Monro Muffler

I brought in my 2003 Honda Pilot for service on December 23, 2011 at Munro Muffler/Brake & Service (Shop 60) located at 1205 Erie Boulevard East to repair the cause of a noise when the wheel was turned. Upon retrieving the vehicle, I paid $379.90 for rear shocks, sliders, pads and brakes, which they were told would address the problem of the noise when turning.

After driving the vehicle that weekend, I noticed that the vehicle continued to make the same noise, so the work performed did not address the problem. I brought the vehicle in to the same Munro Muffler location a second time on December 27, 2011. The vehicle was at that location for a week and was not ready for pickup until January 3, 2012. When I picked up the vehicle, I paid another $399.98 for brake shoes, hardware, backing plate and front end bearings. After picking up the vehicle and driving it, I found that the car was making a new noise when driving straight and two dashboard lights indicating service were on. Additionally, I found that my GPS, which was left in the center console of the vehicle, and a pair of sunglasses (left on the dashboard) had been stolen.

I filed a police report for the stolen Tom Tom 340S Special Edition bundle pack (retail value approximately $140). The police report was forwarded to the regional market manager, Sean **, via email. I also sent several emails to follow up on this situation. Thus far, I have had no response. I am asking that Munro Muffler provide a full refund on all of the repairs as well as reimbursement for the Tom Tom.

I bought 2 Firestone tires for the front of my vehicle from Monro in Syracuse, NY. After 1,350 miles, the tires were destroyed, and the edge of both tires had exposed wire mesh. This could cause a blow out and possible injury. The Firestone dealer said that the alignment I paid for was possibly never done, and the alignment totally destroyed the tires, and they would not honor the 55,000 mile warranty. Firestone and another tire dealer said it was one of the worst alignments they had ever seen, and they also said my car suspension was in good working order, so it was not the fault of my vehicle.

Monro said that I exceeded their 90 day warranty, so they would not help me replace the tires. I explained this problem would not normally present itself within 90 days, so "it was a catch 22". Monro just doesn't care about its customers, and it has an unbelievably bad reputation. The Better Business Bureau gives it an "F", which is its worst possible score.

I bought 2 Firestone tires for the front of my vehicle at Monro in Syracuse, NY. After 1,350 miles the tires were destroyed, and the edge of both tires had exposed wire mesh. This could cause a blow out and possible injury. The Firestone dealer said that the alignment I paid for was possibly never done and the alignment totally destroyed the tires, and they would not honor the 55,000 mile warranty. Firestone and another tire dealer said the it was one of the worst alignments they had ever seen, and they also said my car suspension was in good working order, so it was not the fault of my vehicle. Monro said that I exceeded their 90 day warranty so they would not help me replace the tires. I explained this problem would not normally present itself within 90 days, so "it was a Catch 22". Monro just doesn't care about it's customers and it has an unbelievably bad reputation, the Better Business Bureau gives it an "F" which is it's worst possible score.

I went to Munro muffler for an oil change only. I was told by Gary of Munro Muffler located on Dorchester that he needed my wheel lock. I stated that it was in the car. They could not find it, so I went and gave it to him. After I left the shop, I received a phone call from Gary stating that they have my wheel lock. I said I will get in it at later date. I went by there on Saturday, January 28 at about 2 pm to get the wheel lock. The mechanic could not find it. So he called Gary and Gary said I did not have my wheel lock. I then spoke to Gary and stated, "You called me and I have still have your number on my cell phone with date and time we spoke." I also reminded him of our conversation regarding Patriots game.

So he said he would come to the shop in about five minutes and that he would call me. I left the shop and Gary never called me so I went by there about 5:15 pm and I spoke with Gary and he stated that I should go to Expressway Toyota and order a new one and that he would reimbursement. I said, "No, you should do it. You're responsible." And I stated that I never had anyone ask for my wheel lock to do an oil change. He did not respond to that. So I called Expressway Toyota and I am going there tonight. So I wanted to know why did they ask for my wheel lock? Has my car been tampered with and could I have problems with my car in the future?

