I’ve trusted your store in Bridgeville, PA to service my vehicles for several years. Generally we take them to Midas for brakes, and mufflers but have also purchased tires, state inspections, and other services from Midas from time to time.

This past Saturday I had my vehicle at the Toyota dealer’s for a number of issues. While working on the vehicle they discovered that my brake pads were in need of replacement. I didn’t have them do the work because I had a warranty with Midas to cover the pads. I called Midas from the dealership and set up an appointment for Monday, March 17, 2014. I was concerned about making it to work on time and was told that they could have me in and out of there in 90 minutes.

I had the vehicle there when the store was opening. After it had been on the rack for an hour or so the service manager called me over to his desk. He told me that I needed some $1,200 worth of additional work. He took me out to the shop to show me. On the way out he said my struts were shot and needed to be replaced immediately. He showed me corrosion on the outside of the housing as proof. I then explained to him that I had the vehicle at Toyota only two days before. I had asked them to specifically check the struts. They did and said they were fine. Suddenly, his story changed. He said that the replacing the struts was only a recommendation, based solely on the mileage of the vehicle.

I refused the work, but my antenna went up. He then “heavily recommended” a front-end alignment and rear shocks. I mentioned that Toyota had just checked those too – and once again said they were fine. I initially agreed to the front end alignment.

Another 2 hours passed. The front-end alignment hadn’t been done and I needed to get to work. In the meantime I heard the service manager “heavily recommend” front end alignments to two other customers.

Being I was out of time and had to leave for work and the service manager’s credibility was somewhat in question, I cancelled the alignment. They still hadn’t completed the brake job. I had been there for over 3 hours, twice as long as I was promised.

I was on the expressway when my cell phone rang. It was the service manager explaining that the tech had forgotten to put the new inspection stickers on my vehicle. I requested that he simply credit the fee and I would take the vehicle somewhere else for inspection. He refused.

He said that since the inspection had been done that he could not credit me. I said it’s not “done” until the sticker is applied to the windshield. He insisted that I bring the vehicle back. I told him I was already late for work. He said, “Then bring it back after work or tomorrow.”

I also want to mention that I have been having an on-going problem with this one Midas location and my hubcaps. It seems every time I bring the vehicle in they manage to break off a few of the plastic tabs that hold my hubcaps in place. I do not seem to have this problem at Pep Boys or Toyota. I always check them before I pull out. Although in a hurry, I checked. Sure enough, one of them was very loose. I called over the tech. It came off in his hand with just a touch. The service manager was standing there and tried to argue that the breaks were old, even though at least one was clearly fresh. He then blamed that on the poor design of Toyota’s hubcaps.

For me, I think I’ll go elsewhere next time.