Raymond of Dayton NV (01/22/09) 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.
Sandra of Tucson, AZ January 19, 2009
Sandra of Tucson AZ (01/19/09) 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.
Lisa of Charleston, WV January 7, 2009
Lisa of Charleston WV (01/07/09) 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.
Kim of Saugus, MA January 3, 2009
Kim of Saugus MA (01/03/09) 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
Noriko of Virginia Beach, VA December 17, 2008
Noriko of Virginia Beach VA (12/17/08) 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.
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