Mat at $4.98, and the 5 quarts of oil at $12.50. Apparently, I got a Basic Oil Change, which according to this advertisement should cost $19.95 and would include the filter and oil. But I paid for a Supreme Oil Change and did not get the service I paid for.

I went into Meineke for a basic oil change. I left to go run around, I drove about 10 miles or so before my car started running funny. It felt like pressure would build up when it shifted and then it clunked. I went back in there and they claim they did not do anything to the car, but I just think it is a bit ironic that the car ran fine before being brought in and no matter than 45 minutes after leaving there it started running [badly]. Still have no idea what is wrong with the car, but I have a feeling this little gimmick was to get me to fork money over to them to fix the tampered with problem in my vehicle.

I called Meineke and asked if they could replace an alternator for a 2005 Toyota 4 runner. They told me they could and that they were ase certified technicians. So I brought my Toyota down to them and told them my battery was dying. They said they would have to run a diagnosis on it to determine what the problem was. They called me later and told me that it would take 2 days due to the weekend to get the part in. I in two days, I called and he told me he got the part in which was around 11 am.

I showed up at 4pm that day and he still had not got the part in and it would take them a while to get it in. So he called me at 558pm which they close at 6pm to tell me there is something wrong with my fuse box and I could come down and take a look at it if I wanted to. I showed up and he showed me my fuse box. I was melted and it was not that way before because I looked when I had to recharge my battery. He said that it was from my amplifier in my vehicle. I asked him to prove it to me with a multi meter that my amp was still pulling current through my battery but he said he didn't have a multi meter in the shop. So he told me they would run further diagnosis on it to find the real problem at no charge, so I agreed.

He did not call me back when he said he would. So I would have to call him. He said I needed a new fuse box and that he would try to track one down for me and he would call me back. So I waited that next day until 558pm and I called him and asked if he found the part. He asked me if I found one? So by this time, I am very upset because I have been out of a car for quite some time. So I called a tow company and had them tow it to Parker Toyota. They confirmed that it was not the amplifier and it was because someone hooked up the alternator incorrect. Parker Toyota even gave me proof that it was because of Meineke hooking up an alternator. I wasn't able to drive my vehicle to get to work and had to find rides. Couldn't get my son to school or daycare. A large Parker Toyota bill. My warranty company had to pay for terrible work to supposedly ase certified technicians.

I want to express my complete disappointment and frustration with the Meineke Center I visited at West Northwest Highway, Unit B, Arlington Heights, IL 60004. The Manager (Bhupat **) at this location was very rude and incompetent, and above all resorted to violent physical behavior, with the intention of scaring me, so that I would be scared to ask him any questions. Mr. Bhupat ** would not tell me, what was going on with my car, when I took it for inspection for a Service Engine Check Light on.

He just verbally quoted $600.00 without giving me any details. Additionally, he instead asked me to leave, since according to him; I was asking him too many questions about the error codes' details and when I told him that I need to know what was going on, he says that I can fix it myself and he (Bhupat **) caught my shirt and verbally abused me in his local Gujarati language.

At that point, I had to tell him that if he does not let go of my shirt, I have no option but to call the authorities. My strong recommendation to any future Meineke customers is please do not visit his car care center. I do not wish any of the Meineke customers to experience this bad treatment, that I endured. Please stay clear of this center. It was an extremely bad experience. I never had this kind of experience at any car care center. Moreover it was an emotional and physical trauma for myself and my wife, who was also with me at that time.

I took my car in to get it looked at because of rough idle and check engine light was on. The vehicle was in the shop for an hour and a half before they got to it. But after diagnosing it, they found out that cylinders 4&5's compression were low after compression test. They said they would need to replace the spark plugs and wires and fuel system cleaner. The existing wires were installed a couple of years ago, so that's understandable. But I just replaced the existing plugs two weeks ago, so that is what I question. Well, after they did all of the service and replacing the parts, the bill came out to be $663.00.

I don't understand why it cost that much for wires, plugs and a $24.00 fuel system cleaner. The plugs were $12.98 each and the Auto Zone wires that were charged to me for $175.00 each (Auto Zone sells no wires over $49.99, unless they are performance grade). This is why I'm complaining about having to wait almost 6 hours.

I originally took my Audi in for an oil leak. I was told that most of the gaskets needed to be replaced. I had them go ahead and replace all of them. They kept calling saying that there was more things wrong with my car. Three weeks and over $5000 later and a bill for over a $1000 to an Audi dealer for repairs done by Meineke, I had my car back. Audi found damage done on my car that I was charged for. I feel that I was totally taken advantage of. I had to take out a loan to pay for the repairs.

I requested estimate for dual exhaust for the Challenger. I agreed to the price of $1037.63 with a deposit of $300 and was told 3 days to ship Flowmaster and dual pipes. I called back on 04/01/2010 and was told parts did not come in and would be there the following Wed (4/7) or Fri (4/9). I explained I could order exhaust system and receive it much faster; they could still perform install. I was told they could not install parts unless it was Meineke ordered parts. I said I will wait the additional week.

I called the location again on Fri (4/9). Again, I was told the parts did not ship with other items and would be by the following Friday (4/16). I told Cindy to cancel the order at no fault of mine. Cindy explained I would not get the deposit money back. This is unfair and not agreed on. If they would have told me originally it would take 15 days to get parts in, I would have ordered myself. I was promised 3 days originally. I think I am owed the $300 due to no fault of myself. It only takes 5 days to ship from California.

I brought my 1999 Plymouth breeze into the shop for front brakes on Friday, April 9, 2010. After doing their inspection, I was called and given a list of problems with my car, front brakes, tie rod, crimped brake line, a bad cylinder and my rear breaks "designated" upon inspection. Total cost for repairs, 930 dollars. My husband called them back to let them know we could not afford their quote. We would be picking up our car. He was informed our car was not drive-able. We drove it in and now had to have it towed out. I called them back a few hours later to inform them I could have a tow truck there in the morning. They said I would have to pay 25 dollars to store my car overnight.

