Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 9, 2014/07/23) */ They had the vehicle on our lot for months totalWhen they first brought in the vehicle, we could not find anything wrong with the vehicle related to the accident they hadWe did not do any work on the vehicle at that time periodThe insurance company did not want to pay anything at all, but they finally authorized repair to the exhaust in the rear of the carThe consumer would not allow me to do any work at all and they were upset the insurance company would not payI was not going to tell the insurance company that there were problems when we couldn't find anythingIn this situation, there was not anything I could do, and did not hear from them for over months (I initially thought that there were just arguments between the consumers and their insurance company and they were going to sort things out before contacting us further)We were waiting on either one of them (we called and spoke to the insurance company once a month, never heard from the consumers during that time frame)As soon as repairs were authorized, we had it done in under week Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 20, 2014/09/16) */ 9/16/2014: Mediator left message for consumer 9/16/2014: They refused to do any more work on my car, when I took it back to show them the muffler was wobblyI am not willing to take my car backI have a bid for $from another company and want them to reimburse me, to have the work done correctly 9/29/2014: I am driving but if you send me an email, then I can reply with the bid 9/29/2014: Mediator left voice mail message for consumer 10/07/2014: I will call and make an appointment to get my muffler replaced at Complete Automotive and Custom Exhaust Final Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 21, 2014/09/16) */ 9/16/2014: She can bring the car back and I will tighten up the mufflerIt will take about an hourI will consider her request of $, but give me a few days to think about it 9/19/2014: Mediator left message for business 9/26/2014: Mediator left message with [redacted] for owner 9/29/2014: If she can get me the bid of $for another shop, then I will consider it 9/30/2014: Mediator left voice main message for [redacted] on his cell phone 10/03/2014: Mediator left voice mail message for business 10/07/2014: She can take her car to [redacted] & [redacted] I will pay them $directly once the muffler has been replacedI know this company and will call and make the arrangements

The transmission in my vehicle started kicking a bit and some warning lights came onI took it first to my primary mechanic who I trust very muchHe plugged in his code-reader and said he got codes for sensor solenoids which is something they don't do in that shopI took my vehicle to CottmanA mechanic named Randy was the only one there, the owner, Steve, was outRandy spent an hour messing with my car and finally said he couldn't get his code reader to communicate with my car's computerHe said they would need to do a hour diagnosis which he said would cost me about $I made an appointment to come back the next dayWhen I went back for the appointment, the owner Steve was thereHe said the so-called "diagnosis" would cost me $per hour, and I needed to authorize hours for the workI asked him if it would take hours, he said if not then he would only charge me for the time it did takeI should have stayed to watch them do the "work," but I left, naively believing they would do the diagnosis and be honest about the resultsWhen Steve called me back, he said the whole computer in my vehicle was out and it would need to be replaced before he could read any codes to find out what was wrong with the transmissionHe said it would cost upwards of $1300, BUT he was going to deduct $for the cost of the [fake] diagnosisHow kindOn recommendation from a wrecker driver who said he used to drive for Cottman but had to quit because they are, "Notorious for ripping people off," I took it to a small transmission shopThe owner of that shop said he didn't understand why Cottman's said they couldn't communicate with my computer, because he had no problems doing soHe plugged the code-reader in to show me what was coming upLow and behowas the sensor solenoid, just as my primary mechanic said in the first placeThis transmission shop owner explained a couple of options, quoted me a price for the part and told me the cost of the laborVery reasonableI went straight to Cottman, marched back behind the desk and told Steve to show me what he had in his computer in regards to my vehicleHe pulled up one page that only said they couldn't communicate with my vehicle's computerI asked him if they actually did a hour diagnostic for $per hourHe said "Oh, you mean this" and pulled some papers out of a fileI asked him if there was anything in his computer that said I owe him money and he said noI told him to print and sign something confirming that I owe him nothingHe said he just didn't understand why I was upsetI told him I figured out his scam: (1) Lie to me about communication problems and claim that I need a whole new computer (2) Charge me $for work that they were not going to do because it didn't need to be done (3) After pretending to change out the whole computer, he was going to say 'Oh, NOW we can communicate, and NOW we see the problem codes' in order to charge me again for the real problemHe didn't deny it at all, he just started talking about voltagesI told him I did not need to hear his voltage nonsense and told him to print and sign the paper so I could be on my way, which he didEvery mechanic that I have talked to (plus the wrecker driver) has said the same thing- NEVER GO TO COTTMAN TRANSMISSIONI have since looked at some other reviews and have found that this type of thing is pretty standard practice for themSteve is a con-man, and obviously trains his mechanics (Randy) to take as much as they can con from their customers

We are willing and able too put a new harness in [redacted] [redacted] at no charge Is [redacted] still driving the car everyday? She will burn up the transmission again From driving the car with the wiring problem We want too help her Please let us.Bill +NealCottman Transmission

