Aamco Transmissions

Review: I sent my driveable 2006 [redacted] GS 300 car to get a transmission repair in Feb. 2013; I received my car back and the problem was not fixed. I sent my car back to Aamco 2 additional times. Aamco could not figure out the problem so they sent the car to [redacted] in [redacted] VA. [redacted] said that the problem was the transmission. Aamco then took the car back and said that they dont beleive it was the transmission;l they felt it was a computer issue. Aamco tried to fix the computer issue that they thought the car had; however after doing that, the car will not start anymore and therefore is not drivable. Now Aamoco says theres nothing else they can do and they offered me a refund for the transmission. They also want me to sign an agreemnet that they refunded me for the transmission and that they are not liable. I have not accepted any money as of yet and I have not signed becasue they are liable. They are now trying to charge a storage fee of $50/day becuase I won't sign the contract.Desired Settlement: I want Aamco to send my car to [redacted] and pay for the repairs and also provide me with a rental car while my car is in the repair shop. I also have been paying a carnote of $501/month plus insurance of $208/month since February when my car went into the Aamco shop. I would like the a refund becasue I was out of a car this whole time because of a problem they were suppoed to have fixed long ago.

Review: I ordered a replace fuel pump relay, replacement wire burnt connectors to frame and a replacement fuel pump on 2/27/13. I made a credit card payment for my services on 3/5/13 in the amount of $651.00. I received my vehicle on the same day I made my payments, 3/5/13. On 7/6/13, my vehicle stopped working and my vehicle was towed to Aamco Transmissions that night. I contacted a sales representative by the name of [redacted] on 7/8/13 in regards to my vehicle being fixed, I was told with sarcasm "I have thousands other vehicles to work on." I contacted [redacted] later that day, 7/8/13, and I was told that he doesn't know whats wrong with my vehicle, I was today to call back Tuesday. I contacted [redacted] on Tuesday, 7/9/13, then I was told he still doesn't know whats wrong with my vehicle. I called back again and I was told that there was an electrical problem. I refused to leave my vehicle there, so I had my vehicle towed to a Dodge dealership. A technician at the Dodge dealership diagnosed my car having faulty fuel pump, rear fuel tank strap missing and a bolt broken. Overall I had to pay $1,484.36 for the damage Aamco caused to my vehicle on 7/12/13 and 7/19/13.Desired Settlement: I would like to be refunded for the damage and inconvenience Aamco caused to my vehicle.

Business

Response:

{Please see attachment.}

Review: We were told that repairs were needed on our vehical. And the repairs that were listed on the invoice were never done. Also we had the transmission safe guard service on our first visit. After service was performed our transmission started slipping and now it stopped working. We had to have the vehical towed on 2-27-2014Desired Settlement: At this point as for invoice number [redacted] we, would accept a refund of all our money. We have contacted Aamco corporate office and spoke with **. [redacted] We were requested to speak with the manager at Aamco in which we did. I,also took my Vehical to another shop and had a mechanic look at our invoice and the work that was suppose to be done as per invoice and he came to the conclusion like I had noticed. That the work had not been done.As for invoice # [redacted] we are considering options.

Business

Response:

Dear **. [redacted]

The first time [redacted] came to the shop on 12-13-13 requesting a safeguard transmission service. We have a signed disclaimer by [redacted] stating that this will not fix any transmission

issues and that this is for maintenance only.

On 12-17-13 [redacted] came to the shop for code [redacted]. To address this code we changed the thermostat, coolant sensor and the intake manifold gasket. I have an invoice from our

supplier for these parts dated 12-17-13 for [redacted]'s specific vehicle. If this code has come back, the vehicle will be repaired under warranty. We have done the work we stated.

Regards [redacted]

[redacted] DBA Aamco of [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: We took vehical to one shop and had a mechanic take a visual look and inspect our engine to see if my observation about my theromostat and intake gasket not being changed. And his findings were the same as my findings. The Mechanic did say that Ammaco did change the

Review: Service was never finished. Spent more than double the quote. Owner is not professional and lacks integrity.Desired Settlement: Partial refund for unfinished job

Business

Response:

