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AAMCO calls itself "The Transmission Experts." This means they're experts at finding a reason to work on your transmission. Our advice: Find a trusted local mechanic to take care of your car and consult him regularly. You're more likely to get good advice and economical repairs.
Matthew of Oklahoma City OK (05/09/08)
I contacted Mr. Bernie Gray from AAMCO Transmissions in Nashville to pick up and tow my vehicle from the parking lot at my office as the transmission had gone out. He did so, and ran some tests and told me that the transmission would need to be rebuilt and that the repairs would likely be about $1500.00. I explained that I did not have that much to spend right at the moment, and Mr. Gray explained that there was no problem and that he would have his guys do the work on the vehicle and then I could just pay it out. I agreed since I needed my vehicle and he gave me his e-mail address and his cell phone number to contact him. I do not know exactly which AAMCO in Nashville he was at, but I had his contact info so I was satisfied and made arrangements to pay him by the middle of next month when I could get my car.
Closer to the pick up date I called Mr. Gray on his cell phone and left a message for him on his voice mail, but never received a call back. A few days later I tried e-mailing him and calling him again, and no response. I repeatedly tried to reach him, but never did get a call back. After a month I received an e-mail from him asking whether I was going to come get the vehicle and pay him or he would start charging me for storage of the vehicle. I quickly replied to his e-mail that I had been trying to contact him and been unable to do so as he never returned my calls or e-mails. This e-mail also went unreturned and further phone calls to him went unanswered. It is now a little over a year later and I still have not heard from him, and still do not have my car.
I have been without my vehicle for over a year now. I have had to rely on public transportation and other people to get to and from work, and enough is enough. I have attempted to contact their corporate offices, but have not been contacted by their offices. It is as if my car is just gone or has been stolen. I am afraid that Mr. Gray has since sold my car, and I am wanting it either back in working order or replaced as he has never made an effort to return my calls.
Donna of Hyde Park NY (05/02/08)
I took my car to Aamco . they told me the transmission and selonoid needed to be replaced. I told him upfront I did not have the entire amount ( $2,800) - The ownersaid he would accept payments from me until it was paid off. He told me I had a 12 month warranty and I was covered if anything went wrong. The day I picked my car up , the engine light was still on. He told me to ignore it it needed to be re-set- So he re-set it with his diagnostic computer. It was off then after 5 miles would go back on. I kept telling him and he shrugged it off telling me it was nothing to be concerned about. I went to get it inspected and failed because of it- I drove it back to Aamco and he re-set it again.
I drove it to a different inspection station, they failed me giving me a code that the selonoid was bad. I called Andy and he humiliated me , and shouted at me saying being I was on a payment plan I had no warranty and he would charge me all over again. I reminded him that he did give me a warranty and told me if anything was wrong he would fix it. The engine light was on from the second I drove it out of his garage! I have less than ten days to get the car fixed. He refuses to fix it and no one wants to help me.
When I tried to explain this to Andy McPeck he rudely said Are you finished talking now? WOW- So I Then his book keeper called me at home telling me to drop off 5 blank checks that were post dated to show good faith - Isn't that illegal? I suggest if you want your car fixed the right way with respect do not go to Aamco in Poughkeepsie NY . Why should I continue to pay for a car that may have never had the transmission or selonoids replaced? The car still bucks when I drive it ...
If I do not have this fixed, and pass inspection, I cannot get to work and make money to pay my bills - I am stressed out over this and getting migraines .
Abraham of Rancho Cucamonga CA (05/02/08)
i had my car towed there and asked mike to diagnoise the problem. I was told that the repair would cost around 2100.00 dollars and called the next day and told 3000.00. I told him I could not afford this so he wants to charge ne 595.00 for checking it out. I had just had a diagnostic done at Pep Boys for 79.00. I was not given a sheet with the price break down only asked to sign it. I am a senior citizen being taken advantage of.
My car is still there and I do not know if I have to pay him that amount. True he is owed something just mot that much. I had to extend the rental car.
Judy of Albany GA (04/29/08)
Transmission under Warranty, original work done around May 10-14, 2007 in Ohio. Had trouble on way to Shreveport for work, truck taken by wrecker to Aamco Shreveport on April 14, 2008. Took several days for truck to even be looked at & contact made with Aamco in Ohio. Aamco Shreveport says there are procedures they must go through due to the Warranty. Aamco Shreveport is extremely difficult to contact by phone, & won't respond to phone messages. We've been in constant contact with Chip at Aamco Ohio, to assist with transmission repair. Aaron Bennett,in Shreveport, was rude to both of us & made the comment to Jerry that he was going to be paid for his time & trouble, it didn't matter by who, it was either going to be from Aamco Corporate, Aamco in Ohio, or even Jerry.
Since transmission IS still under Warranty, this type of comment was out of line, especially to Jerry. After being put off by Aamco Shreveport, I,Judy, made contact with Aamco Corporate Consumer Relations Department to gain their assistance. It has actually been little help. Aaron Bennett has refused to do any repair work, stating that it was Aamco Ohio's responsibility & would do repairs if Aamco Ohio sent the parts. Parts are supposed to be on the way to Shreveport Aamco for repair work to be completed, which were actually supposed to have been shipped out on Friday, April 25, 2008. Part of repair work that has been diagosed, which will be additional out of pocket expense, is that the Transmission Support & Rear U-Joint will have to be replaced.
There was nothing wrong with either of these parts, until Aamco Shreveport removed the transmission from the truck. We requested the truck be taken somewhere else, but Aamco Corporated stated Warranty Work must be completed by authorized Aamco Dealer. Aaron Bennett has since expressed refusal for the truck to be removed, demanding payment for his time & trouble. Transmission & Drive Shaft has been removed from truck & truck is undriveable. According to previous reports made on Rip-Off Reports.com, there have been other Transmission Mounts damaged, when Aamco Shreveport has removed Transmissions from other vehicles. It appears that this is Mr. Bennett's way of making additional money for his shop. Jerry left Shreveport on Friday, April 25, 2008, without our truck. Our son had to tow the travel trailer back to Albany, GA.
Car Rental from Friday, April 11-26, 2008, approx $600. Transmission Mount & U-Joint damaged when transmission removed from truck. Aamco Shreveport has not told us how much they expect to be paid to replace those parts. If truck is ever repaired, we will have to drive back to Shreveport,La from Albany,GA, 12 hour drive 1 way, Gas Expense 1 vehicle, 1-2 nights Motel Expense, & Gas Expense for 2 vehicles, return trip to Albany, GA. As of Saturday, April 26, 2008, Jerry is out of work until truck is repaired & road ready, missing approximately $2500 net income per week. Also, one of the original silver colored hubcaps that was on the truck, has been exchanged with a black hubcap. At this time, we're not certain if any other damage has been done to the truck or if anything else has been removed from the truck.
Colin of Mount Airy NC (04/09/08)
I took my car in for transmission repairs on December 7,2007. I picked the car up on December 28,2007 after paying the bill for 2000.00 plus. I did not even make it down the street and the the transmission had excessive noise in it (3,4,5,6 and reverse). I returned it the following Monday December 31,2007 and the manager was not there, so I told the guy that was there what was going on, and also mentioned that the left outer cv boot was torn upon prior repair, he said ok.
So after not hearing from them for a couple weeks, I called for the status of it and got a remark that they did not hear any noise. The manager told me that he had not even driven the car after the original repair and that they had driven the car and did not hear anything. So I rode by on several occasions to see that the car had not been pulled in the shop, for say about a month. So I waited and called back and they told me that they were pulling the transmission and see if they saw anything.
So after a couple weeks Icalled back and they told me that the transmission builder had quit, and that they had a guy that was working part time, but they were going to get him to look at it. So I waited a few weeks and called back and they said that the manager had quit and that the Steve was the new manager and all they had told him was that they had ordered parts.
