AAMCO Total Car Care of Florissant

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2016/01/26) */
Vehicle was originally brought in on 12/22/2015. Customer had Check in Light on and requested a transmission check out. Our initial check out revealed several issue relating to engine performance but nothing relating to a transmission problem. ...

Vehicle had a System lean bank 2 code, Evap. Leak code, engine oil not showing on the dip stick and Intake melted and leaking anti-freeze. We recommended Diagnostic time for the Lean code and Evap. Leak, and replacement of melted Intake. Customer declined service on this visit.
Customer returned on 12/29/2015 for diagnostic and replacement of Melted intake manifold. Upon removal of intake manifold we found antifreeze and sludge in intake ports and thoroughly cleaned the ports prior to installing the replacement intake manifold. Also, seven of the eight ignition coils were original and the coil boots were deteriorated due to coolant leaking into the spark plug ports. We put everything back together and retested the vehicle. We found vehicle to be running better with evap. Code and lean code gone, however, vehicle had a random misfire. To correct this issue we replaced the eight coil boots (at our expense) and that resolved the issue at that time. Customer's mother pickup the vehicle and return a short time later with the engine running rough. Upon, inspection the #4 ignition coil was failing. We replaced the coil, only charging them for the part and the vehicle was returned to the Customer's mother.
Customer brought vehicle back again on 1/4/2016. Vehicle was once again running rough and Check engine light on. Inspection revealed Cylinder 6 was misfiring due to failing coil. Talk with customer about the age and mileage on the other 6 coils (193,515 miles and 13 years) that they will probably continue to fail and that Ford recommends replacing the coils all at once. Customer didn't want to replace all of them at this time and we agreed to replace the #6 coil at only the cost of the part. Once repaired we recheck the vehicle, no code or misfire were present. We test drove the vehicle and it ran great, also we took the Customer's mother on a test drive with us prior to delivering the vehicle and everything was working fine. We dealt with the mother and daughter on all issues and feel we did a quality job. We don't believe that a refund is due.

Mr [redacted] brought his 06 Yukon in on August 1st, 2017 wanting his transmission checked out. He had No reverse and making a raddling noise in reverse as complaints as well as a little noise in forward but shifting correctly in forward. We test drove and inspected the vehicle and pull the Check...

engine light codes. Codes indicated Encoder motor circuit issues and Transfer case mode switch faults. We tested the circuits to the transfer case and the encoder motor and found the motor to be failing. We recommended replacing the Encoder motor to start and then re-evaluate for other issued. (the encoder motor is bolted externally to the transfer case, so transfer case was not removed and inspected internally) Upon replacement the encoder motor was testing and working properly and the vehicle was retested and functionality was restored and no noise was noted in either forward or reverse. Vehicle was then returned to Mr. [redacted]. September 18th, 2017 return for a Noise complaint of a rattling noise white driving. (6 weeks and 5600 miles after encoder motor replacement) Upon re-inspection we found several front end components that were worn, the front bumper rattling and some noise coming from the transfer case as well as the front bearing of the transfer case having some play. We offered options for repair/replacement of the transfer case and parts replacement/repairs for the front end. Mr [redacted] declined those repairs at that time. We believe that the encoder motor fix the issue Mr [redacted] brought his vehicle in for on August 1st and that the Encoder motor would be re-usable on the repaired or replaced transfer case. We decline to offer a refund on this repair.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/05/14) */
Apparently there was a communication problem, as we were communicating with Ms. [redacted]'s Son regarding the tracking down of the wiring issues with her vehicle. We were working on this around other jobs at our shop to try and keep the cost...

down for them rather than just bring it in and work on it and billing them by the hour. Her vehicle was here for a number of weeks and we talked to her Son at least once a week regarding our progress. Upon receipt of this complaint we contacted Ms. [redacted] and her Son. We discussed options for repair/returning the vehicle, we then offered to refunded the money she spent with us on the sensor that hadn't fixed the problem and they could come get the vehicle. At that point everyone felt that was for the best. So a refund of $392.61 was issued on April 29th, 2015 and they came too picked up the vehicle and the Check.