10/24/14Dear [redacted],There is a lot of information concerning this situation so I will explain some information and include a copy of my notes except for documents, pictures, video, copy of reimbursement check to [redacted] and the (defective) original shifter from his vehicle, all of which are on file in my office.First, I want to emphasize that the service was completed. [redacted] authorized and agreed for us to rebuild his transmission and replace the radiator. There was no discussion of any electrical concerns at this time because we could not fully check the vehicle. Any external problems, such as electrical problems outside the transmission were not part of the original agreement. Some problems or concerns cannot be checked until you have a working vehicle that can be road tested and checked. [redacted]'s vehicle could not be fully checked because of the water damage to the transmission which did not allow us to fully check his vehicle when it first arrived at our center. Also, [redacted] made a statement to Charlene at AAMCO's Corporate Consumer Affairs Department stating that the transmission was working fine, but the shifter button was not working. Now with a code [redacted] that was present when the vehicle first came in told us there was possibly a communication error — but, was it due to the damage to the transmission or some other problem? Again without the ability to clear the codes and road test the vehicle we had to first fix the transmission.[redacted] did not spend double the amount of money. He was quoted on a service and a price, and he gave us a $1,000.00 deposit. Here are some examples of pricing from other companies doing rebuilt transmissions:[redacted]: $3,654.68 which does not include labor and only a 12month/12,000 mile warranty which also does not include the radiator parts or labor for that replacement.ETE Company: $4,325.00 which does not include labor or radiator service or related parts. **Our price: $3,712.03 rebuilt transmission w/ [redacted] valve body/TCM w/ 12month/unlimited miles$ 714.35 radiator, fluids and service $ 500.00 [redacted] opted for our extended warranty for 35month/50,000mile$4,926.68 plus PA Sales Tax The numbers show we are right in fine with other services offered. We also reimbursement [redacted] for a shifter assembly he had replaced at another garage which was $466.28. This brings the total cost of the repair down to $4,460.40 plus sales tax.What [redacted] is not willing to understand is that his vehicle is electronically controlled and when a vehicle's computer sets a [redacted] code there is a communication error which was present when the vehicle first came to us and every time thereafter. This can affect many different components on a vehicle. (Here are two extreme examples, a missing dome light bulb in some [redacted] Trucks will cause the transmission not to shift, and when wipers stop working on some [redacted] this will cause the vehicle's transmission to stop shifting.) CAN systems use more modules to accomplish communications but at the same time they are more vulnerable to electronic faults. Connectors can get corroded or loose and wires can get grounded, shorted, or broken which cause the system voltage to be below specifications. These problems get worse as the vehicle ages as in the case of [redacted]'s vehicle. His vehicle is a 2004 with 121,000 plus miles on it. According to [redacted] repair information systems, the possible causes for a [redacted] code are: harness or connectors and/or a CAN communication line can be open or shorted.The shifter assembly part [redacted] had replaced at another garage was defective. Even though I previously reimbursed him for that part, I also made him an offer to take his vehicle to [redacted] to have the problem checked and confirmed and I would pay the first few hours at their hourly rate of $93.00 per hour. This is the [redacted] dealer from which I originally bought the Valve Body w/TMC, and is the same dealer I got the replacement valve body to try again to correct this problem. I even tried for a 3rd valve body, but [redacted] refused to send me one saying that it would be impossible for two different valve bodies to cause this problem. I am only recommending this dealer because I bought the parts there and they know the situation. But, [redacted] told Charlene from AAMCO’s Consumer Affairs office that [redacted] would put a "lackey” on the vehicle just to agree with me. Why would | pay all this money just for someone to agree with me? We fix vehicles here —we don’t break them. In rare cases like this we just don't have the means to check this kind of problem on [redacted] vehicles, due to the proprietary information and costs from the [redacted] Corporation.As you can see from my notes I have contacted others concerning this problem, and I even contacted Brenner [redacted] who suggested that [redacted] take his vehicle to [redacted]. I feel it is unfair for [redacted] to accuse me as being unprofessional and lacking integrity. I have never refused to not check his vehicle anytime he called us, nor did I refuse to give him his money back for the defected part he had replaced after he threaten to take me to court if I refused to do so. I have been doing this job for 35 years and I have always tried to solve problems fairly, as I am trying to do with [redacted], but I can honestly say that [redacted] is not being fair to me or my business, Thanks for your time and if you need more information or need to contact me my number is [redacted]Sincerely,Tom B

Review: This company allows you to make payments on work done then they charged storage fees when there was no discussion of storage fees, nothing was signed or stated about storage fees at any point. There was face to face payments made and when a receipt was given, there was nothing that talked about storage fees and it wasn't in the total cost as payment was made. The company then sent the car to a lien holder without proper notice or any conversation on the matter with the absorbent storage charges added to the cost in order for us to have our vehicle returned. Even after payment was made, the manager of the facility continued to be disrespectful, rude and have a complete lack of customer service, as he had throughout the entire process. The car also has extra mileage on it then when dropped off that is not consistent with the amount of miles that would be added just to check a repair. We have no explanation as to that. The manager refuses to really talk to anyone. He just says, I don't know.Desired Settlement: We would like a refund of the storage fees in cash or check. We would like an apology for the way we were treated by the manager, [redacted].

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted]

Customer came in on 11-6-13. We gave an estimate to rebuild the transmission. Customer picked up vehicle and returned on 11-15-13 stating that he needed two weeks to pay for repairs.

Aamco agreed to the two week grace period. Customer did not pay within two weeks. Then customer came in on 2-21-14 and signed a statement he would have vehicle paid by 3-21-14. Customer did not keep this promise either. We then started a lien to repo the vehicle. Our sign clearly states that storage starts five days after repairs @$35/day. We in fact did not charge the full storage fee . Customer should have brought vehicle back only when he had money to pay for repairs. We are not in the finance business and we need to get paid upon completion of work.