So then i started calling back once a week, (by now it was March) and he said that they were still waiting on a bearing,and I heard this for 3 weeks. So on April 7 2008 I rode over to ammco and they had another new manager who was very helpful, he gave me the number to ammco corporate and I gave them a call, and they called me back but wanted to know why Ihad waited so long to file a report. Told them Iwas very patient but that enough was enough and I wanted my car back I mean 4 months is a bit excessive. I want my car back plus the fact that i have been making payments on it as well.
I have had to borrow a car from my parents to drive since it has been down. Also the damaged the left outer cv boot and it is slinging grease and mentioned that they did not think it was covered.
Tania of Austin TX (04/08/08)
I took my car in for repair the AC unit. I own a jeep so I a jeep so I locked my consoles. I was told that damage was due to the 3rd fan burning out and that everything would be repaired. When I picked it up I was told that the 3rd fan was not fixable without another part but that the AC would work without it. As I was driving off I noticed that my console where both unlocked and old paycheck stubs were missing from my car. As I dug further I noticed a bag of paraphernalia had been left in my car. It was terrible. The shop was closed by the time I discovered all of this so I called back first thing monday morning and explained to the manager what had happened the regional manager called me back an apologized. Later that day as I was driving to the store the car started making a very funny sound. I drove home and it started to smoke and fluid was linking from everywhere the engine light was on and the gauge read hot. My husband popped opened the hood only to find that they had place the radiator holes right on top of the compressor spinning wheel and this had resulted in a rip in the holes and radiator fluid leaking out. I called the regional manager again and he asked me to take it back in. I took it in first the next morning after my husband put more fluid in. Well they fixed the holes but now the AC does not work. I paid approx. 1000.00 to have this fixed and now it does not work. Unbelievable.
Troy of Tampa FL (04/07/08)
I called aamco transmissions on friday, april fourth, '08, and spoke to a gentleman named Murray (not sure on the spelling). He was a little agressive on the phone, but i thought that was just usual business practice. He said that my transmission pump was bad and that I needed a new one. He said that it would cost $487 to fix. I asked him if that was the total cost, and he explained to me the work that it was a lot of work to exchange a transmission pump. That wasn't the answer I had expected. I wanted to know if that was my total cost. And he said yes.
On monday the seventh of April '08, he calls me and says that's it's going to cost $1800. I said that I thought the price was $487. He said that he never said that and that the price was going to be $1800. I never met him until after that phone call. I did not have a vehicle, and Murray had let me know that my vehicle could be towed for free to his garage. So i had agreed to his price of $487, with no towing fee.
So I go to the garage on monday, ask him if he can just leave the transmission out and give me back my vehicle. I was willing to pay him the $487 even though he hadn't actually fixed anything, and I told him that. Then Murray decides to explain to me that there will also be a towing charge of $50, plus there will be taxes added to the $487. I had told him on the phone on friday that I did not need a tow truck, that I have AAA and could have them tow it for free. He insisted that his service was free, so I said that he could tow my vehicle. At this point I realized that he was holding my vehicle ransom. I had agreed to pay him $487, which is what I intitially agreed to (the price that I had asked him on friday if that was to be the total). But now he wanted an extra $50 for towing, plus some additional taxes,before he would release my vehicle.
This whole experience has wasted my time and money.
Mike of Hidden Valley Lake, CA (04/07/08)
I brought my truck in for a transmission slippage problem last Summer. I received a quote with the estimated hours of labor. I gave the go-ahead and a few hours later I was called to come pick up my truck. Since it was significantly less time than the estimate called for I expected to pay much less. Instead my bill was higher. When I asked the manager why he said that this is how they make money, by beating the book.
In other words, the estimated time is determined by the State, but if they get it done sooner, Aamco gets to charge for the full amount of estimated time regardless of how much less time it actually took. I angrily paid and drove off the lot. I have driven this truck seldom since the repair, but recently a friend told me I have an obvious exhaust leak.
Although I haven't taken it back, I'm concerned that they will tell me it was repaired several months ago and this has happened since.
Lavonne of Greenville NC (03/28/08)
On march 28th 2008, I went to AAmco transmissions to pick up my mazda 626, 1996 from AAmco transmissions in Greenville NC. I received a quote of $2048.17 to have it repaired but much to my surprise while driving it of the lot no later than 2 min before driving it off the premises it made a popping noise. So my husband managed to drive the car back to AAmco Transmissions, they said the axle had broken and we needed to pay an additional $110.00 to get it fixed. Keep in mind that the problem was never the axle it was strictly the transmission. So I explained that I WAS NOT GIVING HIM ANY MORE MONEY for repairs. My husband said to them don't you have to take the axle out in order to put in the rebuilt transmission? To make a long story short they broke my axle in order to extort more money from us. As soon as we said we will get a lawyer they contacted us and told us they went ahead and put in a new axle. I am wondering how many people have they done this to in order to receive more money?
There was an altercation between my husband the manager and myself. The manager cursed at us and said he's not going to put in the axle. So of course we retaliated and told him you just received over two grand of our money and that we would be getting in contact with our lawyer. Please anyone who has taking there car to AAmco transmissions in GREENVILLE NC . BE CAREFUL THEY WILL DAMAGE YOUR CAR IN ORDER TO MAKE MORE MONEY!
Jill of Glendale CA (03/12/08)
I brought my SUV into AAMCO due to a high pitched noise from my engine area. To make a long story short, I ended up paying almost $4000 and bringing my car back to AAMCO 3 times to take care of the same problem and other problems that they had created while fixing my car. They would not pay to let me take my car to another AAMCO or to a dealership.
Ramona of Passaic NJ (03/07/08)
I have a 92 Mercury Cougar in tip top shape. The Aamco station that I went to is #6003 Don-Vin, Inc, 1639 Main Ave, Clifton NJ 07011. They informed me that I had a serious transmission problem and it was gonna cost me. I have an invoice (#135462) for $2,600.00. They did nothing for nothing. The car has 97,000 miles, and they changed the miles on the car! To get the car fixed is worth more then the car is worth! Now the car has been fixed at an additional $193.00--later for some needed some spark plugs changed and an oil change!
I'm a very good customer and had always praised AAMCO! But now I'm pursuing this matter to the Better Business Bureau to make sure that guys like these don't mislead the consumers! Again I cannot stress this enough! This company overly commercialized and needs to stop ripping off Senior citizens! It's a a shame, and I'm very DISAPPOINTED IN AAMCO! There is no way for any coupons nor any discounts to lure my family vehicles there ever again!
Edmund of Clarkston, MI (02/21/08)
The operations manager Dan told me that the labor would be no more than $950 + parts, but it should not go over $1500.
I left a deposit of $300. When I picked up my SUV, it cost me over $3800.
I have spoken to another Aamco dealer manager who said that I paid too much and the most you should pay is $2000.
I asked them if they test drove the SUV and they said they did. I drove it home and the rpms are still elevating.
Would you think this is quality work?
Jenni of Seattle WA (02/20/08)
I had my car repaired at Aamco and they stripped the engine bolt mount screws and when I took the car in to the dealer, the dealer and Aamco fought over who should pay to fix it and I ended up having to pay $350 for the repair work.
Nicole of Brighton MA (02/19/08)
I forget the gentleman's name who works at the front desk, but I can obtain the info. This is more of a customer service complaint. He is extremely rude to begin with. I had a coupon to get the engine checked for free, but when I asked for something documenting what was wrong with the O2 sensor as they claimed that's what was wrong, he said that it was a favor and they wouldn't write anything down. I'm sure if I decided to have the car further serviced there, it would have been a different story. The coupon does not mean it was a favor--it was something the company decided to promote. It was a service they provided, plain and simple, and there should be something documenting that. I'm not sure about the company, but this guy has made me vow to never go to an Aamco again.
