Aamco Transmissions

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/01/15) */
What the Customer leaves out of the complaint is the reason WHY the warranty on his transmission is not being honoredHis vehicle is modified to ride lower to the ground than what the manufacturer specifiesAt some point in time during the
four months in which the transmission worked without issue, the vehicle WAS bottomed outThe transmission pan was caved in and/or severely dented and blocked the fluid pick up on the transmission filter which restricted lubrication and ultimately lead to the overheating and failure of the transmissionUpon inspection of the undercarriage of the vehicle, towed in at no cost to the customer which is not covered under the warranty, we found damage on the vehicle's subframe, lower control arms, plastic shields and one the brand new CV axles we had installed was also damaged and ruinedDirt and plant material were present, jammed into crevices throughout the undercarriageIt looked as though the lowered street vehicle had been driven through a farmer's fieldWe have photographs of ALL the above described damageSince the failure was caused by obvious customer abuse the warranty was null and voidWe would not be rebuilding the customers transmission again for freeWe did offer to repair it at a reduced labor rate, $35/hour, greatly reducing the costThe customer declined our offerThe customer proceeded to get AAMCO customer service involved and we had to make our case to our franchisorAfter seeing all the evidence and type of damage AAMCO agreed that the warranty was null and voidThe head of AAMCO's technical department even reviewed the case and absolved us of any liabilityAt that time we advised the customer it would make more sense to make a insurance claim than a warranty claimThe customer then towed the vehicle to another shop on or around 7/31/This is the first we have heard from the customer since that timeThe original repair was completed 3/11/The customer's transmission failed not due to any manufacturers or part defect, nor was it caused by any faulty craftsmanship on our partThe customer's own actions, or whomever was behind the wheel when it bottomed out, caused the failure of his transmissionWe regret he feels the investment into the repair of his vehicles was wasted, but it is not by any fault of ours own that this is the caseHere at AAMCO West StPaul we strive to provide our customers with the highest quality automotive repairs and customer serviceIf there was ANY reason to believe that the failure was covered under warranty we would gladly honor the warranty rebuild the transmission at no costUnfortunately, in this instance, this is not the caseWe stand behind all of our work and take pride in what we doThe warranty is null and voidWe made a reasonable offer to the customer to help offset some of the cost of repairs, yet he declinedAt this point in time we retract that offer since the customer has been unduly unreasonable for over six months and continues to refuse to understand the terms of the warrantyWe regret the situation has come to this
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2016/01/25) */

Had a transmission replaced in a Chevrolet malibuDay one from the car back it was veering to left when I apply brake and when I took it to the parking lot to do full left turns made a bunch of popping noiseTook it back next day and look like they ended up putting new tie rod ends on itHad it about a month and started making noise when braking, letting off the brake and when I hit bumpsDouble checked there work and found a few thingsPower steering line for the steering gear rubber hose down there was scissor wrapped around the metal line just under the main exhaust, that should of been tucked under the steering gearPassenger side tie rod end was loose enough to be able to jiggle it by hand, three threads under the nut from it coming offThe noise was the whole engine transmission rocking on the front and rear transmission mountsThey did not put the heatshield back on the rear transmission mount between it and the main exhaustThe owner flat out lied denied it and said I should of brought it back in a second timeI don't think someone that sees a huge red flag evidence of either incompetence ,neglect, or both would bring there car back inIts scary to think of what if I was like most consumers and didn't have any mechanic knowledge to check or be aware that there is a problem and ended of having a tie rod end come out and loose steering, a power steering line eventually burst due to heat from exhaust from improper installation, or the engine, transmission break loose from mountsThere are a lot of shady business practices out there and the worst are ones like this that they have the potential to cause a wreak and end of getting yourself, others with you in your car, or someone else hurt / killed

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 11, 2015/11/18) */
We received the customer's date of birth and last of his SSN to authorize the repairWhen the customer was denied financing, he claimed the repair was not authorized
We did offer a payment schedule for the repair, but the customer
refused

In response to complaint *** we would like to fix the car at no feeAlthough we do not have a loaner or rental vehicles my hope is to repair the car to her satisfactionAs far as *** not returning her call, there is no *** here nor has their been a person by that name, please let her know we
would like to take care of this matter to the customers satisfactionPlease have her call so we can make arrangements to satisfy both sides

Mr***,
I sorry you feel that way. However, according to your Warranty Company's inspection report, they found the failure to be mechanical failure with your transfer case bearing and that was why they paid the claim your behalf to AAMCO Milpitas. In terms of topping off your fluid for your transfer case, there was no charge for fluid because the level was fine. Your transfer case was only removed and not drained of any fluid so all we did was check the level and it was okay when it left our shop. Why did you transmission fail with only approximately 70,miles on the odometer? Unfortunately, sometimes when a vehicle is manufactured - there are hidden defects that you won't see until time and mileage takes over. This is why they sell extended service contracts to cover claims in the unlikely event when things like this happens. It was fortunate that you were wise enough to purchase that contract or you would be out of pocket instead of your warranty company
*** ***