My daughter took her 1996 Olds to Monroe Muffler on McKinley Pkwy, Blasdell, NY for an NYS inspection. They said in order to pass, they needed to install a new serpentine belt for $110.99. The manager said the belt was frayed but could not show me any fraying or wear. We left minus the inspection sticker and $21.00. The next day my daughter took the car to Towne Ford in Orchard Park. She told the manager what happened at Monroe Muffler and after looking at the belt he said that he would not fail the car for that reason. When she picked the car up after a complete inspection, the manager told her that he had three other inspectors examine the belt and all agreed that it was in good condition. This was obviously an attempt to increase profits by taking advantage of a young girl who has no knowledge of automobile repair.

A girl took her 2000 Honda Civic to Monroe Muffler/Brake at 4872 Transit Road in Depew, NY, on 10/11/11 because the exhaust was loud and the car was running poorly. She was told that the car needed a new catalytic converter. Monro replaced the catalytic converter, the Y-pipe and O2 sensors. They also replaced ball joints on both sides, even though the car was driven less than 1000 miles since a safety inspection, performed in August (hmm, youd think that would've been mentioned by the mechanic who performed the inspection). Add an alignment, and the total of that work came to $2040.

About one week later, the cars check engine light went on, the speedometer was stuck at zero, and the car would not shift properly. The girl took the car back to Monroe, as they had worked on it so recently. Monro somehow made the diagnosis that the Linear and Control Solenoids in the transmission were faulty and they replaced them, at a cost of $1060.

One week later, the same problem reoccurred. Monro initially suspected that the new solenoids they installed were defective, but after further analysis, they concluded that the problem was due to the Electrical Load Detector. It is not clear what Monro did to correct this problem, as they did not charge for the service and no receipt was provided. At this point, however, one has to wonder if this problem (the same problem seen the previous week) was caused by the ELD, was it necessary to replace the solenoids?

Ten days later, the same problem occurred, again. This time, a mechanically-inclined friend examined the car. Suspecting an electrical short, he examined the wiring and connections on the engine and under the car, including the wiring to the solenoids the oxygen sensors that were installed by Monroe during the original exhaust work. Sure enough, the insulation on one of the wires to the O2 sensor in the catalytic converter was worn away from rubbing on the chassis of the car. The wire was grounding out, causing a short circuit (and the symptoms with the ELD and transmission). It seems many other people have experienced a similar problem with their Hondas -- see this thread:

\Having made this discovery, the girl and friend took the car back to Monro and confronted the manager. The friend showed the bare wire to the manager and explained that it, not the solenoids, were the cause of the problem, all along. The manager then asked the friend If you know so much, why didn't you fix the car? The girl and friend left the car with Monro to make the repair. Two hours later, the manager reported that the car was fixed. He stated that the connector to the solenoids was loose an outright lie, as the friend had checked that connection before taking the car back to Monro.

Conclusion: Monroe's work on the exhaust system resulted in a shorting wire, which caused the other symptoms seen with the transmission, ELD, and check engine light. Monro then misdiagnosed the problem and charged the girl over $1000 for parts she didn't need (which should be obvious, as the same problem kept coming back). Rather than admit to the mistake, the manager lied about the loose connector.

I was charged way too much to have my brake, and fuel lines replaced because they were both leaking (I did call around after the fact, and was quoted about half the price I paid). Three months and thousands of miles later I took my car back because it smelled like gas, and I needed an inspection sticker. The mechanic had the nerves to tell me there was no leak, but found another $1200 of "suggested" repairs, $366 of which was required to get the sticker.

