david1@aluxe.UUCP (nelson) (03/22/84)
I have some observations about Midas Muffler shops that I'd like to
get some feedback on.
1) About 5 times out of 6 when I would need a new exhaust pipe they
would tell me that the whole system is rusted together and everything
has to be replaced. If I previously bought an exhaust system
there the muffler would of course be free to replace , but they
don't guarantee their pipes. I finally found a Midas when I was in
Allentown (Pa.) that said they could weld the pipes apart and just
replace the section that was bad.
2) I've never had to have a Midas muffler replaced, but it seems their
pipes rust out about every year or two.
3) I was once told by a (Reading, Pa.) Midas that I needed 2 new brake
calipers (a couple of hundred dollars). I went to another place and they said
they were fine.
4) I have a '78 VW diesel Rabbit now. It has 86500 miles. I took it in
yesterday because the exhaust system was making alot of noise. By now I
use Midas only as a diagnostic center and get my work done elsewhere. The
car was put on a lift and my problem was a cracked flex pipe which is
about 14" long and looks like it should be flexible due to the vibration
of the diesel engine . The guy told me that for $65 he could replace it
with the type I had, but that it would last about 6 months and then crack, or
he could replace it with a newly designed one for $170 which he could
guarantee. I told him the one that was cracked has 86500 miles
on it and he replied saying I was very lucky. I told him I'd get it checked
out elsewhere. Another guy took my car off the lift, pushed down on
the hood and said I needed new front shocks. I told him I just had
the McPherson struts replaced at that Midas about a year and a half
ago. Then he said that I must need new springs, that they don't last
long on the VW's. I told him that the car has 86500 miles and he replied
that that is very long and I must be very lucky. So I got the same reply from
2 different guys about 2 different parts. What are they trying to
pull? Obviously to get my money, but I question their tactics.
Has anyone else had similar experiences at a Midas or am I alone in my
suspicions?
R. Nelson
AT&T Bell Labs
Reading, Pa.
aluxe!david1mark@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Horton) (03/22/84)
Yes, I have also been burned by Midas Muffler. I had a 1970 Ford LTD with one of the exhaust pipes broken from rust. I called one exhaust shop and got a quote over the phone of about $55. I called Midas and was quoted about $65. Figuring I'd get the lifetime guarantee, I went to Midas. They put the car up and replaced the "famous Ford Y pipe", then presented me with a bill for about $81. I pointed out the quote of $65, and they said "oh, that doesn't include replacing this other pipe here which always has to be replaced when the Y pipe is replaced." Nobody remembered giving a quote anyway. I asked to speak to the manager, who was conveniently out at the moment. Not feeling it was worth it to wait around, I paid. I the inquired about the guarantee, and was informed that only mufflers get the lifetime guarantee, everything else has a standard 90 days. I have never gone back. While we're on the subject of auto ripoffs, AAMCO transmissions are in the same league. This same Ford (don't buy a Ford, please!) had the transmission go bad. We took it into AAMCO and asked for an estimate. The guy test drove it around the block and concluded "yep, your transmission is bad. If you want a more specific estimate, we'll put it up on the rack, open it up, and charge you $50 for the estimate." We signed the paper committing the $50 and they went at it. Half an hour later we had a written estimate detailing exactly what was wrong and calling for $450, with the $50 we were already into them for to be credited. At this point, there is an enormous perceived incentive to tell them to go ahead so you won't lose your $50. After all, you don't know what a competitor will do. I asked about their famous lifetime guarantee that was heavily advertised at the time, and was informed that to get the guarantee they would raise the price to around $600. I am very thankful that we paid them their $50 and took the car and the list of problems home and called around to other transmission shops. They would happily give estimates over the phone, given the list of problems, although they all assumed I had no idea what was really wrong with the transmission, and hedged their bets with "if that's really what's wrong with it". We found a gas station that would fix it for $250. They fixed it for the quoted price, on time, and we had no more trouble with the transmission. I'd have to consider the $50 well spent. Mark
molter@eosp1.UUCP (Larry Molter) (03/22/84)
I've only been to a Midas shop twice and my experiences
have been both good and not-so-good.