AAMCO did work on Mr. [redacted] 97 Dodge Van on March 16th, 2017. He had recently purchased the vehicle with over 260,000 miles on it  and was trying to get it ready to use for delivery purposes. It had Transmission issues and was throwing Torque convert clutch codes. We recommended...

that his best option would be to rebuild the transmission, but due to his financial issues we could try to replace the Torque Convertor and TCC Solenoid first and possible resolve the issues to get him by for a while. We did the repair and the transmission was working. We are not aware of his attempts to contact us regarding this issue. Had he brought the vehicle back when it did fail we would have worked with him on a reduce price for a rebuild but we were not extended that opportunity. Also, Mr. [redacted] owes us $897.00 for repairs made to this vehicle April 10th, 2017. We decline to refund his payment for services performed.

We did nothing to the customers vehicle that would have caused a crack in her windshield! We test drove her vehicle and inspected/replaced wiring and speed sensor under the hood. I am sorry she feels we were sarcastic about her window issue but we don't believe that we caused the window to break...

and are not responsible for its repair.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/11/23) */
We work with extend warranty companies regularly! There is a process to repairs with them and it takes more time then working directly for the customer. That being said Ms [redacted] needs her vehicle and can only leave it for short periods of...

time. Her last visit, we did not get to her vehicle the afternoon she dropped it off but did look at it the next morning. The vehicle ended up being sent on to the Chevy Dealer for computer related issues.

Customer came in for appointment on Feb 4th to re-attach shift lever and went to lunch while vehicle was here. Came back an hour later and was upset that we hadn't looked at the vehicle yet. Manager told her we had been very busy and he would get it right in and check it for her. She demanded her...

keys back and was going to file a Revdex.com complaint. Earlier repairs were not on the gear shift lever itself. We have, in good faith, worked with her on getting the earlier shifting issues resolved and were trying to offer continued service. We don't believe any refund for prior work is due and decline to refund any.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
I have been there over 20 times for the past year because something was wrong the engine light stayed on and as far as me having stuff done on the truck they have a record of all of it and it make it seem like I just brought my truck in just last year and all of a sudden brought it in this month I have witnesses cause they were there so many times when I came it’s hard out here trying to keep the maintenance and for one I kept my oil changes on time I just want my truck fixed so now I’m being penalized for my plates on the car cause it can’t pass inspection or emissions  Please help st your expense 
Sincerely,
[redacted] & [redacted]

5/11/2016 4:00 pm I forgot about this complaint. I don't want them to work on my car again. I took back once after they had it for 6 days still not fixed. Took back second time and gear shift came off in my hand. I also found 3 screws in the car.  I cant take it in and wait since smoke is too thick in waiting area and shop.  I understand if I won't let them work on it there is nothing you can do.  Yes this is their only location.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2016/01/26) */
Vehicle was originally brought in on 12/22/2015. Customer had Check in Light on and requested a transmission check out. Our initial check out revealed several issue relating to engine performance but nothing relating to a transmission...

problem. Vehicle had a System lean bank 2 code, Evap. Leak code, engine oil not showing on the dip stick and Intake melted and leaking anti-freeze. We recommended Diagnostic time for the Lean code and Evap. Leak, and replacement of melted Intake. Customer declined service on this visit.
Customer returned on 12/29/2015 for diagnostic and replacement of Melted intake manifold. Upon removal of intake manifold we found antifreeze and sludge in intake ports and thoroughly cleaned the ports prior to installing the replacement intake manifold. Also, seven of the eight ignition coils were original and the coil boots were deteriorated due to coolant leaking into the spark plug ports. We put everything back together and retested the vehicle. We found vehicle to be running better with evap. Code and lean code gone, however, vehicle had a random misfire. To correct this issue we replaced the eight coil boots (at our expense) and that resolved the issue at that time. Customer's mother pickup the vehicle and return a short time later with the engine running rough. Upon, inspection the #4 ignition coil was failing. We replaced the coil, only charging them for the part and the vehicle was returned to the Customer's mother.
Customer brought vehicle back again on 1/4/2016. Vehicle was once again running rough and Check engine light on. Inspection revealed Cylinder 6 was misfiring due to failing coil. Talk with customer about the age and mileage on the other 6 coils (193,515 miles and 13 years) that they will probably continue to fail and that Ford recommends replacing the coils all at once. Customer didn't want to replace all of them at this time and we agreed to replace the #6 coil at only the cost of the part. Once repaired we recheck the vehicle, no code or misfire were present. We test drove the vehicle and it ran great, also we took the Customer's mother on a test drive with us prior to delivering the vehicle and everything was working fine. We dealt with the mother and daughter on all issues and feel we did a quality job. We don't believe that a refund is due.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/07/07) */
Ms. [redacted] brought her vehicle to us on May 23, 2014 for A/C System check out and a Transmission Fluid service. Her 1992 Chrysler New Yorker had an A/C system with R-12 refrigerant and the system was not operating due to lack of...

