MEINEKE Consumer Complaints

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• I dont think we should paint them all with them same brush. I know there are some Mienekes where if the owner saw such things, that person would be fired ASAP. They are all independently owned so it cant be a company wide thing. You may get the same thing at Jiffy lube, Walmart etc. People are looking to rip you off no matter where you go. For cars slaes, repair, hair, resturants, beauty counters pushing "miracle" cream thats nothing more than mud etc.I have seen on shows like Dateline where even the car dealerships lies about things being broken or even showing the employees poking holes in radiators! We just have to be savvy enough to spot the scamers.

• What I would like to know is that obviously there are a lot of meineke complaints, and there are a lot of us with very real complaints on this website, however, what is the point if there isn't a direction we can take with this. I lost over $1000. and almost lost my life. If you know of a class action against meineke that we can participate in, please let me know.

• I realize all of these outfits are franchises, but in looking at these comments I sense a trend none the less. Whatever value this brand has left, is being consistently eroded by the low standards they apply to selecting francisees. I had recently moved, and all of my tools were in storage. I've been doing brake jobs since I was 16 and can't remember the last time I paid someone to do one for me. However I took my car to the shop at 1227 Caldwell Blvd, Nampa, Idaho (208) 465-0600, and was prepared to do it this time, to save myself the trouble.

  I was met by a man who appeared to have his butt welded to his chair. He asked me what I needed although I didn't get the feeling that he really cared. I told him, "I need my pads replaced, and rotors turned. I would do it myself but I can't get to my tools." Which is guy code for "I know how this works, I know what I need, so don't waste my time by playing with me." He said, I can do that for $199.99. (So much for that 10% off coupon for any service over $200 that I downloaded.) I pointed to the price board, where the basic service was listed at $129 and asked where he got the $200 figure from. He said "Its our pricing." I said, "That answer isn't very informative, please indulge me, your posted pricing suggests otherwise."

  Still sitting in his chair, "It's for ceramic pads, and my labor." I told him I was anxious to see what his labor looked like since he couldn't even stand up to talk to a customer. I told him I didn't want ceramic pads. He said, "That's what requires the vehicle." I asked him if he was telling me that OEM for my car was ceramic pads (more guy code) and that he could not put semi metallics on it. He said again "That's what requires the vehicle." I asked him if he was aware that I knew he was lying to me. He stood his ground. So I thanked him and left.

  It was apparently a slow that day, not a single other vehicle in the shop, (is it any wonder?) but I didn't feel like contributing more than my share to his day's receipts to make up for it.

  Never again!

• I experienced terrible customer service, work, and ethics at Meineke. They put the wrong part on my car and then quoted the correct part at a cost 4 times as much as the original. They will not refund the original amount only credit it towards the correct job with the overpriced part. They say they are getting it straight from Toyota. I believe this because the price they quoted me happened to be the price Toyota gave me for the part plus the amount they would "credit" forward. Thus the price I paid was what they have to pay for the part nulling my "credit." I was able to get it done correctly locally for the same amount as I originally paid. I feel like this was a scam. On top of this I went back and forth with Meineke for over a month until I had to get the job done elsewhere. This voided my warranty so now I can't get anything and they can be as rude as they want, which they were. I will never use Meineke again anywhere and advise everyone else to never use as well.

• his particular Meineke Car Care Center is a Virginia vehicle inspection site. I do not recommend that anyone use this facility. The manager there attempted to rip me off for $1,300 in supposed problems including exhaust system, rack and pinion repairs, and brakes when I took my daughter's car for annual inspection. I was suspicious and declined the offer to do the repairs immediately. I was issued a rejection sticker and told I had 15 days to have the repairs done. I would then have to pay another fee to have it reinspected and passed. The car was then taken to another inspection site for a second opinion and I was told the car would have passed with installation of new wiper blades and a couple of bulbs and there were no major problems. The story is not ended. Now the second inspection station has to involve the state police because Meineke's rejection is called into question and the police will have to rule on the matter. By the way, the Meineke manager ran a credit check on me without asking, which I am told, is illegal. He told me my credit was good for $2,500 and they could finance the cost of repairs. I was given a schedule of financing costs by the manager. This was based on my giving my name and telephone number. I am a woman and 68 years old.

