Midas. Trust The Midas Touch Midas location is incompetant. Failked to seal engine after oil change. Engine is destroyed. Reuse to help! Highland Park, Illinois

As Bill started his response,
To All,
The situation with Midas and reparation is formally over. They've done nothing. As posted on my last report, a copy of an invoice for my daughter's new (used) car includes the Nissan Midas worked on as a $1,000 trade-in. The reason (I am told) the 1997 Nissan brought $1k as trade in is the car is almost like 'new'. The mechanic we purchased from, as I've said, rebuilt it top to bottom. The car, I understand, is having a new engine dropped in by the dealer and will either go to auction, or perhaps on the lot. The burgundy Altima looks like a newer car.

My point here is to thank Bill D. Bill, I'm aware that mechanics, like any service individual is going to make a mistake now and then. How the mistake is "handled", is the key to good business. It's why businesses have a customer service dept., to make a bad situation right.

My Comcast TV and Internet went out for a week beginning the new year. I was livid. The problem was found, fixed, and then an especially warm individual from the executive office called and expressed deep concern and apologies, hoping we'd stay with Comcast, etc. She offered me ten free movies for my trouble, and assured me the days "out" would not be charged. I'm a big boy, I know cable, at some point, will come-up with an issue. The company succeeded in making me 'feel' they cared, and addressed the issue courteously.

The Asst. Mgr. who consoled me on the phone, Midas had the same thing happen a few years ago with a woman's rather expensive car. For whatever reason she missed the oil light, and the engine seized-up. In that case the decision was made to put a new engine in her car. He remembers this woman being "satisfied with all that happened. I'm not surprised.

So...had Jim Corollo (owner of the Midas service center) acknowledged the error, assured us that all would be OK, dropped another reliable engine in, I'd likely be an aggravated but thankful customer that all was handled well. They might even have offered a rental while the car was tied-up. Were that the case, I'd be recommending Midas as the place to have your oil changed. But I do spend at least an hour daily reporting, twittering about Midas as the liars and "bad-business" organization they happen to be.

I can't imagine I'll ever pass a Midas location anywhere without having that sick/sad feeling...and directing some well-chosen expletives at that yellow sign, d**n them.

Bill - thanks for your honesty.

now i know this is not good to admit--but i have screwed things up before---and listen and you will see a final point as it is not easily given but needs to be comprehended----when i worked at meinke--there was 1 occasion i left a wheel loose--the customer drove it for a few minutes and relized something was wrong and brought it back--i found the wheel loose and tightened it and apoligized profusly---there was 1 time i worked at a firestone--i forgot to add oil to a car--she drove for a couple minutes and said her oil light was on and brought it back--i added oil and apoligized----luckily for me--the couple people i made mistakes with were smart enough to realize something was not right---however i have seen others that left wheels loose and there customers were not so smart---based on my experience--it should be the midas fault about the plug being loose and eventually MIA---after all--we cannot expect people to be smart with there cars(but it is always nice as a mechanic)--to those that say this mechanic should work bagging groceries cause he made a mistake--f**k you--everyone makes mistakes--don't act like your f*king perfect--the difference is--when mechanic make a mistake-these oil outs and wheels off happens--what happenes when doctors make mistakes??--just cause you make a mistake(Like everyone else, does not make you incompetant--making mistakes all the time and every day makes you incompetant)----with these simple mistakes--midas should still be responisble for the mistake of there employee and pay--but these comapnies make it worse by not fessing up---but this is my view--now this is where i throw a loop--but also when i worked at firestone--i worked on a car and replaced the tires and brakes and did the alignment--as i test drove the car for alignement the steering wheel was off a slight more than 180 degrees---i told the service manger about it but did not put it on paper---i get the car in the air and there was old damge to the control arms(rusted out) and bent---i told them i could not align the car(cause i tried and it wouldn't work)--the lady then clamied that i damaged it when i test drove it which was bullsh*t---at this point in my employment at firestone i had a huge attitude(you can look at my rebuttals of a ripoff report about firsetone regarding my employment there-it is a long story)---so the manger told me what the lady said--we put the car in the air and there was rust all over the damage--i asked him how i could of done this today and he shakes his shoulders like a dumb a*s---but it gave them a good excuse to fire me and the lady tried to and possibly succeded in commiting fraud to claim i damged her car----and this is what companies also deal with---so for the few that are legit---there are bad people that make it worse for the honest---someone needs to hunt  these f*kers down and kill them!!!!!--me for dictator

