Meineke

My relationship and trouble with meineke started back in April of last year when I had my 2013 Chrysler town&country towed into the meineke location on Seneca Street in Wichita, KS because it wouldn't start, not even with jumper cables. However, i had a good warranty that paid for towing and covered just about anything else that could go wrong with it, so i figured I'd have it towed to the closest shop to my house in case i had to walk to pick it up.

I called meineke before calling the tow company and Bryan said it was no big deal and they should have it ready by the end of the day (it was early morning when i had the issue). Shortly after noon that day I got a call from Bryan to update me and said my van would be ready in about an hour, if they had my approval to do the work and that it was the fuel pump needed replaced. Of course I agreed because I had plenty of coverage left on my warranty to cover it. Time came to go pick my van up and Bryan and i had engaged in normal small talk as he got my invoice ready and took my payment for the little amount that i owed for whatever the warranty didn't cover.

I made the comment, "dang that was fast, i sure wish you guys did transmission work because i need my torque converter replaced". I knew this from having a previous shop run testing on it after it started showing signs of the transmission acting up. Bryan stated "I can get that done for you here and it'll only take 2 days, the cost will be around $800 total, no problem". I talked to my husband about it and we thought about it for a couple days and decided why not, meineke took care of the fuel pump issue really quick(BTW, they never replaced my fuel pump i later found out, the mechanic only placed a relay switch into my fuse box under my hood, which also put me and my passengers at risk of catching fire or the van to explode in the event of a wreck because the relay switch disabled my emergency shut off switch to my fuel system, therefore allowing the gas in my tank to spill out instead of being shut off like it's supposed to) .

I didn't even make it out of the parking lot because my van wouldn't shift out of park. Which had nothing to do with the fuel pump in the first place, then my speedometer quit working on my way home and so I took it right back to meineke and was told that when I brought it back to have the torque converter changed that it should fix that issue. So, even after this shady situation, my husband and i decided to give meineke a shot because the mechanic DID get my van back to me running and drivable, however we felt that they should be held responsible for fixing whatever they messed up here. So I called Bryan and set up an appointment to take the van in to get the torque converter replacement.

Bryan told me when I dropped it off that they could replace it and work with my warranty company on the cost. All except a portion of the cost anyway. It was only supposed to take 2 days Bryan said he was sure of it because those weren't that big of a deal. He also assured me that having the torque converter replaced would iron out those other issues that developed when they supposedly changed my fuel pump.

Well 2 days and replacing the torque converter turned into 2 weeks and me needing to have my transmission replaced. This whole time I'm still without a vehicle. This was on top of a lot of lies from Bryan in this time span. I called daily to check on my van and every day he would promise it would only be till the end of that day or the next at the latest.

They did eventually give me a loaner car to use, only because I wouldn't stop calling him and complaining because I was missing work through all of this as well. (I'm a full time gig worker, I NEED a vehicle to earn my paycheck to pay my bills) However, finally I had gotten fed up with meineke giving me the run around and told Bryan in a message, because he started ignoring my calls, that if he was going to take ANY longer with my van that I was just going to have to take it somewhere else. He lied to me about what was going on AND he had already began repairs that I HAD NOT APPROVED of so that I HAD NO CHOICE but to wait even longer. About a WEEK after meineke had already had my van, My warranty company (ASC) called me with "great news"...Apparently Bryan had made negotiations with ASC that if they would approve his proposed amount to do so; he wanted to purchase and install a "REBUILT transmission" into my van, PLUS he (meineke) was going to back said transmission with a 5 YEAR REPLACEMENT WARRANTY.

And that's not all, Bryan also informed ASC and myself that meineke was also going to give me a discount of $1500 for all of my trouble and the time it was taking with my van. There's no way I could say no to that good of a deal. Plus I STILL HAD NO CHOICE. HE ALREADY HAD MY VAN TAKEN APART and at this point had started ignoring my calls.

I just wanted my van fixed and back in my possession! FINALLY, Bryan called and said my van was ready to be picked up, so I got there to pick my van up, I had to pay$400+ out of pocket EXTRA for I dont know what before I could actually have my keys to leave with it. Then I got in the van and started it up and I didn't notice ANYTHING any better! Actually it was worse.

Now there was a rattle coming from under my hood. The mechanic told me that that was normal until "it was broken in" and should get better within a couple days after driving it a bit. Come to find out he was lying out his *** 3 DAYS later I took it to a different mechanic and ultimately had to have the fly wheel replaced (it was so bad that it was broken in a complete circle in the middle of it, like it could have been split into 2 pieces easily) costing me another $1000 OUT OF POCKET because Bryan and meineke had taken EVERYTHING off of my warranty which was over $3200 when I took it in for a torque converter replacement! That same mechanic informed me that the transmission that was put into my van had come from a salvage yard and even showed me where the salvage yard had numbered it with chalk, it was NOT a rebuilt transmission!

It's been not even a year and I have had to pay 2 other mechanics to fix transmission issues in my van! Once was the fly wheel a week after I Picked it up from the shop costing me another $1000 and now my transmission is messing up again. Bryan REFUSES to acknowledge I even exist and of course denies fault in my van now breaking down and the fact that he all out STOLE $3200 from me through my warranty company, not to mention what i was also charged out of pocket. I feel I was robbed and done very wrong and I've already paid around $4000 to meineke.

I need this fixed. Refund, replace my vehicle, actually have my van fixed, SOMETHING! DON'T JUST STEAL MY MONEY AND GIVE ME A BROKEN VAN THAT I STILL OWE 10K ON. I've tried to reach out 3 different times with no response!