P. of Baltimore MD (02/19/08)
My transmission would not engage into reverse. I went to AAMCO to fix the problem, and I explained that the transmission would not engage into reverse. I was told that it would cost $49.95 to diagnose the problem, and they would tell me what is wrong. Four hours later I get a phone call from Rick that the car would not go into reverse. AAMCO will have to remove the transmission (at a cost of $629.00) to further inspect the cause. I was reluctant at this point, but accepted and allowed the work. Three days later I was told it would cost $2611.00 to fully fix the problem. I told them to put the transmission back into the car. I felt that as I continued to accept what they told me it would keeping costing more money.
My total cost to get an estimate for my transmission was $629.00 dollars by AAMCO. The staff at AAMCO were very evasive to any questions I had in order to make a decision. My biggest complaint is that for being experts in transmissions, they did not have the slightest clue of what was wrong with the transmission and that is the catch--the farther to diagnose the problem, the more it will cost you.
I bought a new transmission from Ford and had them install it. Surprising--it was less expensive then repairing it.
Emmanuel of North Hollywood CA (02/18/08)
I brought my car for free checkup at their location in North Hollywood since I noticed that every time I put the car on reverse, it would make a loud clicking noise; and the car would jerk in reverse as I press the gas. After the free inspection, they initially quoted me $1700 and told me that they would need to open up the transmission and see if there are more repairs that need to be made. The next day, they told me that my torque converter is damaged, and my transmission mount needs to be replaced. The cost now came up to $2700. I could not back out from it since the transmission was already taken apart. So I went to have it fixed. Five months later, my car stalled and stopped running. I called their office, and they sent a tow truck 4 hours later. After 2 business days, they were able to fix the problem, and told me that they put the wrong solenoid in the first time they did it. I asked them to reimburse my car rental for that two days, but they refused since that wasn't part of the warranty.
The result was that they put me in danger since I was on the freeway when my car started stalling. I could have gotten into an accident if they didn't mess up the first time they fixed my transmission. I also waited for 4 hours for their tow truck to pick up the car, then I have to rent a car for the next two days and be late for work. They gave me such a hassle, and I spent $100 on car rental that they refuse to reimburse.
Lea of Colorado Springs CO (02/05/08)
This is my second go around. Back in 2000 I took my Chevy blazer in and was told it needed a new transmission, which it probably did. Well it took about two weeks or so. After bringing it home I noticed it was leaking transmission fluid, needless to say, I had it back five times over the year warranty.
So stupid me took my Hyundai to them in October this year, thinking I could give them another chance. The check engine light would come on and it would shift hard into gears and eventually stick in 2nd or 3rd gear. As before I was told the transmission was shot and it had to be replaced. I was told it would be a few days. Well those days turned into weeks with many excuses. Finally it was done and we picked it up. Two days later we found a larger puddle of transmission fluid under it. Took it back and they kept it again for about 10 days with more excuses. Got it home and three months later the check engine light came on and the gears were slipping once again. I took it in and was told to pick it up the next day. Greg told me he drove it for two days and it was fine. I did not get a block away and the check engine light came on again and it stuck in 1st gear. He did not want anymore to do with it and told me it was a electrical problem and it was not covered under my warranty. He referred my boyfriend to some man down the street and in the same sentence said he would probably just rip us off anyway.
I took my Hyundai to the dealership today and it is not electrical, it is 1st and 4th gear slipping, and the clutch plates are shot. Did they ever replace them to begin with? So I faxed him the stuff from Hyundai and have spoken with the corporate office and demanded my money back to have my transmission done correctly. I even took the problem list and the new estimate from Hyundai to AAMCO and spoke with Greg and told him I wanted my money back as he gave up on the car and I am stuck without a vehicle. He stated he would have to think about it overnight, and then decided to wait to see if he heard anything from corporate office and that is where I am. STAY AWAY, you will only be disapointed.
This has put me out of a car for about a month, total. I put out $2000.00 that I did not have, as I am a single mom and putting my son through college on my own. AAMOC has take advantage of me and I am ashamed to say I ever used them.
Jon of Lake Worth FL (02/02/08)
This AAMCO charged me $100 to do a transmission fluid flush, and I found out that they didn't do the work! After watching a YOUTUBE video of a News program's special report on Jiffy Lube scams and how they don't do the work that you pay for, I was very skeptical when I went to have my transmission fluid flushed. Before I brought it in I removed a small amount of transmission fluid for comparison. I dropped the car off for servicing and then picked it up when it was done. When I got home I took another sample of transmission fluid from the car and compared it to the old fluid, as well as a sample of new fluid directly from the bottle.
Both samples from my car were identical, and it was obvious that they didn't touch my car! I went back to the store the next day and confronted the owner, he persisted that the fluid was flushed and that he saw it being done. I told him I wanted a refund, and he refunded my money right away. The fact that he was so quick to return my money makes me think that he realized he was caught and wanted to avoid being exposed any further.
Randy of Birmingham AL (01/29/08)
I have a 2000 Toyota 4 runner with 140,000 miles. I went to 4 shops including the Toyota dealer who all said it was the transmission. I decided to let AAmco fix it. This was in Oct 2007. I have been there 9 times. Once they said bring it in the night before, then, the next day, they called and said I am sorry, but the part is not in. Yesterday they called and said that the transmission had arrived and bring the vehicle in this morning. Just as I am pulling out of my driveway they call to tell me that the mechanic had to go to the Irondale location and would I bring it in Thursday. This will be the 10th time I have taken the truck in. The engine warning light is still on and they tell me I won't damage the engine by driving it. I don't even know where they got the rebuilt trans from that they are going to put in. This is the most incompetent service business I have ever dealt with.
3 times my wife met me there in her car so I could drop mine off. I had to drive my wife to work and pick her up so that I would have a car. I got tired of that and asked for a rental and Robert Bewley (the owner) said NO! Bill, the front man told me I could drive his personal car. With this being the 10th time to take the truck in, I feel that I have been extremely patient with this business.
Paula of Concord CA (01/22/08)
The transmission on my husband's 1993 Chevy Pick up wasn't shifting into drive or overdrive. He took it into AAMCO and they said it needed a whole new transmission. He thought that may be true since it is a 93 with 160,000 miles on it. They did the work, charged us $2800 and it was running fine. Two weeks later, he went up to Willits to visit his mom and starting back home, the transmission wouldn't shift into drive or overdrive again. He called me, I called AAMCO. It was a Sunday & there was a guy there making appointments for the week. I told him my husband was stuck in Willits & the truck wouldn't shift. The guy at AAMCO said get it towed to the nearest AAMCO which was in Santa Rosa.
I asked him if they would cover the cost of the tow & he said NO. I told him we just paid almost $3,000 for a new transmission & the problem was still there & he said it wasn't his problem. We had it towed to Santa Rosa, which cost $450. The guy in Santa Rosa said it wasn't the transmission, it was the wiring harness. He said it would take 7 hours to fix it, but he would only charge us for 4 hours. We said forget it & had it towed back to Concord, another $450.This wiring harness should have been checked out before or while they worked on the transmission
Elisa of East Haven CT (01/11/08)
Back in September my 2001 Hyundai's transmission skipped. We have always taken excellent care of our car so I didn't drive it and brought it to Aamco because they were advertised to be transmission experts. They took it apart and charged me $60. I never had a problem before, there was no leakage and the car was running fine. I was told it had a leak and that I needed a kit that cost $1,400 and that the repairs would be anywhere from $1500 to a little over $2000. I told the guy to put the car back together and I would come and get it. After arguing with him for nearly 20 minutes he relented. I picked up my car and brought it home. The car was in excellent condition and even though I had a new car I wanted to repair the Sonata. After looking around and trying to find a better deal I ended up taking it back to Aamco.
What a Mistake! My husband brought it there and explained that we could not afford a lot of money. 2 1/2 weeks later, we could not get a price, suddenly it was the pump, it had leaks. We kept calling and could not get any satisfaction. Finally, after the car was completely apart he told us it was going to cost $2,959 to get the car. So we applied for a loan, in the mean time we were contacted and told that the alternator was bent and would destroy the belt if it was not replaced. (funny it was fine before it got there) that's added another $353.00 to the job, on the day that we were ready to pick it up we were told that during the test drive the belt snapped and it would be another $109 to fix it. Funny the alternator was replaced to avoid this problem. At this point the repairs are $3,676.00 to get out car back. oh and he wants cash! Please stay away from this place, I wish I had followed my first instinct and stayed away. I have requested an itemized bill, all the old parts as well as any unused parts from the kit.