- My '75 Toyota was making a racket from a leak
in the custom exhaust system. I took it to Midas
expecting to have a new system installed. When they
put it on the lift, the mechanic discovered that
the gasket assembly that connects the main pipe
from the engine to the muffler was not bolted
together tightly. He torqued the bolts, then
welded them together, *for no charge*.
- I took my '80 AMC Turkey to have its front shocks
replaced (I KNEW that they were bad). Fine. They
replaced the front shocks. But... I was informed
by the mechanic that the REAR shocks were also bad.
"They only last about 20,000 miles". Unfortunately,
(gullible me) I took his word for it and had them
replaced too. (They may or may not have been bad).
I also asked to have the brakes inspected while the
car was up (they advertised a free brake inspection).
First of all, I *assumed* that the inspection was for
front and rear brakes. Not quite. Front only. And...
they inspected the brake pads WITHOUT REMOVING THE WHEELS!
Larryliem@houxf.UUCP (L.NGUYEN) (03/22/84)
I had a similar experience with a Midas shop in Eatontown, N.J.
The muffler was bad but they wanted to replace the whole
exhaust pipe. They argued that the exhaust pipe was so rusty
that they couldn't remove the muffler without damaging the
pipe. Upon inspection the exhaust pipe when my car was up on
the lift, I insisted that only the muffler be replaced. They
finally installed the muffler after giving all these bulls**t about
my having to install a new pipe very soon. Well, it has been a
year and the exhaust pipe is doing ok. I guess it's the Midas
touch! Everything they touch turns into dollars out of your
pocket.
liem parnass@ihuxf.UUCP (Bob Parnass, AJ9S) (03/22/84)
During the early 1970's, several New Jersey AAMCO dealers were found to be installing used transmissions and parts into customers' cars and representing them as new. -- ========================================================================== Bob Parnass, AT&T Bell Laboratories - ihnp4!ihuxf!parnass - (312)979-5760
holforty@ihuxe.UUCP (Nancy L. Holforty) (03/22/84)
Around 1970 some of the AAMCO dealers in central Illinois were advertising free estimates. The trick was that you brought your car in, they tore it down, determined what the problem was, and gave you an estimate. However, if you decided you could not afford it and wanted to look further, they would point to your transmission sitting in pieces on a bench and tell your to take your car and transmission home. In order to get them to put it back together, you had to authorize the repairs. I think they eventually got in trouble for it, since the situation only lasted for a year or two.
warren@ihnss.UUCP (Warren Montgomery) (03/23/84)
My last midasizing was done in about 1976. After that, I discovered that muffler and tailpipe work on Toyotas at least can be done easily by anyone with a couple of wrenches, a little penetrating oil, and enough brute strength to cut through rusted out bolts. (Only once did I have to resort to a hacksaw. I have a torch but won't use it so near the gas tank!) It's a grungy job, but not very long and time consuming. My 72 toyota has a two piece exhaust system, each piece of which is good for about 2 years, independent of mileage. (Midas only guaranteed foreign cars for 90 days in those days.) Midas always replaced both halves for in those days about $70 for the parts and their 10 minutes of labor. When I did it, I could replace only one of the parts for a total cost of $15-$25. I did have one good experience with them, which was after one of their jobs I noticed a persistent exhaust noise around the manifold. I tightened the nuts myself, but soon noticed that one was stripped. I was afraid that I had stripped the stud and would require signifcant repairs to the manifold, and took it to Midas. They discovered that the only problem was a bad nut (Which they had probably given me on the last job), and replaced it, no charge. -- Warren Montgomery ihnss!warren IH x2494
dbg@u1100a.UUCP (D B Grooms) (03/23/84)
. I have read newspaper reports about Midas being indicted for allegedly pushing unnecessary work on cars. I don't know the outcome of the trials.
tim@umn-ucc.UUCP (Tim Giebelhaus) (03/23/84)
I have the same probelm with Midus. The muffler lasts for ever but the pipes (which they don't garentee) don't last over two years (if you are lucky). Sears and K-Mart automotive centers are close to worthless at figuring if there is something wrong with your car. The only place I really trust is a little garage in Antioch IL. I almost trust a garage in Mpls, MN.