• East Windsor NJ ....
  Pathetic...
  cant communicate the correct part with the Subaru parts dept>....Subaru parts dept says they are beyond stupid...dont even know how to find or order the correct part...
  FAILED to bleed my ranger pickup...or even know how to do it...took it to MIDAS across the street and was shown where and how and why by a tech at that location and YES IT DID NEED TO BE BLED>>.took almost 1 full gallon more fluids to be done correctly...Mieneke was CLUELESS...AND to top it off...they are attempting as we speak to install the THIRD SET OF FRONT Transmisson cv joint seals...WTF ...they dont have a tool...or the skill???....its 4 days after they delivery as promised date...TOTAL FAIL:URE >>># TIMES IN A ROW>>>3 strikes...they are out...DONT GO TO THIS FACILITY if you need work done correctly...TALK ABOUT A DOWNHILL SLIDE...used them for years and they were great...new "kids" working there...NO CLUE!!!>>> sorry to see a good place go bad so fast..SO
  DONT ASK EM TO DO ANYTHING EXCEPT THE MUFFLERS>>>...I wonder if they screw that up now too>>>

• On 1/28/14 I took my wife's 2003 Toyota Camry to the Meineke located in Woodbury, NJ for an oil change. For the scheduling and payment, I dealt with an individual by the name of "Will". After payment, I drove back to our apartment and right before I parked, I noticed the "Check Engine" light had come on and there was a slight "tapping" sound coming from the engine.

  I told my wife about it and she said iot would be best to go back to the Meineke to have them check it. About 200ft. before the Meineke there was a red light. I stopped and the car began to violently shake and the "tapping" sound quickly became a "loud knocking" sound. I pulled in and spoke to "Will" and told him what was going on. He went to pull her car into one of the bays and the car died out. He asked a few of the mechanics there to help him push the car into the bay so he could inspect it.

  Once on the lift, he called my wife and I into the shop area and told us that they had installed a "defective" oil filter and that her engine was blown! My wife became extremely upset and began to take an asthma attack and I had to try my best to calm her down because she did not have her inhaler on her. "Will" told me to tell her that they will "do the right thing" and replace her engine free of charge. My wife and I insisted that at the very least, they must install a "rebuilt" engine with a warranty. He said he was not sure if he could do that.

  Once we went back to our apartment, my wife called Meineke Corporate and told them what had happened and demanded that they install a "rebuilt" engine with a warranty. She spoke to a CSR by the name of "Ellias". He said that her request was extremely reasonable and that he would contact the Woodbury Meineke and tell him to honor the request. "Ellias" called my wife back and told her they would install a "rebuilt" engine with a warranty.

  About 2 weeks later, the Woodbury Meineke called us and said that her car was ready. Once there, we spoke to someone named "Steve" and he said that he personally took care of everything and had ordered a "rebuilt" engine from a company called "ITC". He said that if we had any problems whatsoever, to take her car back to Meineke and her would personally take care of it. About 5 days later, the "Check Engine" light came on again.

  We took it back to Meineke and "Steve" said that he would take a look at it. He called us up and said that there was just a simple "communication" problem between the catalytic converter and the engine and all he had to do was "reset the soft light" and everything would be fine. He asked if he could keep the car for a few days to test drive it to make sure that the "Check Engine" light would not come back on and that everything else was ok. My wife agreed and we picked her car up 3 days later.

  Everything seemed fine with the car...at first. 3 weeks afterwards; on my wife's birthday no less; the "Check Engine" light went off again. We took it back to the Woodbury Meineke to find out that they now have a new owner, new management, and all new mechanics. No one that was working there now was there when we had taken the car for the intial oil change or when we brought the car back after the "rebuilt" engine was installed.

  The new manager; "Jim"; had no idea what we had gone through, but we explained everything to him. He said he would inspect the car to see what the problem was. He called my wife and told her that she would need a new catalytic converter. My wife and I were sure that the "rebuilt" engine had something to do with the catalytic converter going bad.

  My wife called Meineke Corporate and asked to speak to "Ellias". She was told that "Ellias" no longer works there and spoke to an extremely rude CSR that would not let my wife explain anything or get a word in edgewise. My wife told the CSR everything that had happened to her car and that she was sure that the "rebuilt" engine was the cause of the catalytic converter going bad. The CSR told my wife that her warranty was only on her engine and that there was no way that would have made the catalytic converter go bad.

  My wife had became extremely frustrated with this CSR and told her that we would contact a lawyer. The CSR told my wife that if she did that, she would "erase all records of all of her phone calls and complaints!" The next day; "Jim"; the new manager of the Woodbury Meineke; called my wife. He said he wanted to try to find out any information he could about the "rebuilt" engine that was installed. He told my wife that it was not a "rebuilt" engine. He said that it was a "used engine from a junkyard"!!!

  My wife and I have gone through so much since the economy went down the drain. We both lost our jobs, we lost our home, and have gone through bankruptcy. I am back to work now, but my wife is still unemployed and needed her car to look for a job because I can not afford everything. We are in an apartment now and are falling back further and further in debt. We don't know what to do now. We can not afford a lawyer unless we can find a pro-bono lawyer or possibly a lawyer that would handle our case on a contingency basis and add all of their charges and fees to the total amount my wife and I are seeking.