Regards [redacted] Pres Star Valley , Inc. DBA Aamco of [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

There was no agreement to pay the fee in the first two weeks and there was no signed statement at any time stating that the amount would be paid by a set date. We were told that we could make payments and there was no set time schedule for this. At no time did I or **. [redacted] sign any statement and I would challenge the company to show a copy of said statement. In fact, when **. [redacted] went to the business after we got papers for a lien, they attempted to look for paperwork that said we agreed to storage fees and admitted that no said paperwork existed. There was never any statement about paying by a certain due date. Any issue could've been stated when **. [redacted] was in the business and talked to the owner himself.

Review: I recently had my transmission repaired by an AAMCO dealor in February. They recommended a replacement and other small repairs. I asked for them check car out and make sure there were no other costly repairs. They suggested two small repairs as noted on the work order. I later found out after the repair that my rear axle will need a costly repair. When the car was ready a new problem arose. I had security lights flashing and my instrument cluster was not operating correctly. After a long discussion I left car and was told my transmission would be replaced again. the same problem occurred when I picked car ten days later. I called AAMCO and was told car was safe to drive. Later that night A new problem happened. My night lights would turn off unexpectedly when driving. I almost had an accident. I Was told by AAMCO the car was brought in that way. Thay produced a fraudulent report from 12/2013 stating other engine codes. At this point I had enough and looked for a mechanic. No mechanic would service my car. I was told it was a pinched wire and hard to find. I then went to the dealer. They found a bad wire by the engine where the car was worked on. As a result of this repair my computer was now working correctly and a new code came up. Another broken part was discovered. There should be no way a mechanic should operate a business this way. I have other repair shops to a state the my instrument cluster was working fine up to one week prior to the transmission repair. I spent four thousand dollars for the initial transmission repair. According to the dealer my transmission was overhauled and not replaced. I have requested documentation for the replacement of transmission as the AAMCO lawyer who is the brother in law volunteered this info in a letter to the Attorney Generals Office.Desired Settlement: Open to discussion

