Meineke Car Care

Dear Revdex.com, Mr. [redacted] brought is Nissan Frontier to my shop on 03/14/2011 with brake issues, his truck had 27190 miles on it. We inspected the brake system and found that the brake pads were worn out. I presented an estimate for the repairs to Mr. [redacted] and he gave us the ok to do the...

repairs. We used a high quality brake pad that we purchased from [redacted], part number DG1094. My shop performs on the average of 120 brake jobs a month, including the Nederland Police cars. We use the same brake pads on all these repairs on ninety percent of these vehicles. My comeback ratio is less than one percent.  Mr. [redacted] Nissan came to us 0n 12/22/2014 for a squeak in his front brakes, after doing an inspection we found cracks in his front brake pads. My Manager [redacted]is an A.S.E. Certified Master Automotive Technician, Master Auto Machinist, and A.S.E. certified Auto Parts Specialist, his and my conclusion, is that the cracks were causedfrom heat. This is what we see when we replace brakes on police cars. We performed a complete inspection on Mr. [redacted]s brake system to make sure the calipers were not stuck, made sure the caliper slides were lubed, every component on the brake system is working properly. We also inspected the rear brakes and found no cracks or any otherproblems.   In Mr. [redacted]s statement he said we put the same [redacted] brake pads on his truck, upon his request we used a brake pad from [redacted]. I personally drove toPort Arthur to pick them up at [redacted], part number GNAD1094. In his statement, he said he asked for the old pads, I told him he could have them after this issue is settled, that I may need them in litigation.  At Meineke Car Care we warranty our brake pads for the life of the car. The labor is warranty is one year, it was 90 days until 2012.   In conclusion Mr. [redacted]s Nissan came to us on 03/14/2011 with 27190 miles and on 12/22/2014 24152 miles later for the same issues. My brake pads performed as well as the original Nissan brake pads. Mr. [redacted]s vehicle had a problem, which was not necessarily a defect, but in our professional opinion was driver technique, hard stops,not stopping in a reasonable distance any of these can cause excessive heat causing heat cracks. It is also our belief that a defect in the brake pad would have shown itself before forty two months and 24152 miles,further validating our conclusion of poor driver technique.  Although the disputed amount is only one hundred seven dollars, I feel its unjustified because our part and labor performed as well as it could under the sever conditions.   [redacted]    Owner Meineke Car Care Center   Nederland

This is in response to the complaint by Mr. [redacted].
face="Calibri">Mr. [redacted] came to our shop on 3/31/2016 and asked if we could press a bearing in a wheel hub.  He had the wheel hub and bearing in the back of his truck.  I told him I wanted my technician to take a look at it first.  Mr. [redacted] had tried to get the bearing in himself unsuccessfully and had knocked out a small piece of the wheel hub.  My technician, JC W[redacted], pressed the bearing into the hub. I only charged Mr. [redacted] $20 for the service.  We did not install the hub on his vehicle.
Pressing the bearing into the wheel hub is a simple process which requires a hydraulic press.  However, if Mr. [redacted] would have brought his vehicle back to our shop, we would have checked out the hub and bearing and if the bearing had been installed incorrectly, we would have assumed responsibility and repaired the vehicle.
Please call me if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Randy [redacted]
Owner/Operator
Tell us why here...