This came at the worst time during the holidays and has caused severe financial and emotional distress. Now we have no trust in the work done or the reliability of a car that we loved and took wonderful care of.
Glen/maria of San Jose CA (01/09/08)
My Jaguar was having transmission problems, so we took it to the Jaguar dealer ship. We had purchased a warranty with a company with the name Millinium which is another story (drama) They told us that we would have to take our car to Aamco because they have a contract with them, so we did.
We have taken the car back 3 times in a 2-3 month period and we have to take it back for the 4th time. The problem has not been corrected, the car has been parked because the problem has not been corrected. It has been such an inconvience for us, they will not pay for a us to rent a car. They just don't care. I am so upset, I can't believe there are people out there that have businesses and can do this to the public. My husband has been taking and picking me for work. This has put stress on both of us, we both have to get up earlier and I have to wait at work till he is off his job. His car has so much milage on it now because we only have one car now.
Lamont of Douglasville GA (01/05/08)
I told them that there was no way something was wrong with my transmission. The mechanic started the vehicle and put it in reverse, there was a loud popping noise, similar to the noise I heard when the axle first broke. I heard it, the mechanic heard it, and because I was on the phone with my wife during the time, she heard it as well. I could see and hear the axle turning but seems as if it was not connected properly in some type of way. I told them my thoughts on the situation which was it sounded like the axle broke again and they did not install it properly.
The next day, I received a second opinion from a certified Chrysler technician. He inspected the minivan and told me that it seems as if the CV axle was installed improperly. On December 30, 2007 my wife called AAMCO back and spoke with Darrell, telling him what I was told and Darrell assured us that it was not the axle and it was the transmission; however, told my wife that whatever she wanted to do was fine with him. She told him that she wanted our money back, he said fine.
After new years, he changed his story and wanted me to tow the minivan back to them again. I told him that I did not feel comfortable nor confident that they could get the job done being that they had every opportunity to do so before. I asked for my money back. They refused on three attempts. There was no resolution to this problem with AAMCO. And now I am here, still trying to resolve this matter.
Ryan of Phoenix AZ (01/04/08)
I took my truck to AAMCO for service, I was quoted a price for the service. I picked up my truck when service was done and tried to present a coupon that would save me 10% which is $73.70 and the owner said he can't accept the coupon because he gave me a special rate to begin with. I would assume when you accept coupons you have to take them from everyone, you can't turn one away claiming there was a special rate given. It's unethical and probably illegal. Also they claim they discarded my parts right after working on my truck therefore they couldn't give them to me when I picked up the truck 6 hours after it was worked on, which leaves me to believe they sold me parts they didn't put in and just adjusted what I had. (transfer case chain and sprockets)
I am out $73.70 that should have been entitled to me with the coupon.
Susan of Oxford NJ (12/26/07)
My 2002 Volvo XC-79 was bucking while shifting gears when I brought it to Aamco in Hackettstown, NJ. The owner Mark told us it would cost $700 to diagnose the problem, which would be refunded if we agreed to have them service the car. After several days without the car Mark told us it needed parts replaced in the transmission and that it would cost approximately $3100 to repair. A week after we originally brought the car to Aamco he called to say it was fixed, and when we picked up the car, were presented with an approximately $3400 bill. The car had a full tank when we brought it to Aamco, but was now on empty with greasy marks on the leather of the driver's side door and on the driver's side floor. I drove the car to the nearest gas station and on the way home the car was still bucking when shifting gears. I called the owner the following day and was told to bring it back.
When we brought it back the owner said that if there was electric work required it wouldn't be covered under the warranty. I told him that he still had not fixed the car and that as far as I was concerned it wasn't under warranty until he had fixed it as agreed. I also told him that I had already paid him the cost of a new transmission from Volvo. I told him that according to NJ law he can't charge me more than a certain percent over the quoted price and that I would take him to small claims court if he didn't fix my car as promised. I also told him that my husband had missed a huge amount of work the preceding week driving me back and forth to work (he's a strictly commission stockbroker); and my hours are variable (occasionally 10am-7pm) and that we were out that money as well. At this point he said he would return all of the money if the car wasn't fixed in 2 days and that he would pay for a rental car for me for the following day. Two days later he called to say the car was done. He said it was the solenoid that was the problem and that he replaced it.
According to the main Aamco website, an electronics diagnostic test should have been part of the diagnostics in the beginning, and according to the Volvo (E. Hanover, NJ) service manager, if he had run an electronics diagnostics test first (which he said is standard practice) it would have picked up the problem with the solenoid and saved us over $3000 in repairs. He also said that once a transmission is taken apart and redone, it is never the same and that for the price we paid we could have had a new transmission from Volvo.
Out a large portion of one week's commissions (missed work) for my husband who is a 100% commission stockbroker. Out $3400 for unnecessary transmission work. Out $40-$50 for a tank of gas. Possible long term implications due to transmission being taken apart and reworked.
Ted of Buffalo Grove IL (12/22/07)
I brought my Honda Accord 2002 to Aamco Transmissions on 12/18/2007 needing transmission work. The quote over phone would be between $350 to $1250 and $1,500 worst case. Car was to be ready 12/21. Car was not done, and I needed to keep initiating calls to business for updates on what was wrong. I eventually drove to their business and saw that police were called by a customer because they would not release their car. I wanted my car back, but they said trans was out already--but still no quote. They eventually got me a quote later that day for $2,000 dollars which was too high. I drove to their business without any problems, then an engine light came on with shift malfunction. The Honda dealership charges $2,350 for a rebuilt trans with labor and a 3yr/36,000 mile warranty. I'm pulling my car out, will have Aamco put trans back in, and I'll drive it to O'hare Honda. Did I mention I only have 46,000 miles? I did not see any happy customers in their establishment.
Joseph of Pittsburgh PA (12/06/07)
I took my Toyota Pick-up for an inspection as there was no engine light on. They said it will not pass emmisions test and might need an o.c sensor and billed me $48 dollars. I paid them and I ask what will that cost and will that fix it? Rich said, "if I was a fortune teller I would work for a circus." His EXACT quote. He said the part needed to be ordered from Fl? I took the truck back the next day they kept the truck and I had to take a bus home and went back and forth for 4 days to get truck and it was still not done. Finally, the truck is done and it costs $242.61 more. I get it back and the engine light is glearing now and truck is 4 cylinders and is getting much worse gas milage and the idol goes up and down by itself. So, I got the inspection and now have to fix the truck? I lost a lot of work and money due to them repeatedly saying they would fix the truck.
Jim of Jackson GA (11/09/07)
I spend a lot of time on the road so I decieded to call Aamco since they are nation wide. Big mistake,I was told that it needed to be rebuilt at a cost of $2200.00-$2500.00. $2500.00 later I got the truck back. A couple of months later to pick up a boat trailer and the transmission went out again on interstate 95. Well they towed it in and again I was stuck there for another week as they had to rebuild it again. Well that Sunday morning we went to leave and made it about two miles down the road and poof trans is gone again. Again here we go for another week in a motel in Melbourne.They fixed it so so and I did make it back home but it still is not right.
Brad of Prescott Valley AZ (10/31/07)
Took my car to Aamco because it was dying and not starting. They said I needed a new CPU so they replaced that. Then they said it needed a new fuel pump; they replaced that. Soon after they replaced the CPU, the mechanic Tony let a wire ground out, and it caused it to short out a lot of the relays and wiring. It's been 2 months now; still no car, and they are still jerking me around. I'M NOT PAYING FOR THIS!
