Scolene, Inc.

*** ***' *** *** is complete and ready for him to pick up. He was called at approximately 6:PM this evening and was left a voice mail. Additionally, he was e-mailed that his vehicle was ready for pick up.*** ***' vehicle had significant electrical problems when it arrived at our facility in early December, 2013. *** *** was advised of this by our technicians. We also consulted with *** of *** ***, Pain December, and January and February, concerning these electrical issues. Once *** *** had completed paying for his parts in late March, we began the re-manufacture of his transmission. While it is true that one of our technicians who had been a part of the original dis-assembly team is no longer with us, that has had absolutely no impact on his vehicleThat technician has not been with us since February,2014. No work was done incorrectly. We routinely have at least two technicians involved with the re-manufacture of a transmission. *** *** did call regularly about the status of his vehicle. He was given status updates at those time. I apologize for our not making additional contact with him. His sophisticated *** transmission is controlled by an on board computer. The electrical problems uncovered created additional problems that could not have been foreseen until the newly re-manufactured transmission was installed. The likelihood of this complication occurring was conveyed to *** *** by our technician in December, 2013. This happened in early April. Once the transmission was installed, it was evident that the electrical problems had also damaged a component on the top of his transmission called a conductor assembly. This is the hub of the electronics on top of the valve body. We added that component in April. After that point, we corrected numerous electrical/wiring problems to prevent damage to the unit. Our technician who was in charge of this project has devoted between and hours of diagnostic time and research into correcting the electrical issues that were affecting the transmission.We understand that it is very frustrating when a repair takes longer than expected. It is for that reason that we have not charged MrTyrone for the over hours of electrical diagnostic work that was completed to make sure the transmission would operate properly. We also discounted our original four hours of electrical diagnostic time that was completed in January by 50%. We have given *** *** a $discount on his bill in consideration of the time delay. Lastly, we provided a complimentary oil change.I spoke with *** ***' attorney earlier today and explained the various issues that we have encountered with his vehicle. He assured me that, having worked in the automotive industry himself at one time, he fully understood the problems that have come up

*** *** brought his vehicle to us and requested that we locate a leak in his transmission and perform a transmission serviceWhen under the vehicle I noticed the leak coming from the
extension housing portion of his transmissionWe did not perform the service as
the fluid would just
drain out from the crack on that portion of his transmission. We advised him of this and *** *** asked us to replace the cracked extension housing. We ordered the part as requested. *** *** then brought the vehicle back to us once the extension housing
arrived from supplierThis time the vehicle exhibited symptoms indicating internal
transmission failure such as delayed engagements and rough shift pointsWhile performing the replacement of the transmission
filter and draining the fluid from the transmission, chunks of metal were found in the transmission pan. I immediately informed *** *** of the situation and let him know that at this juncture the
transmission needed to be removed from his vehicle and completely
disassembled so that we may address the internal damages and get his
vehicle back to him with no further transmission issuesOnce removed
and disassembled, our transmission builder gave me a complete list of parts necessary to re-manufacture the transmissionWe gave this
estimate to *** *** on 2-3-It is our company policy to receive a down payment equal to the cost of parts before they are orderedWe asked for $1,to order his parts*** *** brought by a certified check for $2,The transmission
was then completed and delivered after some minor difficulty getting the
proper extension housing section in from our supplierThe vehicle was finished on
2-18-*** *** picked his truck up on 2-19-2015.*** *** then brought his vehicle back in
to our facility a day or so later with the complaint that the vehicle stalled when the vehicle was brought to a stop. After a careful
diagnosis it was determined that the Throttle Position Sensor had failedIt should be noted that a throttle positioning sensor is not a part of the transmission and this part has nothing to do with a transmission re-manufactureI priced up the sensor from our ** supplier and gave *** *** a call to give him the price. It then became obvious that the customer did not understand the function of the electronic component that was causing his problem and inasmuch as we did not want to start an argument with a customer for whom we had just repaired a transmission, we purchased and installed
the sensor for the customer as a courtesy to get him back on the road
again. No re-check was performed at this time, to do so would have been premature. We delivered the vehicle back to
*** *** after performing this service which had to do with engine performance, not his transmission, at no charge.*** *** brought the
truck back to us the next time on 3-12-2015. This was approximately two months after we had originally re-manufactured his transmission. He had never returned for the required two week re-check to validate his warranty I informed him because of his failure to validate his warranty the vehicle was not covered under warranty for repairs. Since we do not perform any work here at Transplant
Transmission, Power Train & Diesel without the authorization of the
vehicle owner there was a delay until he authorized us to start diagnosing the issue he was experiencing. We assured him that would do everything we could to keep his cost down. We started out by dropping the transmission pan and valve body
to assure both the Reverse Band and Reverse Servo were in tact and in
good conditionAfter closely analyzing the servo, we determined there
was damage to the sealWe then replaced the servo and the servo cover
along with all new seals necessaryWe finished by re-installing the
valve body and the transmission pan followed by refilling the
transmission with fluid. The vehicle performed properly afterwards on two six mile test drivesI called *** *** to let him
know that the vehicle was ready for him to pick up. Our technician then attempted to move his vehicle to the front of the shop where we park vehicles ready for customer delivery and the transmission acted up again. I called *** immediately and
let him know what had happenedWe continued testing the various components in the
valve body in order to resolve the issue while keeping it as low as cost as possible for the customer. Finally after all attempts to resolve the issue without removing the transmission from his vehicle we determined that we needed to in fact remove the transmission*** *** was
informed that this step was necessary to fix the reverse issueWe are
currently in the process of going through the areas in the transmission
to determine what has failed internally in order to give *** ***
the price of what it will be to repair the transmission that is not
under warranty

