Aamco Service Center

Review: I took my car to the Aamco dealer on Old Ox Rd. in Sterling, VA with 2 issues: engine slipping/surging and car losing all power periodically. After the "free" multi-point check I received a call that they had good news and bad news. The good news was that my transmission was fine! The bad news was that the car's mass air flow sensor needed to be replaced along with a tune-up. I was told that the air flow sensor would be the greater expense. The "repair cost" was $1041.27 for a sensor and tune-up! The car runs exactly the same way it did before the repairs! Engine still surging and loss of all power without warning.

When I arrived to pick up my car, after I was notified that it was ready, techs were still finishing up. I was told by [redacted] and [redacted] that they were just noticing (after the multi-point inspection) that my battery terminals were corroded (I waited while they "cleaned them up") and then they added that "3 of the 4 engine mounts in my car needed replacement"! They would work up an estimate and call me to schedule a time to replace them at a cost of only $900+! They then said all I needed to do was have my tires rotated, balanced and aligned!

Two days after pick-up my car began dying again randomly and without warning. I had taken it through a car wash, all power went and the car would not restart!. I called the shop. [redacted], the shop manager, answered the phone informing me that the shop was closed and told me to "open the hood, wiggle the battery cables" and the car started back up. It lost power again 4 times before I could get the car back in.

I called and spoke with [redacted], my original contact point on this repair. I expressed my extreme frustration at paying over a $1000 for a tune-up and sensor and having the exact same problems I took it in for. He told me to bring the car back which I did the following morning. I received a call from [redacted] later that day informing me that they drove the car several times, had no issues and when I picked the car up they would review what was done. They open at 7:30 in the morning. I get there at 7:30, the neon "open" sign is lit, their gigantic shop sign says they are open at 7:30, the internet shows they open at 7:30 but the shop is closed up tight and no one shows until 8:30! [redacted], the shop manager proceeds to tell me that now there are 2 bolts missing from the battery side to the left of the engine and my entire battery/fuse box, casing is messed up and "they don't do that"! There was another man who had brought his car in to be looked at who had been waiting with me the entire hour and 15 minutes! He gave me his business card before I left if I needed a witness to the conversation I had had with [redacted].

I researched the cost of the mass air flow sensor they said was the problem. The part is $21.50. They charged me 162.50. I paid $102 for 8 spark plugs, $140 for 1 set of plug wires and $48.48 for a filter! They then threw in 2 wiper blades at a cost of $65.90. Only one needed to be replaced and that was not part of any of this! I was then charged $425 labor and to cap it off they hit me with a $39.95 charge for labor to clean the top of the battery and terminals (a service remember that "they do not perform"!!

I subsequently took the car to a reputable mechanic who performed the "diagnostics". The problem which he showed me and provided me with the defective part was resolved for a total cost to me of $143.00!

I have no trust or confidence in this dealer whatsoever! I was appalled at the 497 complaints I found through consumer complaints about Aamco across the country! I did do some research prior to taking what I thought was a transmission problem to the "transmission specialists"! The reviews on their website were positive. Those reviews were submitted when the shop was under different ownership and many knew the good reputation of Tony, the former owner. The new owner, Abdul, his shop manager, [redacted] and the mechanics involved with the work on my car-horrendous!

I have filed a complaint with the Revdex.com, the attorney general's consumer protection agency in Richmond, Consumer Complaints online and at the business' website. The shop manager, [redacted] does nothing but deny everything, the owner has not returned my call, and I'm not even sure that the mechanic I was talking with still works there! I will pursue every avenue to recover some/all of my money. With just a cursory bit of research there are massive numbers of complaints and lawsuits pending against Aamco shops across the country!!!!Desired Settlement: Financial recovery and assurance that this business is held accountable for its fraudulent practices, inferior work, non-existent customer service--the list goes on......... ! I was not shown what their "free multi-point inspection" revealed. There were no diagnostics done on the car. At pick-up I was told that 3 of the 4 engine mounts needed replacement for another $1000! This, they mentioned as an afterthought and produced no evidence visually or on paper!! Their office person called me the next day to schedule this!