No car, missed work, late for work, lost wages mental anguish!
Nick of Valley Cottage NY (10/31/07)
I brought my car to Aamco of Pearl River, NY on 6/25. They told me that I needed a complete rebuild of my transmission and it would cost $2250.00. I was also told that if I paid cash they would eliminate the sales tax, so I paid them off in cash. Now my transmission has gone down again the last 2 days. My car was supposed to be towed to Aamco, and it has not been towed. I just spoke to the owner's arrogant kid who told me to call after 2:30.
The first time it took Aamco over a week to repair, and it cost my several hundred dollars in auto rentals. Now I will have to rent a car again.
David of Charlotte NC (10/26/07)
We had our car towed 10/10/07 to Aamco Transmissions, and Billy was notified we had an 10% maximum $100.00 coupon. when Paying for it 10/19/07, I was told they would not honor the coupon as it was not presented at time of service. Aamco customer service called today and said the owner said no to honoring the coupon we told them about from the beginning.
We not taking our future business to Aamco, and there will will be more than a $100.00 loss to them, as well as loss of business from my friends.
Daniel of San Francisco CA (10/18/07)
My Dodge Sprinter van suddenly stopped shifting the gear; I took it to Aamco. They said the transmission needed repair and charged $2973.51 for it. The problem was not fixed so they sent the van to a dealer for revision. Aamco called me and said to go to the dealer for my van. Now I have to pay for the dealer revision. Aamco took my money, did not fix the problem, and I lost money while the van was on Aamco's hands and had to rent a van for my work.
The main damage was the lost of money and I lost confidence when people offer services.
Alicia of Greenville, NC (10/05/07)
I went in 8/06 to have my transmission checked. I was charged $50 for the diagnosis. It was fine but they did say my camry was showing an insufficient flow code for the EGR system which I knew about. I was told they could fix it faster and cheaper than the dealership($513 from Toyota). I agreed since they already had $50 of my money that they would apply to the bill which was supposed to be $350 at most. They kept my car overnight . I got it back and the engine light was not on so I assumed it was fixed. I started home and got 2 miles when the light came back on. I took it back, and they reset it. I got 30 miles when it came back on. I went back a total of 8 times. Now 10/07, one year later, the car's been at least a week total time in their shop, with $750 paid including a rental for 2.5 days, not to mention my time. They have been through 3 managers since I started going in August, 2006. The funny thing is the first day I went there they sent me to the pool room behind their shop. I ran into a little old man who struck up a conversation. I told him I had my car there for diagnosis; he told me he had been taken for $1500 by them, and that should have had me run at that point.
My car still is not fixed. The dealership is saying $575 to fix it now. I'm already $750 in the hole with Aamco and trying to dispute the charges through my credit card.
Richard of Terrebonne OR (10/02/07)
On June 1996 my transmission was rebuilt at AAMCO dealer in Renoldsburg, Ohio. Cost was $1,207.50. I don't remember what date it was but sometime in 98 or 99 my transmission brokedown with the exact problem that it had in 96. I had it repaired at an AAMCO dealer at the Beaches in Jacksonville, FL., and I purchased a warranty at this time. In November of 2001 the transmission went out again. I had to have the vehicle towed from North Platte, Nebraska to Cheyenne, Wyoming where the closet AAmco dealer was, I had to pay the towing.
September of this year the transmission failed again with the same problem that it has had over the years. Unfortunaly my son let the warranty expire. My problem is why the transmission has failed four times in 11 years? AAMCO is giving us the runaround, the auto has been at an AAMCO dealer in Belleview, Washington for a month and to my knowledge they have not done any work on the auto.
Barney of Milwaukie OR (09/26/07)
My car appeared to be shifting at a little higher rpm's than normal I brought it in to AAMCO per my warranty companies recommendation. Marty the manager informed me that I was lucky that I came in when I did and that my car would have broken down on the side of the road within a week. I began to research technical specs on my car and found that it was shifting as designed when OVER DRIVE is not engaged. They were lying to get business from me and my warranty company.
As per AAMCO's recommendation A simple transmission swap was in order and supposed to take two days has bled over into week three now and my car is still up on the lift with no transmission. worse is that nobody can even give me an update on what is taking so long. I called at noon today and was told that they were finishing it up right now and I could pick the car up at 4pm. When i arrived at 4pm the car was did not have a transmission in it or even near ready.
Ritaof Portsmouth VA (09/26/07)
Approximately two years ago we purchased a Ford Explorer XLT, 4x4 from one of the local Ford dealers in the area. The vehicle was a gift to our son for his new driving experience (school and work). My son decided to replace the tires on the vehicle with Moto-tires 33, and pay for a lift to be professionally installed. In April of 2007, the car started to show symptoms to what we thought could be transmissions problems; we felt it could be possible because the car had approximately 80,000 miles on it. Without any hesitation, we chose to use the local AAMCO Transmissions service center.
The car was kept in the shop over 3 weeks, and finally released on April 27, 2007, for a total cost of $2,112.00. The same week after the car had been serviced, a transmission light appeared on the dashboard, and once we contacted AAMCO, we were told to bring the car back in as the car carried a 1 year warranty on the transmission work. The car was serviced for the second time, and kept there in the shop for a few more weeks.
After picking up the car for the second time, it was not long that the car was not shifting properly, and a few weeks later went into the same shop once again. Approximately two weeks later and a nasty dent (probably caresless mechanics), the car was once again released. We unfortunately did not notice the dent until the next day, and as responsible parents convinced our son not to pursue the issue as it had not been pointed out when the car was picked up. Neitheless to say, a few weeks later, the car was again back in the shop, this time it went into neutral on the highway and my son had to coast to the nearest exit close to home.
The vehicle was towed at AAMCO expenses once again, and released on Saturday 22 Septmber, 2007 at 1200. As we pulled out of the driveway, we noticed a terrible shake in the steering wheel area, to the point that we almost lost control of the car into incoming traffic. The vehicle was once again towed to AAMCO nd released on Monday 24 Septmber, 2007 and we were told that the warranty was no longer going to be honered because the vehicle had the offroad tires and needed a speedometer calibration; we were given 1 week to do so.
Today (09/26/07), we spent an entire day looking around for places and phone calls, including Ford dealers in order to have these items taken care of, and asking general questions in order to educate ourselves regarding this new detail - warranty recall. Including Ford, we were told that the request of the speedometer calibration was a lousy excuse from and not possible to do unless a $600 kit were to be installed in order to control the speedometer (paraphrasing as I am not a mechanic) and that the speedometer being electronic was not something that any dealer can do.
One particular independent mechanic basically stated that he would be happy to talk directly with the Customer Relations representative mediating between us (the customer) and AAMCO here locally,and explain the techinicality of what is being asked of us and that this would not be something that he, with his 30+ experience would ask of a customer. Let's also take into consideration that the larger tires and lift was already present on the car back in April of 2007, and it was not pointed out to us about the warranty issues.
We were very rudely told today to read the warranty in the back of the service agreement, which does not specify anywhere about the larger tires. It points out that vehicles used for off-road purposes will not be covered under the warranty. Our vehicle is not used for off-road.
Even all of the other independent mechanics we interviewed today, including FORD, believe that the work may have been uncessary and now, sad to say, AAMCO is backing up from their mistake/mess; easy way out. Just want to add a few small details regarding this case. Everytime the car has gone back to the shop for repairs, we have been given the ran-around about when the work would be completed, which shop the car was actually being worked on.
Last Saturday, when the car started shaking and lost power steering, we were told by FORD and the other AAMCO dealer in Virginia Beach, that it is a known fact that a FORD vehicle should never be manually pushed when not turned on. Meaning, it is a FORD detail that air in the driving/steering area is indeed caused/introduced, when the car is carelessly pushed instead of driven. Probably the reason why Mr. Dunlap fixed the car at no charge to us. However, need to point out that the car is still shaking and is not as smooth as it used to be.
