Meineke Car Care Center

My car is now a loud BEAST! I did a muffler delete with Lupe, and boy did he do it good! I called in for scheduling, and he was able to tell me the time to come in right away. Scheduling done right! I came in and he said the car would be done by 1pm. I came back at 12:50 after lunch, and the car was already near completion… After a few minutes wait… ROARRRrrrrrr! All done and no leaks so far and it’s been a week. The welding also looks professional! Don’t be skeptical about their skills! They do good work. I’m impressed!

I got the America’s Best Car Care plan through Groupon and they came through on oil changes (though you need to schedule a few weeks in advance and should still expect to wait 1 – 2 hours WITH an appointment). I don’t know much about cars and trusted their assessment of the issues my vehicle has had over my two year plan membership. Their prices for the other few minor things I got fixed were reasonable.
However, when I tried to use a couple of the more expensive services that came with my ABCC pre-​paid plan, they wouldn’t honor it! They said they would discount the free labors/​service that I had paid for, but wouldn’t do it for free! Apparently «that’s what ABCC tells them to do.» I called ABCC plan 6 – 8 times over a two week period, tried every means to contact them on their site, and never reached a representative or heard anything back. I finally contacted Groupon to ask them for a refund. After trying for two weeks, Groupon informed me that even they had not been able to reach the company to resolve my complaint! Groupon and gave me a refund even though it was way past their dispute period for my two year old purchase.
This Meineke is a fine shop, but much of their business appears to come from ABCC plan and they clearly cheat them out of what ABCC has sold them. I’d trust them for independent work, but America’s Best customer’s beware. I’m not sure whether Meineke or ABCC is to blame, but you won’t get what you paid for.

I knew I needed new brakes and rotors, and had been putting it off. Well, this Thanksgiving I just couldn’t put it off anymore (front passenger side brake was metal on metal), and I didn’t need the car the entire weekend.
My normal place was closed, and I got through to Meineke. He said he could do it that day (Friday), so I dropped it off also asking him to check the bearings for a rolling growl (no, not the brakes) I’d been hearing for a while. My wife chose this time to drag me to a dealership as my 2006 VW w/​100k miles seemed to have more than its share of issues.
While at the dealership, I got a call from Meineke saying I needed new brakes (I knew that), new rotors on the front (I knew that, too) and the back rotors could be turned, saving some money. He also said the growl was the tires. My normal mechanic said the same thing, but I didn’t believe him. Meineke, however, explained that the uneven wear on the tires (causing the growl) was because the shocks and struts were in desperate need of replacement. I should replace the unevenly worn tires, too, which would make my pick-​up time mid-​day Saturday instead of end of day Friday.
«Do it all,» I said. When I picked it up, the Meineke man told me I had a new car. I have to say it drives like new… a smooth, quiet ride that I haven’t had in a long time.
New shocks, struts, brakes, front rotors and tires ran $ 2k, which is just about the cost of a tune-​up at the dealer, and just about what I expected — perhaps a little less. Ding 1 star as the whole thing took ½ day longer than I was told (end of day Saturday rather than mid-​day), but I didn’t really need the car — a matter of principle. Today the car is getting detailed, so it will be just like new!
Bonus in this story: $ 2k has my car going another 100k miles — well, maybe the shocks and struts should be checked out again well before that — and is a whole lot less than the new car my wife dragged me to see.

Gets the job done! No bs-​ing here. this guy who runs meineke tells you straight up what’s the deal pretty nice guy as well. Like some other car places, they screw you around coming up with a million ways to make you pay more. Come here. Unless you wanna get robbed somewhere else

I came here several times for different reasons. I’ve done several oil changes and they were all perfectly fine. They also replaced the water pump on my car and they also did a fine job.
However, this review is for an AC incident I had with them.
I bought a second hand VW with no working AC. I brought it to them and told them that I just bought the car and that the AC wasn’t working. They took a look at it and saw that there was no R134, so they decided they were just going to fill it up. As soon as they did, they showed me that the condenser had a big hole where the R134 was coming out (duh! why do you think it was empty!). They gave me an estimate to replace the condenser and charged me for that refill, which I thought it was pushing it, but whatever.
I replaced the condenser on my own and went back for a second refill. They did it again and charged me again for it. I left the place with AC, but later that day I found out that the AC would only work as long as I wasn’t pressing the gas pedal, which was really weird. I went back a couple of weeks later, since I couldn’t get there during the week at normal hours, and they told me that there was some kind of leak and did another refill, for which they charged me AGAIN!
That same afternoon, when I was coming back home from work on a hot day, I turned on the AC. There was a fizzling noise followed by a scratching one, so I immediately turned it off.
Next day I Went to an official VW dealership, were they confirmed that the AC was overcharged and it had too much oil in the system, forcing and oil leak out of the compressor and possibly damaging it. They evacuated the system and reloaded it with the correct amount of AC and oil, and the AC was working normally for the first time.
I went back to demand with the paperwork from the dealership where it showed that they overfilled the AC and demanded my money back on the last R134 refill and I asked them to pay my bill at the VW dealership since it was completely their fault. They gave me a refund for the last refill, admitting their fault, but they didn’t pay for the dealership bill. They told me that I should have brought it to them. As if I can ever trust them again with AC issues…
I tried to talk to Meineke corporate, but their customer service is a joke. Their phone number always goes to voicemail and most of the times it’s full so you can’t even leave a message. Terrible customer service!
Anyway, that’s my story. If you are going for an oil change, they are perfectly capable. If you wanna do something else, beware!
Also. DO NOT BOOK APPOINTMENTS ONLINE. They offer the option on Meineke’s website, but the manager manually cancels them every day. I made one that they «forgot to cancel» and when I showed up they were not expecting me… You have to call to make an appointment.

