Meineke Care Car Center #1407
Complaint 9916 Details

Dear Meineke Customer Service,
I drove to Louisville Kentucky, July 20, 2011. I had to go to University of Louisville Dental Schoo. When I turned off I-65, I heard a clunk. My car stated to overheat and the power steering was not working. I decided it was a broken belt and drove a short distance to the dentist.
After I was finished at the Dental School, I needed to find a mechanic. I walked to Meineke and explained the problem, to a man at the front desk. I told him I was far away from home.
The serpentine belt was gone and the power steering pulley was off of the reservoir. The mechanic wanted to replace, the entire power steering pump; he said it was “locked up”. I asked him to show me and I wanted the power steering fluid level checked also. The pump still was full of fluid. The mechanic could not show that the pump was locked up. I told him not to replace the pump, just the belt and pulley.
It took almost 2 hours, for the pulley and belt to be replaced. I asked the mechanic if he had checked the radiator fluid. He told me he had and I was “good to go”.
My car immediately began to heat up, even before I was on the expressway. I turned the heat on all the way and the temperature dropped to half. I drove 3+ hours, in 97 degree heat, with both windows open and the heater on full blast. I was literally cooking in my car.
When I got home my husband checked the radiator level and had to add about a half gallon of antifreeze to top it off. He was concerned about leaks. I drove the car later and the temperature was fine using air conditioning in 90+ heat. My husband checked the level once again and the level was still correct.
I was told the radiator was full, so I was not concerned about the radiator. I thought that there was more to the problem, but everything points back to the mechanic did not check the fluid level on my radiator, as he told me. My husband thinks the only reason the engine did not get seriously damaged is because I drove home with the heat on.
I believe that the 1.8 hours charged to replace a pulley and belt was extravagant. The mechanic put me at additional, unnecessary risk and was negligent in his actions. I believe compensation in this manner would be appropriate.
I will wait for your reply, before I pursue further options.
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 8693783, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
The car overheated. Meineke replaced the Serpentine belt. They should have checked the radiator, in case it had "boiled over". I specifically asked the mechanic, if he had checked the coolant level. he stated he had and I was "good to go". If he had been honest and stated he had not checked the level, I would have asked him again. If the mechanic refused to check the coolant level and I would have driven to a gas station, purchased coolant, and filled the coolant level myself. Since I believed the mechanic, when he stated the coolant level was OK, I did not check the level. I only asked, a normal maintenance question. If the mechanic would have been honest, I could have avoided excessive heat band possible damage to my engine.
My Saturn SCII had maintained a temperature level of 1/3, when driven in high 90 degrees temperature, while using the AC. The radiator DOES NOT LEAK and the only reason it overheated, while driving from Louisville KY to Fairview TN, was the mechanic NEVER CHECKED COOLANT LEVELS when a out of state Customer, asked him if he had.
I am still requesting a refund!
Regards,
Kimberly Roberts