The company Pro employees did not know what trans they were looking at suppose to rebuild a cast speed power glideHad the car days I sent the to the car to Fla.by trailer only to find more leaks when removing the car from the trailer than it had when the so called pros rebuild itAAMCO to the trans out to see metal shaving, crud nothing was even cleaned inside the trans or even the outside AMMco pulled it out and a number of things they found totally unprofessional and indeed lacking any quality what so ever I reached out to Corporate with no resolve I paid what they ask only to get or should I say have the work redone It indeed appears this country is-- get it done-- get it out take the money-- we wonder why we sadly purchase our products form outside the US

[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.] Better Business Bureau: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me Regards, [redacted]

[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 [redacted] , and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me Regards, [redacted] ***

I AM WRITING IN REGUARDS TO [redacted] 'S COMPLAINT WE HAVE PUT [redacted] CVT TRANSMISSION IN THIS VEHICLE AND ALL HAVE FAILED WE DO NOT BUILD THESE TYPES OF TRANSMISSION SO WE HAVE TO GET REMANS FOR THIS VEHICLE UNFORTUNATELY THIS HAS BEEN A LONG PROCESS FOR [redacted] WHILE REPAIRS ARE BEING DONE [redacted] IS IN A RENTAL AT COTTMANS EXPENSE SO WE ARE TRING TO GET [redacted] BACK IN HER VEHICLE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WE JUST GOT ANOTHER [redacted] CVT TRANSMISSION AND PLAN TO HAVE [redacted] BACK IN HER VEHICLE BY THE END OF THE WEEK THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP WITH MATTER .SINCERLY COTTMAN OF EMMAUS

[redacted] contacted us because his Chrysler Town & Country minivan would not move, was making noise, and had us tow it in [redacted] wanted to know what the repair was going to cost, and we told him that it would depend upon the damage that he had done to his transmission, that the range of repairs on this model could be from $for a simple repair to over $for complete replacement, and that our target turn-around time was days The first step was to get the vehicle and see what kind of problems it was having Our initial diagnosis found that indeed the vehicle was not moving, and had mechanical grinding noises coming from the transmission [redacted] authorized the removal and inspection, which found that the underdrive section had severe mechanical damage and had circulated ground metal thru the rest of the transmission causing incidental damage We got the price and availability of the required parts, some of which had to come from out of state We contacted [redacted] and gave him a quote for the repair and warranty that he wanted of $ [redacted] approved the repair at that cost We performed the repair, and did have a delay due to receiving a wrong part and shipping issues out of Dallas [redacted] did approve the repair at the price quoted We understand that customers would like the cost of repair to be less expensive, which is why we emphasize that any estimates or range of pricing that we give before inspecting the internal damage are just estimates, and why we price the parts required before contacting the customer with a quote specifically to repair their vehicle We do no work that would be a cost to the customer until they approve the exact amount at each step of the process [redacted] did approve the $cost for the repair of his vehicle

Great to find a place that is honest and upfront! Excellent customer service and follow up I went for Auto AC service and will go back for any repairs Highly recommend!

Car came to us with code *** Solenoid short + slipping transmission needed a overhaul - and was done Cottmant RO # *** with a year mi warranty - We were trying to repair another problem the car had in the wiring harness - We were never able to finish the harness repair they would not
allow time to finish it even when we offered a Rent A Car for them - Neal had talked to husban about the rental car We need to know if the wiring is repaired so it does not ruin the transmission again We did not charge them for extra work don on the harness as well. Bill O
Neal K

[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. I have made the proper arrangements to bring the car back for 5/13/In the future, Cottman Transmissions of *** must communicate better with it's customer's regarding rendering services, estimated time frame of work, cost, and proper delivery and signage of paperwork
Regards,
*** ***

JANUARY 29, Response to Complaint: We were contracted by *** *** on 1/07/to rebuild a transmission that was already removed from the vehicle by their shopWe rebuilt it and delivered it to their shop to be installed by their mechanics 1/09/with a warranty that clearly
says vehicle needed to brought back in days for a recheck failure to do so voids warranty - months later vehicle shows up with a check engine light on and barely moved due to clogged transmission cooler which must be replaced with every rebuild (*** *** DID NOT REPLACE).The clogged cooler destroyed the valve body an electronic componentThis is not repairable or covered under the warrantyCustomer is aware of this and has agreed to supply us with the valve body and transmission cooler so we can get her car back to herCustomer agreed on 01/28/via phone with Cottman of Emmaus.Sincerely,
Jeff U

We are willing and able too put a new harness in *** *** *** at no charge Is *** still driving the car everyday? She will burn up the transmission again From driving the car with the wiring problem We want too help her Please let usBill +
Neal
Cottman Transmission

We have no repair orders in [redacted] name - we have [redacted] repair orders about 100 of them That is why we don't give out repair orders from other customers to other people that is a privacy law.  [redacted] is our of business yes but [redacted] is still they...

are the parent company to [redacted]Bill O. Manager

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 9, 2014/07/23) */
They had the vehicle on our lot for 6 months total. When they first brought in the vehicle, we could not find anything wrong with the vehicle related to the accident they had. We did not do any work on the vehicle at that time period. The...

