Cottman Transmissions is a ripoff, I only got 11,000 Miles for $3,000 & they are still trying to scam me. Greensburg, Pennsylvania
In late January of 2001 we made the mistake of taking our 94 Mercury Sable to the Cottman Transmission Center in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Our transmisssion, while still functional was beginning to slip. I was told on the phone that the charge would be about $1,300 and that we would get an 18 month warranty.
So my wife gets the transmission fixed while I am traveling on business and the bill is $1,954.70. Upon checking the paperwork I realized the warranty we received was for only 12 months. I called them to remind them of the warranty promise and they were claimed they never offered the 18 month warranty (big surprise).
Well, 11,000 miles and 16 months later you guessed it, the transmission spills its guts all over the highway leaving my wife stranded. The first thing I realize is that the warranty is 12,000 miles or 12 months.
The original 18 month warranty promise has now become a big issue but I am screwed. I called corporate to complain anyway and talked to the most unprofessionl, rude, person I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with. The basic message was that all Cottman Transmission franchises are independent businesses and there is nothing they can do for me.
So, the second mistake was that we agreed to let the same Cottman Transmission center tell us what was wrong with the transmission. They informed us that the transmission was shot and that a new one would be another $2,000. It was a short conversation.
So, the guy calls me back and says "OK, we'll fix it for $1,000. No matter what is wrong $1,000 is all you will pay". At this point I'm thinking "well, I got screwed but maybe it was just bad luck"
So, $1,000 later my wife picks up the car (the actual charge was $1,054.70). She complains that the "check engine" light is coming on and that the car shifts eratically and won't kick down into passing gear. I check it out myself. Yup, she's right. Not only that it is now overheating. I park the car and about an hour later there is a huge pool of transmission fluid under it.
I asked them if they had actually done anything to the car other than put transmission fluid in it and they are incredulous. None the less, I smell at rat.
So, I make them pick up the car with a tow truck and they do. They have it for a week and we pick it up again. (Today). Guess what, erratic shifting, no passing gear, and the check engine light comes on. As soon as I finish this I am going out to check for a pool of transmission fluid and then I am going to write everyone from the owners of Cottman Transmission (Sentinel Capital Partners) to the BBB, to any consumer advocate group I can find. I am also making signs for my car. Maybe I'll park it close to Cottman's
Michael
Export, Pennsylvania
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1 Updates & Rebuttals
Still Getting the Line
#20
Sat, July 27, 2002
Well, we called Cottman's of Greensburg again and told them the transmission was still jerking (eratic shift from 1st to 2nd) and no passing gear. We then delivered the car to them again.
They had it for 5 days and called to report that it was ready to pick up. My wife asked him what he did and he said they just adjusted it. 5 days for an adjustment? They must have done some adjusting!!!
We pick up the car and I ask for a work order for the work they did. The young man calls Pete and tells us there is no work order. I informed him that if someone works on my car I want a work order and anything less is unacceptable. He says Pete has just jumped in the shower and should be there soon. So we take the car for a test drive. Guess what, same thing! Jerk from first to second and no passing gear. We immediately return to Cottman's and guess who is there, Pete. We were gone a total of 5 minutes and Pete shows up. He either needs lessons in personal hygiene or he can take a shower, dry off, get dressed and drive to work faster than anyone else in the world.
I say, "Pete, what are we going to do about this problem." Pete says he drove the car and doesn't know what the problem is. I tell him you have to be numb from the neck down not to feel it and he says, "Just a minute" and walks out to the garage to confer with a mechanic. Of course, we are not privy to the conversation.
The machaninc goes with my wife for a test drive while I talk to Pete. Pete tells me this particular mechanic worked on our transmission and that he is the best. At the same time the mechanic is telling my wife he doesn't know what is wrong with the car becasue he has never worked on it. I guess they didn't confer long enough to get their storiew straight. After the test drive the mechanic says he doesn't see anything wrong with the transmission and that the jerk from first to second is because the transmission has a "shift kit" in it. I don't recall asking for a "shift kit" so I ask what that is. Pete says it shortens the shift time and makes the transmission last longer. OK, but I didn't ask for it so why is it in there?
Oh, I almost forgot. The "check engine" light is still coming on. The mechanic hooked up his code reader and confirmed that the left Oxygen sensor is bad. So what are they going to do about it, nothing.
Well, I'm taking the car to another transmission shop to have it checked out. I'm going to pay for it. I want an expert opinion on the quality, condition, and performance of that transmission and then I'm going back to Pete at Cottman's to discuss the findings. If he is telling me the truth I will apologize. If not he gets one more chace to fix it and reimburse me for the cost of having it inspected or we tell it to the judge.