AAMCO Transmission Service

Review: AAMCO advertises in their brochures that they will perform a check "FREE" of charge to determine why your check engine light is on. They do perform the check but fail to let the customer know based on the CODE they find what could possible cause the engine light to come on . For example in my case, they said the engine light was on as a result of a miss-fire. They fail as trained mechanics to say that either my sparks plus need replacing, or gas cover gasket needed replacing. A trained mechanic could tell this my simply checking in this area of the motor. Instead of doing that so that the customer can incur one charge, they go out of their way to convince the customer by-way-of a scare tactic that without an additional charge of $100.00 dollars to place their car on a computer to identify the problem they could not not be sure if the car is fixed correctly. In my instance, after lengthy questioning and under duress, I reluctantly agreed to have my vehicle placed on the machine . It took more than two hours after placing my truck on the machine to tell me that I needed sparks plugs, boots and gas cover gaskets. I told them to bring my truck around and I was leaving. Please note, when I came to AAmco the check engine light was OFF. I told them that. The truck engine ran SMOOTH with no clunking or rattling. When I attempted to back my truck out of the shop, I notice a rattling and noise coming from the engine. I knew immediately that it had something to do with the engine around the spark plug. The mechanics checks the spark plugs and claim that the problem existed because the mis-fire had finally failed. I went immediately to my own mechanic. He heard the noise from truck while turning into his shop. He took the spark plug hood off and readjusted the sparks plugs. My truck returned to the smooth sound. He said I did not need to replace the gas cover gasket not did I need to replace the boots all were dry. He further told me that any [redacted] performed the same FREE service that aamco claim to perform with out using aamco's scare tactic to swindle the customer out of an Additional $100.00.

I paid $35.00 at advanced auto for 5 original sparks, my mechanic cleaned my carburator filter and the total labor cost to me was $75.00. Aamco presented to bill to me of $1390.65. This does not include the $100.00 dollars I was ripped off for "placing the truck the machine". I believe this to bean unfair practice and the public needs to be made aware. Do Note, while I was there for more than two hours customer after customer come in complaining about the shabby job they had received from having their transmissions put in by this particular aamco. That caused me more concern. I am asking that the $100.00 dollars aamco through their misleading and underhanded business practices miss-appropriated from me be returned immediately and, that the Revdex.com alert the public of this scam in the [redacted] area.Desired Settlement: My desired out come is to first have the $100.00 I paid to be returned back to me and, Secondly to make the public aware of AAmco's unethical business practice.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com spoke with [redacted] from the business. The free service will provide information on any code or codes that come up when scanned but sometimes in order to pin point the exact problem a diagnostic is needed. This normally takes an hour and costs $100. In order to do this service the customer has to give authorization.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID[redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[My complaint speaks directly to the assertion that it was implied to me by the shop's representative. That the ONLY way to effectively rectifying a "check engine" light after a "FREE Diagnostic check ", whose purpose is to render a code indicating the trouble area , is not sufficient. In my case, that's when extreme persuading was exercised by the (woman behind the desk} to convince me that the only sure means to correctly determine the true meaning of the "free coder" would be through further investigation at a cost of $100.00 dollar. At this point if the proposed offer broached by Mark and expounded upon by me is now unacceptable. The resolution can only consist of leaving original complaint with Revdex.com as is. ]Regards,

Review: I took my [redacted] in to aamco transmission 8/16/2014 on wallace street in fredericksburg,va because the trans fault light and check engine light came on they hooked it to the diagnostic machine and said the pressure switches(epc solenoid) need to be replaced and the internal transmission wiring harness so they did this work and then called 2 or 3 days later and said I needed the computer (pcm) which they had to take to the [redacted] dealer to do the work (i didn't know they had to take it to another shop to do the work) on 8/23/2014 I went in they said it would be ready that day I came back 3 hours later and paid $1385.77 drove maybe 1000 feet and the same trans fault light came on so I took it back and they said they would look at it monday morning 8/25/2014 to see if they left some wires off or any other thing is wrong with it now the truck wont move at all now the truck is in worse shape than it was before I took it in to them. now they are saying its a engine (new engine was professionally installed 2/21/2014) problem not a transmission problem. I dont see how they can say something is bad and it will fix the problem when it clearly didn't fix my problem I feel this shop just threw parts at my truck hoping it would correct the problem.

