Complaint Review: Meineke Car Care

On June 29th, 2007, I dropped my daughters 1992 Mazda MX-3 GS at Meineke Car Care Center #1115 (ID20041347198) to check out noises heard from the engine. They called back to tell me it was the valves and it would cost approximately $1400.00 to fix. Since the engine was going to be torn apart, my ex-husband asked them to check the timing belt and let us know what it looked like. Meineke said it was frayed and it would need to be replaced.

I told them to change out the water pump, bringing the total bill up to $2400+plus. First they promised to have it fixed in a week, but wrong parts were delivered (I do not know if they were ordered wrong), then they promised it the next week. Meanwhile, they took my car (without my knowledge) to another location. I had to track it down.

Once they returned the car, it was leaking and I have had the car back into their shop 5 or 6 times to fix issues that were never resolved with the work they performed. They had the car almost 3 months before returning it to me. My ex-husband went to check out their work, but found the bolts missing and things that were loose. Meineke never put it back together correctly.

I finally ended up having South St. Automotive take apart the work that Meineke did and they put it back together. My poor daughter (having mono), would get up every day for approx 3 months and take me to work, she would go to work and then pick me up. I had to pay 2 other shops $550 to tell me that the work Meineke did was incorrect. I still don't believe the valves were ever bad.

Sue
Castle Rock, Colorado
U.S.A.