Meineke Car Care Center

Initial Business Response /(1000, 9, 2018/07/27) */
Original work was performed on 3/31/2018. Upon inspetion our technician found that the vehicle had a large amount of oil that was covering the bottom of the vehicle. At the time we could see that there was definitly oil leaking from the oil pressure sender however it probably had other leaks therfore we recomended replacing the sensor along with pressure washing the vehicle and adding dye to the oil so that the other leaks could be traced after the work was performed. The vehicle ran for 3 months before being brought back to the shop with a different problem than what had been fixed before. The intake manifold leak was not a result from the work that our shop performed. During the diagnosis on the return trip by the customer we found a leak on the intake and fuel rail. This is a common problem so we referred them to the dealer as it may have been under a recall and also reccomended that a programing may be needed which the dealer performs. These vehicles have a long track record of having this problem with high mileage. This vehicle has over 100K miles on it. We are more than willing to perform the work on the vehicle but we are unwilling to perform the work for free. Please see the attached documentation fo reference.

Initial Consumer Rebuttal /(3000, 11, 2018/07/31) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
We actually did take it to the dealership and the recall was not the issue. They clearly stated this was likely caused from the original repair. We work 2 hours out of town, which caused the 2 month delay in getting it back to them- but the problem started within 2 days of the repair. We were told by the people at Meinike that this was under warranty and they stand by there work- but in this case they do not want to pay for the damage they caused.

Final Business Response /(4000, 15, 2018/08/15) */
As it was explained to the customer originally, the dealership stated to us that this was not an issue related to the work that we performed. We have asked the customer to provide soemthing in writing from the dealership that would explain that we were at fault however they have not been able to do so. We do not feel that we are at fault for this issue based on the physical eveidence that we have seen and the statements that the dealership have given us. Therefore, we will not be providing any fix at this time. We are very sorry that the vehicle has these issues however they are not issues that we have caused.

Initial Business Response /(1000, 5, 2017/07/20) */
I have read Mr. complaint and researched it thoroughly. On July 26th 2016 Mr. came into our Colorado Springs location with a Heater Valve, Battery and Alternator issue. The job was quoted and Mr. accepted the price and approved the work. Upon completion Mr. left our facility with no issues and the vehicle was operating normally. The customer was provided a copy of the Repair Order #***, on the reverse of the Repair Order our Warranty is clearly stated and covers all of the issues that could arise. When Mr. called explaining that his vehicle broke down we explained he was still out of his 90 day warranty but that we would cover the part as a courtesy and that he had to get it to a Meineke and we would help him get the part covered. We understand that his vehicle was quite a few miles from the facility but as it states in the Warranty section labeled "Exclusions" towing is not covered and that he would have to get the vehicle to the nearest Meineke. Mr. was upset and became combative with our staff. We explained the situation several different ways to no avail. We have nearly 1000 shops around the nation that will honor the warranty but unfortunately we can not guarantee a location will be convenient in every situation. We were willing to cover the part via working with our part suppliers but as all businesses we can not step out of our agreed upon warranty as it is very clear to anyone who reads it but we were willing to go above and beyond with covering the part. A refund is not appropriate in this case and will not be issued. Thank you.

Initial Consumer Rebuttal /(3000, 7, 2017/07/25) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
As far as the price it was not the issue, yes it was over inflated but what was I going to do 2 states away from home, I could of kept getting quotes and paid for tows all over the city but I'm interested in saving my money. Again I took the vehicle to Meineke because it was a national company which I would assume would guarantee their work. And what I mean by over inflated prices is I bought the alternator to replace the 260.00 junk one they put in my vehicle for 140.00. The issue however is the fact that I paid the over inflated price and the alternator went out in less than a year. Again, I'm going to go back to the fact that if an alternator goes bad that fast then it was most likely a remanufactured junk part. They have cost me a whole lot more in repairs since I paid them to fix it the first time. I do not have a location near me, however I do use a certified mechanic that their "warranty" could of been applied to. Their claim of being willing to work with me to cover the part is simply not true. They were not willing to help out with the bad product they sold me at all. As I explained to them it would cost me more than a new alternator to have it towed to the nearest location 110 miles away. After doing research on Meineke corp as a whole it appears that there are a lot of people out there that have had similar situations as mine. It all comes down to very poor customer service. It is obvious they will not honor their work, which I did not expect them to. But this complaint is now public record and everyone can look them up and see how they run this business. I will also continue to utilize social media outlets to continue to let as many people as possible know how they operate. As far as me being combative, well, if I would of show up at the business and started a physical altercation, that would of been combative. I on the other hand was very upset with the fact that they sold me a junk alternator and would not guarantee there work. When they refused to work with me I did get hostile over the phone. But combative, no, that would of been bad for all parties. All I want is my money back for the junk part, I feel as if that would be appropriate. And if they really want I can take the junk part back to one of there locations when I'm in the area. I still have it, and can have it sent back to them.

Final Business Response /(4000, 11, 2017/08/17) */
District Manager---- As we stated before, a refund is not appropriate in this case and will not be issued. Although we sympathize with the issues Mr. has experienced it is not the fault of our store, the price was agreed upon prior to service, the technician installed the part correctly and deserves to get paid, the part failed internally which is no fault of ours as we are not the manufacturer, we have a process for these situations and Mr. was not able to or was unwilling to follow our warranty repair guidelines that were agreed to upon paying and signing the repair order. This case is closed on our end.

Final Consumer Response /(4200, 13, 2017/08/22) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
As I stated before, I payed a lot of money for these repairs to be made, more than I normally would. I went to the manufacture, they referred me to the distributor, who then referred me to Meineke. So here we are again, as a customer to Meineke I want a refund on the work that was done. I was sold bad parts. If Meineke truly sympathized with the issues we would not be having this problem right now, it would have been taken care of. It is Meinekes fault, they put the bad parts in my vehicle. I cannot go to the manufacturer because Meinekes distributor is their customer. I cannot go to Meinekes distributor because Meineke is their customer. So in turn, I go to Meineke because I was their customer. I'm sure Meineke knows how this whole customer thing works. Since my last response the battery that was sold to me by Meineke has gone bad. Now I have had that battery looked at by real professionals, that was a refurbished battery. Same as the alternator. Meineke is buying remanufactured parts and charging inflated prices. Just like an alternator, a battery does not go out in a years time. Unless, just like the alternator it is a junk part. So the case is not closed on my end. You can continue to deny me, and I can continue to let it known how Meineke does business. The internet is a wonderful tool. And from the looks of the internet Meineke has a long history of this kind of business.