I got a second opinion somewhere else. They said I only needed to replace a part for $150 (all the other items quoted in the Monro's estimate were just fine), but there was a fuel leak and that the lines needed to be replace because they were rusted. I mentioned I had done it three months prior at Monro, and paid good money for it. When I told him the price, his jaw dropped, and he assured me the job had not been done. Monro put my family's lives in danger for three months, and I would still be driving around with the fuel leak, had I not gone elsewhere!

On October 03, 2011, I went for inspection. They said I failed with a license plate light, and my check engine light was on. It was not on at the time that I brought the vehicle in. They said they thought it was the emission, but it would cost $90.00 on the machine to find out if it really was. They charged me $35.99 for an oil change. I went to an auto parts store, and they checked it for free. I bought the parts. A friend who is a mechanic put in the new light and he fixed the emission, engine light was out, and the license plate bulb was working. I went back to Monro for the sticker.

They said that the license plate light was not fixed, and it would be about $10.00 to fix it. I agreed because I thought I had a defective light. He came back with a bill for $31.99. I asked what for. I thought there was no charge for them to check and approve. He said since I had the problem fixed somewhere else; they had to charge me again for inspection and for the use of the machine. I said if I had it fixed there, I would not be charged for the inspection. They were not nice. They charge $90.00 for a check of emissions when the auto parts shop does it for free, even if you did not buy the parts there. Beware of Monro. I will never go there again and neither will my family and friends.

I needed an exhaust gasket replaced. I noticed the next day that there was an exhaust leak exactly where the original one was but only this time, there was some sort of gray cement sealant put around the seam.

Went to the store to discuss with the manager and no one was there even though it was to open at 7:30 a.m. and it was almost 8 a.m. I called another location requesting for the DM to call me. I made an appointment for the vehicle to be looked at on 8/27/2011 by that location, at that time. DM called me and I told him what I felt was wrong, that the repair wasn't completed. He hung up on me, called the store to get their side.

Once he called me back, he was rude and wouldn't let me talk, saying that he believed his employees did their jobs. I said I was going to take it to another location and as long as they said the gasket was replaced and there was another issue, I would have no problems. But if the work was not done, then we would have serious problem because then it's a case of fraudulent repairs. He immediately said to me, "Since you seem to be so well versed in automotive and exhaust repairs, and we are not, why don't I just refund your $ and you can go somewhere else!"

After agreeing to go to the other location and hanging up, I was thinking that I really didn't trust Monro to look at my vehicle since this was the third negative experience in a row for them in less than a year. Especially after being so condescendingly spoken to by someone in their upper management. I really wanted someone else, a third party, to look at the vehicle. I went to a different repair facility and was shown how the gasket was not replaced and in the process they damaged a part of the exhaust system that needed to be straightened out. I have all documentation via invoices and pictures showing this.

When I called the corporate number to talk to a supervisor, he told me that there was nothing they could/would do. I also was informed that because I was bringing up such negative publicity for them by posting reviews on FB, that they no longer wanted me as a customer. When I told him I simply wanted an explanation for how and why this could happen, he said he had nothing more to say to me and after this phone call, it would not be discussed further.

My daughter tried having a friend work on her car brakes. The person didn't know what he was doing so she took it to Monroe. She explained that the car need brakes and to be put back together again. She picked it up on 6/6 and drove it right back saying it was shaking. The technician told her she needed an alignment. She wasn't doing any driving until a week later when on the freeway at 55 mph, the whole tire flew off the car. It skidded on the frame and she was able to keep control.

We had it towed to another mechanic and went to Monroe to tell them what happened. They said they had insurance for it. They called me later and said they never touch the right front tire, only the left. I told them that they were supposed to check the car to make sure it was put back together. Their insurance, Travelers, informed me today that they are not responsible because they only worked on the left side. I told her they were supposed to check the other side. She called me back and said yes, they checked the right tire, but didn't take it off. The technician first said he didn't look at it, but now he did and it was fine. They said they were not liable.

