Midas Consumer Reviews - Page 5

HOUSTON, TEXAS -- I brought my car in for repair at the Midas on Westminster in Houston. The repair was done so well. I mistakenly thought the car was a new vehicle. It drove so very smoothly. This occurred in the month of June 2014. I give all the praises to the master mechanic. Once again, thanks so very much. The place is courteous and professional.

HUMBLE, TEXAS -- I have taken my vehicles here for the last 20 years. The service has deteriorated recently. The last visit was the worst. They were supposed to rotate the tires and check for air leak. The tires did not even come off the vehicle and they said they did all that. They charged me for Interstate battery and installed a cheaper battery. This franchise needs to be shut down before more people are taken.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA -- I took my car to Midas because I couldn't get in to my regular trusted mechanic for a couple weeks (probably because they are great guys and extremely honest about what you do and don't need). The customer service was fine and they were friendly. That part I have no complaints about.

I was told that I needed a new battery, serpentine belts replaced, cabin filter (you don't even really need this, btw unless you have really bad allergies) and an air filter. I knew I absolutely needed the battery and an oil change so I had them do this. I should have questioned the price but I was at work and in the middle of a million things and wasn't thinking clearly.

I was charged $189.95 for a 25-60 CARQUEST battery plus $15.99 to install it. After getting my serpentine belts and air filter replaced at my regular mechanic today, I asked about the battery price for a comparison. My mechanic showed me where the product number was on the battery so I could look up the CARQUEST price and told me that they get the batteries for $115 and charge $10 to install it. He was right on the money. The battery on the CARQUEST website was $114.99. I can understand a small markup, but Midas is putting a 65% markup on the battery.

I know this is my problem for not being a more informed consumer, and I also know they can charge whatever they want as long as people agree to it. However, I don't appreciate the price gouging and do not plan to take my car back to Midas again. Do yourself a favor and look up the price of parts that they say you need! I will stick with my mechanic from now on. Lesson learned.

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS -- I took my vehicle to the location of 3819 Fredericksburg Rd in San Antonio, Texas. Oooh my gosh, what a big mistake. I asked them for an estimate for the brakes and the exhaust leak. They had no problem dropping me off in my OWN CAR, no shuttle, they drove my car that needed repairs, to a friend's house. Before I left, I specifically said "DO NOT DO ANY WORK WITHOUT SPEAKING WITH ME". They said "ooh, no problem, we won't".

My boyfriend called and the man said "can I call you back, I am on the line with someone". We received no call back. An hour later we called again and the same man said "you're ready to go, its all fixed". We got a ride to the shop and said "we did not authorize any work". He said "your boyfriend authorized the work". My boyfriend said "I did not, you were supposed to call us back". He said "well the work is done". I explained we did not have the funds to have all the work done. He stated they had a payment plan they could put us on, but only with a check. We do not have checks. He explained a check from anyone, he didn't care whose check it was.

They would not let me have my car until a portion was paid. I called San Antonio Police and they came out to the location. They explained this was a civil matter, I would have to take them to court to get my car back. Keep in mind, I never signed anything. We agreed to pay a portion of the work, I needed my car for work, we share 1 vehicle.

We got a check from a friend and picked up my car. Apparently the check bounced and 3 months later they towed my car in the middle of the night. We paid the remaining balance, but the owner would not release the car until an $800 towing fee was paid. He kept my vehicle at one of the Midas shops.

The car was parked outside the shop, off their property. I took my car back. They never had a mechanics lein on the car, they just took it without any lawful means. I called the owner 2 weeks after and he explained he just processed the lien with the county clerk. I had already called the county clerk to give them a heads-up, they said they will not approve the lien. This owner claims he is an ex-police officer (I wonder why). He is crooked and he will not work with you. BEWARE OF THIS SHOP...THEY ARE A NIGHTMARE.

IRVING, TEXAS -- I took my car to one of the Midas car shop about a month ago to fix muffler. They told me it has the exhaust leakage and since there is no check engine sign on, they don't know anything else. They fixed the exhaust leakage, now my car has Check Engine sign on and my car shakes like hell. So I took it back to them second time they said I have to change spark plugs. I did that too but the problem is still the same. Third time I took it back to them, they said now something else is wrong with the engine they have to look at at it.

They kept my car for 15 days then they said third cylinder has low compression and it costs $1500 to fix it. When I asked why my car is shaking so bad and check engine sign is on, mechanic told me check engine was on from the beginning. And the manager kept adding problems after problems. My car was drivable and used to run smoothly but right after they fixed whatever they told the problem is, it is in its worst condition.