*** *** had his transmission replaced with a salvage yard transmission in June, 2013. The transmission came with a one year warranty on the transmission only. The warranty was supplied by the salvage yard. Transplant Transmissions did not put any warranty on this
vehicle.*** *** then returned with a complaint in June, 2014. We advised him that his transmission seemed fine but he had a bad drive shaft. *** *** insisted that his transmission was bad. Inasmuch as he had a one year warranty on the transmission we agreed to replace it for him. We then replaced this customer's transmission for no charge to him even though the customer understood that while the transmission was warrantied the labor to install it was not covered by the salvage yard warranty. We did as a gesture of goodwill.The staff stayed until after 11:PM to complete the installation of the transmission because we had promised the vehicle to this customer. While he waited he became abusive with the staff and was told to remain in the waiting room and not walk around in the service bay area. The transmission worked well when the vehicle was test driven. He did however continue to have a drive shaft issue that was causing problems. He had been informed about the drive shaft issue on several occasions. The staff at Transplant feels that there was nothing wrong with the transmission that we replaced for him and that the drive shaft is the source of his problem.*** *** then returned the following morning demanding his money back. He did not stay to have his vehicle test driven but rather screamed obscenities and threats which were witnessed by another customer. We have filed a report with the Downingtown Police Department and *** *** was notified of this

At this customer's request, we had his *** *** *** towed to Transplant Transmissions on May 13, 2013. He stated that his transmission had been failing then the vehicle stopped altogetherThe vehicle had a five speed manual transmission that was significantly damaged. Upon dis-assembly and inspection it was determined that the following parts and their associated costs were needed to complete a re-manufacture: Transfer Case Housing ($573.36), Transfer Drive Gear ($131.40), Transfer Driven Gear ($275.00), Center Differential ($2,138.00), Roller Bearing ($195.52), Needle Bearing ($23.00), Bearing#32614AA101($20.00), Cylinder Bearing($78.00), Races ($30.00), Gasket and Seal Kit ($192.88), Blockers/Rings ($18.69) = $3,675.85. with the labor time added to the parts the cost to re-manufacture the transmission came to $5,216. The vehicle also needed a clutch, pressure plate and throw out bearing ($528.00) and it needed to have the flywheel machined by a machine shop ($95). The total cost then to re-manufacture the transmission, replace the clutch, pressure plate and throw out bearing plus machine the flywheel came to $5,Plus the cost of synthetic gear oil (Quarts @ $19/Qt.) = $which brought our re-manufacture price with the clutch, flywheel and fluids to $5,plus shop fees and sales tax.When a transmission has this much internal damage it is often cost effective to purchase a re-manufactured unit from a supplier. The cost to purchase a replacement unit was $4,when the labor to install it is added ($805.95) that cost came to $5,Plus $for the clutch, $for the flywheel and $for fluid = $5,995.22. plus shop fees and sales tax. This was slightly higher than our re-manufacture price. We were able to locate a good used transmission for this customer for $1,950. The month warranty on the unit was $150.00. The labor to install the used transmission was $805.95. Again, a clutch kit ($528.00) was needed a flywheel ($95) and fluids ($76). The cost of replacing his transmission with a used one was then $3,plus shop fees and sales taxThe customer selected to have us install the salvage transmission in his vehicle. This option was $2,less than our re-manufacture and $2,less than a purchased re-manufactured unit. We purchased the transmission from the best salvage yard in the Philadelphia area. They put a one year warranty on the transmission. Considering the cost difference, this was a reasonable option. When we re-manufacture a transmission we put a full warranty on the product. When we purchase a re-manufactured transmission or a salvage transmission the unit is warrantied by the supplier we do not put any warranty on the unit. This is clearly stated on the customer's invoice.The original used transmission that was installed into this customer's vehicle did not have reverse gear. That transmission was returned and another unit was installed as soon as we were able to obtain one from the salvage yard. The customer states that pieces were missing. According to our records, the sway bar links had separatedThey were not missingSway Bar Links that are old or worn can separate after a vehicle remains on a lift for an extended period of time such as with the removal and installation of a transmission. Had our technician noticed the links were separated we would have advised the customer that they were worn and charged him to replace them. Unfortunately, since we did not notice that the links had separated and the customer was so irate that they were separated, we purchased and replaced the links for his vehicle at no charge for himIt should be noted here that the sway bar links are not touched during a transmission installation on an ImprezaIt is not negligence for our technician to not notice them. The vehicle came in short one out of eight bell bolts for the transmission. The salvage yard unit was installed with the customer's original hardware. One of the approximately sixteen exhaust hanger bolts was missing as well. We intentionally removed that bolt because it caused a rattleIt caused a rattle because thread were stripped on the exhaust bolt. The customer then returned on May 13, with the complaint of a noise. He felt that it sounded like a pilot bearing or a throw out bearing. He did not leave his car that day but said he would return with it at a later time. The vehicle then came back on June 2, and as per the customer's request we replaced his throw out bearing. It should be noted that the noise that was coming from the car was symptomatic of a worn throw out bearing. On Sunday, June 8, we received an email in which the customer stated that he was bringing his car back in stating "It is like nothing at all was done to my car at your shop all last week". We advised him that, when on the lift, the only noise that was coming from the underside of his vehicle was the drive-shaft. The used transmission that we had installed in June, had a month warranty. The customer insisted that the noise must then be coming from the transmission. We agreed to replace it for him. The salvage yard could not immediately locate another good used transmission for his vehicle. They did advise us that, if they could not locate a good used transmission to replace the one that the customer had purchased last summer, they would provide a new transmission. We passed this information along to the customer. We never told him that he would get a new transmission - only that the salvage yard made a commitment to replacing his transmission and if they could not locate a used unit they would provide a new one for him. Ultimately, the salvage yard was able to locate another unit and sent it to us to install. The customer was very upset with the length of time his vehicle was out of commission. We agreed to have his replacement transmission installed by the end of the day on Tuesday, July 1, 2014. Because we had made this commitment to our customer the staff stayed late to finish the installation of the transmission. The installation was completed just before midnight and the vehicle was road tested with two technicians. Both maintain that the transmission shifted well and did not grind between gears. The original noise was however still there. It should be noted that when his transmission was removed that the damage to his drive shaft was evident. This drive shaft issue had been pointed out to him on a few occasions. The universal joints on the drive shaft are worn and the section that slides into the transmission is worn and ribbed instead of being smooth as it should be. The customer then returned the following morning, July 2, and demanded a full refund of the amount he had paid for his transmission, clutch and flywheel in June,2013. He said that the transmission was grinding between gears. I asked him to leave his car so that we could road test and examine it. He refused to do so. Additionally, he was quite loud and verbally abusive. This behavior was witnessed by another customer. Inasmuch as he had been similarly abusive with the staff the previous evening while they were installing his transmission I called the Downingtown Police Department and was advised that I should not allow him on the property again. Officer Jaworski took the complaint and contacted the customer.We still have not seen the vehicle with the alleged bad transmission, however; when we were advised on Monday that *** *** said the transmission was grinding between second and third gear we immediately called the salvage yard that had supplied the previous transmissions and was advised that as of 4:on Monday, July 28, a replacement unit was available. I immediately contacted both the customer and *** advising them of this. We e-mailed the customer offering to retrieve his vehicle from *** saving him the inconvenience of having to bring the vehicle back to us. We also told *** that we would be happy to pick the vehicle up from them.We understand that it is frustrating when a vehicle repair can not be done quickly. In this instance, we have given this customer the following considerations: Starting with last summer, we replaced the sway bar links at no charge. We had not broken them, they were not missing. They were worn and as such had separated. This is not uncommon when a vehicle with worn end links remains on a lift for an extended period such as for a transmission replacementThe list price for the end links is $82.70. Additionally,in July one year after the original installation we replaced his used transmission for absolutely no charge to him whatsoever even though his invoice clearly stated that we put no warranty on the
transmission and that, should it need to be replaced under warranty, the
customer is responsible for the labor charge to replace the unit, any
necessary seals or gaskets and fluidA copy of his original invoice is attached. The warranty is detailed on page #of the invoice In this case, the charge would have been $plus the shop fee and sales taxLastly, we are again offering to replace this customer's transmission for no labor or fluid charge. This transmission was available on Monday, July 28. I do not know if it is still available as of this writing. The transmission that we installed on July 1, was his one time replacement warrantyOnly if we can ascertain that the transmission that was installed on July 1, was faulty will the salvage yard replace it for us If the customer not bring his vehicle back or allow us to retrieve it from *** Auto Care for us to validate the failed transmission and order a new one within the next few days the salvage yard will not replace it again for no charge