I was not happy and told them I drove the car in, they have made it, so I can't drive the car out I am not paying the fee. After some words with the manager, he waived the fee and said I better be there in the morning. My husband and I went at 11am on Saturday, April 10, 2010 to pick up our car, the tow truck driver had an emergency and was running late. When we arrived, we were again informed that the car was unsafe to drive and if we tried driving it out they would call the police on us. After more words were exchanged, I demanded my keys and said I would push it off their lot before they decided to charge me for storage for the late tow.

After getting my car home, by pushing it with our second vehicle, the mechanic came and picked it up. He has since fixed the problems they found, at a more reasonable cost, and since has found damage to my car. There was motor oil in my brake lines. My master cylinder went out right after he replaced my brakes. How does motor oil get in the brake line, without someone putting it there? I believe they purposely sabotaged my car because they lost a 930 dollar job. They are criminals as far as I'm concerned and have to be held responsible for the damage they caused and the cost of the extra repairs. How can a place of business do something like that? They could have caused my family bodily injury if the master cylinder would have gone out after it was returned to me by my mechanic. Any business that does this kind of thing should have their license revoked! I now have to pay for the replacement of my master cylinder and any other parts damaged by their reckless conduct.

My husband and I took our 2004 Chrysler Concorde to the Meineke location on Broadway and Kolb on December 12, 2009 for a water leak. Meineke stated there were many leaks. We gave them the okay to do the repairs to the tune of $1,376.00. After almost a week, we still did not have our car and we complained to the main office. During the time they had our car, the service tech Sheldon lied to us about the car being worked on. We found out they left it sitting for 8 hours without anyone working on it. He also told us they would be there late working on the car and when we would go by after work to check they had already closed up shop and gone home.

Two days after we got the car back, we took it to a Brakemasters on December 19, 2009 because the check engine light was coming on. They documented it was one of the repairs that Meineke had done that was still leaking and they had damaged the fly wheel cover. The Meineke on Oracle arranged to have it towed back to the Broadway location for repairs. The manager at the Oracle location made arrangements to get us a rental. We picked up the car on Monday, December 21, 2009. The Broadway location told us that the seal they had replaced was defective. Two days later, we still had leaks. This time we refused to have the Broadway location work on the car. It was towed to the Oracle location and they supposedly corrected the work that the Broadway location did and completed repairs that the Broadway location should have done but did not do.

We picked up our car from the Oracle location on December 30, 2009. The manager documented in our paperwork that we were leaving with the same leak that brought us to Meineke in the first place. During this time, I spoke with Margaret at their main office regarding our rental and she indicated that she was told they did not put the car back together correctly. Meineke's corporate office did pay for a rental, but we disputed the charge on our credit card for the work that they did and it was removed. We also reported them to the Better Business Bureau but Meineke's only response was that it was covered under warranty and we should bring it back.

In the 3 months since our time at Meineke, we have had to have every single repair done by Meineke corrected at another shop and another shop diagnosed the water leak that brought us to Meineke in the first place. They indicated Meineke did not put the car together properly and they did not clean the areas they did work on. At this point, we paid for repairs that we cannot even prove the car needed and Meineke did not repair the leak we came in with. They also damaged our car during the process to the point that we are will have to replace our car.

Since we had our money credited back to our charge card and Meineke paid for a rental, I am not sure there is much more that can be done for us but we hope to prevent other people from going through the same experience. We have also heard complaints basically about all Meineke locations for the same reasons we experienced:

3. You don't know if you really need the work they are claiming and they do not diagnose the actual problem accurately.

Before we went to Meineke our only problem was a water leak. After going to Meineke we have had many, many other problems to the point that we don't know how much damage there is and we are being forced to sell a car that was perfectly fine before going to Meineke. If you wish to discuss this further you can call me at ** or my husband Patrick at **.

I took my 2003 Volkswagen Passat into Meineke to have a simple oil change. I just bought the vehicle and asked if it needed synthetic oil since it had a turbo. I've owned a turbo vehicle in the past and it had to have synthetic oil in it. Well, they told me that it just needed 5w30. So I allowed them to put that in. Well, they come and tell me my vehicle is done, and as soon as I start my car, the check engine light is flashing and my car is vibrating. I went in and told them so they brought the car back in. They had broken a piece of my vacuum line. How they did that I have no clue. They replaced it free of charge.

But now, my car is violently shaking and barely wants to shift gears.

I have two kids and this is my only vehicle. I can't have it in the shop for a few weeks. Anyway, I called them and they told me to bring my car back in and they would look at it to see what the problem is. But I'm sure they will just blame it on me. If they do not fix what they have done to my vehicle, I will be taking them to court, and the lady I bought the vehicle from will testify saying that the vehicle never leaked when she owned it. Never go to Meineke, I had a simple oil change and now my car that I've only owned for 2 weeks is a piece of junk.

They scanned it and it took about 2 hrs and in the end I was told it just needed a flex pipe, but the car needed to stay overnight.The next day the flex was put it but the car still wouldn't run for long then, 15 mins, so I was told this was because it needed a bigger spark to run so I need a new distributor. I decided to buy a used one.

Well, it after a week it came in because it was ordered by mail, but the wait was for nothing because it was a bad part. So they ordered another used one but two weeks went by and the part never came to the shop. The guy said order a new part because the used ones have to be found in junks yards but new ones are from the company so it should come to the show faster.

Well, when the day came ,I was told the belt was fixed but by the belt popping it messed up the head so the car wasn't working at all. So I needed to replace the head. The guy said the part should come within 3 days but it would take a full day to put it in and then some time to test it again.

So when the day came I was told the car was ready! I noticed that the check engine light was on so I asked why this was.They said it was nothing just that the car may take a few turns of the key to get it started but it was nothing to worry about. It ran fine for about 3 weeks but it makes a scratchy noise every time I would hit the brakes. Then one day, on the highway, it made a sound that sounded like a loud fan and it started shaking and smoking.Then it leaked oil all over and I had to get it towed. So now it doesn't start.