I went in for an oil change. The staff was friendly. However, they forgot to inspect my car for some noise that I mentioned was coming from the engine. After an hour when I came back to take the car, there was no one at the counter and I asked a mechanic about my car. He came in with me and looked at the notes and realized that the inspection was not done. He took the car and spent another 15 mins to inspect. But overall, they were good and I will go back.

Lupe fixed my exhaust for a ¹⁄₃ of the price of other places and he squeezed me in same day.

Liars, cheats, and thieves!!! I bought a coupon that discounted their serves from groupon for this place never having used them before and I never will again!!! They are using the coupon to lure in customers then they jack up the prices so not only are you not getting any kind of a good deal but I ended up paying way more then I would have from the normal place I go to! I highly recommend to anyone that they avoid this place altogether unless they want to get ripped off!!! This kind of place is why auto shops get a bad name! Booooooo Meineke Car Care Center!!!

I am so upset with this place right now. I commute over 500 miles per week so I made an appointment for a Friday morning because I had the day off work. The Thursday before, I received an e-​mail saying they needed to cancel my appointment and that I could re-​schedule. I was a little irritated but accepted. It ended up being a very busy month with a lot of extra driving, in addition to commuting.
I ended up making another appointment a month later, when I had time, on a Saturday morning, because I didn’t want to take more time off work during the week. I received an appointment reminder e-​mail the Friday before, and even a reminder text on Saturday morning. I live over 30 minutes from Meineke and had to get up fairly early on a Saturday to get this oil change. When I arrived at the place, there was a hand written sign on the door saying «CLOSED — Will re-​open on Monday». I received a reminder text (obviously automatic) THAT MORNING. I was so mad! This was my 2^nd attempt to get my oil change. I drive a lot and really needed it! Did not receive a phone call or anything, telling me they were going to be closed and my appointment has been cancelled AGAIN.
The reason I chose this company was because I have an America’s Best Car Care Plan with this shop, good for 8 oil changes. So I have to go here, unless I want to pay for a drive through oil changer, which is not efficient, seeing I have 7 more oil changes available here!
The only reason I gave this company 2 stars is because the first time I ever made an appointment and got my oil changed here, they were great. A little slow, but friendly and got the job done. This 2^nd time has been a nightmare. I needed an oil change 2000 miles ago!

I bought an oil change package. It was for 3 oil changes and I’m not going to come here after I’ve used them all. First of all, I drive a Prius, so the synthetic oil that it takes costs me an additional $ 50 each time… that makes a $ 35 package about $ 200. :-/
The customer service is spotty and it’s always so busy that you have to make an appointment at LEAST two weeks ahead of time. That SUCKS when you have to drive around with your oil light on for two weeks. (one of the appointments we made was a MONTH out)
ALSO, even if you have an appointment, you still have to wait a minimum of 30 minutes. If someone doesn’t show up to work? An hour and a half.
I don’t think my review is going to make any difference for their business… it’s SO busy all of the time… when I drive here all of the way from Los Gatos, I must say, it’s not worth it. There are oil change places right by my house… I might just have to start shelling out the $ 75.

I purchased an oil change package and went there to get my first one. A couple weeks later, I noticed my car wreaked of oil after long drives and smoke was coming from under the hood. I took it into Hyundai (I have a 2012 Accent) to get it checked out and the oil cap wasn’t screwed on correctly which caused the oil to spew out. Hyundai had to clean it all up and topped off my oil for me (thank you Hyundai Concord!). Needless to say, it was a sloppy and rushed job by Meineke. Their staff is very friendly and courteous but poor workmanship, at least for oil changes which is something simple that shouldn’t be messed up and done so carelessly. The shop is also very small with a narrow driveway and you get the impression that they are just rushing to get cars in and out, not putting care into their work.

Fit me in with no issues even though I was almost and hour late. Don’t let the hole in the wall look phase you, they’re pretty great.