*** ***
Re: Complaint #***
** ***
*** ***
We re-manufactured the transmission in ***'s *** *** in
December, The re-manufacture came with our standard month, 12,mile warranty covering faulty parts and/or workmanshipOur warranties specifically exclude damage to a transmission if it is caused by the failure of another component of the vehicle
*** brought his vehicle back with a complaint of a rumble sensation at high speeds It was found that his radiator had failed after the transmission had been re-manufactured allowing anti-freeze coolant to contaminate the transmission fluid We advised him of this and told him that he would need to have his radiator replaced immediately ** *** promptly had this taken care of at a local *** *** Center As we requested, he then returned the vehicle to us for us to flush the contaminated fluid from his transmission Sometimes, this will save the clutches, seals and "O" rings At this time we are in the process of flushing the antifreeze coolant from the inside of his transmission This is a process that must be done repeatedly and we are doing this for *** as a customer courtesy at no charge
As of this writing, we still do not know if there is any permanent damage to his transmission If his transmission was in fact damaged by his failed radiator we will gladly re-manufacture it again for him at a discounted cost, however; it would not be a warranty issue
Sincerely,
*** ***
Transplant Transmissions
###-###-####

As of 6:30 PM on Friday, June 5, 2015 the customer's repair has been completed. We are now putting it through advanced quality control checks to make sure that it does not lose reverse gear again. As soon as we have confirmed that the problem has in fact been corrected we will contact the customer. At this point we are anticipating that will be Monday, June 8, 2015.

[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]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:My transmission still grinds through gears.  It is currently being repaired at a reputable shop.  Not one of the three junk transmissions was any good.  Parts are still missing.  Owner and mechanic give lip service and lie right to your face without blinking.  Never in my life have I received such DEPLORABLE service.  I do not know how these people live with themselves.  How can I argue with liars?
Regards,
[redacted]

[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]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
The issue remains unresolved.  The communication from Transmission Transplant has improved.  Since filing the complaint I have been told that repairs will be finished "tomorrow" about 5 times,  and was told again yesterday, so I m hoping the truck will be ready today...
Regards,
[redacted]

[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]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:The issue remains unresolved.  The communication from Transmission Transplant has improved.  Since filing the complaint I have been told that repairs will be finished "tomorrow" about 5 times,  and was told again yesterday, so I m hoping the truck will be ready today...
Regards,
[redacted]

[redacted] had his newly purchased 2002 [redacted] towed to our facility on December 3, 2013.  Prior to towing it to us he had his vehicle at a [redacted] dealership.  When his vehicle arrived his transmission was virtually out of fluid and as such was not working.  The first thing...

we did was to fill his transmission with fluid to make sure it was just not a low fluid problem.  Once it was established that his transmission had an internal problem unrelated to the low fluid he authorized us to remove the transmission from his vehicle, disassemble it and inspect it for damage.  This was completed on December 12, 2013.  An estimate for the cost of repair was sent to [redacted] on December 16, 2013.  It should be noted that the labor time to remove the transmission, re-manufacture it and install the newly re-manufactured unit in this particular vehicle is 24.5 hours.  The original estimate was $4,623.48 not including fluid, shop fees, sales tax, etc.  Additionally, we let [redacted] know that additional items may be needed once the project was started.This is without question an expensive repair and therefore, when [redacted] asked for our patience while he collected the needed funds we agreed to not charge him storage and to allow him to make payments.  We told him that once he had paid for the parts portion of the estimate we would order the parts and begin the re-manufacture.[redacted] made payments as requested and by the end of March, 2014 he had covered the cost of the parts that needed to be ordered.  At that time we ordered the parts that we had included in his original estimate.   This vehicle also has extensive electrical problems that could very well  have been an additional  cause of his transmission failure.  None of his tail lights work.  His center brake light is always illuminated and the windshield wipers do not work among other things.  These are all caused by electrical/wiring problems that we are still working to correct.  Electrical diagnosis time is extremely time consuming and expensive.  As of this writing we have only charged [redacted] $199 for well over four hours of electrical diagnostic time.  It is our goal to return [redacted]' vehicle to him in full working condition.  We are continuing to work daily toward this goal.  Last week we included a $500 discount to  help compensate for the time delay that, considering the electrical problems that we have encounter, has been unavoidable.    We are in contact with [redacted] almost daily.  We are asking him to trust us to complete this project.