I went back there and told them what happened they acted shaken and said try adding oil and to bring it back if that doesn't work. I never did. I am going to take it somewhere else.

On January 9, 2010, I was in for an oil change and my breaks checked on my 1998 Buick skylark custom. This car is like new and is in perfect condition--every part on it is original. The friend who gave it to me was gravely ill and his last words to me before he passed away were that this car was his pride and joy and I should take care of it like he did.

After leaving Meineke, within 20 minutes of driving on the highway, three of the original Buick skylark hub caps fell off and were lost--an obvious sign of the mechanic not putting them on properly! I have complained to the owner of this franchise, Jeff, but he didn't seem to care about my complaint. I have made a complaint online to Meineke Canada, and have not heard anything from them either. I am a single father on Ontario disability and cannot afford new hub caps, which I greatly feel that Meineke is fully responsible for. So far, no one can help. Can you please help?

I brought my vehicle into Meineke car care center, to perform an inspection/diagnostic test, to determine the cause of a coolant leak, and a noise when I am starting my car. I was told it would cost $82.50, and it would take around 30 minutes for them to find the problem. I told the manager Tom to give me a call as soon as they are finished performing the inspection. More than two hours later, I got a call from the manager indicating that they had identified the problem as being a bent thermal fan clutch, a faulty water pump, and bent pulley. The estimated cost of repair is $699. I was surprised, because months earlier, I had the water pump, thermostat, belt tensioner, gaskets and hoses replaced. He said the water pump was improperly installed, and caused the pulley to bend, that caused the thermal fan clutch to bend.

Believing what he said had some truth to it, I told him I could not afford the cost of repairs, and that I only had a few hundred dollars. I was then informed about payment plans offered by Meineke, which I was not interested in, but then I was told that I can pay as much cash as I could up front, and a month or so later, pay the cash difference. He kept pushing this means of payment, and that we should go ahead with servicing the car.

I told him about the repairs done months earlier, and that I wanted to contact the mechanic that did the work. I called back and said that I wanted to pick up my car, and declined the suggested repairs, thinking I would only need to pay the $82.50 for the inspection. He then informed that they had to take half my engine apart, while performing the inspection, and that if I decline the suggested work, I would have to pay up to $200 in labor to put my car back together, plus the inspection cost of $82.50, and that it would be more cost efficient to accept the repairs, and pay a few hundred dollars more to have the work done properly with a life time warranty.

I was shocked. I did not give consent for them to perform any additional services, other than the diagnostic test. When I dropped my car off, I agreed to have an inspection performed on my vehicle for $82.50, not for my engine to be taken apart and reassembled for $200 more. I was not given an invoice of service when I dropped my car off, which according to store policy states that a copy of the invoice is to be given to the customer when service is requested, and that any additional services or repairs more than $20, can not be performed without the expressed consent of the owner. I was not informed of this additional work, nor did I give consent for them to disassemble my vehicle, yet they went against their policy to perform unauthorized work. I was not allowed to pick my car up, without having to pay the cost of reassembly. I had my dad speak with them, thinking that they were trying to pressure me, a student, into paying high price for services.

The entire day passed, ultimately forcing us to accept the repairs at a lower price, in the belief that the work will be done to correct the problem, with a lifetime warranty. Once they agreed, repairs were performed. They were able to find a more serious problem. They now thought that the reason my car was leaking coolant was because the intake manifold gasket was damaged, causing the leak. I later found out that they could have identified this problem when they performed the diagnostic test. At that point, I just wanted my car out of their hands.

This store cheated me out of money by performing extra services without my consent, claiming faulty parts that needed repairs, charging me additional fees if I declined work, and putting me in an uncomfortable situation. I felt as if I were being held hostage, either decline the work and waste $200 just to get my car back, or pay an extra few hundred to get it serviced. I brought my car in for a simple inspection for $82.50, that was supposed to take 30 minutes, which ended up costing me hundreds of dollars of work. My issue is with them not allowing me to get my car back without paying the $200, which put me in a situation that would require me to pay more than the quoted cost, regardless of my decision to accept or decline repairs. I ended up paying $550 for repairs, days later to have my car problems persist.

I brought my car to Meineke, so they can fix my Catalytic Converter and Sensor. I supplied the parts and they were supposed to put it in for me. Yes, I ordered the converter, sensor and gaskets.The price he told me at first was $160 for the service. I thought that was good, because I was buying all the parts. Once I brought him the last part, which was the sensor, he changed the price and told me it would be $240. I asked why. He said because he was charging me $80.00 an hour for labor plus he told me about a part, which might break off due to changing the converter. That price would be an extra $50 per part and my vehicle has 6 parts as I was told by him. That's not the problem; he did charge me for one part. My total was $290.I was told my car was ready, so I picked it up.

I got into my vehicle, and my radio wasn't working. The inside light was not coming on, nor was my alarm working.They couldn't find out the problem at that time. It was New Year's Eve, they were closing. I was told to bring it back that Saturday. So once I pulled out the lot, and drove about 1/2 mile, I heard a pop noise under the hood. I kept driving. Then my car started slowing down going no more than 10 or 15 mph. So I said it's doing the same thing all over again. That was the reason why I took it there in the first place because someone told me I needed a new converter and a sensor.The converter was clogged, that's why the sensor was over heating.Yes, I explained it to Brian.

Saturday came and I was taking my car back, I smelled something burning. I pulled over and lifted my hood up, and the sensor was melting. Now I'm scared to drive it, so I had it towed to Meineke again. My husband called them a couple of hours later; he said don't worry about it. He had fixed the radio, alarm and light, it was a fuse. That following Tuesday we called back. He said we need to take it to the dealer, he can't do anything with it. So I responded, "Can I get a refund?" He said no. I asked why not.

He said because he did his job, he put on the converter and changed the sensors. And I remind you that he didn't use the gaskets as he said he didn't need them. All I wanted was my money back, as my car broke down again, down the street from his place. Can someone please help me? Yes, I called The Cooperative Office. They said they can't make him give me a refund.

