Meissner Automotive

I paid these guys $2100 for apparently doing nothing, in addition to buying---at their request---$400 in parts that they didn't use. Complaining in person didn't help, but writing this review made the owner respond. My takaway: These guys will charge you what they think they can get away with, and they will also do a sloppy job and try to hide it. The owner came with the mechanic to show me that they had installed a single new ~$50 two-foot cable and patched four thin-gauge wires. This work was easily accessible underneath the air intake (which can be removed/reinstalled in a couple of minutes). They also hid lots of damaged wiring with electrical tape. The owner of Meissner could not explain why the above had taken 11 hours of labor or $2100. (The owner said they had spent 15 hours of love and care on the car, which is unbelievable, and I think the pictures tell a different story.) The owner left angry, saying he'd write a rebuttal to this review. DETAILED STORY: At the end of last year (2023) I connected the 12V battery incorrectly in my 1990 vintage BMW and a large amount of black smoke came from underneath the hood. The car started and drove, as if nothing happened, once I correctly connected the battery, and replaced some blown fuses. However I was seriously concerned about the black smoke. I didn't want the car to catch fire. It's a vintage car and not all that reliable already, and I didn't want to risk anything. So, I took the car to Meissner, who told me that a) They could do a thorough inspection of the car wiring and tell me what needed to be fixed. b) In the worst case, they would need to replace the entire engine bay wiring harness. c) The worst case cost (if they needed to replace everything) would be $2100 or so. d) In the worst case, they would need a new wiring harness, which would be additional cost. In preparation for the "worst case" I purchased a $400 complete wiring harness for the same model car and gave to Meissner. The car stayed with Meissner for about 6 weeks to 2 months. At the end, Meissner told me that a) They had gone over the car and replaced all damaged wiring in the engine bay. b) The car was in good shape now, and safe to drive. c) They had NOT needed to replace the wiring harness, and had NOT used the one I brought. For this, Meissner charged me $2100, or what they originally quoted as the "worst case" estimate. I was relieved the car was safe, and had no reason to doubt Meissner. Although the cost was high, I figured replacing wiring was a big job. Recently, I disassembled the engine bay of the car. I found no new wiring; only some new electrical tape in one place. Some wiring was severely damaged and melted, e.g., the main engine ground was not fixed (see picture). Therefore I complained in person, got no response for several weeks, and then wrote this review which finally got me a response. Meissner's response was to show me four patches to thin-gauge wire (see black heatshrink on the messy damaged wiring in the picture) and the new two-foot-long alternator cable they installed (thick black wire with red boots in picture). They said they had fabricated the alternator cable, although it is readily available for approx $50 online, so that makes no sense. They also opened up what they had hidden under electrical tape, which was a lot of low-amperage, thin-gauge wiring with damaged insulation. In summary: Incorrectly connecting the battery is likely to damage the alternator cable and engine ground cable. Knowing this, Meissner replaced the alternator cable (but forgot the ground cable), patched up four thin-gauge wires, but didn't fix the other wires that were damaged from lying right next to the alternator cable. Then, they hid the damaged mess with tape, to make it look decent. This probably took them an hour or so; perhaps two hours if they did a full inspection. The car sat in their lot for nearly two months so when it was time to give it back, they couldn't find any reason not to make me pay the worst-case quote of $2100, since I was clearly a fool.

Oct 16, 2024 · Úlfar Erlingsson

Was able to schedule convenient appointment without delay. Service was performed expertly within the time frame provided by Scott when I dropped off my car. Staff was friendly and professional. Overall, great experience!

Feb 17, 2025 · Charles Barker

Meissner is great reliable auto repair. They take great care of my aging vehicle and keep it running in good condition. Friendly and transparent and reasonable pricing too!

Jan 29, 2025 · Barb V

As always, the Meissner Team provided excellent service. We have been going to Meissner’s for over 25 years and they have always provided premium service. They are professional, respectful and friendly. We have recommended a number of our friends and acquaintances to Meissner. It is nice to have a mechanics shop you can trust. The team (Kirk, Scott and Denado) are the best in the business. We highly recommend them to anyone. Thanks to them for their great service. Rod and Linda Verhulp

Dec 13, 2024 · Rod Verhulp

I was very pleased with the service my car and I received at Meissner’s. After using the dealer’s service dept for years, I was very happy with the communication regarding the proposed work, clear updates on additional issues, the convenience, and pricing. Highly recommend!

Dec 13, 2024 · Jeanie Tooker