ANYONE who blames this guys daughter is a fool. i am sure you dont realize you are fools, because that is the nature of stupidity, to stupid to know you are stupid. This girls car was damaged because of poor workmanship........while the world evolves, hopefully natural selection will take care of eliminating the foolish. G 

but does it say anywhere in the manual..that if someone other then the operator FAILS to tighten the oil drain plug, that the operator is 50% responsible for any engine damage that occurs due to it?

From the Ops post there is a good chance that Midas left the oil drain plug loose. However when the oil pressure warning light came on and the vehicle was driven this caused major internal damage to the engine . If the engine had been shutdown as soon as the light came on then most likely the only damage would have been a tow bill,oil and a minor inconvenience which I feel pretty sure Midas would have taken care of without any arguement. Since the car was driven with the warning light on your daughter should at least be half responsible for the damage. All vehicles have a owners manual that explains the proper operation of the vehicle including what the warning lights mean in the dash and the proper action to take when a light comes on. If the vehicle driver/owner chooses not to read the manual and follow the instructions inside it then any damage caused is at the very least partially the driver/owners fault.

It is their fault. I once had a tire replaced at Pep boys and as I was pulling out of the lot the rim/tire fell off. I was stunned, but did not get mad or blame the mechanic since I also do car restorations and auto electric and most mechanical work myself (other then tires, I do not have a tire changer), I understand people make mistakes. The mechanic failed to tighten the lug nits.

They felt awful about it and am sure they were embarrassed as other customers witnessed this is the lot..but they made good by taking 50% off the job and giving me a discount in writing for 50% off my tire purchase. No other damage was done so I did not make a big deal about it.

But I thought to myself..what if the lugs had a few more turns in this had happened on the highway. Who would have been responsible? Even though I don't have a warning light for loose lug nuts surely I would have felt a vibration first. So would this have put ALL the liability on me if something happened and caused much more damages directly due to the mechanic mistake?

I could see if this car was driven for weeks with the oil light on..but what happened in this case was no unreasonable behavior by the daughter who is not mechanical. To be fair, and if I was on a jury if this went to court, I would hold the daughter 10% responsible, and award 90% of the damages to be paid by Midas for neglect and failure to complete a job properly which was paid for.

Of course I hope no one would be fired for this since it reality it was honest human error, but regardless, Midas obviously knows about the incidence and will handle it as they see fit. Hopefully they will do the right thing for the customer and reconsider their current stance. I would continue the fight.

one, someone with a grudge agnist you, daughter or family simply loose the oil plug, or sugar in tank or pee on door handles. there are lots ways to revenge, just happened close to oil change wo you shift blame o innicent workers

2, warning lights and bussers, why did not she pull over as soon as the alarms went off? this would have no engine harm. driver is af fault, no due dilagance

3. last change before this one, they could have strip the threads on bollt, not directly to blame this mechanic

4 you know the engine in car is bad and needs replacement, so you go to service , then remove plug yourself, try to get free engine

5, when husband saw large puddle on driveway, as you say 'soon as daughter drove away" what is he dumb? call the daughter on cell and say, pull over....something wrong with car! this is common sense

repair7

Bill D.

Response to your comment about getting the Asst. Mgr. involved.

I understand your point well, and appreciate your in agreement that Midas screwed-up, and lied, having destroyed a customer's car.

My willingness to disclose the private conversation became necessary under these circumstances:

(1) My daughter's very reliable used (she paid for half) is now JUNK!

(2) Midas, claimed to investigate, but did NOTHING.