I think they didn`t do any thing.even if they didn`t rotate the tire. they are realy layer.

I needed to have a car inspected. The mechanic (using that term loosely) started the inspection but said the steering was too loose and would not pass it. He recommended repair, but I decided to have it checked out at a different shop. I took it to a tire center and a different garage (Exxon) in town and both agreed that there was nothing wrong with the car. I received my inspection certification from the Exxon garage. However, Meineke refused to refund my money even with evidence that their mechanic was in error. I should have known not to go to this place as their reputation is not good, but tried to stay close to home. I won't make that mistake again and hopefully, neither will anyone else.

On 11/05/2009 I took my car to Meineke to have an A/C Compressor replaced. I was charged $311.42 only to be told that I purchased the wrong replacement part. My charges included a coolant system flush, coolant, Air Conditioning Evac and Recharge, none of these services were rendered. On 11/12/2009 Meineke put an A/C Bypass Pulley on the vehicle as a Temporary fix until I could find the correct A/C Compressor. I noticed the car squeaking alot so on 12/01/2009 I went back to Meineke and was told that I needed to replace the ALT Belt.

I paid $83.33 to have the belt replaced and was told that the coolant system flush would be done at that time. Upon driving home the vehicle started making terrible noises. I took the car back to Meineke and found that the ALT Belt had began shredding off of my car. Meineke replaced it but the same thing started happening again. The Manager George at that time told me that he was not replacing the belt again. Becuase my car was now undriveable, I called After Hours Mobile Mechanics to fix my car and they found the problem for the shredded ALT Belts. The A/C Bypass Pulley put on my car by Meineke wasn't aligned with the other Pulleys on the vehicle and was the cause of the shredded ALT Belts. They also found that I needed a Coolant System Flush, a service I had paid Meineke to do that wasn't done.

This happened yesterday, when i took my car to this Meineke store on Higgins Road and Golf in Schaumburg.

They started stating that there will be 15% restocking fee, and other charges that were working out to be more expensive.

So, I was totally taken for a ride by this service center.

least $300 dollars extra that what i should have paid. Feels very bad that service centers resort to arm twisting by threatening to bill unreasonably.

Please stay clear of this service center.

This franchisee put the wrong oil filter on my car, causing my engine to empty of oil while I was driving, ruining the engine. They then stonewalled me for 6 full days, not returning my calls after promising to do so.

I allowed him to tow the car from my mechanic's shop to his shop on the day this happened. When I confronted him at his shop and he denied any responsibility, I said the least he should do is tow my car back to where he found it. He refused to even do that.

I called corporate, and they haven't returned my call either. Now my car is being held hostage and I'll have to pay to have it towed back to my mechanic to have my engine replaced. Estimates of $1950 to $3700 to replace my blown engine.

I am writing to register a complaint against Meineke Car Care Center #4180, as it does not honor its warranty despite the fact that the warranty is written on its own invoices.

In August 2008 the check engine light of my 1999 Honda Accord came on. I took it to a Honda dealership for a diagnostic and was told that the catalytic converter had a hole in it and needed to be replaced. I then took my car to Meineke Car Care Center #4180 to do the replacement. I initially purchased a converter at a low price, with no warranty, but then changed my mind and then paid $292.58 for a heavy metal, catalytic converter with a 5 year warranty.

When I paid for the job, I noticed that "No warranty checking light come on decline heavy metal one", was printed on the invoice. But instead of issuing a new invoice, the shop manager just crossed out that part by hand and said that it wouldn't be a problem to obtain warranty service because "5 year 50,000" was printed under the warranty column of the invoice. I have a copy of the service quote, indicating that I did request a heavy metal converter. The service quote was signed by the manager.

However, only 8 months after the installation, the check engine light came back on again. So I took my car back to the Meineke Car Care Center. After checking the car, the manager called and told me that the catalytic converter itself had no problem but that there were many other things that could cause the catalytic converter failure. He asked me if a tune up had been performed on my car, as well as if the timing belt, water pump and spark plugs had been replaced. I told him that had all been performed

a year earlier. When I went to pick up my car, the technician who had checked my car said that he suspected there was a problem with the spark plugs. He then reset the check engine light.

Two weeks later, the check engine light turned back on. I took my car to another auto repair shop to get a second opinion. They then ran a computer diagnostic on the car. The result of the diagnostic was code P0420, which indicated a problem with the catalytic converter.

When I took the car to Meineke Car Care Center again, the manager and the technician still tried to convince me that something else was causing the check engine light to turn on. I then told the manager about the result from the diagnostic. The manager examined the car again and then told me the catalytic converter was burnt out. He asked me to show him the invoices for all the maintenances he had listed before because he could not install a new catalytic converter on the car until the maintenances had been made. After I collected the invoices and took them to the Meineke Car Care Center, he added some additional requirements: top end cleaning and fuel injector cleaning, which he offered to do for $79.99.

I took the car back to the other auto repair shop and the technician there said the new requirements were unrelated to the way the catalytic converter functions and it wouldn't make any difference to the converter. I told him to do the cleaning anyway.

After obtaining an invoice showing the completion of the top end cleaning and the fuel injector cleaning, I called the manager at Meineke Car Care Center and told him all the additional work he wanted done had been completed. However, he then stated no warranty would be applicable because the maintenances had not been performed before the converter was installed and the converter was purchased under no warranty.

At the time the converter was purchased, none of these conditions were made clear to me. In any case, I have talked to several technicians, including one at a Honda dealership, and they all say the requirements imposed by Meineke Car Care Center have nothing to do with the catalytic converter. It seems that the manager at Meineke Car Care Center is trying his best to make it impossible to get the converter replaced under warranty. I filed complaint to BBB but they are unable to give me any help.

I brought my Honda accord lx sedan to this Meineke auto mechanic shop for an inspection. My mechanic lives in Maine so i needed a NH inspection sticker so i went to this Meineke. I went in the Man behind the counter wasn't the friendliest but i didn't hold that against him and i had them check my car anyway. About an hour later they called me and said it failed its inspection on the account of bad rear breaks. So i told the gentlemen not to put new ones on cause i wanted to see them for myself.