see attached

How unfortunate it is to have to write this. The resonator on my car was clogged, I called and they said come on down. I drove down and they looked it over and called me and said "there is no problem with your resonator", you need a flex tube cost $185, I gave the OK and then they needed to weld it in place price now $248. After paying the bill, I went to leave, but my car would no longer run. They were to look into it. The next business day I was called $1400 to get it to run. My manifold/catalytic converter is clogged and causing the problem ( I had just replaced that before coming to Mieneke). I said I would come get my car!!! Upon arriving my car was sitting out front, unlocked, window down. I spoke with the lead tech and the owner, I was very polite, they showed me the manifold and said it was defective even though new! Also my car was dead, You need a new Battery as well as spark plugs. I shook hands and left. My car was undriveable, no power and it took a tow truck and $65 to get it back to my place of work. I work at a car dealership, they had installed the manifold and sent me to get the resonator worked on, they do not generally do exhaust jobs.. My mechanic offered to see what he could do and 20 minutes later my car was running perfectly. He manually cleaned out the resonator. Mieneke should have replaced my resonator, I told them that was my problem from the outset. I have since driven over 300 miles and no battery was needed or plugs. I went back to talk to them, and they did not want to hear it, they said I came in about MY MUFFLER!!!!! When you have to lie to prove a point, you are weak and worthless and I believe these people are cheats, STAY AWAY, STAY AWAY, STAY AWAY...............They made no attempt to assist me getting back.Order_Number: Invoice XXXXXDesired SettlementI asked to have specific work done, my car is old it runs fine, I called about the resonator, I came in asked to have my resonator cleaned or cut out(commonly done) if it had to be replaced they should have said so, but they stated "Nothing wrong with the resonator" I did not come in to have them start replacing things in a attempt to rebuild my car. I am in the process of doing that myself! They said the $185 flex pipe was my issue, then welding $63 more, then would have taken me for $1400++Business Response It is unfortunate that we may have not fully diagnosed the issue to the extent we could have, however, Mr. [redacted] did not pay for any services he did not need. He had a large exhaust leak at the flex pipe where exhaust was bypassing the system and the exhaust was not traveling through the resonator at the time. Once we installed the flex pipe and welded up the leak, exhaust was now traveling through the resonator which was stopped up and putting too much back pressure on the engine and keeping it from running smoothly. We should have then diagnosed the resonator and installed a new one which would have been an additional charge. As for the battery and spark plugs, I recommended the battery because our tester read it as being below the threshold on cranking amps and the plugs were recommended on mileage since the time Mr. [redacted] stated they were previously installed. Mr. [redacted] did have to take it back to the dealership to completely resolve his issue but as I stated he did not pay us any additional money that he wouldn't have had to pay to repair the flex which we installed. That would have had to have been repaired regardless. The car was parked in the front of our building (easily visible from the counter and shop employees). Battery was dead, but we had it cranked in 2 minutes with our portable battery pack. We are sorry Mr. [redacted] had to make an additional trip and spend some extra time getting his vehicle fully repaired. I have spoke with the employees and they understand where they dropped the ball on this in the diagnosis of the vehicle. Had Mr. [redacted] spent some money on something he did not need pertaining to his issue, we would be glad to resolve it monetarily, but he had to have exactly what he paid for in this situation. Consumer Response (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)I went ther to have specific work, in fact I called prior to arrival and requested work on the resonator only. I did not go there for any other reason. they said my resonator was fine and it was the flex pipe instead, I trusted them, they admit their diagnoses was wrong. They then told me I needed it welded, which left my car undriveable, too bad your car no longer runs!!! If you want it to run $1400 more may fix it!!! I am not embellishing my side, these were their exact words. If they had done what I asked there would have been no need for a tow truck and they were trying to milk me for more money. They admit their error, I want them to pay for their mistakes because when I returned and confronted the employees the lied to me and asked me to leave. I was never rude,I never swore at them I was not allowed to make my point either. They must pay for their incompetance, any good business would have never have let me go this far, they would have seen their error and offered some restitution//// I have the tow bill if you would like to see it. I guess I could call [redacted] and contest the 2 charges....Final Business Response I understand Mr. [redacted] frustration and side of his story, however I wish he would understand mine as well. I was there when Mr. [redacted] picked up his car and spoke with him directly. I was also not rude or condecending in any way. Point being, we had to repair the massive exhaust leak with the broken flex pipe and flange that needed to be welded regardless of wether he needed a resonator or not. At this point, we understand he needed a resonator in addition to the flex but we did not install one nor charge him for one. We dropped the ball on going ahead and replacing the resonator in the diagnosis of the problem but we did not charge for any diagnosis nor charge for a resonator. Mr. [redacted] only paid for work that he had to have at our shop wether we replaced the resonator or not. I hope he accepts my sincere apology and knows that if we charged for something he didn't need we would be glad to reimburse for those charges.

