Bob's Transmission & Auto Service

We contacted the customer.  He said he's been having problems with his transmission we rebuilt in January of 2015.  He also said it was stuck in four wheel drive.  We offered to tow his vehicle to our repair center and even though the transmission warranty term had expired, repair the...

transmission free of charge and while here, we would evaluate the four wheel drive system.  We towed the vehicle to our shop and upon arrival noticed it was shifted into the "four wheel drive low" position in the transfer case.  We placed the transfer case into the normal "two wheel drive" position and test drove the vehicle.  The transmission worked perfectly but had a fault code for a shift solenoid in the transmission.  We replaced the shift solenoid and performed several test drives.  The transmission worked properly and the fault code for the shift solenoid did not come back.  The customer has picked up the vehicle and we covered the cost of the tow and the repair.  We believe the reason the transfer case was getting stuck in 4 wheel drive is due to having mismatched tires.  In the 4 wheel drive position the transfer case and front differential may bind up and make it hard to get out of 4 wheel drive.  The customer told us the tires were recently replaced at another shop and he was going to return there and get the correct tire size installed.Thank you.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/07/23) */
Contact Name and Title: [redacted]/Owner
Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX
Contact Email: [redacted]@aol.com
Re: Revdex.com Case # XXXXXXX
We worked on the air conditioner in this vehicle. We replaced several components in order to make the air...

conditioner work. The air compressor that the customer wants to be refunded for was not one of those components. The compressor he had replaced at the dealership was working and was not leaking when the vehicle left our store. We are in no way responsible for the failure of the air compressor. I called and spoke with the service advisor at the dealership that was in charge of the repairing the air compressor on the vehicle. He said the air compressor had to be replaced because it had a major leak and would not hold Freon. He said the Freon was leaking so bad that it was coming out as fast at it was going in. The Freon was not leaking when the vehicle was at our store.
When we worked on this vehicle there was a "pressure problem" keeping the air conditioner from working. When the vehicle first entered our shop we found Freon in the system but the "pressure safety switch" was tripped and keeping power from reaching the air compressor. The compressor would only come on for a few seconds and then shut off so the air did not get cold. We found something clogging the ac system and deadheading the pressure from the air compressor. Once the pressure reached a certain point the safety switch would turn the air compressor off. We measured the pressure in the system found it immediately going to 450lbs. Normal operating pressure is approximately 250lbs. We started checking for a clog and found the expansion valve and evaporator core restricted. We contacted the customer and told him there was a clog and we would need to replace the expansion valve and evaporator core. The customer authorized the repair at a price of $750.
We replaced those two components and retested the system. Although it took much longer now for the pressure to increase it was still climbing too high and activating the pressure safety switch. We continued to check for a clog and found the condenser partially restricted. We replaced the condenser and retested the system to see if the pressure problem was resolved. The pressure in the system was completely normal. The air temperature from the vent inside the vehicle was cold. The air conditioner was fixed and working properly.
When the customer came to pick up the vehicle we explained not only was there a restriction in the evaporator but in the condenser as well. We offered him free labor on the condenser and asked if he would pay for the part. The price of the part was $205. The customer agreed, paid the bill and left with the vehicle.
The repairs were completed on June 19th. On July 6th the customer contacted our store and said the air conditioner worked for a few days after he picked it up and then quit. He said he took the vehicle into the dealership and they had to replace the air compressor due to it leaking Freon. Due to the severity of the leak its obvious the compressor wasn't leaking when it was in our store as the Freon wouldn't stay in the system for as long as it did. The service advisor at the dealership that replaced the air compressor said the air compressor would not hold Freon for even a few minutes much less a few days.
The compressor appears to have failed a few days after we repaired the restriction in the air conditioning system. It could have failed at any time and coincidentally failed just a few days after it was in our store. We are not responsible for the failure and are not willing to reimburse the customer for the repair on the compressor. In an attempt to reach a compromise we are willing to provide a refund to the customer of $205, which is the difference of the amount we quoted for the initial repair verses the final bill.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/10/21) */
To Whom It May Concern,
In repairing Ms. [redacted]'s vehicle we installed a replacement transmission. Her transmission is a CVT transmission that cannot be rebuilt at our facility in the same fashion as a conventional automatic...

transmission. When we get CVT transmissions in our facility we rely on an outside source to supply this transmission. Unfortunately the rebuilding process for this type of transmission is outside of our control and we were forced to work with a third party in correcting Ms. [redacted]'s problems. When her vehicle returned to our facility with persistent transmission failures we worked diligently with our supplier helping them to understand and correct the problem her vehicle was having. This particular supplier is one of the top CVT transmission rebuilders in our industry. We've had a low rate of return with their CVT transmissions over the years. Our supplier was committed to diagnosing and supplying another transmission to install on each occasion. With shipping time and diagnosis this process takes one to two weeks to resolve. Each time we corrected the problem and installed another transmission at no cost to Ms. [redacted]. We understand the inconvenience of not having your vehicle and how frustrating it may become. Our warranty does not provide for rental car expense but we made an exception for Ms. [redacted]. We offered her a loaner vehicle and have refunded her for her rental car expenses. We have since completed the vehicle and returned the vehicle to her in good working order. It is our expectation she will not have any future problems.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/10/24) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
My vehicle still is not fixed.Transmission light is still on, and I am trying yo figures out what can be done because it sites not seem to work when I continue to take or back to Bobs Tramsmission

see attached

My sons were driving cross-country to attend college, with our vehicle when the transmission failed 30 miles outside of St. Louis. Local transmission shops estimated $2,500-$3,000 repair and 3-5 day wait time, both of which were unacceptable. Several transmission shops were contacted, with no better news. I needed to search more broadly, or buy them another car. I looked for the highest-rated transmission shops in St. Louis and found Bob's Transmission, with good reviews. I briefly described my situation and was immediately put in contact with the manager. He immediately understood the gravity of the situation, offered to tow the car in for free, identify reasonable for lodging for the boys and see what could possibly be done in a reasonable time, even if it meant overtime for him to get it done. Then he followed through, and the work was completed the next day at 10 am, two hours before what he had promised. The bill was half what I expected, and I offered to pay more, but he said it was an honest price and respectfully refused! The vehicle drove the rest of the distance to their destination and is working fine. This mechanic shop is more than professionally excellent, they treat you like family!