(3) Midas, despite the obvious refuses ANY responsibility, offers a FABRICATED
     time-line story to lip out of replacing the engine.

(4) We are NOT rich people, as my daughter begins university this fall (it's damned  expensive, an incompetent Midas oil-change forcing the purchase of another  used car was painful financially. We received $1,000 trade-in on the destroyed  Nissan, against $5,000 new (used) car. Midas lied their way out of repairing the  damage they caused (I don't want added cost of retaining an attorney to litigate).  LOSE/LOSE for my family. Midas get's off the hook.

(5) In Scrambling to find every 'tool' available & fight Midas, it was stunning to find
     a Midas employee honest & sincere enough support the fact of Midas' Guilt,    'they simply "screwed-up". ONE in failing to reseal the oil pan, and TWO in  abandoning good "Local & Regular customers". Essentially, Midas lied to avoid cost of dropping a new engine & making things right.

 When drowning Bill, people grab at whatever might keep one afloat. The
      Asst. Mgr.'s "confession": '...being ashamed to work at that Midas...he would  have handled things entirely differently believing in good customer service...that  the SAME THING happened about two years ago (DIDN'T RESEAL THE OIL-PAN  AGAIN) and they (Midas) just dropped a new engine in the customer's car, and had a happy ending...'.

 In the conversation he 'considered' perhaps my daughter's '97 Nissan (purchased
 from mechanic-friend who restored the car AND rebuilt the engine) was easier to
 blow-off than the expensive, new car Midas screwed-up several years back.

For all Midas' lies, here was one Midas employee willing to tell his truth,
understood my anger, and it was clear his words MIGHT motivate Midas to to the
right thing. I must tell you that I felt badly sharing the conversation with this
gentleman. If he suffered repercussions at Midas' hands, for telling the truth, I can
only say it pains me to consider. Understand, this man, his words as the inside
"witness" that blames Midas, his employer, became EVIDENCE, my chance
at shaming Midas into making things right.

As of this date, Midas has refused to meet for "Conflict Resolution" with State of
IL. & Lake County, is still lying to the BBB, cannot be approached by Highland
 Park's Chamber Of Commerce (because they have not belonged for years), and
 since the Nissan has been used as trade-in, is unavailable to review again.

So while I TRULY regret disclosing the Midas employee's conversation, it hurts,
right now to put another $5,000 out there for ANOTHER car - to replace the one
Midas RUINED. I suppose I truly, in every sense of the word, could not AFFORD to
leave that admission of guilt stay PRIVATE.

I feel uncomfortable having gone on this long. Sorry for being long-winded, but I
am angry & bitter towards Midas, and it feels just to unveil Midas' lies, with the
truths I've supplied in these many statements. I'll get nothing from Midas, and I've
lost money here, innocently. (See attached Invoice for the new car, and the
1,000 we got as trade-in-value.)
   
Letting people know what TRULY happened is my way of pointing at Midas and  
saying, "now others know who you are, how you conduct business, and will
hopefully, in some fashion, bite you in the a*s one day.  If you feel strongly, call
Jim Carollo at his Midas (847-831-5000/or leave the message with Frank,
his Mgr. Frank was with me on this as well) that you think doing business in
this fashion STINKS! If they receive some calls...maybe Jim will see not ALL
customers they screw tuck their tails and go away.

This will not be forgotten for some time. I'm out here twittering daily, contacting
different organizations, companies, interesting paths of information networking.
The little guy and his DESTROYED  '97 Nissan is not going away. Midas can always
contact me and talk. Do visit our web site: www.MidasReallySucks.com where
it's all chronicled.