refrigerant. Upon inspection we found no obvious leaks and determined that we would need to recharge the system and add dye to be able to find any leaks in the system. To recharge an R-12 system we are required to convert the system to use the newer, more environmentally friendly R-134. We charged her $169.99 to convert (retro-fit) her A/C system and recharge with R-134 refrigerant. The system worked after the conversion with no leaks noted. Ms. [redacted] returned August 15th, 2014 with the A/C system not working. We inspected the system again and found a fitting that appeared to be seeping, we replaced it and recharged the system with refrigerant. We did this at no charge to Ms. [redacted]. In October she returned again, we found no leaks and again re-charged the system at no charge to Ms. [redacted]. May 29, 2015 she returned again with the A/C System not working. We checked the system again and we found no leaks in any of the visible parts of the system. We explained to her that the leak had to be in the condensing unit that is inside the dash of the car, but we would recharge the system with dye one more time, again at no charge to her. Apparently it stopped working again and on June 11th, 2015 returned again and we again rechecked the system for leaks and found no external leaks. We then quoted her the cost to replace the condensing unit inside the dash. We feel we have been fair in our treatment of Ms. [redacted] and that we have tried to help resolve her very slow leaking A/C problem.

In January 2016 we installed a replacement engine (Used) in customers 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Thru the next couple months we saw the vehicle several times. We replaced a seal to stop an oil leak, replaced a thermostat to resolve cooling system issue both at no charge to the customer. The...

vehicle came back to the shop in November of 2017 (20+ months and 40,000+ miles after engine installed) running very rough and upon inspection has 2 cylinders with low or no compression. Recommend replacing the engine again. Replacement engine is well beyond both time and mileage for any warranty. The vehicle is still at our shop and we sympathize with the customer and we are trying to come up with lower cost alternative to help them get the vehicle drivable again.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/07/01) */
On June 10, 2015 [redacted] had her 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix towed into our shop. Ms. [redacted] was interested in financing, and wanted to apply for our 90 days interest free option. Unfortunately the customer was denied for that...

financing option, so we had to look at further options. I explained our other financing options to Ms. [redacted], and from there she applied for [redacted] Ms. [redacted] was approved for up to $2475.00, and her total bill was $2,410.38.
On June 11, Ms. [redacted] came back in to pick up her vehicle, and to discuss the terms and conditions of the financing loan. Ms. [redacted] was explained that the loan was 10% interest per month, but she can always pay the loan off early. The loan is for approximately two years, and has to be paid in full by June 9, 2017. If the loan is paid off early, there is no penalty, and it will drop off the remaining months of interest. Ms. [redacted] was not happy about the interest fee, but decided this was the only way that she could afford to repair her vehicle. After going over the loan with Ms. [redacted], she signed paperwork, and the paperwork was faxed over.
Financing loans are not finalized and funded until all required documents have been signed and faxed over. The customer agreed to the loan, and signed the required paperwork. The Loan agreement is between Ms. [redacted] and [redacted] Interest is only due on the loan balance that is outstanding. Paying off the loan early and making extra payment will reduce the interest that accrues. There was no upfront loan fee or total interest due immediately, the only interest is the 10% per month on the amount that is then currently outstanding.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (1500, 8, 2015/07/01) */

