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A.B.S. Automotive L.L.C. Vehicle died 20 miles from their shop. Refused to tow me. Say I demanded they put in a BAD transmission!?! LIARS! Won't even LOOK at it now without more money! Sterling, Michigan
My mini van needed a new transmission and I didn't have a lot of money to spend on it. I was happy when I found A B S Automotive LLC in Sterling, MI. They quoted me $200 to put in the used transmission I purchased elsewhere. I thought they were giving me a good deal because my elderly aunt has done business with them for years and recommended them to me.
The day I picked my van up I brought the mechanics beer and cookies as a thank-you. They were all smiles and told me they were worried about the transmission at first because it was "sticky" but it was doing OK now. I said, "OK, so I can drive it home now?" The told me yes and I went to pay. The bill was a bit more than I was quoted, but I figured as long as it's done I'm happy to pay for it.
The first thing I noticed was that the shifting wasn't as easy as it had been with the previous transmission. It was hard for me to find the right spot for Drive because I couldn't feel the notches very well on the shifter.
The transmission slipped out of gear at the second stop sign I came to. I had to shift around a bunch until it went back into gear again. I started freaking out just a little bit.
The slipping gears continued - even happening while I was going 55 mph, so I pulled over to check out the transmission. I dont know much about transmissions, but the fluid looked weird - it was frothy pink with a white tinge to it. Not normal, anyway. And then while I had the cap off it started shooting up into the air.
I drove back to the shop but the mechanics had already left. The daughter of the owner was there, but she wouldn't call them for me. So I turned around and headed towards home.
I got 20 miles away before the transmission died a noisy death. Wouldn't drive. Wouldn't reverse. Just lots of grinding & squealing kind of noises. Luckily I got to a parking lot.
I left a message with ABS telling them what happened. They said they couldn't tow me. So I had to wait two weeks to move my van from the parking lot where it died.
Today I was able to get my van towed. I called ABS this morning and told them I was getting it towed and asked them if they would take the transmission out and figure out if it was a mistake of theirs or if the auto parts store sold me a lemon. They said they'd do that - but it would cost me.
My husband called next. ABS says they told me the transmission was bad and wouldn't work, but that I demanded they put it in anyway. My husband tells them that's ridiculous, that I wouldn't do something so stupid. Kudos to him! I wouldn't waste our hard-earned money putting a broken part into my vehicle! That's lunacy.
After they speak with my husband, ABS calls me back to tell me they spoke with him and that their mechanics told me from the beginning that the transmission probably wouldn't work, but that I said to put it on anyway. Again? Really? I said, no way, that is NOT how it happened! The mechanics said nothing about it not working. If they thought it wouldn't work they should have told me BEFORE they took my money!
The lady I spoke with last told me "This is a case of He-Said-She-Said so I'm going with what my mechanics told me." Which is funny, because they told my husband the reason they put a bad transmission on my van was because "the customer is always right". HA. Sure.
So ABS refuses to even look at the van unless I give them more money. The auto parts store claims the transmission they sold me was in working order. I have a 30 day warranty on the transmission, and I'll be taking it back to the store in a few days. I'm not sure if they can tell whether or not it was a bad transmission to begin with or if it was something ABS did wrong.
I don't have the money to fix my van now. I already gave it to them. So I'm without a vehicle. Wonderful.
ABS has been rude, has lied to my husband and I, and has basically called me a liar. I strongly suggest anyone looking for affordable auto repair services look somewhere else. Unless, of course, you like being ripped off for hundreds of dollars.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
annoymous
Standish,Michigan,
Great service
#4General Comment
Sat, September 07, 2013
Great service great people and the cost was half the price. I was would take any of my cars there and I will send everyine I know there.
The staff is kind and helpful and helped me out ,no problems since the fix.
Thanks for the great service A + to ABS AUTO Sterling MI
Jennifer
Houghton Lake,Michigan,
United States of America
Bad part OR Bad service?
#4Author of original report
Wed, July 11, 2012
I can't even find out if it's a bad part or bad service, though! I don't have the money they require. An honest business would at least take a look and see what happened and then give me options. Instead these guys are playing the blame game.
The first thing they told me the first time I called was "you brought in the transmission - it's not our fault."
But if they knew the part wasn't good - and their false statements that they TOLD ME and I demanded them to do it anyway show that they at least suspected it was bad and are now trying to cover their rear-ends - why didn't they tell me? Why not look out for your customers? I was a woman who admitted to not knowing much about vehicles and mechanics - I trusted them to tell me if something was wrong. Instead they let me drive off, putting my kids in danger on the road. Seriously. I asked if it was OK to drive home - with my kids - to a town 50 miles away. Yep, good to go.
One time the van came to almost a complete stop in the middle of the road when the gears went all haywire. It was terrifying.
But this is all my fault, right?
I've talked to the supplier of the part. It's still under warranty. They have agreed thus far to accept a trade-in for another transmission. However, the guy I talked to was very suspicious and said that he thinks something fishy is going on. My brother also says something isn't right about the transmission - especially with the fluid turning a white tinged color. They both have said that it might be the mechanic's fault for improperly installing it.
I don't care whose fault it is. I was treated like crap and basically called a liar. That's not good customer service, period.
I own a small business myself, and when a client feels like they have been wronged the first thing I do is see what I can do to fix it - regardless of whether or not the situation is my fault. People at least want to hear that you feel sorry for their bad luck - they don't want chicks on the other line to tell them that they're playing a he-said-she-said game and cite statements that covers their butts but makes the client out to be a liar. That's bad business.
I've spoken to a lawyer. Not because I'm going to hire a lawyer, but because I had questions about this situation. No lawyer would take any case with this amount of money involved anyway. Ha.
The thing that's really ridiculous about this? If they would have been nice, if they would have been like, yeah, let's take a look and see what happened, it wouldn't have been a problem. They could have even told me it was the part even if it wasn't and I would have believed them because I don't know any better. I would have happily taken the part back and been completely fine with everything. Instead I got treated like this. I got lies.
If the mechanic had a problem using USED PARTS they sure as heck didn't share that info with me.
Bubba Lee
REd Deer,Alberta,
Canada
THIS IS WHY
#4General Comment
Tue, July 10, 2012
This is why we don't instal used components. ( I work for abn Unrelated repair facility in Canada)
If it fails you come to the installer for warranty, warranty the installer should have warned you is not going to be the installers problem before the job started. The counter guy is defensive and makes you mad, things get said that involve references to firearms, sex and travel. We have to fire the counter guy and apologize, for a problem the used part and the used part supplier caused.
I recommend you speak directly to the supplier where they want it fixed.
You would be foolish to think will get a fair shake from the installer now.