After a routine oil/filter change at Meineke franchise [redacted], my 2004 Mazda began leaving oily stains on the carport. I took it back to Meineke and asked them to find the source of the leak. They made a ninety minute inspection and reported that no leak existed. Since my car still made stains on the carport floor, I sought a second opinion at an independent shop and was told that the oil filter cap/container had been damaged during the last oil change, My cost for repairing the damage was $136.29. When asked for reimbursement for this expense. Meineke's only response was to offer me a free oil change "for my inconvenience".Product_Or_Service: 2/11/13Order_Number: invoice # [redacted]Desired SettlementI want to be reimbursed for the $136.29 cost of repairing the damage to my car caused during a routine oil and filter change by Meineke service technicians.Business' Initial Response I spoke with the manager involved and the district manager [redacted]. Chris gave me his opinion on how to handle it an I agreeed with his assesment after reviewing the information involved. Multiple months had gone by before the problem was brought to our attention and it allowed to many variables to come in to play by waiting that long. We would have much rather had the customer come bact to us as soon as he determined there was a leak. Also, according to our warranty documentation, if another shop is willing to make a claim that we caused a problem, then the customer owes us the right to evaluate the situation again if he would like for us to pay for it. We didn't see the leak, but at the time we looked at it it might not have been leaking. The oil wasnt pouring out, it was simply intermittendly leaking. Had he called us when the other shop made that determination, we could have sent someone over to take a look and made a more informed decision on how we want to handle it. I hope the Revdex.com and the customer understands our position. We always take care of our customers when the process is handled the right way and things are brougt to our attention quickly. We also must be given the opportunity to evaluate, repair, etc. once another shop puts blame on us for the problem. Consumer's Final Response (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)I don't understand why they couldn't find the leak as it was all over my driveway.I watched my car jacked up while I was there. When they referred to my car as a Nisson I thought maybe they were watching the wrong car. We had just moved to Horn Lake and wanted a place we could trust to check all fluids and belts etc. When I asked at time of oil change if they had done this. The lady said yes. I know it wasn't done because the brake fluid was low and the battery water was low. I understand their decision on this, I just know I wlll post this on Angie's list and any other place. I do not trust them to take care of my car. Is saving $136.00 worth this?Business' Final Response Because of the time it took to bring the vehicle back to us, 3 months from service, and the fact we weren't contacted once we were indicated as being negligent in our repairs, our warranty procedures and system will not allow us to do a cash refund. However, we are willing out of good faith and in hopes to satisfy the customer, to give **. [redacted] 4 free Preffered oil changes. Four Preffered oil changes have a value of around $150.00 and includes changing the oil, rotating the tires, 30 point inspection each visit, and courtesy roadside assistance for 90 days each time it is changed. It's not what the customer is requesting but it is of or close to the same value. We hope this will suffice and we can put this matter to rest and move forward. Thank you

Review: took my car to them at 4pm was told they would start work on it tonight and instead they put other vehicles ahead of mine until closing time.Desired Settlement: investigation of services done there.

Consumer

Response:

Provide an explanation of why the car was not worked on yesterday like was told.

Business

Response:

As the owner of Meineke Car Care in Forest Virginia, I am responding to your inquiry concerning the service Mrs [redacted] requested of us on January 7, 2014. Please note that Mrs [redacted] had been to our shop on January 6, 2014 complaining of a fuel leak. Upon examining her car we found no evidence of a fuel leak but did find a noticeable oil leak coming from the gasket which is located between the oil filter housing and the engine block. We gave her an estimate for the repair but she decided that she did not wish for us to make the repair.

On January 7,2014, Mrs [redacted] had her vehicle towed to our shop. Mrs [redacted] arrived with the tow truck driver and the car at 4:30 pm. Please note that Mrs [redacted] did call ahead earlier in the day to notify us that she was having the car towed in. She did not tell us when the car would arrive and we did not make any promises to her about when the vehicle would be repaired. Upon her arrival at the shop, she was told that we would not be able to start on the repair of her vehicle immediately and that the repair of the oil leak would require well over 3 hours to perform. Mrs [redacted] insisted that we start on the job right away and that, in her opinion , it would not take anywhere near 3 hours to make the repair. When we told her that we had other work promised that day and we would not be able to start on the job until the following day, she insisted that we bring the car into the shop, have a technician look at the vehicle to confirm that the job could not be finished before our closing time. We did bring the car into the shop and had [redacted], one of our technicians, confirm that the job would easily take over 3 hours. We again stressed to her that we could not start the job until the following day and that we could promise her that the job would be completed and the car ready for pick up by noon.