When i walked back to the shop My car had been pulled off the lift and the gentlmen behind the counter told me it was 30 dollars for the inspection which i didn't get but i thought i had to pay for them to look at least that was until i gave him 40 and he whips change outta his own pocket and give me my 10 back. Why didn't he just use the register he was standing in front of. Never gave me a receipt and proceeded to tell me it was going to 159.99 to fix my rear brakes for them to do it.

Well i said i'd rather my own mechanic take a look at it instead. Well I went out and bought rear brake springs and pads. When we got the wheel off it was very evident that they never took the rear rotor covers off to even see the brakes. It was like holding a new part to a new part. Which makes me feel i was ripped off from them even failing my inspection. So i do not know what to do either.

I have gone through gas and 30 dollars and rude arrogant meineke associates that feel that if i do not look like a mechanic they feel they can get away with whatever they want and that hardship makes me not want to trust any mechanics out there

I brought my 05 nissan maxima in for front break pads and oil change and to check on a noise it was making. They changed the pads and oil and said they could not hear the noise.

5days later my oil light comes on I drove it to the closest gas station and had 2 quarts put in. the next morning it was making a horrible noise so i brought it back. They said the oil level was fine but thats because I put the oil in it.

As soon as I drove it off their parking lot drove about 200 feet the car shut off. I had it to towed to a reputable garage near where i live and they told the engine seized. and in his professional opinion it was because they neglected to put enough oil in.

The manager Brian refused to listen and let me speak started to argue and when i raised my voice he hung up.

The Meineke Econolube at 651 East 120th ave mails out coupons for $19.95 oil changes but it really costs $33 and they change your air filter without permission for $12 more. The employee that removed the air filter from my vehicle told me the manager makes them do this all the time. When the charges are disputed, the manager comes out from behind the counter and assaults the customer. I had it happen to me on 10-3-09 at 12:10pm and had to fight for my life after being placed in a choke hold. When I broke free, two more employees joined in the fray. The police (Officer Thomas Conner, Badge 08-7)said he issued a citation to the manager but refused to cite the other employees that took part in my assault. I had to get a tetanus shot due to all of the cuts from the assault. The corporate office at 1-800-275-5200 said the employees have a different view (spoke with Dave at corporate). My wife got to see me being choked on the ground by the store manager. I am nearing 50 years old, with arthritis and the employees are all in their twenties. I do not wish to be identified as I am trying to cope with the aftermath of such an assault. DO NOT GO TO MEINEKE...EVER.

Meineke told me my truck was repaired and took $250 from me. They replaced parts that I since tested and there was NOTHING wrong with them. After paying them and before I left the parking lot I saw that the problem persisted. They refused to refund my money and say they cannot fix the problem. I spoke with Joe, the manager and Stanley the owner of the 7652 West Lake Mead Las Vegas NV 89128 car center. They were rude, used profanity and refuse to assist. If I don't receive my refund I plan to go to Consumer Affairs, the Better Business Bureau and if necessary, Small Claims Court.

On July 27, 2009, we took our new 2010 Toyota Tundra to Meineke to have them install a dual exhaust system, cowboy cut, black chrome tips for my daughter. On September 13, 2009, we were on a freeway exit ramp pulling our horse trailer and we lost our brakes. We had the truck towed to Toyota. Toyota dealership service department showed me where the exhaust pipe had burned through BOTH brake lines. We also noted that the pipes installed were not stainless steel as they should have been. Also we thought we bought a system, not a jerri-rigged "mess".

I talked with the Meineke shop owner "general manager" who for one whole day would not take my calls. The next day I caught him unawares and he had to talk with me. He agreed that morally he needed to pay our Toyota bill to replace the brake lines and towing bill ($555.90). I settled with him for $500. Took the truck back to the shop so they could re-configure the installation at no charge. They then called me and said we must have overloaded the truck so they were not responsible.

I then took it to a fabulous shop and they cut the pipe out and put a new one in using the correct installation techniques and supports and charged me $65. Meineke corporate does not answer its complaint line. Meineke corporate's website comment form does not work. I was ripped off and almost killed by Meineke! Now need new exhaust system as this is not the system that we had asked for.

The serpentine belt was visibly loose and we told the mechanic what the car had been doing. He told us we needed a new alternator and the cost would be around $600. I was skeptical we needed a new alternator since we have a Toyota Camry with low mileage and is typically a very reliable car. He told us the chances of us making it back home without repair would be "slim to none". He replaced the alternator.

On our way home the battery discharge light came on *again* and we began losing power. We started losing interior lights, turn signals, the horn and the car barely had enough power to get us home. When we pulled into the driveway, the serpentine belt was visibly loose. I tried to start the car the next morning and it was dead.

The car then need to be towed to my local mechanic. He said the problem was the harmonic balancer, which he replaced at an additional cost of nearly $400. After his repair the car ran fine again. My mechanic said it was *highly* unlikely that I even needed a new alternator, especially given the reliability of Toyotas.

In sum, not only did Meineke charge an outrageous price for an unnecessary repair, we barely were able to arrive home safely after their "repair". We then had to have our local mechanic do the proper repair at additional cost to us. My research into the cost of new alternators shows that Meineke charged an outrageous mark-up- the average alternator price I found was between $160-$220, and I was charged $422 for the alternator alone.

I called around and was told to get a second opinion; using the hand brakes my son then took the car to another garage near our house . They had the Kia Rio repaired in an hour. All they had to do was bleed the brakes--which I had already paid Meineke to do. It didn't need a master cylinder.

I brought my 1975 Buick Regal in to have the front exhaust pipe replaced. (I had been in their shop a year earlier and had gotten the muffler replaced.) I had priced the pipe at Napa and I knew it would be at least $190 for parts. I was given the quote for over $800.00.

I was in to much shock to ask for a copy of the estimate and none was offered. No one would look me in the face. When he quickly brought out my car,I again asked about the cost,telling him I knew the cost of the pipe. He replied the bolts were expensive.

