Meineke Car Care Centers

Ridiculously strict on auto inspections and then they try to cheat you out of your money. Failed me for dirty headlights and imperfect windshield wipers. I had replaced the wipers only a month prior. They also failed me on alignment. The car has always run smoothly so I was baffled. Suspecting Meineke was cheating me, I took the car to another shop and showed him my inspection papers. He thought Meineke was being a bit shady all around. Particularly since Meineke had not written down what the reading on the alignment was. The new shop checked the alignment themselves and said it had a reading of 13.4 feet pull. You need a reading of 40 to fail. The shop called Meineke to ask what the deal was. Meineke stated that the front control arm was bent and needed to be replaced otherwise it would continue to pull out the alignment. But on the inspection papers, Meineke had passed the control arm, now they say it has be replaced before it can pass? DO NOT go to Meineke in Glen Burnie. They”re the kind of mechanics who try to cheat you out of your money.

They charged me 700 bucks to change a timing belt and seal the valve cover and it took them three days to do it because the valve cover leaked oil twice after they said it was done. Unfortunately, there was no need to even touch the valve cover on my car when changing the timing belt, but they did and they could NOT get it to seal oil properly. I was on the road and had to pay a hundred bucks a night for three nights while they fiddle-farted with the valve cover trying to get it to seal oil, an elementary mechanical problem if ever there was one. Twice they told me it was fixed and I tested it for ten minutes and it leaked terribly again! Ridiculous. So, a few days and five hundred miles later it was leaking from a different place and I had to do it myself, took me six hours to remove all their sealant from the gasket and sealing faces and re-seal it carefully like they should’ve taken the time to do. Don’t gamble with The Black Hole of Car Care unless you like gambling with your CASH because these guys are really incompetent mechanics.

This shop installed the wrong oil filter, which failed while I was driving, causing my engine to be ruined. The franchisee/owner, Scott, and his right-hand man, Allen, stonewalled me for 6 full days, not returning phone calls after promising to do so. I finally showed up at the shop to force a response. Scott denied all responsibility, blamed me for driving the car, and essentially called my mechanic a liar by stating the filter my mechanic removed from the car was the wrong part (true) and could not have stayed on the car for 4 months until this incident occurred (maybe it couldn”t, but it did). On the day of the incident I allowed Scott to tow my car from my mechanic”s shop to his shop to inspect it. After having my car for 6 days and denying any responsibility, I said the least he should do is tow it back to my mechanic where he found it. He refused to do even that without “hearing from corporate.” I demanded corporate”s info so I could contact them as I realized from our conversation that Scott was giving them inaccurate information. I contacted corporate at 8AM on 11-9-09, and had no call back by day”s end. They are holding my car hostage by refusing to tow it back to my mechanic”s shop, which will force me to pay for the tow. I am incurring rental car charges as I now await a response from corporate after hearing nothing from the yahoos at the shop.

Took my car to this Meineke for an oil change, Tire balance and rotation 20 September 2008. after getting home i was going to fill my window washer and noticed my oil filter wasn”t changed. As for the tire rotation and balance, It was worse after the servce then before. to sum it up it cost me $80.04 for a fake oil change and a so called tire rotation and Out of Balance service for my car. And of course as the franchise website states, No Experience Necessary to run a franchise. I guess I”m in the wrong business. Don”t waste your time or money at this place.

WE HAD THE BRAKES TO OUR FORD F150 PICK UP, FRONT BRAKES DONE. THEY DISTROYED THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL AND TIRE . HAVEING TROUBLE TAKING THE LUG NUTS OFF. THEY HAD AN ESTIMATE OF AROUND 300.00 AND BECAUSE OF THERE, I FEEL POOR WORKMANSHIP IT ENDED AT 700.00 PLUS. IT IS NOW 5 MONTHS LATER AND THE DRIVERS SIDE BRAKE FROZE UP, AND NOW NEEDS NEW PARTS. WE DO NOT LIVE IN MISSOULA AND CAN NOT GET THE TRUCK THERE. WE LIVE ABOUT 90 TO 100 MILES AWAY IN THOMPSON FALLS. WE HAVE THE TRUCK WITH A LICENSED MECH. NOW MEINEKE SAYS I MUST BRING IT TO THERE SHOP FOR THE WARRENTY THAT WILL COST MORE IN TOWING UNLESS THEY PAY.THEY SHOULD JUST PAY FOR THE PARTS AND WORK THE LABOR WITH ME. THIS IS SO UPSETING TO SPEND ALL THE MONEY TO FIX A CAR AND THEN WHEN IT DOES NOT STAY WORKING AND IT IS OBVIOUS A MECHICAL ERR THEY SHOULD HONOR THERE PARTS. WHAT IS A PERSON TO DO MONEY DOES NOT GROW ON TREES. THIS HAS BEEN SUCH A BAD REPAIR FROM THE START. NOW WE HAVE NO TRUCK TO DRIVE AND DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO REPAIR IT. THANK YOU JACK WALIN