Mrs [redacted] did finally agree to leave the car with us. We did complete the repairs and she did pick up the vehicle before noon the next day.

We were well aware that Mrs [redacted] was not happy about having to leave her car with us. We tried to make every accommodation we could for her including, as a courtesy, paying her $70 towing bill even though we were under no obligation to do so. Try as we might, we simply could not make Mrs [redacted] happy. We do not like to have anyone unhappy about visiting our shop but in this situation I don't think anyone could have met Mrs [redacted]'s unrealistic demands.

Barrie Buck, Owner

Meineke Car Care Center

Forest, VA

Review: When my car was returned to me after having my oil changed, I immediately noticed a big yellow scratch on my passenger side corner bumper. I immediately brought it to the attention of the tech who backed my car out and he said he didnt do it. He went in to the office into the back room. I then brought it to the attention of the office manager and when he came out he said that nothing on the building was yellow. I pointed out the bright yellow lifts in the garage. He then went to say I hit the parking in front when I pulled d in but it was actually lower than my car and impossible because of where it was scratched. I said this to him and he just went inside the building dismissing. I then took picutes of the damage and the yellow lifts which were the right height and size.. The office tech then came out taking pictures of my car without my permission and saying his tech only pulled it in and out and thats the same kind of scratch it was. I felt really very uncomfortable with the picutes so I lefknow but I called the cops once home and I ended up getting a report. I just want my bumper fixed.Desired Settlement: I just want them to repair my bumper. I will be getting an estimate done this day.

Review: On 8/27/14 my wife contacted Meineke and spoke with [redacted]. She explained to that she had an oil leak in her [redacted] told her to bring the car in. Upon arrival she specifically said to [redacted] that her car was leaking oil and she wanted him to thoroughly check the car to see what the issue was so that it could be fixed prior to 8/29 which was the first day of school for our daughter. [redacted] said they would do a diagnostic test and spray chemicals that will pinpoint the area. As I arrived to pick her up I asked [redacted] to give us a call once he performed the test. [redacted] called me @ 2:00 pm indicating that the oil pan gasket and the cam seal was the cause of the oil leaks, but he could not take care of it until the following day due to the time it required to fix it. I told him that would be fine and asked him if he was sure those were the issues and would the oil leaks be resolved, he said yes once those are fixed there will be no more leaks. On 8/28 we picked up the car and paid $551.63. He said the issue was fixed and if we seen any indication of oil it would be due to a run off but it should stop. Well that didn't happen. We called [redacted] the very next day 8/29 and told him the oil was still leaking in the same exact areas, if not a little more than when we initially dropped it off. [redacted] said to bring the car back in and he would take a look at it again. We dropped the car off at 8:30 am and received a call from [redacted] @ 2:00 pm. [redacted] indicated that they found another leak that they missed during the first visit and it was a head gasket on the passenger side. He asked if we had any issues with the car overheating and we said NO, the issue was with the oil leaking. I asked [redacted] how could they have missed that when we asked them to thoroughly check the car and he said he didn't realize there was another leak. He then said it cost $1500.00 to fix it and if we didn't the car could catch on fire due to the oil leak. What a way to cause panic!Desired Settlement: We contacted the Meineke's headquarters and they assigned a mediator named [redacted] spoke with [redacted] (owner)and [redacted], and both of them refused to be honest. They stated that they told us that there were multiple leaks and by fixing the two they did it could cause a head gasket to CRACK and that was a LIE. If that's the case we would have said thank you for checking, paid for the diagnostic test and took our business else where. Why would we pay $553 for a partial job? We want a refund