I drove down the street to Farm and Fleet. Same car, same repair $466.00. I can only conclude he either didn't want the job or it was because I'm a woman. My trust in mankind has been severely altered.

I took my car in for a scheduled oil change and tire rotation. I left my car at the shop and went across the street to get something to eat. I came back and they said the work had been completed. However, I had marked my two front tires earlier that day to make sure the tire rotation was performed. The two front tires were still on the front of the car and when I confronted them about it, they said it must had been an oversight and pulled the car back into the shop to roatate the tires. I was lied to and taken advantage of. Now I have to double check the oil filter to make sure they didn't lie about the oil change also. And I still had to pay for the services rendered. Dishonest mechanics. Take your car somewhere else.

We brought our car in to do the break pads. However, after the work was done, we noticed occasionally that the breaks would make noises when coming to slow stop. The original work was done about 2 weeks ago. In the intermittent time we had some body work done to the car, after it was done, i still noticed the noise. I had the body shop that did the work have a look. The mechanic there said that Meineke did not use factory specified breaks, and that they also spray a fluid on the brake pads. The also said that the brakes didn't seem to fit exactly and might be a little loose.

Now the noise had started to stop, so i wasn't sure what to do. I set up another appointment with Meinke today, and they looked at the breaks and sprayed some more fluid. Now the noise has returned. Again, this noise only happens when coming to a slow stop. I don't believe anyone should go to Meineke to do brakes, and i won't return.

I will do my best to find a solution that works for me, but I don't think it is worth my time to deal with these guys, as they clearly have a set of working procedures that they follow. . Another thing, they offer lifetime pads, but this seems disingenuous as they probably put cheap pads on the cars when they do break jobs.

On 03/05/2008 I decided my 95 Toyota Tercel (105,000 original miles) was due for new rotors & brakes. I had a $10 Meineke coupon for a brake check so that's where I went.

On 05/21/2008 I returned to Meineke after losing my brakes going down a hill. After coasting up the next one, I pulled over to find my LEFT brake locked down against the rotor, smoking, and smelling like burned rubber. After it cooled off it seemed fine and I continued down the road. It was a one time incident, but I noted an intermittent squeak and a slight scraping noise, though I couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from.

I returned to the shop to be told I needed a $68 brake hose, and a $68 caliper. [Forward to 07/25/2009--I called Meineke to find they'd changed managers twice since June 08, and there was no record of me getting a caliper, even though I told the guy on the phone I was looking at it on the invoice as 'no charge' for the caliper or labor.]

I had brakes again, but the slight scraping noise continued. My RIGHT front brake was intermittently grinding, and then releasing. I realized the scraping noise had always been coming from that side. I returned to the shop. [Forward to 07/25/2009 when the guy on the phone reports there is NO record of this visit. Of course not--that day everything was FREE of charge, and I wasn't issued a receipt.] I was told that it is normal on 'older' cars to have bits of rust drop from above, and get stuck between the rotor and brake pad. The car was put on a lift, and silicone lubricant was sprayed between the rotor and pad. I test drove it slowly around the parking lot, came back to report that I could still hear a slight scraping noise, and was told that was all they could do for it--it was something I'd 'just have to deal with'--stuff happens with OLD cars.

07/25/2009-Over to Advanced Auto Parts to talk to one of their ASAE Certified Mechanics where I was told "no one in their right mind would spray lubricant on a brake pad", accompanied by much head shaking in disbelief.

*Side note: This is the same reaction I'd gotten from different mechanics over the year as I begged each one to fix my car right. They said they couldn't touch it because of the Meineke warranties.

Per Meineke's instructions, I spent a year paying $5 to go through the auto wash with underside spray, attempting to dislodge whatever had gotten stuck between the rotor & pad whenever the scraping noise got too bad. I also continued to plead with mechanics to fix my car.

07/24/2009 in the middle of nowhere, 60 miles from home--no services, motel, no phone; the right brake locked and would not release. There was a deep gouge on the edge of the rotor that was not there when I checked my tire pressure on the 23rd--that day I'd bought $100 worth of tune-up parts, installed them, and had a car that ran like a top.] My tire had turned brown from the dust coming off the rotor. A stranger pried the caliper away from the rotor, and I drove home at 20 mph. Leaving my location at 7pm, I arrived at 2am, stopping 15+ minutes every few miles to let the wheel cool off.

07/25/2009: The phone call to Meineke when I was told "I'm from Regional filling in for the manager for a week. I don't know what you want from me, you drove the car for a year, it's old, and things go bad." I attempted to get him to understand this was a continuation of my original problem, and not a new one. I mentioned the silicone lubricant visit and the conversation turned defensive, "There's no record, you can't prove it, it's your word against theirs. Either bring the car down (25 miles) to be fixed, or wait until Monday and call Corporate."

Not wanting to be without a car for an indefinite period of time I went to the shop--25 miles at 20 mph to find I had no warranty, because I'd ruined the rotor. He was willing to 'negotiate' a price for the repairs. An argument ensued, but I was so tired I finally gave up my keys in frustration.

Outside, another customer struck up a conversation. I was asked why I was there and I told her the truth. After a time, she went in for her keys and then left.

The guy from Regional came out with my keys held at arms length. He told me to take them; he wasn't 'doing me any favors after I badmouthed their establishment to another customer.

I replied that I'd only told the truth. I asked what favors he was going to do since I was going to be paying again for something that wasn't done right in the first place.

He dropped my keys on the pavement, told me I was strange, and pretended to call the police.

I took my car to Meineke to get my struts done. First, they put the struts in and they broke a stud in the top mount so I went and bought a new mount. Then my right strut felt bad. I went back, they change it and then they forgot to put back the bump stop. So I went and bought a new bump stop. After all of this, the struts were no good so I have the change elsewhere and brought back Meineke struts to show them that they were bad as well as the mounts.