I even reached out to Meineke on Facebook and was sent an automated message in Facebook Messenger that included a link that supposedly goes to Meineke's customer care center. However, when I clicked on it, it asked me to tell them about my complaint by filling out another form, and so I did and I got an automated response stating that a customer care representative would be in touch with me after they've had a chance to assess my situation. That was back in September of 2023, then again twice in October.

I have yet to hear from anybody from the Company. It's impossible to get ahold of anybody at corporate or to get a response from a customer service representative.

See their response in the screenshot. My google review was:

Now that Meineke responded below I will respond here.

At no time was I disrespectful below. I states exactly what happened. Notice there was no denial of my statements. It is not rude to let the world know how a company tried to pad their bill.

If the owner of this Meineke called me instead of bashing me below I may have updated this with a positive follow up review. As with the service, in my opinion, his response lacks honesty, integrity, and respect.

I am new to New Orleans and started getting a thumping sound from the front end. I tried to figure it out myself and everything in the front end was tight. I had just put new axles in a couple of months ago so it wasnt even a thought.

Since I was clueless on who to take it to, I went to Meineke. NEVER AGAIN!!! My two brothers used to own multiple Meinekes in New Jersey and I had worked with them on the weekends for decades, so I went there.

Now I had done a full check of the front end and everything was tight. I told them I couldnt figure it out and that I had just replaced both axles in June.

However it was the drivers side axle. List price for an axle is $200, wholesale to Meineke would be in the low hundred. Book repair time is an hour, $120 is standard hourly rate. So it should have been between $320 on the low end and $400 on the high end.

For just that they wanted $531.

But then they said I needed hub with bearings because the broken axle would have damaged it. They wanted to tack on like another $800. They said it was pot hole damage so it would have damaged the bearings too. When I looked at it at Smiling Chucks after Chuck fixed it, there was no outside damage to indicate it was hit with force.

Second, I had the car up on jacks and there was zero play in the front end. I checked everything including the ball joints, bearings, k-frame bushings, tie rod ends, steering arms, and stabilizer links. Everything was solid! And yes, I used a pry bar.

Of course, sometimes bearings can be going bad with no play. But in that situation you would be hearing a whirring sound. There was none.

Of course they also tried to tell me I needed both axles claiming if you change one you should always buy both. They were both brand new and one was just defective.

If they were both original she would have been 100% correct. But I had just told her both were just replaced.

Then they wanted to sell me a front wheel alignment at $150. I asked why I needed an alignment and she said its always needed with front end work. I was like no!

You pop the tie-rod out and pop it back in. The only reason an alignment would be needed is if your guy turns the tie-rod end and that theres no reason at all to do that. She replied with, theres no way I can guarantee that. In my head I was thinking, I just spoke to your mechanic and he is definitely knowledgeable.

It would take some serious incompetence for that tie-rod end to turn.

Then there was a recomendation to replace my air filter at $75. Yes! An air filter! Which, by the way, you can still see light through.

Next item was an exhaust hanger.

The broken piece was a $10 rubber piece with two holes. It slides on and off. One hole slides onto a preexisting metal rod connected to the frame and the other hole onto the rod connected to the exhaust. If you cant go to the bin, take one over to the car, and pop in on in less than 5 minutes, maybe you should stick to fixing tricycles.

Worst case scenario is that you need to hit it with a spray of WD40. Asking price, $125. At my brothers shop, he charged $20.

The only thing I really needed outside of the axle were new tires. These were actually reasonably priced.

And had I bought the new tires I would definitely got an alignment.

When I went home I googled auto repair shop. When I scrolled down I saw Smiling Chucks and something just said to me, this is going to be a good man. He charged me $350 including taxes. Heck, he thought I overpaid and tried to give me a hundred back.

But I showed him he had made a math mistake and gave him back the $100. Now thats how integrity should work.

I visited the Meineke at Lynn, MA, on March 4th for what should have been a routine transmission fluid replacement for my 2019 Hyundai Elantra GT. Unfortunately, my experience was far from satisfactory, marred by unclear pricing, unsatisfactory service, and unprofessional treatment.

Initially, I was not given a clear quote for the service, and to my surprise, the price was significantly increased without any justification when I questioned it.

Despite the high price, the service performed on my car failed to resolve the issue it was brought in for. Shortly after the service, my car began displaying an engine overheated warning, a new and concerning issue.

Attempting to address these problems, I was met with outright rudeness by an individual named Sam. Instead of receiving professional customer service and a willingness to rectify the situation, I was told they could charge whatever price I want and dismiss any responsibility for the unresolved and new issues with my car.

Given these circumstances, I requested a 50% refund or a free re-service at a different shop to avoid further interactions with Sam. This seemed a fair compromise considering the financial impact and the level of service I received.

Yet, I am compelled to share my experience to warn others. The lack of transparency, professionalism, and skill at this Meineke location is alarming.

To anyone considering Meineke in Lynn, MA, for their car service needs, I urge you to think twice.

The stress, inconvenience, and potential safety issues are not worth the risk. There are many other service providers who value their customers and deliver on their promises.

Nizor F.

My problem was solved and fixed with 2 air leaking tires however, after driving the vehicle a new thumping noise in rear of vehicle was heard. Spoke to a local mechanic and he told me to check the lugs.

I did and found 4 of the 5 lugs to be finger loose. When bringing this to Meinkes attention they basically told me that customers tend to lie because they want money knocked off the bill. They sent me a video of thewouod mechanic supposedly tightening the lugs but you cannot see perfectly or clearly. I've never been insulted in 56 years like this, never.

Beware of this company and stay away. A mistake like this could cost you your life.

Called Headquarters and got no where with people who could barely speak English and kept hanging up on me. I am done with this company and will never shadow the door of another Menike!