If you own a car, you probably frequently go to a car care center or occasionally an automotive repair company to get something fixed on your car.
There are many of these centers that offer the same thing in one place, and Meineke is one of them. They are an American international automotive repair franchise company.
Meineke was founded in 1971 in Texas, and they are one of the biggest car care centers in the US and also in some parts of the world.
They were ranked number 52 in the Franchise 500 in 2014. They expanded their services to offer full-service auto repairs in 2003, and they have been offering complete service since then.
With such big brand awareness and over 900 locations comes the question of how good they do their job and if they are expensive.
There are different perceptions of Meineke and their prices all over, and opinions differ quite a lot.
This article will examine Meineke’s services, their average costs, and other details surrounding their pricing scheme.
Factors that Affect the Cost of Meineke Services
Meineke doesn’t offer one type of service with fixed costs. Since they are a full-service auto repair center, they offer most of the things related to car care and auto repair.
That’s why there are many factors that affect the cost of the services you are getting, such as your location and your car.
Type of service you need
The prices you’ll have to pay depend on the kind of service you need. Some services are much cheaper than others, so this affects the overall cost of labor, equipment, and maintenance.
Here are some of Meineke’s services that change in pricing:
- Oil change
- Exhaust & Mufflers
- Brake maintenance and repair
- Tire and wheels inspection & repair
- A/C checks and repairs
- Batteries
- Steering and suspension
- Joints & driveshafts
The prices will go up or down depending on which of these services you require.
For example, oil change is one of the cheapest services because it doesn’t need a lot of equipment and labor.
However, tire repair or driveshaft examination might cost way more than an oil change because it requires heavy work and maybe the extra cost of replacement.
Make and model of the vehicle
Not every car is the same, and they require different specialties, work, and products.
If your car is old and doesn’t have as many replacement items on the market available, it will be more expensive to get the necessary parts.
In addition, finding an expert that can handle a rare or old car could be harder and eventually more expensive.
Meineke could charge you extra accordingly, depending on your car, because of these reasons.
Location of the Meineke franchise
Not every Meineke franchise branch has the same expenses everywhere around the world.
If you are living in an expensive state, the charges for the services will be more expensive than average.
Also, the size of the franchise could affect the prices; if they have more experts and better equipment, their prices might be higher.
Level of expertise and experience of the Meineke technicians
If the Meineke technicians who are serving you are extremely experienced technicians, their charges could be higher.
This is because you will get a better service, and their costs are higher than other Meineke technicians.
Average Cost of Meineke Services – Is It Really Expensive?
Meineke offers various services, and most of the time, they have set prices for the services they are offering.
This means that Meineke doesn’t charge their clients on an hourly basis but rather on a service basis, depending on what you need.
The range of prices for Meineke services could be between $19.95 to $119.95. This is an average price range and could be higher depending on the location, size of the store, model of the car, and other important details.
Here are some examples of the prices of their services:
| Synthetic Blend Oil Change | $34.95 |
| High Mileage Oil Change | $54.95 |
| Fully Synthetic Oil Change | $69.95 |
| 3-Step Air Oil Change Induction Service | $119.95 |
| Transmission Flush | $119.95 |
| Coolant Flush | $79.95 |
| Alignment | $49.95 |
| Brake Service | $119.95 |
| Courtesy Inspection | $25.00 (mc) |
| Tire Rotation | $19.95 |
| Tire Balancing | $49.95 |
| Winter Package | $89.95 |
| Air Filter | $29.95 (mc) |
| Battery Replacement | $29.95 (mc) |
The prices you will get at any Meineke service will probably be closer to these numbers if you don’t have a very old, rare car or a very major problem. In addition, you might be eligible for discounts at Meineke.
Meineke has discount coupons and special discounts for military personnel, veterans, and other special people. You can learn more by contacting Meineke about it.
On average, the national price range for the same services is close to what Meineke is charging. Here are some examples of national average costs for similar services:
- An oil change is between $35 and $75.
- Tire rotation is between $24 and $100.