The store manager did not know how to talk to the customer. He yelled at me and instead of fixing my car, he told me my car is too old and I can take it somewhere else to fix my car. He ask money to fix my car and if I don't pay him, he will not give my car key. I called their customer service no one responded me. Finally I got their shops owners no. and called him. At first he was unaware of the issue and when I was trying to explain my problem, he hung up on me.

This is the worst car shop ever. If there is any kind of issue, they tell you to go to court. They just don't know how to fix the car. Bottom line is: DON'T EVER TAKE YOUR CAR TO MIDAS TO FIX IF YOU LOVE YOUR CAR. IT IS THE WORST EXPERIENCE EVER.

After reading these experiences, I felt compelled to add my own insights. I've been a ASE certified mechanic for most of my adult life, from Arizona to Alaska to Spain. I also spent a few months working at a Midas. While there are some excellent techs employed at Midas there are also a lot of kids, 19 to 23 or so, who make 11-15 dollars an hour. We had one who test drove a customer's Porsche and spun it sideways into a snow bank. The shop paid to fix it, but the car was uncrashed when brought in.

Midas specializes in undercar, brakes and suspension, because it is more lucrative than engine or transmission diagnostics. Brake work in shops is viewed as gravy--quick, easy money. Therefore, Midas can hire guys without a lot of experience and still make profits. A chain has a monthly goal ($) and towards the end of the month the pressure to meet that goal extends from corporate office to franchise owner to foreman to mechanic. Guys are told they must increase the amount they're billing each month or face a pay cut. Calipers are the easiest thing to add to a ticket, and rarely need replacing.

Another scam is the GM brake hardware kits--a set of rubber dust boots and o-rings for the brake caliper bolts. Midas pays around 2.00 for these and lists them at 24.99. Those lifetime brake pads? Be ready to have your rotors resurfaced every time you go in for your free replacements--that's about 80$ a visit, plus after 3-4 visits your rotors will be too thin and have to be replaced. Don't want to do that? You'll get your brake pads in a box.

While there are some fine techs at Midas, the business model is flawed, focusing on the ledger line. It is not a business run by competent automotive professionals, but by corporate penny pinchers. Find a honest, independent and competent shop and stick with them through thick and thin. Every shop and mechanic makes mistakes, but what I saw in Midas leads me to question their honesty and motives and that is not a dynamic that should exist with any repair shop.

SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA -- Midas has an ad that plays on the radio station I listen to every morning, stating they offer a free check engine light diagnostic test. The ad states "if your check engine light comes on, don't wait...take it to Midas for a free check engine light diagnostic..."

So one day my car's engine light comes on and of course I call up Midas to set up an appointment. I specifically say I am interested in making an appointment for the free engine light diagnostic test. The guy answering the phone puts me on hold and then another guy gets on the phone to set up the appointment date and time.

I get to Midas on our pre-arranged scheduled time and start filling out the paperwork. The guy behind the counter states the diagnostic test costs $105. I told him "No, I wanted the free engine light diagnostic test that you advertise on the radio". Stated, "We don't have such an advertisement. You must be mistaken with another company. Midas doesn't advertise anything like that."

I argue with him again that it WAS a Midas advertisement and that this was the reason I called Midas up first...because THEY were the ones that advertise on my radio station. He then stated I was welcome to take my car and go find another place to have the engine diagnostic done, but that I wouldn't find anywhere else that would do it for free so I might as well just have it done there.

I decided to go ahead and have the diagnostic test done there, because I knew he was right. I would have to pay for the test anywhere else I went, and the fact that I had my ride waiting for me outside while I left my car, I felt pressured into agreeing to the $105 fee.

Once I was back home however, I looked up the Midas online customer service email and explained the situation. I asked that I be reimbursed for the $105 fee when the ad clearly stated it was free. I waited a week and got no response. I emailed again, and still no response. It has been months since this ordeal happened. Funny thing is Midas is STILL advertising the same thing on the radio station. I hear it almost daily! I wish I had a way to record the advertisement and even attempted to get in touch with the radio station, but just couldn't find anyone who could help me out.

KEARNEY, NEBRASKA -- On 4/3/13 I stopped in the Midas located at 102 W 25th St, Kearney, NE 68847 to have my tires rotated and balanced while driving cross country from Chicago, IL to Los Angeles, CA. The store was getting ready to close. The manager went out to my car to get the miles off the car, and when removing the key from my ignition, he locked it up. He later went out to move the car into the service bay, when we learned he wasn't able to start the car. We called a locksmith, as there was no parts in town to replace it.

The locksmith came out and took a look at it, and informed me IN FRONT OF THE MANAGER that he had snatched the key out WITH FORCE while the car wasn't fully in the OFF position, resulting in bending the pins in the ignition. I was stuck with a $65.00 bill for the locksmith and told I would need to replace the ignition, as the Midas employee damaged it. The employee who damaged the ignition admitted fault as well, and said he was very sorry. He told me to come back the next day and they would do my rotation on my tires for FREE.

