Al's Transmission, Inc.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/07/01) */
Mr*** brought a Ford Van to my shop stating that he bought the vehicle used and it had some mechanical issuesHe said the van had an engine miss and was also slippingI told him that I could not work on his vehicle until he had the
engine issues resolvedI also told him that I needed for him to be able to duplicate the slip for me before I could work on the vehicleHe was unable to do so, so I told him we could get the van in and we could take a look at it, drive it, pressure test it, and drop the pan to examine the amount of wear in the panHe brought the van in on Tuesday, June 2, 2015, stating that he had the computer changed to fix the engine miss, so we did as promised, which included a transmission service; however, when we dropped the pan for the service, we found excessive wear (metal) in the pan indicating internal damage in the transmissionI explained our findings to Mr*** and he said that he needed his vehicle right then for work so he would bring the van back at a later date to have the transmission rebuiltHe paid the charge of $for the services performed, which included, but was not limited to, an extended test drive, pressure testing the van, dropping and inspecting the transmission pan, while adding a new gasket, filter, and new fluid, and then he leftMr*** brought his van back to have the transmission rebuilt on Tuesday, June 9, Upon our internal inspection of the transmission, we determined that our original diagnosis was correct, and the transmission did indeed need to be rebuiltThe total bill came to $2,for the rebuilt transmission; however, we credited Mr*** the cost of the original service of $256.41, bringing the total down to $2,After the work was completed, Mr*** picked up his vehicle, and then contacted us saying that his transmission was acting upI asked him to bring his van back so we could check it out since it was acting up right thenUpon inspection at that time, we determined that the anti-locking brake system (ABS) signal was being interrupted causing the transmission to shift really hardWe tested the ABS sensor, which looked original, while the customer waitedIt was fused into place and we could not remove itThe sensor tested okay at that timeUnfortunately, if the signal was not being interrupted at that exact moment, the sensor would test okayI asked Mr*** if the vehicle was acting up before or after he had the computer replaced because it is possible that a faulty computer could also be causing the problemHe did not answer meI explained to Mr*** that we could change the ABS sensor, which would have to be drilled out, and we would absorb the cost of the labor, but this may not fix the problem since the sensor did not test badI told him that he would only be responsible for the cost of the sensor which would be approximately $He refused to pay anything stating that since he bought the van it had been in the shop for multiple repairs and that he wasn't spending any more money on this problemAgain, I told the customer that we could change the sensor, but it may not fix the problem because the problem could also be caused by an outside source, and asked him if that didn't fix it, would he be satisfied with thatHe did not respondHe then stated that he was going to take a different approach and that it was going to get "f*ing ugly." Then he got in his van and left
Unfortunately, Mr*** bought a used vehicle, that came "as is," and, unfortunately, it needed multiple repairs, and based on Mr***'s comments from previous conversations, this is the way he makes a living, and "it has to be right." The metal in the transmission pan is a clear indication that the transmission needed to be rebuiltNeither the ABS sensor, nor the computer is part of a transmission rebuildI was trying to help Mr*** out by offering to absorb the labor to replace the ABS sensor, but he flatly refused
I am still willing to absorb the cost of labor to replace the ABS sensor, and as a goodwill gesture to Mr***, I am willing to absorb the cost of the ABS sensorHowever, as stated above, it may or may not fix the issue, and I can not be responsible for the issues the vehicle had when Mr*** purchased it
I do also have a concern with Mr***'s comment about it getting "f*ing ugly." I am not sure exactly what he meant by that, and if I should be concerned about the safety of myself, my employees, and my shop