Review: I brought my [redacted] Sonata in to have the engine cooling system checked out. It looked (on the gauge) to be overheating when the A/C was on. I did have some minor damage on the front end, including the radiator. Sometimes the problem would arise when sitting idle in traffic. I changed the thermostat prior to taking it to Meineke. I asked them to check out the system and let me know what it needed. They told me I needed a new a/c condenser and radiator. This costed $1217.21. Now, it's still happening even when moving at interstate speed and with only the rear defroster on. The problem was never addressed. I've "tested" it by running just the AC, just the heat, and just the rear defroster. All three cause the problem.Desired Settlement: I would like the cost of this "repair" refunded ($540.96). That is the cost of everything except the charge for the new parts that are now on the car.

Consumer

Response:

My name is [redacted]. I filed a complaint against Meineke last month. I received an email from Revdex.com stating they haven't responded. I'm just letting you know, they did call me and attempted to fix the problem. I'm not convinced they have fixed the electrical issue, but they did try and it looked ok for 2 weeks. I don't want anything further from them. Thanks for your help. Regards, [redacted]

Review: June 4th, 2013, drpped 2005 Hyundai Tucson off at this location Meineke for PA State Inspection. During the service, Meineke representative [redacted], called to inform that the only required item needed to complete inspection was a rear window wiper blade, but recommended that the front headlights be "restored". After approving the additional services, [redacted] notified that vehicle could be picked up before closing that day. After picking vehicle up, a later observation showed that the front fender and bumper areas were damaged. The damage was consistent with negligence in prepping and covering the headlight areas during sanding or buffing. Damage was to the front bumper area under both headlights, and to the front right fender paint which was scratched. After noticing the damage, Meineke location manager, [redacted], was notified. [redacted] asked to see vehicle immediately, and the vehicle was taken right away, that day, to the Meineke location. [redacted] observed the damaged areas and appologized. [redacted] requested the vehicle be brought back so the headlights could be re-done (he stated the headlight restoration was not done properly, so he would re-do them personally), and to see if they could clean up the damaged areas. June 11th, 2013 the vehicle was dropped off for June 12th appointment. I was notified by [redacted] on June 12th, 2013 when the vehicle was done. Arriving at the Meineke location, [redacted] went over the vehicle. The headlights were better, but still not great, and none of the damaged areas could be repaired or cleaned by Meineke at this time. [redacted] suggested I get an estimate of repairs from a auto body shop and return with it. After returning later with the requested estimate, I left that printed estimate with [redacted]. After a few days passed, I followed up with [redacted], who now stated that [redacted], he said was the owner of this Meineke location, stated I MUST get 2 more estimates "to be fair". June 18th, 2013 I returned again with 2 more independant estimates and hand delivered them the [redacted]. [redacted] stated he would submit them to his insurance and told me if I had any questions, to call [redacted]. June 21st, 2013 I followed up with [redacted] to see if I needed to do anything else, or if I should expect a call from anyone regarding the damages, he stated he called [redacted] on the phone, and [redacted] stated he alreay submitted the estimates, and I should be "taken care of" in about 2 weeks and since he implied it was already submitted when I returned the other 2 estimates, I did not follow up until July 9th, 2013. July 9th, 2013 I attempted to contact [redacted] at the Meineke location, the call taker stated he was out of state. [redacted] was also not available, being a non-scheduled work day. July 9th, 2013 I then contacted Meineke Customer Service directly by e-mail and phone, to express my concern and to attempt to find out what that status is of my complaint. I received a call from meineke Customer Support, who stated they would get involved and after explaining my problem, the support rep., **. Tara Johnson, attempted contact with [redacted] and stated after she made contact she would be in touch with me. July 10th, 2013 **. [redacted] called me back and stated she spoke to [redacted] who claimed he had previosly submitted the claim and it should be "taken care of" by weeks end, or beginning of next week (week ending July 12th, 2013 - week beginning July 15th, 2013). I attempted to follow up with **. [redacted] July 17th, 2013, but my messages have been unanswered. I attempted to obtain insurance information, direct contact with whoever is involved with the claim, to eliminate the middle-men which have been unable to give me any information. At this time, I still have not been contacted by anyone, nobody can tell me who or where the claim is supposedly going through, and I refuse to sit back and continue to wait, fearing the Meineke is attempting to blow me off without taking responsibilty. I did everything the Meineke requested in a very swift manner, and only wish the same in return. # estimates I was made to obtain were reasonable, the first one was the body shop I trust and have done past business with, which was why I went there first, and I did explain to [redacted] that the first estimate, which happens to be the middle one as far as cost, was where I was going. I would appreciate any assistance in this matter.Desired Settlement: I submitted the first estimate which was a auto body shop I have used in the past, and trust. I was told I had to obtain 2 other estimates, which returned 1 with a higher cost, 1 lower but stated the paint work would probably need to be done if scratches could not be removed, so the estimate only reflect the partial repair as noted. I would be using the middle estimate regardless, so the cost of repair from the middle estimate is what is being requested.