Thanks for reading (Bill if you're still there...smile). Never, ever, let bad service
go unmentioned. Fight for your rights. And when someone does a SUPERIOR job for
you, let his/her boss know. It's IMPORTANT that those who try hard be
recognized.

while i agree this is the fault of the midas and feel for you--all i am saying is this--there was no need to get this asst manger involved--he felt for you as well and wanted to let you know--and now you basically screwed him by releasing this information---if he hasn't been fired already for his sympathy toward you he is on the chopping block--what he said to you did not need to be published and you should of kept this to yourself--instead your story looks better cause an employee agrees with you---there is other ways to get this midas without bringing this employees comments into play--now again while I AGREE the midas is at fault(even if it is an accident-no mechanic wants to do this on purpose)--but you sir are also a jerk off to use this employees comments to make your story look better--what happens when he gets fired now-what will he tell his family?--i got fired for being compassionate--will you help this guy find a job?--f u ck it-as long as his comments help your story(even if it isn't necessary!!!!!)

(1)  After the Midas oil change where the oil pan screw was NOT tightened, my daughter drove her car HOME, and parked it. This was 03-19-10.

(2)  The NEXT day Saturday (03-20-10) our family left for California for spring-break. We were gone EIGHT days. Her car was untouched.

(3)  We returned home Sunday 03-28-10 after 10 PM. All were beat and we simply relaxed. No one drove ANYWHERE.

(4)  The next day 03-29-10 was a Monday. In the morning my daughter drove to a friend's and went to a restaurant to talk about our trip. At this point she HAD NOT noticed a very small (12") dark spot of fresh oil on our drive way. She did notice the oil light on the dash and called my wife, from the restaurant, and informed her.

(5)  When I spoke to my wife, same day 03-29-10), she informed me about the oil light. I asked if there were oil on our driveway and she said yes, a small dark 'splotch'. Back at the office after vacation was rough/heavy day, but I noted with my mobile phone to check this out in the evening.

(6)  When I arrived home about 7:30 PM, I checked messages and was reminded about the oil issue. My daughter was NOT home, had driven ONCE this day, to a friends home 10 minutes from our home in Highland Park, IL. She had left a couple hours before I got home. I called my daughter on her cell, and asked what was happening with the car, and she explained the same: oil light was on noticed ONLY ONE DAY, and the oil on the drive pad.

(7)  after I had dinner, I walk out to driveway and noted the fresh oil spill, and noted that there fresher, heavier oil drippings leading from our driveway right onto the street. I called her and told her not to drive the car ANYWHERE and I would be there soon.


(8)  Still Monday (03-29-10 - ONE DAY after we got home), My daughter called about 10:30 - 11:00 PM and I told her I was on my way. I brought quarts of oil just in case. When i pulled into her friend's circular drive, there was a LARGE puddle of oil at the curb of the drive which has run down the drive from where my daughter's car was parked in the middle. The leakage puddle was about 3 or 4 feet and tailed-off down the drive's slope to the puddle at the curb. My daughter, her friend and family joined us outside. The father restored cars and brought a couple bags of material looking like cat-litter to spread across the wide stain. I felt terrible.

(9)  I slipped under the car and began to search for the oil drain to make certain the plug in fact had a screw in it. I found the drain plug, WIDE OPEN. The contents of the cars oil was a good match for the amount of oil on the drive way.

(10) As this girl's father and I waited for Dave's Towing, we ran over the details and time-line. It was his determination that after the oil change, the oil-pan screw was replaces but not seated correctly and allowed oil to leak. At first rather lightly while the car sat for EIGHT days, more when it was driven to the restaurant, and finally simply came loose enough to fall out completely on the way to his home and emptied all oil. Dave, of Dave's North Shore Towing came to same conclusion when he picked up the car.

I have contacted Dave (of Dave's towing). Dave in typing-up a short statement that his assessment of the situation was the the oil-pan screw was not properly replaced, came loose, and finally simply fell out. Dave is EXTREMELY well known on the North Shore.

While it's uncomfortable to point and accuse, Jim Corollo, the owner of Midas at 60 Skokie Valley Rd., Highland Park, IL. (847-83105000), has LIED on his/Midas' rebuttals stating that two weeks of driving had taken place before the oil spilled out. UNTRUE, it was ONE DAY (03-29-10).

