Meineke Car Care Center
reviews and complaints

I had my son's car towed to Meineke. Was told by them the charge would be $45. After we got there and trying to figure out things. They went over the bill. They had put the charge in the bill for the tow company. bad idea. We were told by Meineke it would be $90. I said No. $45 is what was told to me. Then I was told that, "That's what the tow driver said it would be". Well we didnt get it fixed there and the same tow company was called. He apologized, I told him what happened. H said places like this add to the tow charge often. Why? how can that be legal when that is a service rendered from some other company.? You don't tow! Never again will I go back. We paid $52 because they charged us taxes? how... you didnt tow it! I'd like my $7.00 back!

I called 8/14/18 about a oil change before leaving town explained didn't get off work til 5 pm no problem were open til pm rush pull up ti garage door at 5:34 big guy with beard say, s you will have to bring it back tomorrow I said I already called im leaving town he said im shutting it down so say why don't you say you close at 5:30 then he gives me a [censored] you wave n walks away go straight to valvoline in n out in 11 minutes I wont be back n I guess valvoline will do my company work trucks from now on piss poor service I guess sitting in back of shop with girl friends or wifes was more important

Got flyer for 19.95 oil change. Also joined Meineke club and got 10.00 off code. Made appointment for oil change. After checking in owner hands me estimate to sign fot over 40.00. My math is good and this definitely didn't add up. Was told price on flyer was with discount. Nothing on flyer stating that. Plus add made up fees no other company does for basic oil change. Went back to jiffy lube for regular price

Hello. I'm Megan Bruederle and over the last 3/4 months meineke on Preston has gotten A LOT of money from me. Once I leave it's like a few days later the same problems hit me again and it's an on going thing. The last thing I had done was a motor mount a few weeks ago and now my car is basically un-drivable. Last week I had it dropped back off because while I'm driving it loses all power, starts shaking and jumping really bad, my engine light continuously blinks and my traction light comes on (a lot of the same issues I was having when I was told it was my motor mount and then it was replaced). I leave my car again w meineke, they call and say well basically my cars crap it's going to be very expensive to fix everything, I had some misfires in my fuel injectors, more oil leaks (which I've fixed numerous times and was told that's just how Cadillacs are and it's impossible to fix all the oil leaks) along with other things and they need me to authorize an hours worth of labor ($110) just to get in there to see what else needs to be done. At that time I didn't have the money so this past Friday I went in to talk to them about everything that was going on w my car because it just wasn't making sense. As soon as I walked in he said that he's been trying to get ahold of me and that my car was fixed it was just a fuse. As shocked as I was I took the car and parked it at my sisters because I was borrowing a car and couldn't drive 2. Last night I went to drive the car back to Jeffersonville where I'm now staying and on the expressway it started doing the very same thing. Engine light blinking, running very rough, traction light and a lot of jumping, no power at all. I honestly no longer trust this meineke on Preston and need to know what I need to do now. I'm not sure if you can go in and pull up Everytime ive been there but it's been a lot and it's always me returning for basically the same reasons. I'm a single parent and I was putting all of my trust into this company and now I'm stuck with a broken down car and no way to get to work.

Had another diagnostic test done the next day after picking my car up from mieneke (after they said it was only a fuse)

Photo of diagnostic test attached

This does not include all of the work I've already paid mieneke over the last 3/4 months. It seems like every time they fixed something I had to turn around and go right back in. Spending another $200-350. Now my car is not drivable and I honestly do NOT trust this place anymore. I need to know what can be done. I've spent a lot of money with mienofor my car to not be in running condition.

Thank you

Megan Bruederle

[protected]@gmail.com
[protected]

On 8/03/18 I went to the Wood River, Il. store and had a tire patched/plugged. while doing the work requested, they broke the Tire Pressure Monitor Sensor but replaced it at no cost. The desk employee told me they could not reset the Sensor because the sensor tool was not available at their store at that time. I was told that I would be called later that day when the tool was available. I was never called back that day (or any time since). I stopped at that store several times since 8/03/18 to get the sensor reset...to no avail. I was given the same excuse each time. In reality, the job was not completed as requested...and I have been treated indifferently within this situation. Today (8/28/18), I went to the local Chevy dealership to have the sensor reset properly...which took my personal time off from my employment due to time constraints with the dealership. I lost 2 hrs pay and suffered a mark against my attendance to remedy the problem that Meineke should have taken care of immediately. Very bad business sense if you ask me. These issues need to not ever happen in the future. Thank you...