On 4/4/13 I returned as I had stayed the night at a local hotel. I was charged for the service as well $60.80. On 4/24/13 I called Lexus as requested to do by ** to get the price of the repair, and was told he would pay me to have the car fixed, as well as the $60.80 I paid of the service and the $35.00 I paid for the hotel.

When he found out the bill for the car repair was $737.80 he refused to pay it, and told me the age and miles on the car was the reason my ignition broke, and proceeded to tell me I'm in Los Angeles now and he is in Nebraska, and there wasn't anything I could do about it. I have threatened to contact my attorney and sue Midas and he refuses to pay me for the damages.

I have a written statement from the locksmith even stating the Midas employee was the one that damaged my car, and if Midas still refuses to make payment to me for this damage, I do have full right and intent to sue Midas to the fullest of the law. I will seek damages for car, hotel, repair bill at Midas, attorney fees, court cost and interest if allowed by the court. This $900.00 problem will turn into a $5000 or more problem.

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY -- I went to get a brake job done. Told $150 on phone. Got there and of course there's more problems, new total is $320 (have to replace rotors, can't machine them down, bull crap, bull crap, bull crap). I agree. 45 minutes later I have to get a new caliper (they broke it while changing brakes). Now it's $530 dollars (180 bucks for a new caliper).
I google caliper and see its only $70. I ask if this is too expensive, am told no. I tell them I do not even have the money in my bank. I have to pay it or it can't be fixed and I can't leave. I forward money to bank account. 3.5 hours later and $450 more than I was expecting to pay, I leave.

4 days later, the caliper they installed wrong leaked all my brake fluid out. I almost wrecked. I can't imagine what could have happened to me or my daughters, or if my girlfriend had been driving (not that women aren't good drivers but she would not have known how to handle a car with no brakes).

So after making me wait 3 hours longer than I should have, charged me over 400 bucks more than I should have, they put my personal life and property in danger and every single person on the road that I was around that day after I left work. The other customers while I was there all had something else wrong with their car they 'had to get fixed' (lady getting an oil change needed an alignment, lady getting oil change needed timing belt replaced, etc, anything they can say to charge more).

After I told the guy I didn't have enough money initially to pay for it and had to borrow money just to pay them, I tried to use a coupon I printed off their website and was told they couldn't take it. One of the worst experiences of my life. After I had caliper replaced by another mechanic (for 60 bucks), I told them I wanted my money back on my old caliper. They said they are in the retail business, not the wholesale business and that's why I was overcharged!

So their mentality is exactly this: 'CHARGE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN TO EVERY CUSTOMER REGARDLESS OF CIRCUMSTANCE. That's how they make money'. No customer service, no customer care, their guarantee is a lie and a farce... AVOID AT ALL COSTS! Drive these creeps out of business.

MESA, ARIZONA -- My wife got a coupon for free oil change from Midas. We live in Mesa so she went to Michael Jasko (Midas) on 2964 East Main Street, 85213. She called saying we needed new tires (we didn't, but I hadn't looked at them in a while, so talked to owner). Owner (Michael Jasko) assured me they were dangerous (a lie). I assumed tires would be about $400 for 4 new tires, installed as I'd seen various advertisements. He said $500, because they were special tires. I reluctantly agreed but only after getting him to confirm verbally there would be no other charges.

He proceeded to upsell my wife on everything after we hung up. Nitro fill (an utter waste), road warranty (another waste, covered by insurance already), and he tacked on $193 in labor. Again, he confirmed there were absolutely no other charges on the phone when we spoke. So when I spoke to my wife I told her go ahead and do what he is suggesting... He of course suggested everything possible to upsell an additional $300 on top of the already fraudulent order of new tires on a FREE oil change coupon.

I attempted to work things out, assuming that it was a mistake on my wife's part. He didn't tell her anything about additional charges until the work was done and he brought a final bill. What could be done? He can put a lien on the vehicle. We just paid and left as my infant was already waiting a few hours and I knew he could make this horrible.

Bottom line: He lied directly to me, refused to return my calls and emails (until I threatened BBB complaint). I also tried to work out a trade deal with him for the $300, because I thought maybe my wife had simply not heard him say there would be extra charges. He dodged me for 2 months of phone calls and emails, never returning my calls and telling me he was busy when I called. I was polite until my last email to him when I explained what I would do if he didn't refund the $300 he ripped us off for.

I would suggest you go to a mechanic you can trust. One that I've found and trust is: College Automotive (480) 655-7699.They repaired my neon and helped me to decide if I needed to fix things or wait until it's worse. I totally felt like they were on my side and trying to help me get the best deal, while still being safe. If you want honest service, stay away from MIDAS!