prophet@umcp-cs.UUCP (03/24/84)
Late last year, I blew a hole in the tailpipe of my 1979 Datsun 310, and so I
took it to a local Midas Muffler shop to get it fixed. Please note that there
was nothing wrong with the muffler, just with the tailpipe. Anyway, I went
in there and they put my car up on a lift and told me that the muffler would
also have to be replaced because it was an integral part of the tailpipe. I
figured they were just trying to make some money off of me, but since the car
had 32,000 miles on it, I told them to go ahead and replace the muffler. This
they did, but then they called me in and pointed to my rear shocks and said,
"My, those shocks are awfully small, you should replace them. Those shocks
aren't big enough to handle the weight of the rear end." I told them, "Of
course they are small! It's a Front wheel drive car! It doesn't need big
shocks because there isn't that much weight back there!" He kept persisting,
insisting that his $99.00 pair of shocks were "a bargain". I wasn't about to
spend that kind of money on a pair of gas-filled shocks when the originals
were in perfect shape, so I refused.
It's funny, but while I was in there, I saw a brand new Buick Century that
was so new that it couldn't have had more than 5,000 miles on it. An elderly
women was the owner, and the Midas shop apparently told her that it needed
new shocks, because it was up on the lift getting 4 brand new shocks in-
stalled. I just can't believe that a little old lady could drive her car so
that it would need new shocks at 5,000 miles.
I have since come to the conclusion that Midas is overpriced, ( It cost me
$90.00 for a muffler and tailpipe) and that they will tell you anything just
to make a big sale. I don't think I will be visiting Midas ever again.
Dennis
--
Call-Me: Dennis Gibbs, Univ. of Md. Comp. Sci. Center.
UUCP: {seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!prophet
CSNet: prophet@umcp-cs
ARPA: prophet.umcp-cs@CSNet-Relaybbanerje@sjuvax.UUCP (B. Banerjee) (03/24/84)
>> Yes, I have also been burned by Midas Muffler. I had a 1970 Ford LTD >> with one of the exhaust pipes broken from rust. I called one exhaust >> shop and got a quote over the phone of about $55. I called Midas and >> was quoted about $65. Figuring I'd get the lifetime guarantee, I went If you got away with just $65 at Midas, you're lucky. I've been to Midas 2 times. Both times the damage was over $200. Both times they had a sale on, and I was suckered in by the prices ... then they pulled out the old "..the mufflers on sale won't fit your car!" routine. This may have been true, but they saw that I didn't have the time to shop around. Well, twice a sucker - maybe; but never a third time. Oh yes, they're brakes are over-priced, and really suck! Regards, -- Binayak Banerjee {allegra | astrovax | bpa | burdvax}!sjuvax!bbanerje
krev@iheds.UUCP (J. S. Krevitt) (03/24/84)
Not all MIDAS shops attempt to sell unneeded shocks. Two years ago I brought my car, then with 55,000 miles on it, to MIDAS and *asked* them to replace the shocks. They refused, saying that the shocks were in good condition. On the other hand, I have also encountered (at a different shop) the "replace everything back of the exhaust manifold" syndrome. Jim Krevitt [ihnp4!]iheds!krev
hutch@shark.UUCP (Stephen Hutchison) (03/28/84)
<bruuddddddaaaaaa VROOOOOOP VROOOOOOP ping ping *clunk* "midasize it"> | If you got away with just $65 at Midas, you're lucky. I've been to | Midas 2 times. Both times the damage was over $200. Both times they | had a sale on, and I was suckered in by the prices ... then they pulled | out the old "..the mufflers on sale won't fit your car!" routine. This | may have been true, but they saw that I didn't have the time to shop | around. Well, twice a sucker - maybe; but never a third time. | Binayak Banerjee Say, that sounds like the old "Bait and Switch" and whenever one of those happens, RUN don't walk to your nearby cops, and talk to the guys in the Bunko division. Enough investigations and even Midas will stop. Maybe. Hutch Ps. Better yet, borrow their phone to call the Bunko officers.