ComplaintsforMeineke Car Care Center

• Initial Complaint

  04/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Between 3/28/2023 and 4/1/2023 Meineke shop - **** worked on my car. ** the service advisor told me on 3/30/2023 that the issue was with the flex pipe of my car and possibly the manifold but they have fix the flex pipe first. They could make and install it for $326.00 if not it would be $600 ordered. I authorized the $326.00 option. On 3/31/2023 I got a call stating that they took off the old flex pipe but some bolts broke off and they needed to removed my manifold to drill them out. However, in doing so I may need to replace the manifold at $2,000.00 or so + 3hrs of labor at $358.00. I told him I would see about getting my own manifold and will stop in to talk with them. After stopping by I determined that it was not likely that I would need a manifold and told them to proceed. I received a call on 4/1/2023 stating that the job was completed by drilling out the bolts and replacing the flex pipe. I went in to pickup the vehicle and was presented the bill attached. It seemed higher than I anticipated but I assumed taxes. I went ahead and paid the bill and took my car home. After review the bill I noticed that there was a $59.69 charge with a description of "Total Fees". It prompted me to check the other items and I noticed that there was a 1.60hrs charged for $229.74 + a Flex Pipe charge of 79.92. There was a 2.50hrs charged for $358.98 and a gasket charge of $77.48. While the charges looked similar they were not correct. I was charged the same price for 2.50hrs as the 3hrs quoted to me. For this reason the labor cost/hr was presented as $119.64 but I was charged at $143.59. Additionally, at no time were any extra fees of $59.69 discussed. In addition to misrepresenting the actual labor charges, the material prices are inflated based on my price sheet attached. The attached pictures also shows the gasket which appears not to be for my vehicle. A refund of the extra fees and the difference between the labor cost quoted and what was charged is desired.

  Business response

  05/04/2023

  Meineke RO # *****
  
  Here are the details:
  ****************** took his 2001 ****** ****** to Meineke to fix an Exhaust issue. Meineke identified that the flex-pipe assembly was leaking. We provided two solutions to fix the flex-pipe assembly.
  Option 1 ... Purchase a new flex pipe assembly --- cost was about $900.
  Option 2 … Repair the flex pipe assembly; this involves – replacing the flex pipe. Cost 326.07 (removing the flex-pipe assemble and replacing the flex pipe)
  *** ******* permitted Meineke to execute option # 2.   *** ******* indicated that the vehicle was a project he was trying to restore. He noted that he did not was to spend a lot of money on this repair, the reason for selecting option 2.
  Due to the age of the vehicle, the bolts that hold the Exhaust manifold to the flex pipe assembly seized due to the heat and rust. The exhaust bolts broke when Meineke attempted to remove the Flex pipe assembly. Meineke informed *** ******* about this issue. He visited the facility to see the problem.
  
  Since the bolts that hold the exhaust manifold to the flex pipe assembly were broken, the only way to remove the bolts from the Manifold was to remove the exhaust manifold.  
  The cost to remove the bolts from the exhaust Manifold is $440.57, which includes the manifold gasket. The Manifold had to be removed from the vehicle to remove the exhaust bolts.  
  There is also a Shop supply fee of 59.69, a standard across the industry. This Job included:  drill bits, welding gas, ** *******  (Spray) to loosen bolts.
  
  The total cost of the Job, which *** ******* approved, was 826.33 (Taxes 20.52 & shop supply 59.69)
  *** ******* was involved in the entire process, and Meineke was transparent with all the details regarding the repairs.
  *** *******'s vehicle was in the shop for almost two weeks; at no time did Meineke misrepresent the cost of repairing *** *******'s vehicle.

• Initial Complaint

  05/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  This happened today, May 7, 2022. I was cussed at and thrown out of this auto shop for absolutely no reason. I went in to ask for a state inspection and an estimate on some repairs. I guess the gentleman at the front didn’t understand what I was saying or he was confused I have no idea what his deal was but he was extremely rude to me and he cussed me out in front of my 10 month old child and he told me to leave the shop because he “didn’t take any ********”. I left the office and decided to try to smooth things over and get the work done on my car so I had tempted to walk back into the shop and he then approached me extremely aggressively while I was holding my baby and started yelling at me to get the hell out of there. He once again was yelling over me wouldn’t let me open my mouth to speak raised his arm and pointed out the door and told me to get the hell out of there. I am extremely traumatized by what I just went through with this man and I haven’t been able to stop crying since then.

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