On November 9th I took my Lincoln MKZ to Aamco Transmissions because the wrench warning lamp was on and I was having issues clearly related to the transmission making the vehicle unsafe to driveWhen I walked into Aamco and showed the worker up front, ***, he stated he knew for a fact that if that lamp was on on a Lincoln or Ford that it was the electronic throttle body that needed to be replacedI even asked are you sure you don't want to hook it up and look first but he was certain he knew what he was doing.I was charged a total of $for the repairThe following Monday on November 11th I called to check the statusFirst, *** lied to me and said that he had tried to call which he clearly did not and then stated that the throttle body was only part of the issue and that $4,in repairs where needed on my transmissionIn addition he pointed out to other issues with the engine and thermometer in my car that were not messed up when I dropped it off on the 9thIn add

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me I have already filled out the application for financing thru RC Willy and was deniedSo what other options?
Sincerely,
*** ***

The warranty will stand as is We have already doubled AAMCO's standard warranty from year to years on the transmission We only warranty the electronics in the transmission for years, and that is because it is a general motors part and they will only warranty said part for
months from the original date of purchase

Complaint: ***I am rejecting this response because: Several transmission experts and Audi Transmission removal procedure in the manual state that it is not possible to remove transmission without removing the transfer case When the transfer case is removed and separated from the transmission, some lubricant spills out and requires topping off during the installation procedure The oil fill cap does not show any sign of being open, which indicates that the oil level in the transfer case has not been checked As you stated yourself in your reply, you did not top off oil Inadequate lubrication is the major bearing killer The output shaft bearings, which usually lasts the life of the vehicle, failed because it was running dry "High localized heat or cumulative wear can alter a bearing’s geometry or mounted clearance so much that the bearing locks up, resulting in skewed rollers, a destroyed cage, metal transfer, loss of torque or power, and complete bearing seizure." (***) This is exactly what happenedEven though AAMCO limited warranty does only covers parts that have been replaced, I hold you responsible for causing damage to a car part that was functioning without issues prior to when I brought it to your shop
Sincerely,*** ***

I will spare Revdex.com of the past history with this customerYes, she did pay $for a transmission repair and we do appreciate itHowever, *** does have some responsibilities towards the transmission to keep her warranty in placeAlthough we rebuilt her transmission with new parts, we do not
make themWe do purchase parts from the finest vendors available selling us the best parts in the industrySometimes, we may get a bad one or one not quite to our standardsIf it is a seal or other internal part in the transmission this could cause the transmission to failThis is why we give our customers a warrantyA warranty is a promise that we did our best and will stand behind all the work we did and the workmanship of the partsBut this is a limited warrantySo if your transmission is leaking we will fix it for free but if your transmission is leaking and you ignore it and your transmission burns up, it would not be covered under our warrantyThat wouldn't be our fault because we can not follow you around all over town and check your fluid, but you are welcome to stop by any Aamco transmission shop and they will gladly check it for freeSame as if the transmission fails due to electrical components such as but not limited to the computers, solenoids, speed sensors, etcSo to protect your warranty, I was trying to explain to you to keep an eye on itCheck the level and colorWatch for the check engine light and if it does come on bring it immediatelyLook on the ground where you park and see if it is wet on the ground which might be a little harder to do right now with melting snowIf you read the back of your receipt/contract with us it explains it further.Now let's address her concerns as I see them hereAfter you picked up your vehicle we tried to explain to you that we would like you to bring it back to us in daysWe want to make sure it's shifting properly, not leaking and doing what it is supposed to doWe are glad you didn't wait the days because a Malfunction Indicator Lamp came on (MIL/CEL)This was due to a bad speed sensorThis is a part that we normally don't replace when restoring a transmission back to proper working order unless there is a code for it and it is known to be badIt's not free, we do charge for this partHowever we did not charge youThen you mentioned I said to check the transmission fluid every day and I did say that because you weren't hearing me tell you to "keep an eye on it"You have called the shop about times a week for the last weeks or so making an appoint to drop your car off but you never show upSo when you called at 4:54pm and said you were going to bring it now, *** sent you to *** located in our parking lot, because they are open until 7pmSo in the case that you did show up, someone would check it for you instead of an empty shop due to we close at 5pmWe do not flush transmissions and I do not know the mechanic whom told you that the transmission was low on fluid, but as we are looking at it today, it drives fine and the fluid is fullWe will double check for leaks and scan it with our equipment to see why the Traction Control Lamp is litThis is usually due to a bad wheel speed sensorNot to be confused with a transmission input or output speed sensorAgain, this is not free, it is nothing we charged you for and we did not cause this issue.***Revdex.com EYES ONLY***As I am here responding to this, and she had finally dropped her car off at Aamco *** yesterday, has called me times today and has made up stories about the manager telling her she had to speak with me onlyOriginally, when she came to pick up the car, we had not finished it yet, nor called to do soWe explained this and that we needed about another mins which it would be done the next day, Saturday in the morningShe exploded into a raging monster (sic) and we had to call the police where as she was escorted from the propertyThe car runs fine but there is a Traction Control lamp litIn the description of the Traction control it says Anti- Slip Control or something like thatSo with this light on she thought it meant it was slippingIt is notWe do not know why it's on and are referring her to the dealerShe told me that I will regret every phone call because she recorded them and is suing me