[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]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
They only choose to be in contact with me , because I'm constantly calling them asking for updates. No where in the original quoted documents is there any mention of extensive electrical work needed. When I was told  my car would be ready four days after I paid for parts, I had to call to call only to find out that they had to order a sensor, I asked " when was I to be told of this"?  I was then told my car would be ready by April 5th 2014 , I said "ok" then I call to arrange final payments and to pick up my vehicle , again only to find out they had a mechanic who quit/got fired and he did something wrong and they had to go back over  his work , so I asked again how long will this take? [redacted],  the mechanic there said" next week" so I'm thinking the 15th. ..call back and find out now they messed a valve cover and had to order another one, again I asked how long does this take? They said a week, a week goes by and I call to check the status, and they said now the car needs  new clutches and they ordered the wrong ones and waiting for the right ones, I asked " how long does this take? they said "a couple of days " each time I asked them " is that it"? their reply was always " yes"  so , I called back again a couple days later to check the status and now they tell me , I need a new transmission pan and they thought they had one in stock...I asked  again how long does this take? They said " a day" they even called and left me a voice mail saying this.. I went to pick my car up and then they said they couldn't figure out what these codes meant.
So , in the meantime , I am still without a vehicle while they continue to fiddle around with my car and I am having to rent cars and experience additional costs , to which they say they don't cover rentals. I suggested and requested that my vehicle be towed to a qualified [redacted] dealer mechanic and fixed at [redacted] Transmission expense immediately.  
And when I asked of when they thought  they would be done , they couldn't give an answer other than. they didn't know when. I've sent numerous emails asking for detailed information on what's happening and just yesterday it was the mentioning of electrical work.  No where in the original quoted price says anything about windshield wipers not working.  If they called themselves doing a diagnosis when the car was presented to them from the start, it should have been included in the total quoted price. I hold [redacted] Transmission solely responsible for any damages sustained while at their facility other than the original diagnosis.
I want to be compensated for my rentals to date  until my car is finished. I want my car handled by a [redacted] mechanic at there expense.
Regards,
[redacted]

We are pleased to report that the problematic issues we encountered with this vehicle have at last been resolved. After the vehicle was returned to us, when we could find no answer to the mystery of what was causing  the issue(s) which caused the check engine light to illuminate and...

various diagnostic trouble codes (DTC's)  to be stored in the vehicle's computer,  we had this vehicle inspected by Chrysler technicians.    Each time, while no one could find anything wrong with the transmission, after driving approximately 35 miles the check engine light would again illuminate.  Automotive transmissions are highly electrical these days and receive communications from various other sensors throughout  the vehicle.  There were actually multiple items that we addressed including repairing over 30 ground wires (unrelated to the transmission re-manufacture) , and replacing the alternator.  The final repair was the replacement of the valve body.  This is located on the underside of the transmission and is the hub for the electrical communication with the other components.  There is a very small low/reverse switch valve end plug, a retaining piece for one of the valves in the valve body that was the culprit.  We replaced the entire valve body for the vehicle and after two extended test drives the check engine light did not come back on and there are no diagnostic trouble codes (DTC's) stored in the vehicle's computer.On a positive note,  the frustrations we encountered with this transmission are now starting to be seen by other transmission re-manufacturing facilities across the country.   Apparently, we at Transplant Transmissions are the first transmission re-manufacturing facility to have isolated the cause and repair and as such our information will be detailed in articles published by both of our national professional organizations.   While it has been frustrating for both ourselves and our customer, our continued research and the solutions that we found should help countless other consumers in the future who appreciate having the alternative of the significantly reduced cost of a transmission re-manufacture rather than the far more costly dealer replacement.   David D[redacted]Transplant Transmission, Power Train and Diesel

This customer had the transmission in her 2003 [redacted] re-manufactured by our company in early May,2014 and delivered to her at 86,155 miles.  After a transmission is installed our procedure is to also check fluid levels of engine oil and antifreeze coolant.  The radiator in this...

customer's [redacted] was totally out of coolant.  When we started filling the radiator the coolant literally ran out as fast as it was being filled.  We called the customer and told her that we also needed to put a radiator in her car.  She stated that she was aware that the radiator was bad but did not want us to do anything at that point because she needed her vehicle back that evening.  She also understood that a bad radiator could damage her newly re-manufactured transmission.  On May 6, 2014 she brought her vehicle back to us with the complaint that the transmission was slipping and there was no reverse.  The transmission fluid was full but contaminated with water and or coolant.  We removed her transmission and disassembled it.  The transmission had been damaged by overheating and water and/or coolant contamination, no doubt caused by her radiator which would not hold coolant.  At our request, she provided us with a copy of an invoice for the replacement of the radiator.  She  had this work done on April 18, 2014 at 86,409 miles.  The radiator was replaced  16 days and 254 miles after the new transmission was installed.  Driving even as little as five miles with a radiator that will not hold coolant and therefore not properly cool the transmission will damage the unit.Our warranty explicitly states that transmission damage caused by overheating is not covered under our warranty.  Additionally the warranty also states that transmissions damaged by radiator failure are not covered by the warranty.  Lastly, there is a required 2 week/200 mile (whichever first occurs) re-check that is needed to validate the warranty.  This customer did not bring her vehicle back for that two week check either.  I have attached a copy of her warranty.  All that being said,  we  agreed, as a gesture of good will,  to repair her transmission for her at no cost.  We have offered to replace the damaged parts but not re-manufacture it for her again. We have told her that we will make sure that the transmission works properly before releasing the vehicle to her.  We have advised her that this is not a warranty repair since she voided her warranty of April 2, 2014 by failing to come in for the re-check and by overheating her transmission by driving over 250 miles with a radiator that would not hold coolant.We have consulted with our attorney who has advised us that we are absolutely under no legal obligation to do any of this for her, however; customer satisfaction is always our number one priority. Given the circumstances, we feel this is a generous offer.  As of this writing, she has not accepted our offer to do this. We have ordered the parts needed for  the no cost repair for her transmission and expect to have her [redacted] ready for her by  next week.