insurance company did not want to pay anything at all, but they finally authorized repair to the exhaust in the rear of the car. The consumer would not allow me to do any work at all and they were upset the insurance company would not pay. I was not going to tell the insurance company that there were problems when we couldn't find anything. In this situation, there was not anything I could do, and did not hear from them for over 4 months (I initially thought that there were just arguments between the consumers and their insurance company and they were going to sort things out before contacting us further). We were waiting on either one of them (we called and spoke to the insurance company once a month, never heard from the consumers during that time frame). As soon as repairs were authorized, we had it done in under week.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 20, 2014/09/16) */
9/16/2014: Mediator left message for consumer.
9/16/2014: They refused to do any more work on my car, when I took it back to show them the muffler was wobbly. I am not willing to take my car back. I have a bid for $129 from another company and want them to reimburse me, to have the work done correctly.
9/29/2014: I am driving but if you send me an email, then I can reply with the bid.
9/29/2014: Mediator left voice mail message for consumer.
10/07/2014: I will call and make an appointment to get my muffler replaced at Complete Automotive and Custom Exhaust.
Final Business Response /* (1000, 21, 2014/09/16) */
9/16/2014: She can bring the car back and I will tighten up the muffler. It will take about an hour. I will consider her request of $129 , but give me a few days to think about it.
9/19/2014: Mediator left message for business.
9/26/2014: Mediator left message with [redacted] for owner.
9/29/2014: If she can get me the bid of $129.00 for another shop, then I will consider it.
9/30/2014: Mediator left voice main message for [redacted] on his cell phone.
10/03/2014: Mediator left voice mail message for business.
10/07/2014: She can take her car to [redacted] & [redacted] I will pay them $129 directly once the muffler has been replaced. I know this company and will call and make the arrangements.

JANUARY 29, 2016Response to Complaint: We were contracted by [redacted] on 1/07/2015 to rebuild a transmission that was already removed from the vehicle by their shop. We rebuilt it and delivered it to their shop to be installed by their mechanics 1/09/2015 with a warranty that clearly says vehicle...

needed to brought back in 10 days for a recheck failure to do so voids warranty - 8 months later vehicle shows up with a check engine light on and barely moved due to clogged transmission cooler which must be replaced with every rebuild ([redacted] DID NOT REPLACE).The clogged cooler destroyed the valve body an electronic component. This is not repairable or covered under the warranty. Customer is aware of this and has agreed to supply us with the valve body and transmission cooler so we can get her car back to her. Customer agreed on 01/28/2016 via phone with Cottman of Emmaus.Sincerely, Jeff U

[redacted] contacted us because his Chrysler Town & Country minivan would not move, was making noise, and had us tow it in.  [redacted] wanted to know what the repair was going to cost, and we told him that it would depend upon the damage that he had done to his transmission, that the range of...

repairs on this model could be from $1850 for a simple repair to over $4000 for complete replacement, and that our target turn-around time was 3 days.  The first step was to get the vehicle and see what kind of problems it was having.
Our initial diagnosis found that indeed the vehicle was not moving, and had mechanical grinding noises coming from the transmission.  [redacted] authorized the removal and inspection, which found that the underdrive section had severe mechanical damage and had circulated ground metal thru the rest of the transmission causing incidental damage.  We got the price and availability of the required parts, some of which had to come from out of state.  We contacted [redacted] and gave him a quote for the repair and warranty that he wanted of $3484.  [redacted] approved the repair at that cost.  We performed the repair, and did have a delay due to receiving a wrong part and shipping issues out of Dallas.
[redacted] did approve the repair at the price quoted.  We understand that customers would like the cost of repair to be less expensive, which is why we emphasize that any estimates or range of pricing that we give before inspecting the internal damage are just estimates, and why we price the parts required before contacting the customer with a quote specifically to repair their vehicle.  We do no work that would be a cost to the customer until they approve the exact amount at each step of the process.  [redacted] did approve the $3484 cost for the repair of his vehicle.

Great to find a place that is honest and upfront!
Excellent customer service and follow up.
I went for Auto AC service and will go back for any repairs.
Highly recommend!

We are willing and able too put a new harness in [redacted] 04 [redacted] at no charge.   Is [redacted] still driving the car everyday?  She will burn up the transmission again.  From driving the car with the wiring problem.  We want too help her  Please let us.Bill +NealCottman Transmission

Car came to us with code [redacted] Solenoid short + slipping transmission needed a overhaul - and was done Cottmant RO # [redacted] with a 3 year 3600 mi warranty - We were trying to repair another problem the car had in the wiring harness - We were never able to finish the harness repair they would not...

allow time to finish it  even when we offered a Rent A Car for them - Neal had talked to husban about the rental car.  We need to know if the wiring is repaired so it does not ruin the transmission again We did not charge them for extra work don on the harness as well. Bill ONeal K