Based on my experience, this place has turned into my go to place for car trouble. The owner is one of the few auto mechanics who I have ever met that seemed genuinely honest. They fixed my car, an older Ford model, and then a few days later the car was experiencing some problems again. My initial reaction was that they might have caused the issue, being naturally skeptical. But after inspection, the Lupe determined it was another issue, and helped fixed it without charging me. Just that simple gesture brought me here to review, and won him an ongoing customer.

At first, I was little skeptical of this place bc interior was not organized, cluttered and the drive way is really narrow. My car has lower suspension and just came out of body shop for some new paint job so I am not going to lie, I was worried getting scratches! haha
HOWEVER:
I needed a O2 sensor bung welded on my down pipe asap for my new AFU GAUGE to work, Lupe had a busy schedule but was willing to fit me in that same day bc it would not take him long. Sure enough he was right, 15 mins later… DONE!
AWESOME SERVICE. Very reasonable price. He and his worker (sorry, forget to ask for his name) also help me loop the O2 sensor harness through my fire-​wall and took them less than 10mins! saved me much less time and $$$ from other shops quoted me. out the door in half hour and only $ 50!!! :)
I was so thankful for the service I even gave them 50% tip for there eagerness and being extremely helpful to me. Lupe and team, if you are reading this, thanks again and I will come back for other needs in future. MUCHO GRACIAS! (O_​O)

Lupe;
Fantastic Guy, all-​around good person. My Mustang engine was blown from my lack of care. Took the car to Lupe, he gave a complete assement of the engine. The repair took three weeks to complete.
Each time a call i was greeted by first name, now i am in service hospitality, and i spend countless hours training various groups of people, the basics of customer service. Thanks Lupe!
So my list is almost complete:
Excellent Barber –checked
Excellent Doctor-​checked
Excellent Mechanic –checked
Excellent-​Denist-​checked

I got my mustang looked at here since it was running really rough. They took a long time. Longer than what I was told it was going to take. They did not find what the issue was… Spent money and time and no dice! But the owner, I forget his name said he thought it might be a censor or some type of fuse. I then hit the junk jars and found a mustang with the same engine and year. I then got all the censors out of it and my car ran like a champ! Don’t know why the owner couldn’t put new censors in and save me the trouble. I would of payed him to do so! Oh well.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! I have a 2002 Mustang GT and whenever I have needed anything done, these guys have taken care of me. Lupe is the best. He takes the time to explain things to you and gets the job done.
I would never go anywhere else… The prices are good and they get you in and out in no time at all. Also, unlike other places, when you NEED your car fixed NOW, they can always find a way to squeeze you in which is amazing since they are always very very busy.

Lupe is the man!
There actually is an honest mechanic in town. Lupe will tell you what needs to be done, what doesn’t need to be done, what can wait and for how long, etc. I could not be treated better every time I come in for service work. Lupe and his staff take excellent care of mine and my wife’s cars and has saved us tons of money.
Thanks, Lupe! Keep up the good work.

I love this place.
My story starts when I received a recall notice from Chrysler regarding catalytic converters in all Jeeps in a certain time frame. I brought my Jeep to the nearby Jeep dealership to have the catalytic converter replaced.
When I picked up the car, I noticed that the car was louder than usual, especially when idling at a stop light or stop sign. I brought the car back to Jeep and all I got is «Nothing is wrong ma’am. We don’t see anything». Bull S***, I may be a girl but I have 12 brothers and I know when my car isn’t running right.
I brought my car to my mechanic (AutoQuest in Redwood City). They are fantabulous!!! John at AutoQuest noticed there was a small hole in the muffler and recommended Meineke in Redwood City. I said «John, really? Meineke? I have heard so many horror stories about Meineke!» and John said «No, no, Lupe is great!»
Fast forward to this Saturday afternoon, I am in the Meineke office meeting Lupe. He takes about 10 minutes to look at the car and comes back and says «I can fix the hole for $ 55.00 but your muffler is going to need to be replaced in the next 6 months to a year, so I can fix the hole or I can install a new muffler for $ 135.00, whichever you want» …
Are you kidding me? Fix a muffler for $ 135.00 and go about my day 20 – 30 minutes later? Where the heck do I sign up? I couldn’t say «Install a new muffler» fast enough. 25 minutes later, I hear my car start up and I automatically hear the quiet purr that I haven’t heard in oh so long.
I love this place and I highly recommend it to anyone who doesn’t want to get ripped off. Lupe at Meineke in Redwood City is great! Please don’t waste your time anywhere else.

Great Service and Great Service.
Took my car in because I started hearing noise coming from the front tire area, I wasn’t sure if it was the brakes or something more complicated. My brother suggested I take it here even though they were better known for their Exhaust/​Muffler stuff. He said they were very experienced.
They not only do Exhaust/​Mufflers but they do Brakes, Tune-​ups, Shocks, Oil Changes and lots of other stuff from what I saw.
Dropped off my car in the morning and I picked up my car the same day and It was perfect, The noise was gone and it drove smoothly. I was so pleased with the service they gave and the work they did.
I would definitely recommend this place.