[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] Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
Please re-read my last message.  Or, if you have not read it yet, now is too late.  Friday has passed and still no joy.  I filed my civil suit against TransPlant Transmissions (aka Scolene) yesterday.
They never did send me the e-mail they had just claimed that they sent.  Their untruthfulness, ineptitude, and lies continue.  There were so many lies in their last response that it made me sick.
Thank you, Revdex.com, for trying to mediate this complaint.  It is abundantly obvious that TransPlant Transmissions really does not want to make their customers happy.  They just continue to produce lies and waste time.  Any further responses from them on this site will be ignored as they have forced me to my last resort, which is Small Claims Court.
Revdex.com, I appreciate your attempt to mediate and to resolve this mess that TransPlant Transmissions (Scolene) has brought upon me as well as themselves.  Again, I wish I never got tangled up with this "transmission" shop.
Regards,[redacted]

Review: Transplant Transmission had my pathfinder vehicle to repair my transmission which I PAID them $1,000 deposit to start the job and when going back to check on my vehicle. My vehicle wasn't parked on there property and I was never notified it was gone and after trying to reach them they never said it was missing either. So I went by there to at least in to ask which I thought was fair was for at least $500 back because I know they had to order parts. But was told NO.

So I thought that this was very bad on this business part and NOT good customer service for not having my vehicle securely locked up. Also couldn't even produce or find my key they were given.Desired Settlement: All that I ever wanted was if not half of my deposit back at least a apology. Because I was referred that it was a good business but I don't want this to be the first complaint either. But I wouldn't want this to happen to anyone else either.

Business

Response:

To Whom it May Concern:

I have the following response to [redacted]'s complaint of May 30, 2013:

At [redacted]'s request we had his 1995 Nissan Pathfinder towed to our shop on January 20, 2010. Again, at his request we removed the transmission from his vehicle, disassembled it to determine what was needed to re-manufacture it and submitted an estimate to him.

After the estimate was provided we tried repeatedly to get in touch with [redacted] for his authorization to complete the work. Although I do not have documentation of every attempted telephone call I do have the following documented. January 25, 2010, January 26, 2010, January 27, 2010. Furthermore, I have an e-mail dated March 15, 2010 in which we request $1,040.39 to cover the cost of the parts needed to re-manufacture his transmission.

On March 15, 2010 [redacted] personally stopped by the shop to let me know that he would be in within a few days to make the $1,040.39 deposit to cover the cost of parts so that we could begin the work on his Pathfinder. On April 22, 2010 [redacted] made a $1,000 deposit. We then ordered the parts and re-manufactured his transmission as per his request. The work was completed on April 30, 2010. The total amount due us was $2,967.99 less his $1,000 deposit = $1,967.99.

Once again, I do not have a record of every attempt to contact [redacted] after the work was completed, however; I do have the following record of phone messages that were left for [redacted] requesting that he pick up his completed vehicle on April 30, 2010, May 4, 2010, May 19, 2010, June 7, 2010, June 24, 2010, July 6, 2010, July 21, 2010, August 4, 2010, August 23, 2010.

We did not have a locked compound until the summer of 2012 and as such, [redacted]'s vehicle was stored in our unsecured back parking lot. We moved his vehicle several times during the winter of 2011 to plow snow. I have no record of the vehicle after the end of February, 2011 which was the last time we moved the vehicle.

On May 3, 2011, a full year after the work that we performed was completed yet not paid for, [redacted] came in and advised us that his vehicle was missing from our lot. [redacted] did not contact us on January 3, 2011 as he states in his complaint. May 3, 2011 was the first contact we had with the customer since he paid his deposit of $1,000 on April 22, 2010.

By that time we had already written it off as a bad debt and were beginning the process of obtaining the title to his Pathfinder through the state as an abandoned vehicle. [redacted]'s observance that the vehicle was missing was actually our first indication that it was gone from our lot.

Inasmuch as [redacted] abandoned his vehicle with us for over 12 months, leaving it on our lot from January 20, 2010 until sometime in the spring of 2011 and with an unpaid invoice of over $1,900.00 I see no reason to refund any of [redacted]'s deposit. Furthermore, we are in no way responsible for vehicles left on our property; we have a sign stating such prominently displayed in our front reception area. Lastly, we have numerous attempts to reach [redacted] documented in his file.

If you would need any additional information please let me know.

Sincerely,

[redacted] Owner

Transplant Transmissions

Consumer

Response:

Review: Our vehicle was evaluated for a transmission issue on March 11, 2014 and we were promised it would be fixed (transmission rebuild) by March 21. Due to repair issues, it was delivered to us on April 18th and we paid the full invoice balance at that time. After driving less than 10 miles, we experienced issues and returned it on April 21. We kept in touch and once again after many promises, it was returned to us on June 4th. Once again, after driving less than 10 miles, we had to return it for repair on June 5th. It is now July 1st and we do not have the vehicle with further promises that the vehicle will be repaired.Desired Settlement: We are in dire need of our vehicle. We have been promised several times and took delivery on two separate occasions. Each time, the vehicle was returned for repair after driving less than 10 miles. We wish to have our vehicle fixed and returned as quickly as possible. We have urged the business to take the vehicle elsewhere if they are unable to fix it, but each time they state that they are close to fixing the transmission.