I took my car when the check engine light came on to Meineke. They said I needed a new oxygen sensor. While waiting for that part to arrive, the car broke down and wouldn't start. They then said it needed a new coil pack and spark plugs, not just the oxygen sensor. I purchased the coil pack and they put it in. They said I was good to go. Within two days, it broke down again, same problem. It wouldn't restart. When it stalled, I was in the middle of a highway going 55mph. I have a young toddler that is usually in the car with me and I feel they put both of our lives in danger.

Since I was far away from home, I took it to a new Meineke (on N. Tryon in Charlotte, NC). They had me wait eight hours for a diagnosis. I couldn't come up with anything. Now, they've had it two days and still say they don't know the problem but they think the spark plugs were the wrong kind and have now screwed up the new part but they're not sure. So far I'm out $97 in lost wages, $230 on a coil pack, $10 spark plugs, $175 Meineke labor charge, $85 rental car during first fix, $56 rental car during second fix. My car still has not been repaired. It still has not been properly diagnosed.

I took my blazer in to work done on it and found out that the rear differential bearings were bad and needed to be replaced. I was without a vehicle for 2 days while waiting on parts. The work was paid in full and after driving it for a few days I was still ave the same problem so I took it back to Meinek (the same repair shop) and when they took the rear-end apart again they found that they forgot to put the shims in it.

Rear-end was put back and told me it was ok to drive until the shims get ordered from a dealer and 2 wks went by and I called when were they going to fix my vehicle and they had not ordered the shims yet. The next day the called and asked me if I would go and pick up the shims and pay for them; therefore I did (I should not have had to pay for them) and I asked when they could get my vehicle in to fix the repair and was told that there were damage to the bearings again so they are going to have to order new bearings again.

As of today I still have not goten my vehicle fixed, no money back and I am taking a risk driving my vehicle and the rear-end locks up. I would like some action taken place and would not recommend anyone taking their vehicle there for any repair. Meineke advertises that they stand behind their work but I guess who owns that particular franchis shop. The total cost of the initial bill was over $800 and this was paid in full and my vehicle is still not fixed.

He then said, "Oh, you would have only paid about $266" I went off...why would you give me one figure and then when I tell you this is basically YOUR fault it's another! They even let me leave not having done my brakes!! Which is what I wanted them to do in the first place. I'm so frustrated. I had Nissan just do my brakes too. I don't want someone who doesn't care to explain, overcharge, and not even service my car have my money!! From now on, I'm getting my oil changed at Nissan also. I wish I could walk in there and they pay me for all the work I just had to pay for.. I just doubt Meineke will accept fault on that...but it's definitely their stupid warranted brakes that they told me were fine that wore down my rotors

I had a muffler and pipe installed three years ago at meineke muffler.When the muffler and pipe rusted and broke i went back to get it replaced.The muffler had a lifetime guarantee.I knew i had to pay for the pipe but the muffler was supposed to be free.The catch the mecanic told me i needed a catalytic converter and an extra pipe a lie and i knew it .I went to my regular mecanic and he fixed it said no catalytic converter was needed.So i had to pay him for the muffler.Meineke muffler is a big rip off.If your going to guarantee something dont sell extra parts to break out.Automobile companies and a lot of people who fix cars lie and cheat and have been getting away with it for many many years.

On 08/28/08 I took my 199 Merk. Mounaineer to MEINEKE for eng-drntrn dag and toon up. Major tune up inc. replace spark plugs and wires and coil paks. Spark plugs were not posioned currectly and across exhust manifold. Spark plug wire burned into.

Went in for a oil change and was told I needed a new battery because it tested low. The battery was under warranty at Auto Zone. I went to Auto Zone after the oil change to test the warranted battery and it tested GOOD. After reading the other listed complaints, I will not go back to Meinke for ANY work to be done on my car. Also, I did NOT need a new battery.

I took my 2002 Hyundai Accent to Meineke in April 2006 for new brakes and an oil change. I purchased the car new in July 2002, so at this point it was less than four years old. I had meticulously kept up with the maintenance so as not to void the drivetrain warranty of 10 years/100,000 miles. About 3 days after having the oil change at Meineke, my oil light came on. I was in the middle of nowhere with no cell service which was a little scary. After several miles, I found a gas station, purchased some oil, and put the oil in. This made the light go out, but with a fresh change, why would the oil be low?

The next day, I called Meineke to complain. The same guy who had changed the oil had me bring the car in, where he told me he had forgotten to tighten the oil plug (forgive me if that's not the right term). He supposedly tightened the plug and sent me on my way at no charge (obviously!). Several days later, the oil light came on again, but this time it was accompanied by a knocking noise and the smell of something burning. I pulled off the road ASAP and called roadside assistance to tow the car to a dealership. The serviceman at the dealership had a look at it and came out with the oil filter that had been in my car and a clean filter of the type that SHOULD have been in my car. They were not the same...Meineke had put the wrong oil filter in and the oil had leaked out.

Now here's what I don't understand: were they completely MAKING UP the story about the plug, or did they forget to tighten that IN ADDITION to putting in the wrong filter? I'll never know. The verdict for the car was that the engine was completely blown after about a week and a half of driving around with no oil in it. I called Meineke again and got the same guy. He apologized profusely, as though it were going to make up for blowing up my engine. He then said that when he had worked on my car the previous week, he was unsure of the model of Hyundai that it was. I didn't think to say Hey, this is an Accent because with him being a MECHANIC, I figured he could go around to the back and see where it says Accent on it. He then offered me a coupon for a free oil change, again as though that would right the wrong.

I wanted to sue, but I could not afford the attorney. The best I could get from Meineke's insurance (Nationwide) was for them to cover the cost for a USED engine, mileage unknown to me, to be put in my car. While I thankfully haven't had any problems with the used engine in the nearly three years I've now had it, it does run much louder than before, and much worse: it completely VOIDED my Hyundai drivetrain warranty, which still had about 6 years or 70K left on it.