Review: My vehicle was at Aamco in January of 2013 and was there until at least February 7th 2013 to get a BRAND NEW transmission installed. In May of 2014 it started making a rattling noise. Since I don't drive it very often (it is a second vehicle) I didn't take it to the garage until July 2014. I took it to my normal garage. They advised me that the best they could figure out was that the noise was caused by bolts coming loose that hold the flywheel and torque converter together. They stated they would have to drop the transmission to get to it, and that being a 6 hour job, it would be $600 just for that, not including the other work that was being done on the vehicle for inspection. Since it was transmission related, I told them that I just had a new transmission installed a little more than a year ago at your facility, they stated my best bet would be to take it back there in case anything was covered by the warranty. I picked it up from my garage and dropped it off at Aamco. Two days later I received a call stating that "the flywheel was cracked, the torque converter was shot, and I needed a new transmission". Now keep in mind, other than the rattling noise, I was not having any problems with how the vehicle ran/drove/handled. My first question was "how does a BRAND NEW transmission only last a year and five months???" I was told, and I QUOTE, "wellll...sometimes these things are defective". The male on the phone did not seem to think it was a big deal or that rare of a situation. So the options I was given were 1. Pay $2800 AGAIN for a BRAND NEW transmission, or $1800 for a used one, since my warranty was only good for a year on the last one. (and according to the paperwork, the warranty began the day the vehicle ARRIVED at the garage, not the day the work was FINISHED, which is what I believe would be the more fair option). At that time I was also told that I would get a 3 year warranty on the transmission, new OR used. I decided to think about it, as 1. the vehicle is a 1999 Explorer, 2. I do not have $2800/$1800 I could spare to spring for another transmission. However, I also do not have the money to pay for a car payment (the vehicle has been paid off for 6 years) seeing as I am recently divorced, own a house, and have bills that I can BARELY afford to pay now. So since I cannot afford a car payment, I called them back and advised to go ahead and put a used transmission in it. I was then told that I could finance it through Aamco, and that they had to get personal information to do the credit check. I provided the info over the phone, which I was not entirely comfortable with, but didn't have much of a choice as I was leaving for vacation in a few hours and did not have time to drive to the station to fill out paperwork. I was also told that the warranty would be for six months, not the 3 years I was told earlier on the phone. I was told that only AFTER I provided my personal info and the application was submitted for the credit card. I chalked it up to the male just misquoting me the first time and didn't argue the point at the time since I was frustrated, stressed, and just wanted to get on with my day. Fast forward to 4 days into my vacation, when I received a phone call advising that the flywheel would need replaced, and that would cost me another $300-some. I stated that I was under the impression that the flywheel was already being replaced, and that it was included in the $1800 for the transmission. I was told that no, the flywheel is NOT part of the transmission. It sure would have been nice to have been told that in the BEGINNING that it would be another $300 on top of the $1800 I was already getting taken for. At any rate, I told them to go ahead and do it, since I need it anyway. I returned home from vacation and my vehicle still was not finished. No big deal, I didn't need it right away anyway. Then they called me to tell me that it HAD been finished, but they walked in one morning and the transmission they installed was leaking, so they would have to order ANOTHER transmission and put in. Amazingly, that one was finished in TWO days. Not sure how it took over 2 weeks for the BRAND NEW one, over a week for the first USED one, but only 2 days for the second one?? When the vehicle was finally finished, they called me at 4:40 pm on Wed August 6 2014. They advised me that the vehicle was finished, and when would I be able to pick it up? I advised them that I needed to get a ride to the garage to pick it up, and that it wouldn't happen the next day since I had to take my mother to several doctor's appointments. He asked if I could do it the day after that (Friday), which I could not since I would be working from 6am to 6pm (I am a dispatcher in a 911 center) all weekend. At that point I felt like he was badgering me to get the vehicle, even though they had it for over 3 weeks at that point. So I asked him if I could at least just come in and sign the papers for the bill and get the key, and just pick it up at my convenience. Again the badgering started for when I could do that. I asked him what time they closed that day and he said "5, but if you can come in now I'll stick around until 5:15. Even though I had JUST gotten out of the shower, I rushed and pulled in at 4:59....only to be told that "he's still finishing up the final inspection, it'll be a few minutes and I can get you the key.". I finally walked out of there at 5:30.....all that rushing to get there only to have to sit in a waiting room for 30 minutes, when I had other things I needed to be doing. So two days later when I go to pick up the vehicle after work, I back out of the space, and since it was a little tight, I had to pull forward and back up a little more, when I put it in reverse it wouldn't back up, only kept drifting forward (which was the issue last year that led to the BRAND NEW transmission being installed.) After going back and forth between park and reverse, it finally caught and I was able to back out. I got the vehicle home, kept putting it in reverse a few times and it seemed fine. I did not drive the vehicle again until the following Thursday, August 14 2014 when I was going out to dinner with a friend. I went to pull out from in front of my house, put it in drive, and it would not move, just revved up like I was in neutral. Finally it caught and I was able to pull out. However, the whole way up the street it kept hesitating and seeming like when the vehicle is in neutral and you step on the gas. It kept doing that more every time I came to a stop sign. I turned around, went home and got my other vehicle. The next day I again tried to drive the truck, thinking "ok, maybe because it's newly installed it just needs to be driven a little bit and it'll be fine". No such luck. Drove it to the K-mart that is down the street from the Aamco location to pick up a table and chairs, and once again at almost every stop sign and red light, it kept up with the hesitation. PLUS, it was also making a chirping noise that it did not previously make, AND my check engine light was on. So I turned around and went home, and immediately tried calling the Aamco station. NO ANSWER. I tried several times. I did not try over the weekend because I did not think they were open on the weekends, seeing as they close so ridiculously early during the week. Monday, I tried several times from work, again no answer. Today, several times, NO ANSWER. Finally, since I work in a 911 center, we actually sent one of our local officers to see if something was wrong, if it was a phone issue, or if the station was just closed for the day. The officer then proceeds to tell me that the Aamco appears to be PERMANENTLY closed, and that there was a note on the door with a 1-800 number to call for customer service. Well, needless to say I called that number, and again got NO ANSWER other than a message stating "leave your name and number and we'll return your call in the order it was received." I'm STILL waiting for a call back..... My truck is now screwed up worse than before, I can't drive it, and I had NO ISSUES with it other than a rattling noise before taking it to their facility. Oh, and not to mention they also did not return my ORIGINAL paperwork to me from the first time it was there, I had been told I needed to have them in the vehicle when I dropped it off this time so they could check the warranty. I keep every single garage record for both of my vehicles, and now don't have that one if I need it for proof of the prior service. So not only did they mess up my vehicle to the point where I cannot drive it, I also cannot get the issue resolved or get them to fix it right since it appears they have closed up shop with no warning whatsoever, and corporate does not return any calls or e-mails.Desired Settlement: I want my truck fixed right, and I do not want to have to pay extra to get it done right. I cannot afford to take it to another garage, as I already am worried how I am going to pay the $2432 I had to charge for this crappy job they did.

Business

Response:

Handwritten response.

Review: Aamco rplaced 4 motor mounts in my 2000 Pontiac car and the car now has a significant vibration while the engine is running and the car is is park and not moving. They acknowledged the vibration but don't know how to correct the problem. The owner , [redacted], (last name unknown) told me on 21 May (on the phone) that he would be in the office on Tues the 28th of May and he would personally look at the car and give me a call and come up with a solution. I called Aamco on the 28 toward the end of the day and [redacted] had not called me and the office help did not know where he was or how to get in contact with him but told me they would leave a message for him to call me. On the 29th, in the afternoon, after again not hearing from [redacted] I went to the Aamco office but [redacted] was not there again and they would not give me his phone number but again said they would leave him a message. The car has been in their possession since 18 May and it still is. ------Desired Settlement: I want $400 refund ---- They did put 4 motor/transmission mounts in the car, so I'm willing to pay for something ----- I suspect they were the incorrect mounts or not to GM standards or the mounts were put in incorrectly. Whatever they did, they did something wrong. If possible, I'd like the car fixed so that it doesn't have that significant vibration with the car running and in park and not moving, but I have no confidence that they can or will try to fix the problem. What really bothers me is the management (Tony) lack of professionalism and not calling me back to fairly resolve the problem here. I clearly will never take my car back to these people. Therefore, I'm registering this compliant about this less than up-front business.

