On September 10, 2026, I brought my teenage daughter's 2011 Audi A4 to Meineke Car Care Center #380…read morein Bensalem, Pennsylvania, for a state inspection and routine oil change. I paid approximately $240. Before the service, the vehicle was operating normally and did not have an oil leak.
The following day, after the vehicle sat parked, overnight, in my driveway, I discovered a large pool of oil beneath it after my daughter had driven the vehicle to a nearby airport, for flight lessons. Immediately, I went there to prevent her from driving it any farther. On the way, I contacted Meineke, but instead of arranging prompt assistance, I was given a phone number of a towing company. I called the tow company, and filled out the text link provided to register my location for pickup. The tow truck never arrived, and I ultimately had to use my own AAA membership to have the vehicle towed back to Meineke in Bensalem. Meineke kept the vehicle all day Saturday and never called me with any updates. Prior to closing, I called them and they told me they were keeping it till Monday because they were waiting for a specific Audi OEM part to be delivered. They also assured me the repair would be complete by today, Monday, September 14, 2026. As of this writing, I have not heard anything from Meineke.
I am seriously concerned that an improperly installed or defective part was used because the substantial oil loss occurred immediately after Meineke's oil-change service. I am also concerned that the vehicle may have been driven with dangerously low oil and could have sustained internal engine damage. This is a used vehicle, but only has 60,000 miles on it, and I have meticulous service and maintenance records, including a comprehensive diagnostic report, from Audi Service in Turnersville, NJ, less than a year ago. My daughter uses this vehicle to drive to and from Bensalem and South Jersey. I can't even think about what could have happened to her if she drove to New Jersey instead of a nearby airport. Her engine could have seized on a fast highway or on the bridge.
I am appalled by Meineke's failure to recognize the seriousness of this incident, its unwillingness to take appropriate responsibility, or offer a fair remedy for, at best, the inconvenience, and at worst, a potentially life-threatening mistake.
This was supposed to be a routine oil change, and their mistake may force me to have to buy a new car, at my own expense. My daughter had a reliable and safe vehicle until the negligent actions of Meineke in Bensalem.