On May 12th, I had an oil change done on my 2005 Pontiac Vibe, at the Roseville, CA Meineke location. While I was there, the guy in the office told me I needed to have my battery serviced. I agreed to, and paid for the service.
On August 5th my driver's side headlight went out. I have to take the battery out when I change that headlight. Today (8/11), I opened the hood, and immediately saw that not only did the Meineke not perform battery service, they left my battery cables loose, which could have stranded me on the road, and the tie-down was flopping-around. It could have easily shorted against the positive battery terminal and blown up my battery! The bolt which holds the battery down was gone.
I will never return to this Meineke location, because they can't be trusted to do the work they are paid to do. I want a refund of the $20.00 I paid to have the battery serviced, and an apology from the owner of the shop.
Meineke just lost 2 customer. I won't trust either of our cars to Meineke again!

Dear Meineke,

This my third attempt to connect - two by the 800 number, where my complaint was "expedited" three weeks ago, and once a week before that when I was told I would hear back in 2 - 3 business days. Crickets only.

My complaint is simple. It is not a crisis. It is, however, bad for your brand, and bad for customers.

I bought a slate of 5 premiums oil changes, prepaid, and after having only one fulfilled, the location I bought it from closed. I had purchased these previously, without hassle, and this time, no other franchise owner would honor the deal, as the money evidently goes only to the local franchisee.

The store in question was located on Del Monte Avenue is Seaside, California.

Is it possible for me to have my money refunded? That is my simple request. Had the owned told me I needed to redeem the oil changes within 30 days of purchasing the package, I would never have bought them. Seems inappropriate at best, and clearly not good for your corporate brand that these tactics take place.

I look forward to a response.

Thank you.

I bought my 2006 GMC ENVOY DENALI IN 2013, and for some reason I believed that if I took my vehicle to the same Shop that they would always take care of my car and consider me a good customer, boy was I wrong. It is now 2018, always had oil change on time, 4 new tires, 2 sets of air shocks, water pump and oil sending unit all at mieneke. Well one day I took it to mieneke told them I noticed oil on garage floor, they checked told me, who ever changed my oil just forgot to clean up the oil pan underneath. Little while later engine light is on, go to Ray Skilman GMC and they tell me have Oil leaking from several places, it would be about $3, 000.00 and they could not tell if I might need a new engine until they pull it out. Well needless to say I no longer have my car I took care of ! Thought I was doing right by taking it to the same Shop. Car care, I don't think so! They took care of my bank account.

I was supposed to get a $10.00 rebate on my oil change. I sent them the form and the receipt. A few months later I hadn't gotten it so I called them. They said they will resend it. I double checked to make sure that they had the right name and address. A month goes by, still no rebate. I call again and they said they will resend it. Never came so I called again. They said they will resend it. I called a total of 10 times and each time they said they will resend it. A year later I still never got the rebate. They are full of crap saying they resent it, if they did I would have gotten it just like I do all my other mail. It is a total scam.

June 6 I took my car there because it was shaking when I applied the brakes. They said front was fine, replaced back pads / rotors. It was still shaking. June 28 I took it back, they again said front pad / rotors fine, redid the back. Still shaking. I don't trust them so I took it to another mechanic who said it was the front rotors that were bad. I've been driving 6 weeks on bad rotors because Meineke said they were fine...

I drove my car to Meineke Car Care Center. The rep said that they could stop the oil leak and promised to add fluid. I have paid $15 for it and when I drove home, I decided to check the fluid level and it turned out that they didn’t add fluid. I was furious and went back to this company. They were surprised to see me and didn’t anticipate that I would find about their cheating. Be very caution and check their work if you use their services.