Review: On July 27 my car overheated on the road. I pulled over immediately and had my car towed to Meineke in [redacted] Pa. The work done was a thermostat, timing belt kit with water pump, Radiator and cap, Head gasket set, head bolt set, pressure check and resurface head, cylinder head gasket. After spending 1,481.99 on this repair the car starts to run hot on the beginning of November. I called meineke back about what was happening and an appointment was made for November 9th. I drove the car there and the car started to overheat on [redacted] rd. I was a couple of lights away, so I drove it to the meineke. The car was looked at and I was told that the thermostat was not good. The thermostat and coolant sensor was replaced. While I was waiting for my car, they had it running to see if it would overheat. I was told that it was fixed. As soon as I got into the car, I called a friend to tell them that I was leaving. The car overheated before I could get the call dialed. When I went back inside to tell the manager what happened, he told me that me driving the car there that day did the damage to make the car overheat. There was nothing that he could do. I needed to speak with the owner. I spoke with [redacted], the owner. He offered to repair the car again, paying for half. Still not sure if the head is good or bad. I should have had that answer the first time and what about the near 1500.00 I spent. I want the car fixed right and for free.Desired Settlement: Repair the car right. Free of charge.

Business

Response:

December 16,2013

Dear **. [redacted]:

This is in response to complaint # [redacted].

**. [redacted] called our shop the day before she brought her car in and stated that her car had been overheating but was continuing to drive it. She was told to bring her car in so we could see what the problem was.

She again called our shop the following morning and stated that she was driving on Route ** and her vehicle was overheating and steaming. She was told to pull over and have it towed rather than continue to drive it. The customer insisted on driving the car to the shop while overheating and steaming. When she arrived, she spoke to [redacted] and was told to speak to the manager [redacted].

[redacted] brought the car into the shop and informed the customer that she could have done damage to the head gasket because of driving it while it was overheating and steaming. [redacted] installed a new thermostat and temperature sensor hoping that it would fix the problem free of charge. [redacted] let the car run for some time, and it seemed be okay. When the cap was put on for the radiator, it started to build pressure and run rough. The vehicle was block tested at that point and the end result was head gasket failure.

She left with her vehicle and called back to complain later in the week. I returned her call and told her the same thing she was told at the onset of her first phone call. She should not have driven the vehicle. 1 offered to help her by splittm the cost, and she declined.

Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: If this job was done correctly in the first place in July, the car never would have had problems again like it did in November. I work only 8 blocks away from home in Easton. Something is wrong when the temp gauge starts at cold and ends near the H as I drive into work's parking lot. That was my INITIAL complaint. I was told to bring the car in. On my way to Meineke, the car overheated after exiting off route ** for [redacted]. The road that the business is on. I drove a couple of lights more to the Meineke parking lot. My point being that if the car was repaired correctly in the first place, the car should never overheated after 1500.00 worth of parts and labor. I now have to pay on a bill that yielded me no car that works. I did not call Meineke the day I brought the car in, I was not told to pull the car over and have it towed. I didn't think that there was anything seriously wrong. My guess after all of that work done was a bad thermostat. Would a bad thermostat cause me to totally ruin my car driving to [redacted]? I think not. I should either have the car fixed free or not have to pay the bill for a car that I cannot drive.

Regards,