Midas Mufflers

Brad worked with me every step of the way, even helping with my budget and providing the best possible prices and options for what my car needed. Nick went above and beyond with the repairs to my car, doing a full break inspection while we waited for my friend to arrive with another opinion. Any and all repairs were absolutely necessary and explained in great detail, additional services were also provided to help offset the cost and make a customer satisfied and for the first time, happy with the repairs made to my vehicle by Midas on Gardiner's road in Kingston Ontario. Thank you, sincerely, Brad and Nick for restoring my faith in Midas and making this a smooth transaction on all behalfs.

I returned on Monday, Nov, 3rd to have the services performed. The vehicle was suppose to be completed the same day but I was told that a fuse was blown and that the part would not be in until the next day. I picked up the vehicle on 11/4/20 around Noon. Early the next morning I noticed green fluid underneath my car. I called my Dad to ask him what it could be. I also told him about the services I had done the day before. He told me to call the shop and explain to them what I had encountered. ** told me to bring the car in as soon as possible. I took the car in that morning and was told later that afternoon that I needed a thermostat and possibly the housing unit because of leaks. I called my dad again who spoke to **.

Since my father has managed a major corporate automotive shop for 15 years, he asked ** why they didn’t replace the thermostat when they did the water pump as a preventative maintenance item. ** told him that I could go to Autozone and purchase the thermostat and they would install it for free. I returned to Midas with the thermostat only to learn that it didn’t come with a gasket. I called my father again who spoke with ** and told him specifically to install their own thermostat and the housing if needed. He wanted the car fixed. I picked up the vehicle almost before they closed and drove home the same day.

About 2 weeks later my car starts overheating while I’m driving with my boyfriend. I immediately pull into a QT gas station and call my father who told me and my boyfriend what to do. The next day I bring it back in and after 5 hours I call the manager ** and he told me that they had been running the car all morning and it had barely started overheating but he believes its the thermostat. I'm not trusting them with my car anymore at this point since my father told ** specifically to replace the thermostat and housing if needed. I called my dad again who at this point was not happy that they never replaced the thermostat or the housing as he had requested, they only replaced the water outlet housing gasket and thermostat gasket. He asked ** for the district manager’s contact information and to his surprise was told that that information cannot be given to customers. He would have to contact the district manager and give him the message.

The district manager arranges for me to take the car to another Midas on Speedway. He told my father that he would personally inspect the car himself and diagnose the problem. My father was told by Thomas (the speedway Midas manager) that the DM did not look at the car because he was busy all morning on calls but they had replaced the thermostat. About 4 days later my car starts overheating again. I bring it back to the Midas on Speedway that did my thermostat. My dad gets a call on Monday from Thomas and they tell him that the head gasket is blown. I pay for it to get towed to my house and try figuring out a solution with the district manager but he was only willing to do the labor for free and has since been nonresponsive.

I end up paying for another tow to a different mechanic for another opinion. He confirms my head gasket is blown but they were unwilling to work on it and shared any other shop would say the same since the engine has a lot of miles and it's an older car. So, I came in for an oil change and now have a car that I can't even drive and a $900 financing bill that I owe for the bad repairs. I have endured 3 tows not to mention my time lost disputing the work. The subpar work that was performed by Midas is a direct cause of my car overheating which resulted in the blown head gasket. Here are the facts.

- The district manager admitted to my father that they should have replaced the thermostat when they replaced the water pump. That’s why he sent me to the Speedway location.

In closing, Midas has not admitted to their liability but offered to do the labor for free if I purchased the parts. This is a direct cause of their poor workmanship which resulted in my car being ruined. After taking my car back to Midas 5 times, I would never have them do internal engine repairs when they could not perform the proper diagnosis and replacement of a water pump.

5000km later, I am driving and find myself without power steering and smoke fuming from my car hood. Thank goodness I was not in an accident! I take my vehicle to my local mechanic who has serviced my vehicle my entire adult life; great guy, completely trustworthy and always goes up and beyond. I am utterly disgusted with what was found. My power steering and low pressure hoses were burnt from cheap after market converters that Midas installed and incorrectly positioned too close to my hoses (photo 1). And in addition, Midas caused damaged two underbody parts that had NOTHING TO EVEN do with the muffler and exhaust system: the solenoid starter (photo 2) and the bracket (photo 3).

There is direct cause and effect evidence here. Yet somehow, the store manager Sonny ** choses to disregard it all and seems to think this quality of work is acceptable. They are not taking responsibility whatsoever. Sonny tried blaming the burnt hoses as "common issues" for my car type. Yet, in the 8 years of owning the vehicle I had never had an issue until after the converters were incorrectly replaced and better still, my two sisters who each have the same car have never had this issue either. Sonny also had a different explanation for all said defects depending on whom he was talking to: my mechanic or myself. Some of his reasoning was just not even plausible. Instead, he gave an estimated quote of another $4000 to have all this repaired to ideal standards.

Shame on you Midas. Let us put this into perspective - how would you feel if this happened to one of your family members or loved ones and the company responsible failed to take ownership? As a professional in the realm of a business, I know mistakes happen. But TRUE professionals admit and take ownership for their mistakes, right the wrongs, and compensate the client. I will be continuing to post my story on different review outlets, filing complaints with the Better Business Bureaus, and contacting the media. The public has a right to know.

On 9/3/20 the battery failed. I took the car to Firestone in West Bloomfield for a new battery. I asked them to check the lower transmission cooling line for a leak. There was one, just like the picture in the Midas inspection report texted on my phone. They showed me the leak and the cooler line was loose, unseated backed out several turns from a secure position (see pic). I asked if he could possibly try some ATV and tighten it. The technician informed me it could be cross threaded and may not help repair the leak. But it easily tightened back into the proper location. I asked him if he could clean up the oil before I drove it home. I drive this car daily (3 weeks now) with no leaks on my garage floor, parked in the exact spot where I had my first oil leak after driving home from Midas in West Bloomfield after the repairs they performed.

I have documentation, a receipt for the battery replacement, cooler line tightening to the proper fit (no charge), and Firestone technicians very happy to have me include their place of business anywhere I choose to post or report this $940 unneeded repair. It was a simple scam to get more money. Midas claims the car is old and repairs and inspection were honest. My documentation and daily use of the vehicle proves they are not trustworthy with my car and the repair was not required. I became irate on the phone 9/8/20 that he would calmly said this Midas facility was an honest repair facility when I have proof of the $940 unneeded repair. A $940 service fee from Midas in West Bloomfield to replace the transmission cooler lines, flush the cooler and replace the fluid, THAT WAS NOT REQUIRED. Be very careful doing business with Midas in West Bloomfield.