Business

Response:

We are pleased to report that the problematic issues we encountered with this vehicle have at last been resolved. After the vehicle was returned to us, when we could find no answer to the mystery of what was causing the issue(s) which caused the check engine light to illuminate and various diagnostic trouble codes (DTC's) to be stored in the vehicle's computer, we had this vehicle inspected by Chrysler technicians. Each time, while no one could find anything wrong with the transmission, after driving approximately 35 miles the check engine light would again illuminate. Automotive transmissions are highly electrical these days and receive communications from various other sensors throughout the vehicle. There were actually multiple items that we addressed including repairing over 30 ground wires (unrelated to the transmission re-manufacture) , and replacing the alternator. The final repair was the replacement of the valve body. This is located on the underside of the transmission and is the hub for the electrical communication with the other components. There is a very small low/reverse switch valve end plug, a retaining piece for one of the valves in the valve body that was the culprit. We replaced the entire valve body for the vehicle and after two extended test drives the check engine light did not come back on and there are no diagnostic trouble codes (DTC's) stored in the vehicle's computer.On a positive note, the frustrations we encountered with this transmission are now starting to be seen by other transmission re-manufacturing facilities across the country. Apparently, we at Transplant Transmissions are the first transmission re-manufacturing facility to have isolated the cause and repair and as such our information will be detailed in articles published by both of our national professional organizations. While it has been frustrating for both ourselves and our customer, our continued research and the solutions that we found should help countless other consumers in the future who appreciate having the alternative of the significantly reduced cost of a transmission re-manufacture rather than the far more costly dealer replacement. David D[redacted]Transplant Transmission, Power Train and Diesel

Review: I brought my car into Transmission Transplant to have transmission rebuilt on 3/28/On 4/2/I paid @for rebuilt transmission and a tune upI picked up my car 7:AM when business was closed on 4/3/On my front seat was a copy of bill and my car keysI also needed a radiator and some other items that I was arranging to be completed through my regular mechanic, **, at [redacted]He observed the condition of my radiator several times even before I had transmission rebuiltHe completed all work by 4/18/On 5/5/my transmission began slipping tremendouslyI called Transmission Transplant and they asked me to bring it in asapI brought it in on 5/6/They questioned weather I had radiator fixedOnce they verified that, they claimed since the radiator was not replaced immediately, it had overheated the transmission and destroyed their workI spoke to them again on 5/7/and was told they would make ck transmission and see if it could have been caused by a faulty piece they had installedOn 5/7/14, I was emailed their warranty that stated I was to return to them in weeks after repair job and have work checked[redacted], one of the owners had stated to me I was suppose to bring it back after work to be checked but his mother, [redacted], also an owner, knew she had not given me a warranty since she emailed it to me on 5/7/My own mechanic, **, at [redacted] has spoken to them, and me, about my radiator and it's condition** has stated to them, it leaking but it was drivable as long as I refill coolant** would testify I chronically was refilling it and always had water available, on front seat, to refill radiatorWhen I returned my car to Transmission Transplant on 5/6/I was asked about why I didn't bring it back and follow warranty steps I had never receivedThen they tried to pin it on my radiatorI called again n 5/9/and [redacted] stated her son would definitely look at it and call me on 5/9/and tell me with certainty what caused transmission to failI have not received a call or email from them since 5/9/They haven't even inspected their work to find out if it is a faulty pieceInstead every time I call, I get different reason on what went wrong or why they will not honor warranty, or they tell me they will call me back with information about what went wrong and never do
I have kids that need to be shuttled everyday after schoolI also workI need my car back and I need it runningI need they to honor the warrantyThe warranty is for year.Desired Settlement: I would like my car back and repaired asap
Business
Response:
This customer had the transmission in her [redacted] re-manufactured by our company in early May,and delivered to her at 86,milesAfter a transmission is installed our procedure is to also check fluid levels of engine oil and antifreeze coolantThe radiator in this customer's [redacted] was totally out of coolantWhen we started filling the radiator the coolant literally ran out as fast as it was being filledWe called the customer and told her that we also needed to put a radiator in her carShe stated that she was aware that the radiator was bad but did not want us to do anything at that point because she needed her vehicle back that eveningShe also understood that a bad radiator could damage her newly re-manufactured transmissionOn May 6, she brought her vehicle back to us with the complaint that the transmission was slipping and there was no reverseThe transmission fluid was full but contaminated with water and or coolantWe removed her transmission and disassembled itThe transmission had been damaged by overheating and water and/or coolant contamination, no doubt caused by her radiator which would not hold coolantAt our request, she provided us with a copy of an invoice for the replacement of the radiatorShe had this work done on April 18, at 86,milesThe radiator was replaced days and miles after the new transmission was installedDriving even as little as five miles with a radiator that will not hold coolant and therefore not properly cool the transmission will damage the unit.Our warranty explicitly states that transmission damage caused by overheating is not covered under our warrantyAdditionally the warranty also states that transmissions damaged by radiator failure are not covered by the warrantyLastly, there is a required week/mile (whichever first occurs) re-check that is needed to validate the warrantyThis customer did not bring her vehicle back for that two week check eitherI have attached a copy of her warrantyAll that being said, we agreed, as a gesture of good will, to repair her transmission for her at no costWe have offered to replace the damaged parts but not re-manufacture it for her againWe have told her that we will make sure that the transmission works properly before releasing the vehicle to herWe have advised her that this is not a warranty repair since she voided her warranty of April 2, by failing to come in for the re-check and by overheating her transmission by driving over miles with a radiator that would not hold coolant.We have consulted with our attorney who has advised us that we are absolutely under no legal obligation to do any of this for her, however; customer satisfaction is always our number one priorityGiven the circumstances, we feel this is a generous offerAs of this writing, she has not accepted our offer to do thisWe have ordered the parts needed for the no cost repair for her transmission and expect to have her [redacted] ready for her by next week

Review: My car was towed into TransPlant Transmissions on 13MAY2013 due to transmission failure. The failed transmission was the original factory transmission and had roughly 145,000 miles on it when it failed. I had bought the car brand new from the [redacted] dealer in February of 2003 and had no transmission problems until May 2013, roughly 10 years.

Upon arriving at TransPlant Transmissions (aka Scolene, Inc) I was told by Ms. D (owner) that my transmission would be salvaged and rebuilt if possible. If not, a replacement transmission with a one year warranty could be installed. The time frame for the job was explained to me by Ms. D as 3 to 5 days. Once they sourced a transmission (with 1 year warranty) I paid them a deposit of $1,950.00 so that they could get to work and repair my car. This was on June 3, 2013. On June 12, 2013 I contacted TransPlant Transmissions to see if the work on my car was complete. I was told that, yes, it was ready for pick-up and that I would have to pay the balance for labor.