total labor: $658.00

total parts: $653.55

total cost $1385.77Desired Settlement: I would like to be refunded the amount of the bill..... or refund me the cost of labor or parts would be fair since the parts they installed didn't fix the problem but only made them worse

Business

Response:

Revdex.com spoke with [redacted] from the company and he stated that the consumer had the engine put in the vehicle at another shop that cut out a big section of the wire loom that caused the wires to be exposed to the heat of the engine and damaged the PCM. The shop sent the vehicle to another shop to reprogram the PCM. The shop would not have known this until they did the trouble shooting. [redacted] stated there is no equipment that will test any PSM. When the vehicle was brought back [redacted] stated they removed the wiring harness and did not charge the consumer and discounted the charge for the PCM work. [redacted] stated that the vehicle is running.

Review: I took my vehicle to Aamco Transmissions in Fredericksburg, VA to drain and refill the transmission fluid due to difficulty in shifting. I previously had the vehicle inspected by an Aamco in [redacted] who stated that the difficulty in shifting was related to old fluid. The technician at the Fredericksburg Aamco informed me that the transmission had been leaking slightly from the top and rear shaft. The technician also informed me that they topped off the fluid by adding 1+ quart of transmission fluid to the transmission. When I asked if the leak was sever enough to prohibit a 300 mile trip from Fredericksburg, VA to Jacksonville, NC prior to repair, I was told "No". They did not drain and refill my transmission because they recommended I have the transmission removed and completely resealed. They did not charge me to top off the fluid.

Thirty miles into my trip to Jacksonville, NC, I noticed smoke billowing from the rear of my vehicle and from the shifter boot inside the cabin. I immediately pulled over to the emergency lane and quickly inspected the car. When I found fluid on the rear bumper and the undercarriage, I carefully and slow proceeded to a safe location to further inspect the vehicle. I stopped a the intersection of [redacted] and [redacted] in Ruther Glen, VA. Further inspection by me in the parking lot of a gas station revealed significant transmission fluid on the cross member directly under the transmission and on the exhaust pipes. I immediately took took the car to the neighboring auto repair shop, [redacted] and [redacted]. They informed me that it would cost $89.00 to inspect the vehicle. Their inspection discovered that the transmission had been over filled with fluid which was being forced from the vent tube on the top of the transmission and onto the rear undercarriage of the car. They fixed the problem by draining the fluid and refilling the transmission to the correct level. [redacted] and [redacted] found no other problems with the transmission. The total charges for diagnostics and repair was $163.06.Desired Settlement: I would like Aamco to refund the diagnostics and repair bill from [redacted] of $163.06

Business

Response:

[redacted] from the company called and he stated that the consumer came to the shop and [redacted] and another technician looked at the consumers car and diagnosed that transmission was leaking fluid and did not charge the consumer for the diagnosis. [redacted] said he called the consumer to let him know about the leak and the consumer then asked if he should drive the vehicle because he had a trip to go on. [redacted] said he didn't tell the consumer what to do about driving it but did advise that he get the leak fixed soon. [redacted] stated that the best he could do for him right now was to top off the fluid and he stated the consumer agreed. After the consumer picked the car up, [redacted] stated that he drive a few minutes and had the same problem and stopped at a shop close to AMMCO and paid for them to look at the vehicle, drain and refill the fluids. [redacted] stated the consumer came back and told him the other shop said that he overfilled the transmission with fluids because it was leaking from the top. [redacted] stated that it was going to look that way because that is what the transmission is doing, is leaking from the top. [redacted] stated he told the consumer that he was not going to reimburse him because he didn't bring the vehicle back to him to look at. [redacted] also told the consumer to fax him a copy of the work at the other shop that he paid $163 at and he stated he still has not been given that information. [redacted] said that he would be giving the consumer a call this afternoon.