Review: On 5/7/2015, we brought our 2008 Pontiac Grand Prim into the AAMCO on Pulaski Highway in Bear De. We were greeted by someone named [redacted]. We explained to him that we had a power steering fluid leak that we needed repaired. We also told him that we had two codes from the DMV that caused our car to fail inspection. The guy [redacted] said it would be several hours and instead of waiting he would give me a ride home. After being home a few hours I received a call from [redacted].He started telling me all sorts of different things that they found wrong with the car. He told me that the price would be $2,262.04. I told him that this was too much for me. I told him that I would be better off selling the car and using the $2,000 on another car. He then told me that I could try for an AAMCO card. After I was turned down for the AAMCO card he told me to try his friend that has a loan company called Mariner Finance. I called and gave the girl named April my information. This was at 4:53pm and she told me someone would call me the next morning. The next morning I received a call from [redacted]'s friend Cliff. Cliff told me his company could loan me $1,500.I declined the offer. I then called [redacted] and asked him if it was possible to fix my tie rods, the power steering problem and one of the codes given by the DMV. I told him if I could show the DMV that I fixed one of the codes they would give us an extension to fix the second code. [redacted] said he could do that. He said that would drop the price to a little over $1,500. When I arrived at AAMCOIPad began to tell me what was fixed. When he mentioned the codes, he mentioned a code that the DMV did not list. At first he tried to tell me that the DMV gave three codes. When I told him that they only gave two, that is when he told me his testing found a third code and that's what they fixed. He told me I never told him to fix the DMV code, even though that was the way to get our extension at the DMV. When I told him I didn't authorize him to fix what he fixed he told me to prove. We both became angry and I said that they didn't care about customer service. I said all they care about is getting the customers money. [redacted] said "that's right, I got your money, now get the F out of here". He became very belligerent even though I just spent over $1,500 at this location. As we were driving home we noticed that the car is still making the exact same whining noise that it was making when we brought the car in to be fixed. This is the noise that it would make when power steering fluid is needed. It is also still making the clicking noise when the steering wheel is turned. This noise was supposed to be associated with the tie rods. I believe this AAMCO location is taking advantage and cheating their customers. They are very dishonest and are doingwork when not authorized to do so. When I confronted them about this practice their response was prove it. No apology, no culpability and no respect for the customer.I hope something can be done before other customers get the same horrible experience that I had.Desired Settlement: My desired outcome would be an apology and a refund. The refund could be partial because I do not feel the job was done correctly, if it was done at. I would really be surprised if anyone from this location were to own up to the horrible treatment that they gave. Just looking at their rating here shows that they do not care about their customer, what their customers feel or what their customers think.

They fix my daughters transmission and told us it would cost $1,800 and they ended up charging us $2,800 and told us we had 6 months to pay it with no minimum payment and then try to hit us with $175 a month payments. Plus they told us 5 days and it took over 2 weeks and they started doing the work and never got approval from us for the amount

Review: My husband ([redacted]) and I brought our vehicle in (2002 Hyundai Elantra) to [redacted] for a diagnostic check on in intermittent slipping issue with a transmission. A diagnostic was run and determined that no problems existed in the engine, but a transmission flush was recommended. As they did not perform such services, they recommended AAMCO.

I phoned AAMCO to get a quote for this service. I was told at first $129.99 and up. I phoned back, after checking other local service shops, to clarify what EXACTLY the charge would be and set an appointment. This time, I spoke with the manager and he said it was actually $99 and then the cost of fluid, but it wouldn't be much more, probably around $130 or so. NEVER did he mention anything else that would be needed for a flush.

Upon arrival, we were told that a $105 diagnostic check/multi-point inspection was required to determine whether the vehicle was in proper shape to do a transmission flush. We were told that if further service was then done, this fee would be waived. This diagnostic check/inspection was performed and we were told there were a few engine codes, but the main issue was there was a transmission and engine leak. The tech (Rob) didn't even get into detail about the engine codes and what they mean, because he stressed the main issue that needed to be dealt with was the engine and transmission leaks. He said this was a serious leak and said that what they needed to do was run a further diagnostic to determine where the leak was occurring and then determine how to proceed. This further check/inspection was going to cost $168 and he would go ahead and waive the initial $105 check.

The $168 inspection was performed. We were phoned and told he had "good news." There was now, suddenly, in fact NO leaks at all with the transmission. And there was no problem with the transmission. When we asked for clarification on that, Rob became to stammer and stutter and get noticeably more nervous not really addressing WHY there WAS a leak and now there WASN'T. He then went on to say there was only a few "minor" "upgrades" and "fixes" to the engine would make the car perform better and "most likely" fix the transmission slipping issue. He recommended doing these "upgrades" and "fixes" and then seeing how the transmission "responded" to these services and then see if transmission work was needed. This was, of course, after he just stated there was nothing wrong with the transmission. He said these "little" fixes would ONLY be $1024. We explained we thought that was ridiculous to spend on a 13 year old car. He said there was nothing else they could do. He simply recommended this service. We said we would come into the shop and pick up the car. We were not interested in spending that kind of money.And honestly, we didn't trust anything they were saying AT ALL. At this point, we want to safely retrieve our car and get away from these VERY questionable people.