When I was able to get a ride to TransPlant Transmissions to pick up my car a few hours later, Ms. D told me that my balance was $2,130.59. I was shocked by the overly large amount of money, however by this time my car had been at TransPlant Transmissions for a month already and I just needed my vehicle back to avoid having to get further rides to and from where I needed to go. So, I sucked it up and paid the balance IN FULL. I then told Ms. D that I felt like I was getting hosed (ripped off) and that I was not very happy with the price and time it took to finish the car. She started spouting excuses and said that she would allow me a free change of oil for the engine as well as the rear differential. I told her thank you, but no. It had already taken them a month to do this job and I could not afford to be without a car any more.

I got in my car and tried to leave. I could NOT leave, though. The car would not go into reverse. I told Ms D that something was wrong with my transmission. She called up P, the mechanic, to see if he could remedy the situation. While she was getting P, I began to scrutinize my car. I found that both end-links to the front suspension were missing, therefore the factory sway bar was loosely flopping around. When P came out, I showed him this. He told me that sometimes when cars sit for a while the end-links can pop off and that he never touched my end-links. I had end links on the car, in good condition when I dropped it off for repair. Now they were gone. Since P could not get my car to go into reverse either, I ended up leaving my car there again. I never even got to move the car.

It took TransPlant Transmissions roughly another month to tell me that they had fixed my car. During this time I called multiple time for status updates, but was told they did not know for sure and that they would call me with an update. They never returned any of these calls. When I picked up my car again, about a month later, there were brand new end-links and bolts attached to my suspension. I spoke with P again and he told me that my transmission was making a little noise, but that it should clear up the longer I drove the car.

It did not get better, in fact it got worse and louder. During that time, I was away travelling (via air) so the car stayed home for about a month and a half. When I returned from my travels, I tried to ignore the transmission and clutch noise for about half a year. Then the car began grinding while shifting and refusing to go into gear, so I took it back to TransPlant Transmissions. This was in May of 2014. Everything was still covered under the one year warranty, so when I was able, I dropped my car off again at TransPlant Transmissions. They took weeks trying to fix it again. I had to keep checking to see if the work was complete. No calls were returned. I tried e-mailing TransPlant Transmission and got no response. Finally I went down to TransPlant Transmissions and asked face-to-face about my car. They told me it should be ready soon. I was able to pick it up on June 7, 2014

When I drove the car home it was making the same noises it had before I dropped it off. It was as though nothing at all was done to my car. The next day I managed to get my car to [redacted]. The mechanic, J, took my car for a test drive and told me the transmission was junk; no good. He then put it up on a lift and briefly examined under the car. He immediately pointed out that a transmission bolt was missing and exhaust hangers and bolts were missing, too.

The next day, June 9, 2014 I took it back again to TransPlant Transmissions and pleaded that they fix my car correctly, once and for all. Weeks later, since I was never called, I called to see what was going on and I spoke with DD (co-owner). DD told me that he was having trouble sourcing a transmission for me and that he was going to put a NEW transmission in my car. I told DD that if that was the case that I would not mind waiting a bit more for the repair.

Which brings us up to yesterday, July 1, 2014, when I called to ask the status of the car. I was told by P, mechanic, that it would be finished and ready to go that evening. He said he would call me that evening. At 11:15 PM I called since no one had called me yet and was told that they had finished, but needed to take it out for a test. I really needed my car for today (July 2, 2014), so my wife drove me down to pick up my car right before midnight. When I got there my car was still on the lift. I told P I had had enough and just wanted my car back so that I could get it fixed properly. I went under the lift to take a look and was told that that was unsafe and that I had to leave the garage bay. Fifteen minutes later, someone drove my car out of the shop and onto the public road. I waited for it to return, got my keys, explained poignantly how displeased I was and left. The car made horrific noises from the transmission all the way home. It was difficult to put it into any gear. While switching gears I could hear and feel what must have been gear teeth grinding. This was the third junkyard transmission that TransPlant Transmissions had installed to date.

Which brings me to today, July 2, 2014. Since none of my calls were ever answered or returned I went down to TransPlant Transmissions. Ms D was there in the office. She was on her cell phone, but she saw me and asked what she could do for me. I told her that I wanted my money back. She refused and started to get loud. I had had enough with her and TransPlant Transmissions, so I returned the favor by getting loud, too. I asked for my money back again. She told me that I would never get my money back and to sit down. I told her to sit down. Then, she started shrieking at me to get off her property. I turned to leave as it was obvious she was not going to give me a refund and my frustration level was very high. Then she busted through the office door, yelling, and physically pushed me out the door down the steps. I became angry and called her a few choice words. She followed me to my car, yelling the whole time. As soon as I got in my car I left and went home.

When I got home, the police called me. Ms D had phoned the police alleging that I was harassing her! I spoke with the officer and he told me about other avenues to get satisfaction. He also told me not to contact TransPlant Transmissions anymore. I was floored. She called the police on me after all this! I did not know what to do and did not want to look like the bad guy to the police, so I called the police to let them know how Ms D had pushed me down the stairs and out of her office.

I have since taken my car to [redacted] for a proper repair and retained legal representation to try and recover the $4,000.00 I paid to TransPlant Transmissions over a year ago.Desired Settlement: Since it is abundantly apparent that TransPlant Transmissions cannot successfully complete the task of fixing my car, even though I paid them in full the first time they said it was finished, I want them to refund my money IN FULL. I do not trust them, nor do I have the time for them to try and fix it again. They failed miserably multiple times over the course of a year. I could also use the money I had to pay for obtaining loaner cars during their accumulated 2 month possession of my vehicle. I would settle for just the $4,000.00 I paid TransPlant Transmissions.