- Inspection is between $150 to $250.
- Air filter replacement is between $20 to $75.
- Battery replacement is between $60 to $200.
These prices are the average prices of all national auto service chains, so they might change drastically depending on specific things.
Also, if the service you are getting requires anything extra to the car, it will come at a cost because these prices are for labor only.
For example, with tire rotation or tire replacement, depending on the type of tire you need, the price will change because the mentioned cost is only for the labor and not for the product.
Is it Expensive In Comparison to Other Brands?
Meineke’s pricing appears to be in line with other national car care service companies. Some of the prices are lower than average, while others are higher, but overall they seem to be competitive with industry standards.
For example, the Synthetic Blend Oil Change for $34.95 is a common price point for this type of service at other providers, and the Fully Synthetic Oil Change for $69.95 is also a competitive price. The prices for services like Tire Rotation and Battery Replacement are lower than average, which can make Meineke a more affordable option for those services.
The 3-Step Air Oil Change Induction Service at $119.95 and Transmission Flush at the same price point are on the higher end, but it’s important to note that these services are more complex and require more time and resources to complete.
Overall, Meineke’s pricing is generally competitive and comparable to other national car care service companies. However, it’s always a good idea to compare prices and services from different providers to find the best deal for your specific needs.
Factors that Can Make Meineke More Affordable
In cases where Meineke is very expensive or you want to get options to finance the servicing, they offer a couple of different ways to do this.
They combine two offerings together, a credit card and financing, to pay it over time after you make the payment. The credit card is theirs, and they control most of the options.
Their motto with this approach is to pay now and pay later over time. You can get six months of financing for any payment above $199. On top of it, their card is accepted at most gas stations nationwide.
You can apply for this card online and enter your social security and phone number, and then you will wait to get approved.
In addition, Meineke has coupons and packages that you can choose that offer discounts.
Their packages and service plans vary based on your location, and they constantly change to give you the best offers.
Customer Reviews and Satisfaction with Meineke Prices
The reviews about Meineke online do not state a good projection, and the satisfaction is not good for most of the Meineke locations and their prices.
In most cases, the experts asked for a higher price for the item than it was supposed to and charged higher for the services they performed.
These are all according to the reviews online and on different Meineke locations.
The reason why the customer satisfaction rate seems low could be because Meineke has around 1,000 stores worldwide.
Most of these stores are franchisee owned and might offer various experiences to the customers.
That’s why there are differing opinions about their service and the prices they quote to the clients.
However, most car care centers similar to Meineke have similar problems with satisfaction and prices.
In most cases, it could be the case that there was a wrong identification of the problem, and the charge was higher than expected.
Overall, Meineke prices listed on their website are industry standards and neither too high nor too low than their competitors.
Conclusion
Meineke is a car center that has been offering complete auto service repairs since 2003, and they were ranked as the number 52 franchise in Franchise 500 in 2014.
Even though they are very successful, their prices are lower than the industry standards. On average, the costs for traditional servicing are anywhere between $19.95 to $119.95.
Anything in addition, such as the material cost or other factors affecting cost, will come as an extra.
Meineke also has packages or special discounts for those with special conditions to make it more affordable.
In addition, they also have their own credit card that allows you to make installments on your purchases that are over $199.
Most reviews state that Meineke doesn’t do a good job in providing good customer service, but because they are a franchise, this mostly depends on the location.
If you are thinking of using Meineke, their prices are average, but you should carefully choose the location.
Sources
https://www.meineke.com/services/
https://www.cartalk.com/mechanics-files/mechanic/ky/louisville/meineke-car-care
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meineke_Car_Care_Centers
https://www.meineke.com/locations/ca/fresno-2906/coupon/
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/meineke.html
Amit Gupta is the founder of DrFranchises – a digital marketing agency that helps brands rank better on Google Maps through local SEO strategies. Amit has over 11 years of experience in digital marketing, SEO, email marketing, and social media marketing. He’s also the owner of multiple franchises and has helped countless brands achieve success online. When he’s not working, Amit can be found playing with his dog.