In May of this year, Laura Meineke designed a contract that stated that I was to pay $800.00 for a Pomeranian puppy, all of which would go to pay for knee surgeries, to correct his luxating patellas. The contract stipulated that, if the surgeries were unsuccessful, I would not be bound by it. She was to keep the pup until recovery was over, then I would take possession. Since it took so long (over a month) for her to arrange the surgery, I was able, after much persuasion on my part, to take possession of the puppy, and have had him ever since. The first surgery, done over 3 months ago, was completed and healed well. Laura never took any action to attempt to schedule the second surgery. I have been asking, since the 1st surgery, for her to have the 2nd one scheduled. as time continued to pass with no indication of intent to schedule the other surgery, it became clear that she had no intention of doing so. I then began to request that she refund half the purchase price in lieu of the 2nd surgery. I was forbidden by her to contact the vet myself, so unable to inquire about my $$, or the surgery. In September she said that she would prefer to refund the $400.00, and not to schedule surgery. I have attempted, repeatedly, to collect the $400.00 refund, yet she will not pay it back, not in any form. She will not meet with me, and all written communications about the refund are ignored. She continues to breed and sell puppies, but will not refund the money owed to me, and will not respond to my requests. This breeder is unscrupulous, dishonest, and unethical. When I went to her home, in a small suburb of Cincinnati, the conditions were deplorable. There were dozens of dogs, and the yard and basement had intense odor of feces. The stench from the basement was obvious even in the kitchen upstairs in the main living area. There was rat feces in the basement as well, according to her. There was a doggy-door through which some could go in and out, but some were confined to the basement or the paypens. Some of the dogs had free reign, some in baby playpens, with soiled newspapers. One of the females, she said, was continually bred because (according to Laura) "the dogs like to have it that way, it gives them a purpose". I have been dealing with this for months, and all i get (on the rare occasion when I get a reply) are excuses and more excuses, as if I am bothering her. After months of the runaround, I looked up her criminal history and found that she had more than $8000.00 in unpaid accounts owing. This is a woman who is listed in the "Breeders of Merit" with the AKC. Obviously, i advise to look much further than the AKC when choosing a breeder, and research very thoroughly. I do not know what else to say, except...steer clear!

I
recently had my car serviced at Meineke. I purchased a set of 4 shocks but I
objected to the price. I was told that they were not regular auto parts store
shocks but commercial grade shocks. When I got home I looked up the type of
shocks that were listed on the bill. They were in fact the exact same shocks I
could have bought at the local parts store for way less. It appears I was
charged $100 for a $25 shock times 4. I wrote to Meineke and complained but
they said that their stores are local franchises and it was up to the local
owner who refuses to reply to my correspondence. So I would say avoid Meineke
because evidently there is no consumer protection against their dealers
committing fraud. In these tough economic times it is evident that their
dealers are going to cheat people for all they can get away with. I was my
first and last time to deal with Meineke. Go to someone else for your repairs.

I came in for a free alignment check- tire rotation- left car and went to store next to shop. When I was not called to return to Meineke I went back to check status. The alignment was done- I was told I needed shims in the back.
After leaving I noticed car was driving worse and tires were not rotated. I returned for check up and was told I needed struts
which they could install and I would then need to pay for another alignment- no mention of shims was made.
If they did an alignment check and rotated rear tires to the front the problem with rear struts could have been found and recommendation for service before alignment could have been made.

I had taken my daughters car for an oil change, and was told they had no oil. I was told maybe tomorrow. The air conditioning wasn't working in the vehicle and a noticed a sign saying "free a/c check." I was told they put it on a machine to check it for leaks. After forty-five minutes I was told it had no leaks but the Freon and oil needed topping up in the unit. I was told it would cost $111.00 to do this. He did this, then turned on the a/c and there was no cold air. I was told the pump would have to be rebuilt for $600 to $700 dollars. I told him I didn't want this done right now so he drained all the Freon and oil out of the pump and still charged me $60 for absolutely nothing. But this isn't the end of the story. My daughter headed home to California with her young daughter in the car and the a/c pump seized up which caused the serpentine belt to break, and melted the pulleys on the water pump and on the alternator. While on the freeway she lost her power steering and ended up on the side of the freeway at night, waiting for a tow truck. This was $150 tow home and another $900.00 to have the vehicle repaired.

When I returned to the shop to talk to the manager about this I was informed "there wasn't a manager, he had quit and that they didn't have a number of anyone I could call."

Sorry, I won't be going back there and beware of "free a/c check" signs.