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/02/17) */
Customers 2005 Trailblazer was in our shop for diagnostics on February 2nd, 2015. Customer was very upset that we would drive her vehicle for any reason as it was only here for diagnostics. Most vehicles that are in for diagnostics are...

test driven at some point to verify the issues being diagnosed or repaired. Her vehicle was test driven to verify if all Check Engine Light codes remained after a broken wire was found/repaired. We provided the diagnostic service and estimates for repair that we were requested. We don't feel that a refund is due.

We apologized to the customer and offered to do the oil change for him now. (We apparently had forgotten or miscommunicated with the tech working on the vehicle for brake work and assume the oil change was not performed.) The customer declined to bring his vehicle back for service so we...

refunded the $29.99 plus tax on 11/30/16.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 9, 2015/11/23) */
We have been working on Ms [redacted] 2004 Saab 9-3 convertible. It has had an issue with the transmission that we were unable to correct. After 3 rebuild/repair attempts we ordered her a Remanufacture Transmission in that has resolved the issues....

Between the 3 rebuilds and the ordering and waiting for the replacement unit it has taken us a tremendous amount of time to get her vehicle returned to her. We have compensated her with some new tires and some no-charge parts to correct a cooling system issue and have refunded her $250 as well.

This Customer had transmission replaced/repaired. She came back in about steering wheel being 1/4 turn off centered. We rechecked our transmission installation and found no issues with the installation of the transmission that would have affected the steering wheel alignment. She called on 8/15/17...

to advise she wanted the steering wheel alignment issue fix and that her check engine light was now on and it hadn't been before we worked on her vehicle. We asked her to bring it back in and we would check why the light was on and take care of the alignment issue.  On 8/16/17 she brought the vehicle back in and we checked it for Check engine light codes. The Check engine light was not on and No codes (active or history) were found. We had an alignment preformed on her vehicle to correct the steering wheel issue at no charge to her. As far as the issue of the Credit Inquiry, we apologized for the misunderstanding but both AAMCO and the Finance Company have no way of removing the credit inquiry. I don't know if we mislead her on the inquiry or not but the online application she filled out for the loan has a check box for agreement to terms and part of that agreement is that they may do a credit inquiry. We feel that we have in good faith resolved these issues and apologize again for any problems we may have caused her.

Customer requested quote over the phone for Solenoid replacement on her transmission. Was having Transmission issues and had computer diagnostic codes read elsewhere and wanted price. We requested she bring in vehicle for free transmission check out. She brought vehicle in on 4/14/17, vehicle had...

transmission codes for shift solenoids. We suggested trying the solenoid replacement first, this however is not always a long term fix, especially on Transmission with 223,000 miles on it. She return with the vehicle the following week, again having transmission issues. Upon recheck the transmission again had codes and was not shifting properly. It was determined that the clutches were worn out and the transmission would need to be rebuilt or replaced. A rebuild transmission would have been around $3000 versus a good low miles used unit for $2100. We offered to credit her the original payment total against the rebuilt or used transmission if she opted to have the unit replaced. She opted for the used unit with a 6 month warranty and we charged her only difference on the used unit price and her original repair. Internal solenoid and valve body replacement are always a temporary fix at best, especially with high mileage vehicle. Under the circumstances we feel we were more the fair with Ms. [redacted] in crediting the entire 1st repair against the transmission replacement. We have not heard any complaint regarding the transmission installed for Ms. [redacted] so we are assuming the vehicles transmission issues are currently resolved.  We decline refunding any money as we have been fair with her in our repairs and pricing.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/11/23) */
We work with extend warranty companies regularly! There is a process to repairs with them and it takes more time then working directly for the customer. That being said Ms [redacted] needs her vehicle and can only leave it for short periods of time....

Her last visit, we did not get to her vehicle the afternoon she dropped it off but did look at it the next morning. The vehicle ended up being sent on to the Chevy Dealer for computer related issues.