We picked up the car and were again presented with a quote for the $1024 "quick fixes." After a 10 minute spiel from the manager, we explained we had already heard all this and said, again, we were NOT paying $1000 for service. We asked for an itemization of the supposed services he recommended and reluctantly paid the $168 for the "check." Again, we wanted to ensure we could safely leave with our car. This company and its employees were extremely sketchy and making us very nervous.

We have many problems with this. For one, the service representatives, use very alarming tactics. They ramble on and on about how complex engines are and point to charts and use big words to try and scare the customer into purchasing thousands of dollars worth of service they don't really need. Interestingly, they have perfected the ability to say a lot, yet say nothing at all. And make absolutely no guarantee. THey just keep saying what a great deal it is. How great news a $1000 bill is and how this service isn't even guaranteed to fix or be the problem! Second, I am not confident AT ALL that they even know what they are talking about. Namely, after the first diagnostic, we were NOT told about all these "fixes." Rather, we were told the primary problem and focus should be on determining where the transmission and engine leaks were. Basically, I feel like they lie and BS their way into getting people to keep paying for more and more checks without ever really fixing the issue or finding out what it is. Finally, a lot of their spiel didn't make any sense. They were talking to us about manual transmission engines and how they work... this car has an automatic transmission, so... what does that even matter! Again.. trying to confuse and scare the customer.

After we left, I went online and found scores of complaints about these scam artists. I wish I would have looked these guys up BEFORE going to them. We ended up spending a few dollars on transmission cleaner and fixed the issue. It should also be noted they over charge not only for not needed service, but their parts are as well. They quoted us $300 JUST FOR PARTS for two 02 sensors, PLUS labor. It should be noted these parts, brand new, are $65 each. They are charging their customers MORE than DOUBLE the actual price on top of labor. And that was just one part. I'm sure all the other services they offer are just as overpriced.

It's a shame, because the AAMCO name has, from a nationwide standpoint, a great reputation. Because of this experience I will NEVER trust an AAMCO again.Desired Settlement: Since we were basically lied to about what the problems were and scammed into getting a second scan we NEVER would have agreed to had they been honest with what the ACTUAL results were from the original scan, I believe we should have a FULL refund of $168.94 for the apparently worthless and probably not even accurate "inspection/check."

Review: I took my car to AAMCO in April 2013 for a repair. They told me it needed a rebuilt transmission. They installed the rebuilt transmission in June and charged me $4885.27. The rebuilt transmission has a 12 month, 12,000 mile warranty. I've had to bring the car back to AAMCO 3 times since June for transmission problems. The first two repairs, they only gave me a receipt, but did not document the problem. The last repair, in October, they documented the problem after I requested it. On 27 Oct 13, the day I received the car, I heard a different noise. My car is a 2006 Acura 3.2 TL.Desired Settlement: My desired outcome is to have the transmission working without any problems. I would like a refund so that I can take the car somewhere else. I'm really concerned that once the warranty is expired AAMCO is going to tell me I need another transmission.

Review: AAMCO qouted us $3,000 to rebuild my transmission in my 2002 Honda Passport. The repairs ended up costing almost $7,000, after they had possession of my car for almost 4 weeks. When I picked up my car on 9/19 the car ran fine initially. When I returned to my school for an Open House event, I turned off the ignition, but my car continued to run. I tried 3 times to get the car to turn off. I then called AAMCO and reported the problem. I was informed (at 4:40PM) that the person was going to call Larry and then call me back. I NEVER RECEIVED A RETURN CALL. I was able to get the car to shut off the 4th time I turned the key.

I called AAMCO the morning of 9/20 to find out that [redacted] had never been called the previous evening. When speaking with Larry, he claimed that there was more that should have been fixed when they had my car. This did not make sense because my car had been serviced by a reliable mechanic in August - the only thing he saw that needed work was the transmission. We were also told by [redacted] that other than the transmission, the engine was in great shape and would run for many more miles.

So, my complaint is:

1) the final cost of the work was more than 2x the initial estimate

2) when I had a problem with the car, I did not receive the return phone call

3) [redacted] offered to come tow my car to look at it but I would have to incur the cost of the tow. I do not believe I should be responsible to pay for a tow when my car has been out of their shop for less than 1 hour and is exhibiting a mechanical problem that DID NOT exist prior to them having custody of my car.Desired Settlement: Since I cannot depend upon the work and service provided by AAMCO, I am going to need to take my car to an independent mechanic to assess why the car is not always turning off when I remove the key. Since I have never had that problem with the car until it was serviced by AAMCO, I believe they should assume financial responsibility to have it checked and/or repaired by an independent mechanic of my choosing.