Greg of Artesia CA (09/26/07)
I took my car in for a transmission repair. The car would not go in reverse. The manager told me the car needed a new overdrive. I told him the overdrive was working fine, but he insisted that it needed replacing. I asked for the part. I needed my car, so I went on with the repair. Afterwards, I had a reputable mechanic look over the overdrive parts. He told me he found no problems with the parts, meaning AAMCO unnecessarily replaced my overdrive transmission to make money.
As if that weren't bad enough, after the repairs, the car started slipping out of gear. This continued to happen after 5 trips back to AAMCO in which they called a used parts dealer and kept replacing the part until they hoped it was fixed. It never was. They gave me an extended warranty when I complained about how long it was taking to completely fix the transmisssion, but they told me the warranty was for a year, when in fact it is only six months, meaning when the car started slipping again, they claimed the warranty was up and I would have to pay for any replacement parts.
J. A. of Ramona CA (09/18/07)
In July of 2007 I had my transmission service and check due to service light turn on. They it was fine, but my mechanic said it was running rough. Then in 2 months later the service light return again i took it in, now they say that the transfer case has burned up and cause the transmission to burn as well. I do have 4 wheel drive but i never go 4 wheeling.I have the lifetime warranty and has many things repaired at the time of repairs. They claimed that the transfer case is at fault that the transmission is not cover under the warranty, I don't see how that can be, since the transfer case in not engaged while in 2 wheel drive? I call the Ford dealer and ask them about this problem and they never hear of this ever happening. Ford also said the transfer case is not involve in 2 wheel drive so it can't be to blame.
John of Branford CT (09/18/07)
I had 60k on a Ford Windstar and the transmission was slipping. Spent $3,000 on a new transmission from AAMCO and a week later I put my foot down on the gas and nothing happens. The car was slipping worse than when I brought it to them. They now have had the car for two weeks and the free repairs still have not been completed. My car is in pieces with no end in sight just a list of excuses as to why it doesn't work. My advice - STAY AWAY!
Kenny of Winter Park FL (09/03/07)
Brought my Vehicle in for A/C repair. Spent over $700 for Repair. Less than 1 month later I am driving WITHOUT A/C in the state of Florida! I have had the vehicle in their shop 4x and have rented a car 2x and now they are trying to charge me again for the repair they said was fixed. Then They notify me the day before they were supposed to finally fix it the last time that the machine they use to fix a/c was broken.
I called their 800 customer service # about 60x and they will not return the call. I actually spoke to a customer service manager but for whatever the reason, she has decided not to resolve my case. Ms Rachel said she would call me back a week ago and has not. If you call their customer service, you will NEVER SPEAK DIRECTLY TO A HUMAN BEING unless they call you back. I WILL NEVER USE AAMCO AGAIN
Donald of Peshastin WA (02/27/07)
While driving from Eastern Washington to Seattle Washington my Jeep Cherokee automatic transmission started to quit shifting so i pulled over and called a tow truck they towed it to AAMCO transmission in Renton Washington. They said i needed a governor pressure sensor and governor pressure solenoid a two hour labor job after two weeks they supposedly fixed it. I started back to Eastern Washington. I got about 20 miles and the car started vibrating and smoking so I had it towed back to AAMCO after 2 more weeks they said the transmission was blown up I still don't have my car and its been 5 weeks.
Meghan of Waltham MA (05/20/06)
My 2001 Saturn SC2 has 82,000 miles on it and began hesitating to shift into reverse when it was cold or wet out. Several months later, the car started hesitating to shift into higher gears when accelerating onto the highway. Brought to an AAMCO shop, I was told it wasn't the transmission but the airflow system. After leaving the car for a day and a half, a MAP sensor was replaced and the car was now making violent banging noises between gear shifts. A week passed before I could get the car to a mechanic. He told me that it was of course the transmission and AAMCO should have known that. Taking it to a transmission shop the mechanic recommended, the valve body was replaced at a cost of $770 including labor. The mechanic also made it clear that replacing the MAP sensor was not necessary.
$135 to replace a MAP sensor that didn't need replacing. $770 to replace part of the transmission (which several other folks here have talked about--it shouldn't happen this soon, with under 100k miles on the car)
Lawrence of Gastonia NC (03/01/06)
Aamco made arrangements to pick my truck up, as I thought my clutch was going out. Bill reported back the estimate and diagnosis and permission was given to proceed on 02/09/14. As I picked up my truck on 02/14/06, I was told that I would hear a noise I had never heard before, due to dry rotted rubber around the shifter boot. Also, the throwout bearing was making a racket when the clutch was completely out, as if the bearing was bad. By the way they used a Duralast clutch from Autozone. We have had bad experiences with the cheaper throw out bearings in the past.
I called Billy upon returning home and reported the problems. The leaks that were diagnosed were not fixed. The shifter boot had been completely cut all the way around. Billy suggested I leave the truck and they would take care of it. After calling this morning, I was told that the boot around the shifter, which was cut around the bottom and just flopping there was there when I brought the truck in. It's been three days and they haven't started on my truck. I also had to rent a car just for this. I could not believe they gave me my truck back in this condition. I told the manager that I am going to the Ford dealership, have it corrected and send them the bill.
Amy of Clayton NC (02/21/06)
In June 2005, I when to Aamco Transmission in Smithfield in search of a transmission for my 1997 Mazda 626. They seemed to have a reasonable price and a long warranty. I paid them $2600 to install a transmission in my car. About 2 months after picking up my car, the transmission when out again, so they put in another unit (covered under warranty). About 2 months after that, it went out again and so they replaced it again(this makes #2). When I began having trouble with the second unit, I thought maybe I should have another Aamco center take a look at it, so I then took it to the Aamco station located in Garner, NC.
They said the unit needed to be replaced a third time! So, the Garner location installed the 3rd transmission. Everything seemed fine with it and when I took it back for the check-up, I was told that it was leaking! So, here it is Dec. 2005 and I need to have a fourth unit put in! The fourth unit was put in at the end of Dec.. As soon as I picked up my car, I knew that something wasn't right, the office was already closed, so I called the very next morning to voice my concerns. I was told to keep driving it and give it a little time.
That same evening, my car shut off on me. Why? When the mechanic was hooking everything back up, he failed to connect the starter wire properly and so it fell off!! I was so mad and when I called the next day to explain what had happened, they acted like it was my fault for having the unit in and out so many times. I was told that parts can wear out. Now, it is February 2006 and my fourth transmission is leaking!! Karl from Aamco in Smithfield (which is where the original sale occured) wants to replace it again, but first he wants me to take it to the dealership to have it looked at. He believes that there is something else wrong with my car causing the transmission to go bad.
I might believe that if all the problems had all been the same, however they were not.
Trent of Bonney Lake WA (02/20/06)
January 27th my 1969 Chevy 3/4 ton pickup was towed to AAMCO in Puyallup. I asked them to replace the clutch. 3 days later I received a phone call from AAMCO. I was told the cost was $200 for labor, an added $50 for resurfacing the flywheel if needed and the cost of parts. I gave them permission to fix the clutch. I received another call 3 days after the first call. They were calling me to tell me the cost of the repair. They had not done any work at that time and told me the cost was to be approximately $1000.
I told them I was not going to pay it and I wanted to have the truck towed to Mr. Clutch who told me the complete repair would be $398 and would take one day. The manager (Tom) of AAMCO got on the phone and yelled at me and said they would not let me tow it anywhere. I had to pay them $950 for the clutch repair. They charged me $350 for the standard clutch kit. This is a markup of over 200 percent over their cost. It was 12 days later that the clutch was finished being installed. I took it home and the next day the clutch linkage broke.
Tom (the manager) told me he'd fix it for free. So I let him take the truck to his shop. 2 days later he calls me and tells me that he will fix it if and only if I retract my complaint with the Better Business Bureau. I refused and told him to leave the truck outside his shop and I would have it towed back home. He would not allow my tow truck driver to take it. A week later he fixed the clutch linkage after I gave him the parts to fix it. He couldn't find the parts on his own. This has been a horrible experience.