Mr. ** phoned me 2-3 hours later and told me that during repair work he noticed "play" in the two rear tie rods and would I want this additional work taken care of while vehicle was there. I said "No, as shown on Monro est. sheet in my possession, just fix left front wheel with the "rubbing" sound. Mr. ** phoned again later in the day and reported vehicle was "ready to go". I arrived at Monro and was presented with a total cost of $981.49. Breakdown of costs shown on Monro paperwork in my possession reveals work being performed on all four wheels.

I was never asked or informed of any other work being performed to anything on my vehicle beyond the one left front wheel. I never authorized any other work, either verbal, or by my signature which does not appear on the blank customer authorization lines provided on the Monro paperwork requiring said signature .I find it peculiar that Mr. ** phoned to ask if I wanted the previously mentioned tie rods "with play" taken care of and after my saying "no" went on with no notice to perform $1000.00 worth of some other work to my vehicle without my knowledge or approval.

After refusing to pay bill, Mr. ** impounded vehicle by refusing to release keys and advising locking up vehicle in shop. It was imperative that I had my vehicle next day. Therefore, I decided to pay the bill and take various legal actions against Monro and the actions of Mr. ** ASAP. I had $813 and offered it to Mr. ** for the release of vehicle. He said okay and "fudged" a new bill to read $813.00. This also is in my possession. All Monro paperwork mentioned as being in my possession are exhibits available to show that the conduct of Monro's manager was willful, intentional and egregious and thus entitling me an award of punitive damages as well as any and all legal costs.

The water pump was leaking and couldn't keep fluid in reservoir. I went to Monro for labor to install a new water pump on 10/28/2009. Due to negligence of the technician (admitted by store manager in writing), the serpentine belt came off while I was driving down the road on 11/02/2009. I returned to Monro and had serpentine belt replaced along with timing belt. I returned on 2/10/2010 as the vehicle was still leaking. The shop stated in writing and verbally that the head gasket needed to be replaced (this is fraud). I told them I wanted a second opinion. I picked up my car and didn't even make it home without my car breaking down with the engine light coming on, loss of power steering and engine throwing oil everywhere! Trail of oil was left on the road in my driveway and a huge puddle underneath my car once I got it in the garage.

I called Monro and left a message telling them about the incident. I spoke with the manager Dave **. I begged him to come and see what had happened to my car after I left his shop. Dave stated it wasn't necessary to come and see. My car is now in worse shape than the original. I started with a leaking water pump and now my car isn't even drivable. I was referred to another mechanic (Jack) who offered to "look" at my car for free and tell me if it was worth fixing or not, had to tow car there. Jack called me the first day he looked at it and had me come down to his shop, so I could see firsthand what he found. I took 2 witnesses with me and what we saw was a bolt not even screwed in all the way. Permission was given for Jack to tear into it and try to fix it. Jack did not want to get involved regarding the other shop. As he said he never speaks badly about anyone and doesn't throw stones at glass houses. But after Jack started tearing into my car, he found that "the serpentine belt was thrown off (again), water pump was still leaking with water pump bolts loose, idler bracket bolts loose, idler bracket bolt barely in and bent over, antifreeze leak at thermostat housing (reservoir problem), and the bolt loose in front of cam causing oil leak".

Nothing was wrong (fraudulent claim by Monro) with the head gasket and it was not replaced! Jack was so shocked by what he found that he said "he would record everything he found wrong, because he felt sorry for me and had never seen anyone screwed so badly before". I called the Secretary of State's office and found that Monro has been in Ohio since 1986 and is from New York (and have numerous complaints in New York against them). There is no owner in Ohio and the SOS's office doesn't know how this happened. There are numerous franchises here in Ohio but no owner living in Ohio, only a statuary agent in Cleveland. I have already contacted the Ohio Attorney General's office and Terry (in New York) refuses to fix their problem (now my problem of $1,900.00). I cannot sue them in small claims court, because there is no owner here in Ohio. I have all documentation from all sources but nowhere to go with it, only to make others aware!