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Save up to $379 on Your Auto Insurance. Compare Quotes from Top Providers Now! Find the Best Deal and Apply! - Adv. Justin of Newarket, NH November 5, 2009 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 janet of saugus, MA October 29, 2009 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.
Randy of Thornton, CO October 8, 2009 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. Paul of Las Vegas, NV October 5, 2009 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. Linda of Katy, TX September 18, 2009 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. Kyle of Westfield, MA August 28, 2009 We were in West Hartford doing some shopping. The battery discharge light came on in our car and we knew the battery would lose power shortly. We were 30 miles from home and it was a Saturday and we were fairly unfamiliar with the area. We looked up repair shops in the area and Meineke was the only one open close to us.
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. Mary of Vancouver , WA August 25, 2009 I took 2002 Kia Rio to Meineke Car Center in Vancouver WA on Mill Plain for a brake job,pads and rotors. They also were suppose Flush and bleed the brakes.
When I picked my car up on 8-17-09 and drove it out of the Meinekes the brakes started to smoke and they FAILED!! Brakes went down to the floor! I only live 6 blocks from Meineke and barely made it home. I called Meinke and talked to Tom Coates, manager, he said to bring it back. I said I was afraid to drive it--too bad for me. Meineke wouldn't come and get the car. My son drove it back using the hand brakes. On 8-20-09 I called Meineke to see if my car had been repaired and was informed that the master cylinder had went out. It would be a week before they could repair it. What choice did I have but to say OK, repair it.
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.
Beth of Woodstock, IL August 24, 2009 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. Jenny of Overland Park, KS August 15, 2009 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. Marcus of Stamford, CT August 1, 2009 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. Advertisement
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