  We gave Meineke one shot to "do the right thing" and they did not and lied to us! The only way I can see them doing "the right thing" at this point in time would be to cut my wife a check for the entire amount that she has paid to Toyota. I have heard that the best we could hope for would be "Blue Book" value, but we will not be able to get a car as reliable as her's was with that value. Besides, none of this would have ever happened if they just recognized the defective oil filter BEFORE they put it on.

  Are they any lawyers that would be willing to take on this case as described earlier? Either by pro-bono or on a contingency basis? Someone.....anyone?

• where/who and how can I complain about a Meineke Shop? I had the same problem three times already. Keep having to take my car BACK for the transmission and every time I do it takes about two to three weeks to get my car back. I have called corporation and Jasmine, said,"because the shop in Corona, CA is a franchise there's nothing they can do" I am ready to call the city, radio and news, let them know how Meineke Car Service, is allowing this shop owner to run there business. How bad of a reputation Meineke is getting. Not to say thier customer service be Joe at the Meineke in Corona, CA is! . Let the people know about there bad service. This will hurt the rest of the Meineke shop! I have been very calm of the the situation. When when a man want to take advantage of a woman! thinking we women don't know his lying when he said, the transmission is new!! and i ask him, but your paper work said,' rebuilt" This time On Monday, May 05 he said, 'bring your car Friday, May 09 wait for 3 to 5 hrs Your car will be done the same day. Now I called him and he said," take Monday" I am a frustrated Women who feels discriminated!:(

  Rocio

• Oh where do I begin.....

  Let me start by saying I, as well as my family, have been very loyal customers to Meineke. We get our oil changes done here every time we need to. We have 6 cars total in our family: my Honda Accord EX-L, 2 Toyota Camrys XLE, Toyota Sienna (mini van), Lexus ES 350, and a Mercedes S550. Every time any of us needs our oil changes done we head over to this location....until today.

  WAIT TIME WAS 2 AND A HALF HOUR FOR AN OIL CHANGE and THE OWNER/MANAGER IS VERY HOSTILE AND RUDE. Also, there is no AC in the waiting room and it was 90 degrees out. yuck!

  I arrived at about 2:40 pm for a simple oil change. I checked in and then sat down. About 45 minutes later I asked what the estimated time of completion would be and JOE said my car was next. Cool! So I double checked and asked him if I should leave because someone was on their way to pick me up and he assured me that I shouldn't leave because my car was next. That's fine.

  After waiting an additional hour and 15 minutes (total of 2 hours!!!) I asked Joe when my car would be done AGAIN. He said it was done, so I paid and he then told me that the mechanics will pull my car up to the front. 25 minutes go by and my car is not up front. So I talked to Joe again and asked him why he would tell me my car was done when clearly it wasn't because MY HOOD WAS STILL UP! He said that he couldn't estimate the time of completion, yet he told me that it was done.....how does that make sense. Why would you even tell me that my car was done??? You could have just said it was close to being finished.

  I am a teacher, so I have the patience of an angel. I calmly told him that I did not appreciate him telling me that my car was done (which was a clear lie) and then waiting another 25 minutes to see that my hood was still up. Which anyone would be upset about. I did not raise my voice and I was not demeaning what so ever. I come to this location quite often and just wanted to let Joe know that what he had said wasn't appreciated. He then said:

  "THEN DON'T COME BACK HERE ANYMORE!" He said it very aggressively and threw his hands up. After his debacle I told him that he has lost my business and that I would put this up on social media and he said "THANK YOU."

  Why would you ever say that to a customer??? I can't even believe that he said that. I immediately told my entire family and friends about his volatile behavior and I PROMISE THAT THEY HAVE NOT ONLY LOST MY BUSINESS BUT MY ENTIRE FAMILY AND FRIEND'S BUSINESS.

  Also they tried to upsell me a few times with crap things like changing my AC vents and saying that my brakes needed to be changed when I changed them with the Honda dealership 3 months ago. Idiots.

  WORST OWNER/MANAGER: JOE

• Meineke ripped off me for $3,000, They charged me $1700. for repairs to my 2003 ford explorer and $1300. for my 2004 pontiac bonneville. On my explorer they never repaired the upper and lower ball joints nor the upper valve cover gaskets. On my bonneville they charged me for replacing manifold cover gaskets,ignition control module ,and other repairs. None of these repairs were completed. I contacted Meineke and informed them that my pontiac would not run and my explorer still was making noises from the baal joints. Meineke insisted that they had done the repairs and wuold not refund any of my money.I had to get a new ignition control module replaced at another repair shop and I will have to get my ball joints replaced, Meineke of York, pa is a ripoff repair shop.