ComplaintsforAAMCO Transmissions

• Initial Complaint

  10/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I agreed to pay this company $5,200 for a rebuild of a transmission on my son's 2012 F-150. When I dropped the vehicle off I had no weird noises being made and NO Check Engine Light on. Owner told me there were just codes for the transmission. When I picked the vehicle up on 9/18 I let my son drive it back to College. He called me later letting me know he almost got into an accident because the car started to malfunction. Mechanic forgot to refasten the drive shaft and it came apart when he was driving. AAMCO admitted their negligence and said they would repair anything that was damaged because of this. They did not. Fuel tank was dented, * Joints were bent, Drive Shaft broke and exhaust system was damaged. Client delayed getting the truck back to me until I got their corporate involved. Picked vehicle up on October 2nd after I was told all repairs were made. 10 minutes into my drive and the check engine light went on and vehicle started making a noise I had never heard before. Brought it into a mechanic I have used in the past to run a diagnostic on it and he told me AAMCO replaced the drive shaft they broke with a used and bent one, the * joints weren't fixed, fuel tank not fixed, exhaust system wasn't fixed and the work they did on my transmissions is said to be terrible. Hoses weren't attached and other parts were just hanging and not clipped in. He also told me he was going to install a new drive shaft and never disclosed it was used parts. My truck is still not safe to drive and it appears the transmission wasn't fixed. I would like a full refund for the transmission and have him pay for the damage to my car caused by their negligent acts. AAMCO Corporate states this is a franchise so they can't get involved. My son hasn't had his vehicle for two months now and I am paying for a 2nd rental out of pocket. Pictures below are of the drive shaft two hours after we picked it up from their location. Please help!

  Business response

  10/09/2023

  We appreciate the customers concerns regarding his recent transmission repair. Although the cause of the part failure is undetermined, we at Aamco of ********** take these issues seriously. To rectify the situation Aamco, at no cost to the customer, replaced the entire drive line assembly with a factory part and verified correct and safe operation. We feel this was the right thing to do, and believe the matter to be closed. As the transmission repair was complete and correct, with warranty provisions in full effect, we do not believe any refund is due as we fulfilled the contract for repairs.

  Customer response

  10/10/2023

   
  Complaint: 20700822
  
  I am rejecting this response because the client has already admitted his staff didn't secure the drive shaft after the work on my transmission.  He admitted it to me in person and to my insurance claim adjuster who visited him at his location.  This is further proof of the type of person I have been dealing with.  In his response he didn't acknowledge that he knowingly replaced the drive shaft with a bent one.  He called me the week prior to me picking my vehicle up and said that the supplier sent him a bent and defective drive shaft.  Because of that he said my vehicle wouldn't be ready until later in the next week.  He then called me Monday morning and said my vehicle was ready three days earlier then expected.  Coincidence that the one I have on now is bent?  He was told by my claim adjuster that the gas tank was clearly damaged by the drive shaft coming apart but didn't repair it, and the vehicle now has a check engine light that his own paperwork showed as non-existent when I dropped the vehicle off in August.  He also didn't explain why the transmission wasn't put back correctly (we have pictures of all of this) and why simple parts were just left hanging and weren't clipped in.

  BAR ******* of ********** Repair) has accepted my complaint and has opened an investigation into this Franchisee as well.  They have seen the pictures and read the report and can't believe this type of workmanship was performed by a **************** like AAMCO.  My insurance company has approved the repair of the damage done to the undercarriage of my vehicle and the replacing of the drive shaft and other damaged parts.  They did this after their claim adjuster (who owned his own mechanic shop for 20 years) said that this damage was a direct result of the drive shaft coming apart.  At this point, I am being advised that my transmission needs to be repaired.  I will not take it back to this shop as they have proven to do poor work and illegal things in putting faulty parts on a vehicle that a kid drives.  If he will not agree to the refund of the $5,200, then he leaves me no choice but to see him in court.  BAR will be submitting a report for me that they said I can use against this location and I will pursue this not because they made a mistake, but because they didn't do the right thing after the mistake.

  I have never sued anyone before in my life, as I look for the good in people.  I never yelled at the owner of this business and tried to remain professional throughout this entire process.  He had his chances to do the right thing but chose to do something now that I think will really hurt his business in the long run.  If he gives me the refund I will walk away and move on with my life.  If he doesn't, I will pursue this with every connection and resource I have available to me.  Putting my son's life at risk and then doubling down by installing a bent drive shaft is criminal and if he doesn't step up and do the right thing then he is indicating that he will do this to another family in the future.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business response

  10/11/2023

  It looks as though this matter is now being handled through the ******************* ********** of ******** Affairs, and all future correspondence will be made through that agency. 

  Customer response

  10/11/2023

   
  Complaint: 20700822
  
  I have hired an attorney and will pursue this through our courts with the help of BAR.  I appreciate the BBB trying to mediate but unfortunately this owner has chosen to take zero responsibility for his actions.  I am confident I will get the resolution I am looking for and just would ask that you warn others of doing business with AAMCO.  Not only is this location not willing to make things right but their corporate office said they can do nothing because this isnt really an AAMCO location it is a franchise. Mistakes happen, but doubling down and knowingly putting someones child at risk by using faulty car parts is illegal and should cost this guy more then the $5,200 he took from me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  12/09/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Back in March of this year I started having transmission issues with my **** ***** suburban at 193k miles. **** it to Aamco where they told me I needed a new transmission or they could rebuild mine for $3200 and get a 3 year/50k warranty with it. I chose that option as it was $500 less and they were guaranteeing their work. They had it for about a month. I got it back and asked it it would be OK to travel out of state with it in a few weeks, which they told me would be fine. In May I left to ******* and again in July the transmission failed after about 10k miles, so I took it to the aamco in ****, ******* where they said they needed to rebuild it again, but it was covered under warranty. I asked them to check if anything else was wrong and after them having it for a month they said it was all OK. So at end of July I got it back and this time it lasted about 5k miles before it failed again in August so I took it to the same Aamco in **** where they had it for a month and repeated the same process. I got it back in September and at beginning of October headed back to **********. In the middle 9f November at 222k miles the transmission failed a 4th time. So I took it to the Aamco in ***********, **********. Where they had it for a month and finally got back to me earlier this week, telling me that the brakes are what caused the issue and while harassing me over the phone tried to get me to pay them more so they could maybe finally get the job done correctly. I refused and said this was their mistake they had to make it right. Today December 9th I received a phone call from the Concord Aamco. A man named ****** harassed me over the phone telling me I abused the vehicle and i either owed them $2500 for latest rebuild or my warranty was gonna be null and void. I responded they aren't getting another ***** out of me and said bye. Let's not forget I paid about 5k in rental fees while they had my car 3 of the last 6 months and never was it fixed correctly

  Business response

  12/10/2021

  Customers vehicle had a brake caliper come loose causing a lock up condition shattering the ring gear, this external event not covered under warranty. As per contract signed by customer no reimbursements are given for rental car or towing. Feel free to contact the original center with any other questions.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