Edward of Crestview FL (01/09/06)
Had problems with my vehicle and had it towed to Aamco to have a free transmission check on the 21 Dec 05. Was told that it would be a day or so before they could check it out but it would be done before Christmas. I was having acceleration problems and my odometer had stopped working. I called back the next day and talked to Tracy and he told me that it would be friday before he could get it checked. I called friday and then he told me that he had other cars that he had to get out before Christmas and that mine would be the first to be checked out on Tuesday since they were closed on Monday.
I waited for their call Tuesday but I didn't receive one. So I called first thing Wednesday morning to find out that they were checking it out as we speak. This was a different person than Tracy because Tracy was out for a couple of days, he said he would call me back with the results. He called back and told me that my transmission would have to be rebuilt and that it would run me between $1500-$1800 but it could be more once they looked inside to see if there was anything else wrong. I told him that was ok, I was going to come and pick-up my vehicle, then he told me that he could "cut me a deal" if I let them do the work..He said that he could do it all for $1500.
I found that very strange that he could all of a sudden cut me a deal. I told him that I would just come and pick-up my vehicle. I went to pick-up my vehicle and asked about a price quote or estimate of the problems that need to be corrected and was told that they didn't have one. I drove my vehicle and it was fine. I took it to another business and had it checked and they told me that it wasn't the transmission at all it was a switch in the steering column which only cost less than $100. All this time I was renting a car from before christmas until the 3rd of Jan. I feel that I wasted my time and money if they would have just been honest in the first place. I seriously doubt that they even checked it out. And if I hadn't known better they would have maybe replaced a transmission and I would still have the problem, and be out of a whole lot of money.
Robert of Prince George VA (11/29/05)
We called AAMCO on 8/5/05 and asked for prices to repair the transmission on my 2001, Dodge Ram Truck. The owner told us that the repair would cost between $2100 and $2200. He said they had the best warranty in the business - 3 years. He then said they needed 1/3 of the total bill to start the work. On 8/12/05 we took them a check in the amount of $700.
On the evening of 9/7/05 we went to AAMCO to check on the truck. It had several scratches on it that were not there when it was taken to AAMCO. I called AAMCO and left a message that I wanted the truck towed back to my home until I could come up with the remainder needed to repair the truck. AAMCO arranged to have the truck towed to my home the next day. However, when my truck arrived at my home there was an itemized list for $2884.93 to rebuild the truck’s transmission! This was $700 over the verbal contractual agreement of $2200.
We asked the office manager for the $700 down payment back, but she said it cost $495 to do an external diagnostic, so they would only return $205. I was told the owner would call me, but he never did. AAMCO now had us between a rock and a hard place - except the increase in price or lose most of the down payment.
John of San Antonio TX (11/16/05)
I took my MR-2 in last year to have it compelety rebuilt. Two days ago I noticed it slipping and I took it back to AAMCO. They did an inspection of it and said that it need to be rebuilt for the same problem. I spent over $1700.00 on this the first time and they could not even fix the same problem. I had them write down what was wrong with it and took it to another shop that rebuilt my engine. They fixed it for less than $500.00. AAMCO wanted to charge me another $1500.00 for the same problem.
Fred of Walker LA (09/18/05)
My 1999 Ford F-350 6 speed transmission began making noise and hard to shift my extended warranty said I had to take it to AAMCO that was over a month ago. I was called 3 weeks into this ordeal and told come get it, the transmission was making approx.5 times the noise from when I first brought it in, they stated leave it and we'll take care of it. The next week I received a call to come and get it, they stated they had put 20w50 gear oil in it to "quiet" it down.
I pulled out of the lot and down the street and called a local Ford dealer. The truck shop manager stated do not drive it as the 6 speed transmission is designed for ATF fluid only (it has a pump in it). I contacted the warranty company, they contacted AAMCO corporate office. I received a call approx 20 minutes later. They stated they would contact the franchise and get back to me. Approx. 1 hour later I received a call to take it back to the AAMCO shop. I dropped the truck and was treated like a step-child because corporate had been brought in. I'm still waiting on my truck 2+ weeks later.
I am a professional firefighter with the city of Baton Rouge. My warranty only supplies a rental for 3 days according to the contract.(50.00 per day). With Katrina going on and working 36 hour shifts, I have had to hitchhike to work (430 am) just to keep my job much less help those who need it.
AAMCO is the biggest joke I have ever had to deal with. It has now been over 1 month and my truck is still not ready.
Joe of Danbury CT (06/07/05)
Long story short: Transmission went on car with no notice Had it towed to AAMCO Gave a quote-told them I was out of work and I could not afford a lot. Called me back with another add on that was "needed". Went to pick up car and found almost $1000 more in "hidden" fees. Complained to both office and corp. Felt like they were taking advantage of customers.
Corp. finally called back -- end result; a coupon for a transmission flush!! 2 months later -- problems in steering and major noises in front end. Took car to mechanic and he asked if I had my transmission worked on recently? Brought car back to AAMCO to have them replace the bolts that were not linking my rack and pinion steering.How do you forget to attach the steering?
Carole of Burbank CA (12/29/03):
Transmission was rebuilt by them. I had problems with it (no power, slipping), took it back and they finally fixed it after complaints to corporate. After fixed the trans, line came off and they reattached. Come to find out from dealership that the line was mickey moused. A metal line was supposed to be replaced upon rebuilding it the first time. Now the line has come off again and it needs to be redone properly.
I was on the freeway when this happened. The car had made a lite sound and motion and then there was a ton of smoke coming from the back of my car. I called my mechanic and he told me to get off the freeway and check fluids, which I did. The transmission fluid was all on the ground. I was stranded. This transmission is still under Aamco warranty and they refused to help me. I had to get the car towed & fixed at my expense. This is poor service. They got paid 2200.00 to fix this and did an unproffessional job.
Carole should sue the company in Small Claims Court for the towing and repair costs.
T.P. of Daytona Beach FL (11/25/03):
Brought in my 1992 Mitsubishi to AAMCO since it started making noises. The car was still very drivable, since I used it to go to work everyday, but I decided I would try and prevent any large and expensive problems from forming, by bringing it to AAMCO, since they are transmission specialists. I had them keep the car over the weekend to diagnose the slight noise I was hearing from the transmission. They called me Monday morning, and to my surprise, told me the transmission needed to be rebuilt, at a cost of $1500-$1900.
At that moment I did not trust them at all, and I decided to take my car to another shop. I was most surprised because the car only has 36,000 original miles on it. It seems odd that a transmission would be bad after so few miles. I was as polite as possible and graciously declined their offer to start work on the car. When I picked the car up, it was almost non-drivable. It was easily in ten times worse shape then when I gave it to them. The transmission slipped out of gear ten times during my five minute drive from AAMCO to the other shop, and it was making a terrible noise. From the time I left the car with them, to when I picked it up, there was a big change in the way the transmission was working.
I brought the Eclipse to another local mechanic I trusted instead. I didn't bring it there originally since they are just all around mechanics, and not specifically transmission people. It ended up that there was a problem with the clutch assembly, and they replaced it at a cost of $1300 ($600 less than AAMCO) and with a warranty three times longer than the one AAMCO was offering.
Andre of Carson CA (11/20/03):
My car was having transmission problems so I brought it to AAMCO for diagnostic service to see what the problem was and what needs to be fixed. After testing the car I was told that the car would cost between $900 to $1,400 to fix and I agreed on that amount. Two day later I was told that to fix the car would be $2,800. I told them that I could not afford that amount of money and I requested that they put my transmission back together and back in my car. They told me that they do not put transmissiona back together unless they rebuild it. I was also told that they would put my transmission in a box and I can have my car towed away. I told them that I drove my car here and I should not have to tow it away.
As a result of this I have lost my job do to the fact I worked in a collections department and I was the runner who went from place to place using my own car.
