First of all NEVER go to Meineke....second, after waiting over a week to get my heater control valve fixed I still haven't gotten it...the guy at Meineke ordered the part and Napa sent the wrong thing twice then Autozone and Advance Auto Parts had the wrong thing tooo....said i needed to go to the dealership after waiting a whole week...before I actually had heat but now its so bad the heat is gone and it's COLD...in the last 8 months I've spend over $2500 fixing my car and I've gotten absolutely NO WHERE...it's a 1991 Camry, should I just get a new car? :banghead:

take the valve out and bypass it

First of all NEVER go to Meineke....second, after waiting over a week to get my heater control valve fixed I still haven't gotten it...the guy at Meineke ordered the part and Napa sent the wrong thing twice then Autozone and Advance Auto Parts had the wrong thing tooo....said i needed to go to the dealership after waiting a whole week...before I actually had heat but now its so bad the heat is gone and it's COLD...in the last 8 months I've spend over $2500 fixing my car and I've gotten absolutely NO WHERE...it's a 1991 Camry, should I just get a new car? :banghead:

$2500 is more than the value of your car.. just get a newer car but not new. and sell me your old problem car. ....http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/images/smilies/ices_lol_ani.gif

see more pics of my ride at >> http://preludevtec93.tripod.com/pics

Actually, I've found it cheaper to just bring it to a Toyota dealership. For me, they've always fixed it the first time I've brought it in for anything I can't/won't do. Yep, it's initially a little more expensive, but in the long run, you don't end up with hack mechanics that don't know anything about your car and end up trying to fix it over and over, and end up searching high and low for the parts you need.

As far as whether you should get rid of the car, that depends on many factors, such as mileage on the car, rust, and how it was taken care of when it was newer.

$2500. is a lot to spend over 8 months, but I can see that happening if one has to keep bringing it in to have shoddy workmanship repaired or redone.

I would probably have a reliable mechanic look over the car and tell you what might be needed over the next year or so. Do it the same as if you were about to buy the car. Then, based on what's said, decide whether you want to sell it and buy a newer one.

Some dealers are knowledgable and some are downright stupid. Don't go to a dealer with the assumption that they are honest or know what they are doing. Get a recommendation from someone who knows cars if you can.

Meineke problems
My sympathies to you over Meineke. I had a probelm with a branch in Kansas city. I arranged a bi-annual inspection for my Taurus. I took time out of college to go there only to told they could not do it because they forgot to order the windshield stickers, a legal requirement of course.
I asked for the owner (franchisor) to call me the next day to no avail.
I wrote to head office (as you may know, branches are franchised), and advised although my branch had my phone number, they did not call me to re-arrange the appointment and save my time. They replied and said they would insist the franchisor would call me. Still hasn't happenned. Trouble is, the last franchisor was excellent, this one appears to be useless. If the guy had called and apologised then fair enough, we all make mistakes.
They fail to realise the important success factor is not getting customers, but placating them when they are angry, and keeping them as customers!

I hate that place, stay far away from them if you can. I find the best place to get your car serviced is to find a reliable mechanic, who wont screw you over like the dealer or a franchise will.

Jennster,

You would have been better off at the dealership. Places like Meineke and Midas are a bloody rip-off. I had an exhaust "flexpipe" problem with my 1995 Camry. Midas wanted to charge over $300 for the repair. They said that I couldn't buy exhaust components separately and would also have to purchase a new catalytic converter to get this peice replaced. A privately-owned muffler shop replaced the "flexpipe for $102. This was three years ago and I'm still going strong. AAMCO Transmissions are another bunch of theives. (different day different car)

"Places like Meineke and Midas are a rip-off."

"AAMCO Transmissions are another bunch of theives."

You would do well to listen to what this guy is saying....automotive repair franchises are a no-no. Toyota stealerships are a last resort. Toyotas are liked by many. Look for privately owned businesses that specialize in Toyota. They may be hard to find and off the beaten path. Do your homework.