My fiance and i went in for an oil change he came out to the car and said to me its going to be 28.00 i told him do not put synthetic oil in just regular oil. (we had discussed earlier in the day not putting in synthetic) when the oil change was done my fiance went to the car while i paid, Sam seemed a little nervous to tell me the price when he said 59.00 i almost fell over. he said your husband said put synthetic in it, i told him i dont think he would have told you that since we already discussed it. i paid him and he followed me out to the car where i told my fiance what happened. he and my fiance were arguing and i just drove off. this man was specifically told not to put synthetic in and he did anyway and we dont even know if he really did

I have been dealing with mysterios car problem. My car all the sudden shuts down without any warning. And it corrects itself. Mechanics took a day to test my car and found nothing wrong. I started driving and problem continues. Took my car back to Meineke. This time they said an ignition coil and an auto shut down relay must be replaced. So I did. They charged me $169.30 for ignition coil, $47.60 for ASD relay and $80.95 labor cost.

I didn't think those 2 parts cost so much, so I did my own research. Local discount auto parts store give me price as $34.99 for ignition coil and $9.99 for ASD relay. Local dealership give me price; $58.90 for an ignition coil and $15.25 for ASD relay. What a difference! Don't you think they overcharged me too much?

This car problem scares me to death. Because the car shuts down while I am driving on road. It can cause car accident anytime. With this kind of concerns, and if professional suggests to repair something confidently, I have to trust them and repair as they say. After all, this was misdiagnosis. I paid so much money for nothing.

My car is still in their shop waiting to be fixed. I confronted the Meineke shop manager about parts cost they charged me. His explanation was because they use higher quality parts with warranty, and they don't buy parts from discount stores. Well, 1 year warranty is something everyone is offering anyway. My research couldn't find such expensive ignition coil and relay anywhere. I really want to my maney back!

I don't see why I have to pay so much money for their misdiagnosis and repair. My car has a such serious problem and it can cause car accident that could harm me and other drivers. I feel that they took an advantage of me being in a such desperate situation and being not a knowledgeable about car. They didn't even explain about parts they are going to use. They should have give me some explanation and show me actual parts before install. That is my car and my parts I am paying for. I have a right to know and have choices.

Truck was taken in for a complete brake job at 67,000 miles. I was charged $430 for complete brakes, which was supposed to include rotors and resurface drum. Soon after brake job was complete, I began noticing pulsation in brakes. I called Meineke and they assured me this was normal. At 74,000 miles I took Truck back to Meineke was was told the pulsation was being caused by dirt on the brakes and they charged me an additional $ 35 to dust the brakes.

The problem continued and I then took it to a dealer. The dealer tells me the brake drums need to be resurfaced and the rotors were bent. Meineke apparently did not resurface the drums when the brake job was done and didn't bother to check the brakes at all when I took it in the second time. I call the manager and the owner both and neither would return my phone call.

Charged for a job that was half done and fradudently charged for a follow-up checkup.

Took car in to get oil changed and the engine froze up 1 mile down the road. Replaced engine and it froze again and the mechanic stated that the oil pump was not on correctly. Replaced engine again and this time didn't put the spacer between the fly wheel and engine, causing the fly wheel to warp and throwing the engine off. Right now the car has been at Meineke for 3 wks and it's been a fight every day.

Money in tow charges, car rentals and taking the car out of our way to different Meineke stations. Time and energy dealing with customer service over this. Not having a car!!!

I had a muffler installed with a tail-pipe - I know because i picked the muffler. (lifetime) - The tailpipe fell off (apparently rusted) almost causing an accident. I took the vehicle in for service warrenty replacement and the service attendant advised me that it has been 2 years - those thing do rust I advsied her I have a vehicle that i have had for 4 years and the muffler tail pipe did not rust, actually I have never had a tail pipe rust off.

I thought that this was part of the warrenty to just put the tail pipe back on - instead Meineke tells me that the tail pipe is not part of the muffler and will cost me $269.00. This is totally unacceptable - WHAT IS THE POINT OF THE FALSE advetisement of lifetime muffler - if you will pay more to get replacement service - this is not right. I spoke to a customer service person who advise me that I should have asked more questions - I thought they Meineke were the experts and suppose to tell me what is best for my car - This is no way to treat a customer. This appears to be opportunity for Meineke to take advantage of customers.

On 6-16-08 my car 2000 Chevrolet Suburban broke down at 12pm I contacted the nearest meineke. I told the mechanic that I will be towing my car in. On 6-17-08 11am the mechanic called my home, he said that my fuel pump is not working and it would cost 963 dollars for repairs. 600 for parts 300 labor. I found that expensive and I said if I purchase the parts myself can he put it in he said no they don't do that because they can't warranty the work. I told him I will take the car some where else he said then I have to pay $215 for the diagnostic. The mechanic never explained to me when I was at the shop of a $215 diagnostic fee on the car. I never signed for a $215 diagnostic fee on the car. I paid the $963 dollars just so I don't have to pay $215 for doing nothing on the car.

I called for a quote from Meineke and was told that a muffler installed was $79.95 and an alignment would be $69.95. I made an appointment to bring in my car a few days later. When I arrived with my car, I waited 10 minutes before I was helped. Then I was handed a statement telling me it would be $300. I told the man no, I was quoted half that cost on the phone. He had the man who I spoke to come out and they said that they could do the muffler for the cost I was quoted if that is what I thought he said (It is what he said). But then they said that the man who did alignments was not even working that day. So I wasted 30 minutes of time, that could have been spent at work to drive to this place for nothing. So I wonder how the price was suddenly $300 when a blonde woman (me) walked in the door, did they think I was stupid and that I would actually pay that?!

I left, and will find another place to do the work. I had wanted it done before my honeymoon, but it will have to wait now.

They destroyed the Engine, I had to put $3000 down on another car b/c I had to have dependable transportation. My Pontiac was not even paid off so Chrysler had to tack what owed onto that.

the first 2 sections of my exhaust are bent and damaged. costing in the area of $1200-$1400 and about 3 hours of labor at $95 an hour. As for the prices I have not found replacements and prices as of yet so its my own estimate. Not having a car for the last two days how do you put a price on that.

as of this writing missed one days work, had to leave car in unsafe area and was vandalized