Mike of Wichita KS (10/23/03):
I had a transmission replaced in my 1995 Mazda 626. The work was completed on July 19, 2003. Upon driving the car home after the repairs I noticed a vibration in the car, especially, the steering wheel. I returned the car a week later to have it examined. Ed, told me they found nothing wrong with it. When I went to pick it up again, I started the car and could feel the vibration. I had Ed come out and look at it. He said he guessed there was a problem and would have a mechanic look at it then. He said he would have a different mechanic look at it because the first one was not very good. They put it on a lift and told me it was the serpentine belt that nothing was wrong with the transmission.
I took it to another transmission shop in Olathe for an opinion. That mechanic thought there was something wrong with the transmission. I called Ed back wanting him to look at my car again. He refused saying there was nothing wrong with the transmssion they replaced, that it was the belt. I then took my car to Goodyear to have the belt checked. They said the belt was worn but not causing the problem. They found an engine mount and transmission mount broken which they thought happened during the replacement of the transmission with Aamco.
I had Goodyear replace the broken mounts and belt thinking this would take care of the problem. Goodyear told me they felt there was still a problem with the transmission. Well, it didn't take care of the problem. I moved to Wichita, Ks. after these repairs and had Aamco here take a look at my car. They said nothing was wrong with the transmission but said it had 2 more broken mounts that should be replaced. They wanted over $800.00 to do those repairs. I then decided to take it to Goodyear here in Wichita to get yet another opinion. I have been competely convinced it has to have something to do with the transmission replaced by Aamco. I had never had this problem until the transmiion was replaced.
Anyway, Goodyear said they think it is the torque converter or flex plate out of balance or misaligned. They suggested I take it back to Aamco here in Wichita to have them look at these two things. I called Aamco here again and they told me there was nothing wrong with the transmission or any part of it. During all this mess with Aamco I have called Aamco's customer service endless times. They have called me back about three or four times to my probably 25 calls. They will not return any of my calls now. I have been without a car for three months now. My mother has to drive me where I need to go. I don't want to drive the car for fear I will do futher damage. I have a warranty on the transmission. It should be taken care of.
Right now I am without a job and do not have the money to buy another car. The transmission cost $2,352 and the repairs with Goodyear I had done costs roughly $510.00.
Jocelyn of Fullerton CA (10/10/03):
I took my truck into Aamco to have the transmission looked at. I was told my transmission needed to be rebuilt and that it would cost around $1000 and take 5-7 days. I agreed to have this repair work done. Aamco had my truck for TWO weeks and while they had it my brake line broke and the fuel pump broke, both of which they claim were not their fault.
I was charged $2945 for the transmission work, far exceeding the price i was quoted. Upon driving the truck 5 miles home, i experienced the exact same transmission problems as i had before I brought the truck in for service. I returned the truck to Aamco the next day. Aamco kept the truck for another 2 weeks and supposidly fixed the problem. I got the truck back and when driving it, I was experiencing shifting problems. I took the truck into Aamco, for a 3rd time, on 10/7/03 and was told they could adjust something in the transmission and run a diagnostic test and it would take one day.
Two days later I still did not have my truck back. I called Aamco and expressed my dissatisfaction about their service and told them I was coming to get my truck. I picked the truck up on 10/9/03. The service to my transmission cost me twice as much as they had originally said and took 4 times longer than it was supposed to.
Chetana of Lake Hiawatha NJ (9/4/03):
My Chrysler van's transmission was fixed by AAMCO one and half year ago. Paid $2,300. Last month I had problem again, AAMCO says it needs to be rebuilt. After many arguments, they agreed to fix it free! They kept my car for six days. After 10 days It started oil leaking, again kept car for 5 days. After 2 weeks, car suddenly started dropping speed. We took again to AAMCO. They said it is computer problem, they kept car for 5 days. Charged me $800 for fixes.
Thomas of Punta Gorda FL (9/1/03):
I took my '97 Jeep Wrangler to Aamco because I had no reverse. 3 days later I got it back, drove it home and couldn't get it into reverse. I took it back and the reverse was working but hard to get into gear. They said nothing was wrong with it. One week later the throwout bearing went out.
I took it back 3 days later it was fixed again. On my invoice it states new seals and gaskets for $123.40. I had a 6-month or 6,000 mile warrenty on my jeep. I'm 2,000 miles over the warrenty and the seals are leaking and caused more damage to the transmission. I paid $1,298.55 for the repairs and I think since I was charged for new seals and they werent replaced that Aamco is responseable for damages.
Clemens of Kodak TN (8/16/03):
Windstar 2000 with 60,000 mile warranty. At 61,000 the transmission froze up and died. 09/24/2002 AAMCO repaired transmission. 09/25/2002 driving on I-81 after 200 miles, transmission light and OD came on and car jerked when shifting. Called AAMCO. Said don't worry, keep driving. Told Daniel I would be back to have it fixed.
12/12/02 Took car to AAMCO. They ran diagnostics and said all was OK. I told them it was jerking after warm up. Bought extended warranty from AAMCO. Jerking getting worse. 08/11/03 took car to AAMCO. Said they fixed problem after keeping the car 4 days. 08/16/03 Picked up car and when I drove out of lot, transmission light came on and it still jerked when shifting gears. They did not fix a damn thing.
Called Brian and told him I want a Ford Factory rebuilt transmission put in or I will cancel all charges to date for their work. I noticed on the Internet there are a lot of complaints about Windstar tramsmission problems. This vehicle is not reliable. Since I do a lot of interstate traveling and real estate work, I need a reliable car. My neck is getting tired of getting jerked around and so am I.
Adrian of Kissimmee FL (2/10/04):
I had a problem with my clutch on my Honda Civic. I called Aamco, thinking that since they were a national chain, they would be reputable and reliable. They quoted me on the phone for the hydraulic repair of the clutch as $375 with tax. When I went to pay for the car, the bill was $421. Wes, the manager, told me that the guy I dealt with on the phone forgot to add in the shop materials charge, such as fluids and clamps, etc.
I came back later to pick up my car and on the way home, the car's oil light went on and the engine started to seize and black smoke came pouring out of the car. This had never happened before. I had to leave the Honda behind a gas station. When I called them, they said they would tow it in and look at the car. Later, they called me and told me that it was the timing belt and that it was not their fault.
Next, they told me that it would cost $330 to fix it and replace the gaskets, but that would not gaurantee that it would run. When I told them that I would come by to get my car, they told me I owed thwm $40 for the towing and another $20 for the diagnostic. $20 for them to tell me that they'll take more of my money, but that they couldn't be sure if the car would run.
Adrian could go to Small Claims Court but it's always possible the timing belt failure wasn't related to the clutch replacements. Timing belts do wear out. When they do, it can be catastrophic, which is why it's important to replace them periodically.
Robin of Lawrenceville GA (1/29/04):
I dropped my 1990 black Nissan Maxima off at Aamco Transmision on Pleastant Hill Road in Duluth GA. They had a drop box and envelopes to put you keys in. On Monday I received a call that car was ready for pickup, however I had no way to get there at that time, so they decided to leave the car in the lot.
I received a call Tuesday that the vehicle had been broken into and the back passenger window was broken. I went there that afternoon and called police and did a police report. The owner stated that he is not responsible for my car, that there is a sign in the place. My agruement is they are reponsible because their sign is not visible to the public after hours.
This isn't worth fighting about. Robin should file a claim with her insurance company for the window.
Karen of Anaheim CA (1/23/04):
Sign is posted on their window and in front of the street that they give FREE estimates, but they said the business was sold 2 years ago and they do NOT honor the sign. Charged me $55 for a diagnostic check, soooo even with the estimate Alfred could not tell us what was wrong with the car and would most likely have to rebuild the tranny - the cost for that was about $1,500. It was about 4:30 pm and he was pulling a vehicle off the racks when he spoke to us. You could smell the alcohol coming from his breath.
I took the car somewhere else and it was less than $100 to fix.
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