Business

Response:

[redacted] had his transmission replaced with a salvage yard transmission in June, 2013. The transmission came with a one year warranty on the transmission only. The warranty was supplied by the salvage yard. Transplant Transmissions did not put any warranty on this vehicle.[redacted] then returned with a complaint in June, 2014. We advised him that his transmission seemed fine but he had a bad drive shaft. [redacted] insisted that his transmission was bad. Inasmuch as he had a one year warranty on the transmission we agreed to replace it for him. We then replaced this customer's transmission for no charge to him even though the customer understood that while the transmission was warrantied the labor to install it was not covered by the salvage yard warranty. We did as a gesture of goodwill.The staff stayed until after 11:00 PM to complete the installation of the transmission because we had promised the vehicle to this customer. While he waited he became abusive with the staff and was told to remain in the waiting room and not walk around in the service bay area. The transmission worked well when the vehicle was test driven. He did however continue to have a drive shaft issue that was causing problems. He had been informed about the drive shaft issue on several occasions. The staff at Transplant feels that there was nothing wrong with the transmission that we replaced for him and that the drive shaft is the source of his problem.[redacted] then returned the following morning demanding his money back. He did not stay to have his vehicle test driven but rather screamed obscenities and threats which were witnessed by another customer. We have filed a report with the Downingtown Police Department and [redacted] was notified of this.

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:

My transmission still grinds through gears. It is currently being repaired at a reputable shop. Not one of the three junk transmissions was any good. Parts are still missing. Owner and mechanic give lip service and lie right to your face without blinking. Never in my life have I received such DEPLORABLE service. I do not know how these people live with themselves. How can I argue with liars?

Review: I had my 2002 [redacted] towed to their facility in November of 2013 to get a transmission rebuilt. I was told that once the parts were paid for that , then the work would be started and completed within 72 hours. It is now 5/23/2014 and all I've been getting , is that waiting for this part and this part and this company never informs me of any updates , unless I call them repeatedly. I've sent countless emails with no responses.Desired Settlement: I want my vehicle asap and to reimbursed for the expenses for car rentals to date due their inconvenience.

Business

Response:

[redacted] had his newly purchased 2002 [redacted] towed to our facility on December 3, 2013. Prior to towing it to us he had his vehicle at a [redacted] dealership. When his vehicle arrived his transmission was virtually out of fluid and as such was not working. The first thing we did was to fill his transmission with fluid to make sure it was just not a low fluid problem. Once it was established that his transmission had an internal problem unrelated to the low fluid he authorized us to remove the transmission from his vehicle, disassemble it and inspect it for damage. This was completed on December 12, 2013. An estimate for the cost of repair was sent to [redacted] on December 16, 2013. It should be noted that the labor time to remove the transmission, re-manufacture it and install the newly re-manufactured unit in this particular vehicle is 24.5 hours. The original estimate was $4,623.48 not including fluid, shop fees, sales tax, etc. Additionally, we let [redacted] know that additional items may be needed once the project was started.This is without question an expensive repair and therefore, when [redacted] asked for our patience while he collected the needed funds we agreed to not charge him storage and to allow him to make payments. We told him that once he had paid for the parts portion of the estimate we would order the parts and begin the re-manufacture.[redacted] made payments as requested and by the end of March, 2014 he had covered the cost of the parts that needed to be ordered. At that time we ordered the parts that we had included in his original estimate. This vehicle also has extensive electrical problems that could very well have been an additional cause of his transmission failure. None of his tail lights work. His center brake light is always illuminated and the windshield wipers do not work among other things. These are all caused by electrical/wiring problems that we are still working to correct. Electrical diagnosis time is extremely time consuming and expensive. As of this writing we have only charged [redacted] $199 for well over four hours of electrical diagnostic time. It is our goal to return [redacted]' vehicle to him in full working condition. We are continuing to work daily toward this goal. Last week we included a $500 discount to help compensate for the time delay that, considering the electrical problems that we have encounter, has been unavoidable. We are in contact with [redacted] almost daily. We are asking him to trust us to complete this project.

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:

They only choose to be in contact with me , because I'm constantly calling them asking for updates. No where in the original quoted documents is there any mention of extensive electrical work needed. When I was told my car would be ready four days after I paid for parts, I had to call to call only to find out that they had to order a sensor, I asked " when was I to be told of this"? I was then told my car would be ready by April 5th 2014 , I said "ok" then I call to arrange final payments and to pick up my vehicle , again only to find out they had a mechanic who quit/got fired and he did something wrong and they had to go back over his work , so I asked again how long will this take? [redacted], the mechanic there said" next week" so I'm thinking the 15th. ..call back and find out now they messed a valve cover and had to order another one, again I asked how long does this take? They said a week, a week goes by and I call to check the status, and they said now the car needs new clutches and they ordered the wrong ones and waiting for the right ones, I asked " how long does this take? they said "a couple of days " each time I asked them " is that it"? their reply was always " yes" so , I called back again a couple days later to check the status and now they tell me , I need a new transmission pan and they thought they had one in stock...I asked again how long does this take? They said " a day" they even called and left me a voice mail saying this.. I went to pick my car up and then they said they couldn't figure out what these codes meant.

Review: Transplant Transmission was paid to replace my transmission in my 2005 [redacted]. They have been paid in full. The problem remains after 4 returns to the shop and now they are telling me the problem is my engineDesired Settlement: Fix the problem that was contracted

Business

Response:

[redacted] <[email protected]>

Re: Complaint #[redacted]

2005 [redacted]

We re-manufactured the transmission in **. [redacted]'s 2005 [redacted] in December, 2013. The re-manufacture came with our standard 12 month, 12,000 mile warranty covering faulty parts and/or workmanship. Our warranties specifically exclude damage to a transmission if it is caused by the failure of another component of the vehicle.

**. [redacted] brought his vehicle back with a complaint of a rumble sensation at high speeds. It was found that his radiator had failed after the transmission had been re-manufactured allowing anti-freeze coolant to contaminate the transmission fluid. We advised him of this and told him that he would need to have his radiator replaced immediately. **. [redacted] promptly had this taken care of at a local [redacted] Center. As we requested, he then returned the vehicle to us for us to flush the contaminated fluid from his transmission. Sometimes, this will save the clutches, seals and "O" rings. At this time we are in the process of flushing the antifreeze coolant from the inside of his transmission. This is a process that must be done repeatedly and we are doing this for **. [redacted] as a customer courtesy at no charge.

As of this writing, we still do not know if there is any permanent damage to his transmission. If his transmission was in fact damaged by his failed radiator we will gladly re-manufacture it again for him at a discounted cost, however; it would not be a warranty issue.

Sincerely,

Transplant Transmissions

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