Review: My wouldn't start so I called AAA and the tech stated it might be my fuel pump but said my starter was good and that the battery was fine. That was on March 12, 2015. We then called Aamco since we heard about the free diagnostic check to find the problem. They offered us free towing to their facility if they did the repairs. They picked up our car on March 13, 2015 then told us they needed a special technician to complete the diagnosis on the computer system in the car said they wouldn't be available until Monday. They had the car all weekend but come Tuesday morning they had not diagnosed the problem claiming that now my battery would not work or charge and that my starter is now not working and wanted $700.00 plus the diagnostic fee of $180.53 then redo the test to find the problem and then pay for whatever problems they come up with. My husband told them from the beginning that we have a limit since the car is 17 years old. I asked them to also give me a digital printout for the test they said they did but couldn't complete due to no power in the car. The manager [redacted] said there was no digital printout for the test that he could write something up. They kept cranking the car until nothing worked. Then refused to release my car until I paid for his technician's so called work. I then had to call AAA to tow my car back to my home. So my car is now in front of my house with no power of any sort and I'm out $270.47 for a nonworking car.Desired Settlement: I feel I was robbed they charged me for damaging my car. I want my money back plus the cost of my battery and the starter they damaged.

Review: On July 23, 2013 I brought my car in for service for a complaint regarding my car not going in reverse. The vehicle was left at the dealer for analysis and the following day the results of the analysis were given over the phone. I was told the car needed a new transmission either it needed to be rebuilt or buy a new one. Authorization for repairs were given and repairs were made. Upon completion of repairs, vehicle was picked up and I was informed that it was their policy to test drive the vehicle and Larry told me everything was now fine.

The vehicle was driven home, I put the car in reverse and the same noise and grinding occured again within 15 minutes of picking the vehicle up. Car was returned to the service location and I demonstrated to them what happens when the car is put in reverse so they could witness what I was talking about. They kept the car and ran additional tests and the following day they stated the transfer case was the reason why the truck is not going in reverse and making the grinding noise. It needs to be repaired or replaced. I stated that the transfer case was the initial problem then in the first place and the work that was rendered initially was unnecessary and unwarranted. Additional repair was declined. Customer service department was called to file a complaint and I was informed to get a second opinion at this time, Vehicle was take the [redacted] dealership and transfer case was repairedDesired Settlement: I am looking for a refund for the work that was not necessary.

Consumer

Response:

Review: My transmission went in my 2005 Acura TL so I called around and got some quotes to fix my transmission. Most places would not fix it they said they would have to put in a brand new on which would be $4000. I talked to Cottman and they said they could rebuild it for less than $3000. Then I talked to Joe at Aamco in Bear DE. He said they would tow it and inspect it for free and that it could be a simple fix and may not be my transmission at all when they checked it out. I told him I got a quote to rebuild it for less than $3000 and that was the most I wanted to spend. He assured me that if it could be rebuilt that was accurate. So I had them tow it. Joe called me back the next day and said that it was the transmission but they could fix it, he said all the "soft" parts needed to be replaced and they would check the "hard" parts (whatever that means) the next day. He quoted me $2700, so I was happy and told him as long as the final job was not much more I would be happy. He calls me the next day and talks for 15 minutes about all these different car terms that I don't understand, I finally asked him to just tell me the new total. He says $4500!!! I am not happy at all because I got a quote for a brand new transmission for $4000 and now he is telling me it will be $4500 to repair mine that has 113,000 miles on it! I tell him dont touch the car I ll have it towed somewhere else and I want back my $500 deposit that I gave them as well. He says "oh we have already put time into it you'll be out more than the $500" I am very unhappy and I tell him to try to find a transmission they can put it that will be less than $3000 and if they cant I will have it towed somewhere else. He calls me an hr later and what a surprise he found a transmission elsewhere that they can put in for $2975, right under my $3000 limit. Now this was already a horrible experience with the baiting in from aamco and the switching of the price to maximize their profits and not give a darn about their customer. I now went to pick the car up a few days later and things only got worse. I go in and sit down with an employee who says I owe them $2975 which is not true because I gave them $500 already so I owe them $2475. The employee says "no I'm pretty sure thats your total" I say "no get Joe he knows I put down $500" He comes back and says you're right and instead of apologizing he says "can you tell I'm new?" I pay and they pull the car up and I start to feel better until I get in the car and see the check engine light on. The check engine light only came on right at the moment my car died on the side of the road and had never been on before that so I new it was because of the transmission. So why would the check engine light come on after they fixed the transmission? I went back in and told the employee the check engine light was on and he looked at me like "why should I care" So I said why would the check engine light be on after you guys fixed my transmission? He said "Oh I did not know you had your transmission fixed" So I was getting more and more angry and their lack of care after giving them $3000. They had someone come out and erase the code and Joe told me it was an emissions problem and that it could be as simple as a gas cap, he said they could fix it here. I said "no thanks" I did not want them to touch my car ever again! I get back in the car and to my dismay the car now won't start. Again I go back inside and tell Joe and he says "well have you left the lights on recently?" They had the car for the last week, the battery was 10 months old, they most likely left lights on or something to drain the battery. He jumps it and says let it run for a while you should be fine when you get home if not we can put in a new battery for $100. What a joke. Then I get back in and they didnt put the code in to reset my car radio, so that was another 10 minutes in that awful place. So within the next week and a half of getting the car back the check engine light continued to come on and took it to a mechanic who said it could have been that they switched the wires when they put the transmission back in or it could be something else. Either way it would have cost me more money to fix. I also had to get a new battery which was free because it was only 10 months old. All in all it was the worst experience I have ever had with my car, Joe new he was baiting me in by telling me it could possibly be an easy fix and telling me $3000 was accurate if they needed to fix it and then calling me and telling me $2700 and then he switched, upping it by $1800 the next day and telling me I would owe them more than $500 for the work they had done before. They then went about everything extremely sloppy and did not care about my car or me as a customer. This arrogance is absolutely unacceptable! No one should have to deal with this car shop!Desired Settlement: I would like the labor amount of $1087.31 refunded to me. I am not asking for the whole amount because I am more fair than they I are. I feel the work they did was sloppy, and caused more problems to my car which in turn only cost me more money. When someone pays $3000 to fix their car they should be treated with respect and not brushed under the rug as I feel now. Thank You