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me
Regards,
*** ***

We just recently reopenedThe best thing I can say is for the consumer to contact us directly to work out a resolution

To whom it may concern,
The "Step 1" in Mr***'s letter explains it all. The mounts took care of part of the problem, but not all of itThere's good reason for that. It's because the car had MORE THAN ONE PROBLEM. Transmission parts, ie: Clutches/ Bands/ etcDON'T burn up for no reason.
The transmission had burned clutches, moderate to severe contamination, and a worn out valve in the valve body. These issues have now been corrected. I am very sorry that the repeat failure of the mount made it appear to *** that it didn't need other repairs, but I can prove that it did I still have all of the old transmission parts here. I will hang on to them indefinitely if need be.
While we are big on customer satisfaction at this AAMCO center, we do not feel obligated to reimburse a customer for a repair that was necessary, and turned out good. The mount issue was due to defective parts that we purchased from our supplier. There were no errors made during the installation, or any other issue that was directly our "fault"We either got a couple of bad mounts in a row, or Mr*** drives the vehicle hard enough to break the mount in a very short period of time. We have corrected the issue by replacing the mounts with OE(original equipment) at no cost to the customer
He doesn't even care to see the old transmission parts, which I have offered to show him on no less than occasions. He even admits that burning of clutches is possible and likely. He is of the mis-informed opinion that this kind of wear/ damage in a transmission is unremarkable and/ or insignifigant, which couldn't be further from the truth.
Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter
*** ***

I received great customer service from the staff at AAMCO transmissionsNew to the area, I was unsure where to take my car when I started experiencing transmission issues, but I will continue to bring my car to AAMCO for all my car care needsThe staff was helpful in answering all my questions, saved me a bunch of money, and fixed my car in a timely mannerI would recommend this AAMCO to all my friends

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/11/11) */
Customer has been contacted and given the process to follow going forward concerning redirecting his packages to a *** locationAlso, the customer was refunded his expedited shipping

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
Let's take this in four steps as in four trips to AAMCO
Step one, On 02-13-I brought the car in because of vibrations from what appeared to be the transmission and was told the motor mounts were brokenI agreed to have them repaired and change the fluid in the transmission for $The work was completed and the car ran better but not 100%I gave it time thinking the new fluid needed to circulate throughout the transIt never did get better and then eventually it got worse
Step two, I took it back because the vibrations were as bad as day oneAt this time I was told that I needed the transmission to be re-builtSo I trusted the expert and agreedOn 05-23-I picked up the car and still wasn’t happy with itIt was better but still I felt the same problemI called *** and he said bring it back and they will look at it again
Step three, I took it back in again and two days later I was told by *** the car was ready and the problem was the motor mount was bad and the motor was rubbing against something causing all the vibrations from the transmission operations to be feltHe readjusted the mounts and when I picked the car up it ran normalWell this time it lasted two weeks and then the same vibration appeared againAt this time is when I made this complaint to the Revdex.com
Step four, *** contacted me and said he will fix the mounts again and I agreed only if he would use mounts purchased from DodgeHe agreed and the car is now fixed and running goodI don't want to say it is over because last time it only lasted two weeks and I want to give it some time to prove it is fixed for good
Now I said from day one that the vibrations would happen when the car was decelerating and when the car was accelerating it ran perfectWhich now makes senseThis is a high performance vehicle and when accelerating the engine would torque to one side lifting it off the bad mount and whatever it was resting against and run smooth
But, when decelerating it would rest back on to the bad mount and rest against the vehicle causing the vibrations of the transmission to be felt all through the carOnce again I feel if the mounts were fixed properly in step one it would prove that the transmission was not the problem, because the exact same vibrations happened all throughout the entire process before and after the re-built transmissionThere was no change in symptoms before and after the re-build
Now I understand that a year old transmission will have some worn or burnt parts, but it was not broken because it performed properlyIt just vibrated the carI feel the car could have gone least another years or more in which during this time I might have sold itNow I believe that AAMCO did replace parts and should be paid for them, but I feel there should be a compromise on the $bill which could had been prevented in step one if the proper mounts were usedI feel a 50/split would separate the parts from labor and we all can rest

We have already given a price reduction and are not inclined to do again Unfortunately, no one is able to predict what will break next Call us as the last sentence of the previous email states I have included it in case you don't have itI hope this explains the repairs in more detail and sorry the truck broke If there are questions not answered above, don’t hesitate to call me at the shop Again, thank you for your patronage

Finest company I've dealt withSafety is emphasized and this company has employees wear harnesses and hard hats and they treat their employees very wellJoe Webster Sr is a certified arborist and will try to save tree if possibleHe will not just try to cut down as many trees as possible to make $
This is a company we have used for years and we recommend them enthusiastically

I had Aamco replace my engine in my Jeep a few weeks ago They did such a good job I also had them fix my AC as well They are not both running great *** was a pleasure to deal with he was upfront about everything I would highly recommend them for any car work you need done!

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
*** ***