He further accuses me of 'scamming is this fashion, accusing other oil-change facilities "to get new engines for free'. Perhaps Jim Corollo is using hallucinatory products, or is desperate enough to FLAGRANTLY LIE to not have to pay for his center's irresponsibility. "Jim" also told in his recording that this happened at the same Midas TWO YEARS ago. At that time (a much more expensive car) Midas replaced the engine. My daughter's car was purchased from a high-end mechanic who COMPLETELY RESTORED her car, the ENGINE as well. It was like a new car. This is the reason we bought the used Nissan just EIGHT months ago. Not enough time to work my scamming technique I believe.

Further, and lastly, I have recording in which the Asst. Mgr. "Jim" (at this Midas center) told me, "i am ashamed to work here...I would have handled this totally different...I see what happened of course...', and much more. This recording was on a website I put together: www.MidasReallySucks.com. Yesterday, (04-30-10), I received a call from officer "Stumpy" at the Highland Park police station.

Midas had contacted the IL. state's attorney's office (my next contact), to report the recording. I was told I had "24 hours" to remove the recording" or face charges of "eavesdropping". The recording gone - but Jim's statement is in my possession, and the transcript of what he said, is on the site. Midas cannot remove that.

There you go, the full time line. One day, not the two weeks Corollo lies about. I have statements coming from the father who waited for the tow-truck with me, Dave of Dave's towing, and my neighbor who witnessed our comings & goings. Midas International, also contacted, essentially told me to go squat.

Careful when you have work done at Midas in Highland Park, IL. They forget to complete their work! MidasReallySucks.com. Search other Midas complaints here on RipOffReport. It will make more sense.
Ron.Kolman@gmail.com

It is not unusual for a person to not realize the significance of the warning light, or the sound of an engine with know oil. Many people like myself would have acted differently, but to place any blame on his daughter is foolish. Her car is F**ked for one reason and one reason only, the mechanic is a idiot who does not pay attention to detail and should be involved in a job more appropriate to his skills like packing groceries, at least when he forgets to put the butter in the bag, the resulting consequences will not cost someone 1000's of dollars

this is a f*ked up story--i as a mechanic think they didn't tighten the drain plug--everyone makes mistakes--and this midas should be responsible--but with all due respect--here is where you are wrong--using your daughters words she says when returned from cali she saw there was some dripping but wasn't sure if it was serious--then she saw a red light on in the dash and told her mom--????-----um, that is what owners manuals are for--i realize people are not educated with vehicles and panic situautions but dam!!--i think everyone knows what the red oil light means??--also, i am sure the car made a ticking sound being no oil in the car which should of given further clue something was wrong--in any case she kept driving the car where it eventually died at her friends house(" perhaps 10 minutes away")---also--it seems funny for a car with no oil in it to die in 10 minutes---i have seen cars drive for days with no oil--sometimes weeks--but anything is possible---------on another note you mentioned the asst manger at midas shared in your compassion with his commentes and being ashamed and doing things different(basically you are saying he admitted fault of midas-which may be true)---but now--if the owners or manger read this rip off--and see these comments by there asst manger--he will probabl be in trouble now--and for what--to make you look better like your story is more legit---it is sad when you are an honest mechanic and employee and customers take advantage of this and use it against the companies they work for---i would tell people what they need and do not need for real and show them--they understood--the guy at the counter does there routine and tries to sell whatver mostly based on mileage--do you know how many people have said "but bill said i don't need it" which gets my a*s in trouble at work-another point in my life i was selling cars--there was a point of every sale i did not like to do-send the customer to abby to "discuss the warranty of the vehicle"--in actuality he was just tryin to sell a shitty after market alarm system and raising the monthly payments--so one day i was honest with a customer when she asked who abby really was--so i told her straight up he wants to sell you an alarm--as soon as she walks in the door she says to abby "i don't want an alrm"--they knew i told which got my in trouble--i tried to warn her about what she was walking into and she used me against them--and we wonder why people will not be honest to customers and lie--do you see where i am going?--so here is my 2 pieces of advice--#1-read your owners manual---#2--keep employee comments to your f*king self