Review: I had my vehicle towed to Aamco, the above location, and the company said it would diagnose the vehicle for $10, and they could not diagnose the vehicle for that amount and they said that they would need to charge me for another test at $155. They diagnosed a distributor issue and said that that is the problem and that the car would be fixed on Friday the 24th of May, John who was the contact had said that they would change the crankshaft position sensor, I told them that I had already changed that and it would not be necessary, they changed it anyway and put it under the authorization to repair the distributor. The repairs were made and the car was not running. They said it would be ready on Friday it wasn't and they still did not know what was wrong with it. They charged me $956 for a broken car, they did not know what they were doing, and were throwing parts into the car that were not needed.Desired Settlement: I would like to have some of the money returned on my credit card, especially for the unauthorized repair. The company is shady and their practices are not in line with other automotive practices.

I came in towed and left out awed. I don't make many wise decisions , but, choosing Aamco was a five star choice. Compared to the overpriced dealership and the underwhelming work of "flyby night" mechanics, these guys lead by Joe take the Gold medal in customer service as far as I am concerned.They took care of my mother's car and they took great care or my car.Sadly, they wont take my mother in for a trade in (lol) but, they do cars like they are hardwired for life.

Review: I was charged $8067 to have transmission replaced in my companions 2004 [redacted] After speaking with family and friends, I realized that fee may be way out of line. I asked my son to call several AAMCO stores both locally and out of area, and not 1 store quoted a price remotely close to what I paid. This business preyed upon me because of my age. The whole transaction seemed unseemly. On April 11th I paid $1000 on my [redacted] Card, followed by another payment of $2067.42 on May 3rd when car was ready for pick-up. At the time I picked up the car a contract was slipped in on me for $5000 with L[redacted] bringing total paid for replacement to $8067.42. I never applied for a loan or ever spoke with anyone at [redacted]. It wasn't until I started getting statements that I realized what transpired.Desired Settlement: I want AAMCO to refund [redacted] the $5000 loan that they set me up with, thus terminating the loan.

Review: On Thursday the 23rd of Oct I contacted Aamaco regarding my 2005 Hyundai Elantra. I was told that it would cost $105.00 for them to run a 4 point diagnostic test. On Friday the 24th of Oct 2014 I dropped my car off to Aamaco located at 819 Pulaski Highway, in Bear, De so they could run the test. And see how much cost to have my clutch replaced. I received a call later on that morning from Rob he stated that he has the car and would run the test. Later on that afternoon, Rob contacts me back and states that it will cost $825.35 for labor to pull the transmission. On Monday morning around 9:15 AM on the 27th of Oct 2014 I received a call from Rob stating that it would cost $2840.51 to get my car repaired. After speaking with several mechanics and explained what the issues was with my car, they explained to me that there is no justification for them to charge me that much and that I was being taken advantage of. I had contacted several other places including the Hyundai dealer, and was told by them again I was being taking advantage of, because what they are saying was needed is impossible. When I explained to Rob that I want my car back and that they are charging to much, he states that I want to see it in writing where you can get this work done.

Because I was not there when they looked at my car, I don’t know what type of damage they have done to my car. I was told that they needed written permission to work on my car; they did not have written permission to pull my transmission. Now my transmission is sitting on the floor at Aamco, and they want to charge me. So now in order for me to get my car I have to pay either the $825.35 for them pulling my transmission and reassembling it or the $2840.51 for them to fix my car. They misrepresented, and mislead me to believing that they would just be charging me $105.00 give or take to run the test, and if I choose that fee would be waived if I allowed them to work on my vehicle, then they went above and beyond the actual cost to repair my clutch. My biggest concern is that they may have caused unnecessary damage to my car, which I need to get back and forth to both of my jobs and physical therapy.Desired Settlement: for my car to be released so that I can have another mechanic to do the job.