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  • Report:  #121923

Complaint Review: AAMCO - Denver Colorado

Reported By:
- Denver, Colorado,
Submitted:
Updated:

AAMCO
1780 Downing St. Denver CO 80218 Denver, 80218 Colorado, U.S.A.
Phone:
303-831.7122
Web:
N/A
Categories:
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good? What's this?
After having one transmission shop in Colorado Springs service my vehicle, a 95 Mitsubishi Gallant, I brought it to an AAMCO here in Denver. At first it looked as though i might be able to get my money back from the shop in the Springs, as they found that the torrington bearing had been installed incorrectly. This is where it started to slide downhill.

After authorizing the diagnostic I waited for a call back. Some three days later I called them to find out what the diagnostic had shown. At this point the service tech, Rob, informed me about the torrington bearing. After which he then said it will be ready in about 3 hours. I asked him who authorized the repairs, and he said my roomate, Jon, had. I called my roomate to confirm this, and he said that he hadnt. I called back and Rob blamed it on a "miscommunication". I shrugged it off and asked Rob what the total cost of repair was going to be. I was quoted $1500 and he was going to take $200 off for the delay.

I tell them to hold off on the repairs until I can get a hold of the original shop in the Springs to see if they will pay for their mistake (which they didnt). The process of getting in touch with and sending the required documents to the original shop took a few days, which I can only attribute to thier incompetence.

I authorized the repair some days later for what I thought was going to be in the ballpark of $1300 plus tax. My car was ready the next day. I went to pick it up with Jon and came to find out that the total was $1874. Needless to say both my roomate and I were puzzled as to why the increase in price. When Jon said that he wasnt going to pay the amount Rob stated matter-of-factly, "Then the car stays here." - nice - We both then explained to Marc, the salesman, that Rob had quoted BOTH of us $1500 and $200 off. In response Marc put on his best flabbergasted face and acted confused until we finally agreed on $1500 plus tax. Rob came back with the old parts and blamed the price difference on a "miscommunication".

I drove my car home still irritated about the $200 difference in price, but at least it was fixed. Seven days pass and I notice that it was leaking transmission fluid. Jon took it back to AAMCO and found out that the pan gasket was leaking. Three hours later they had it fixed, and Jon left with my car for Thanksgiving.

Two days later I get a call from Jon and he told me that he had just lost overdrive. The next day we headed back to the AAMCO. I noticed that not only did the transmission behave erraticly with overdrive on, but it was also much louder. When we arrived at the shop Jon explained what happened rather abraisivly. This was Friday.

Tuesday morning rolls around and I hadnt heard from AAMCO, so Jon called them. Evidently some harsh words were exchanged and they no longer wanted to deal with him. I called to find out what was going on. Rob explained that the overdrive clutch gear had snapped (or something like that). At this point I told him to repair it, but then Jon started screaming into the phone over my shoulder about how he wants his money back. Because of this they kept hanging up on me. I was finally able to talk to Marc, and he said they were going to have to run an external diagnostic next Monday and that would show the speed and RPMs when the transmission went out. This instantly sounded like they were going to deny warranty work based on 'abuse'.

Once again they failed to call. I called Rob on Tuesday to find out what the EDS had shown. Rob feigned ignorance and thought I was going to pick it up. After I explain that I talked to Marc the previous Tuesday about the EDS he blames it on a "miscommunication". He told me he would call me when he had something to report. The next day I had to call them, again. Marc informs me that my car had been 'abused', and wasnt safe to drive, and that they werent going to touch it.

Thats pretty much where it stands, my car at AAMCO with the transmission in the trunk.

Jarred

Denver, Colorado
U.S.A.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Aamco Transmissions


2 Updates & Rebuttals

Jarred

Denver,
Colorado,
U.S.A.
Moving to Zero, Still Not Satisfied

#2Author of original report

Tue, January 04, 2005

It is now a week later. Evidently the parts and pictures that the shop here in town sent off to AAmco's technicians weren't enough to validate Marc's story. Even though Marc still believes that the transmission was abused (based on body damage...) he is going to fix it with two conditions: 1.)That my roomate not talk to them ever again (which is fine) 2.)He will not repair the transmission if he feels that it has been abused again (okay this is a problem) I call Anna Wright at the main office (1.800.292.8500 ext. 224) and explain to her that I can satisfy the first condition with pretty much no problem, but I can't control a person 100%. As for the second condition, I ask if they will reimburse me for a complete diagnostic at a local Mitsubishi dealership (a mere $88). To which she replies, "Why should we have to pay for a diagnostic at some other shop?" I try explaining to her that they have had my car for 1.5 months for basically no reason and this way we would both have a reference point for what damage already exists (thus there would be no way for either of us to bullshit eachother if this problem should arise again) All she can say is that they are going to fix the transmission and that I can do whatever I want with the car after that, but they aren't going to pay for it. After that I call Marc and propose the same deal to him, and get the EXACT same reply. He thinks this is moving forward. I disagree and say this is getting back to zero and that he apparently has no intention of having me be a satisfied customer. He also tells me that he found a reciept for new tires (that my roomate bought before the problem) and tries to back his story again. At this point I want a diagnostic just to make sure that they haven't tampered with anything else. Apparently they want me to stay dissatisfied with their service.


Jarred

Denver,
Colorado,
U.S.A.
Update: Fabricated Accident

#3Author of original report

Thu, December 30, 2004

After the shop here in Denver refused to honor the warranty I called AAMCO's national customer service line (1.800.523.0401) and spoke briefly with Greg (ext. 317). Greg told me the he would need to gather some paper work from the shop here in Denver. Upon receipt of this paper work (which was about 1.5 weeks later) I received a message from Greg that said the submitted paperwork was going to be sent to a third party to get an outside opinion. I've tried calling Greg several times because I want to know who the paperwork was sent to etc. It seems all I can do is leave messages for him and wait for a call back. Tired of waiting, I went to the shop and requested all of the paperwork they sent. After looking around the shop for about 30 minutes Marc finally found what I needed. He made a copy of the EDS and showed me some pictures he had taken. One of the techs explained the damage that was shown: Pictures of the left-front and right-front ball joints: "see what's happening here is the ball joint...blah blah blah...the wheel's about to fall off. There's also some scratches on the inside of the tires." Picture of the sub-frame: "there's a bend in the frame here, the unibody is shot...this thing is'nt safe to drive..." While the tech explained the pictures Marc interjected his rendition of what *probably* happened: "Your buddy, i don't know what he did to your car, but it looks to me like he drove it into a ditch and got it stuck and was rocking it from reverse to drive to get it out. See these scratches on the inside of the tires, it looks like he was stuck in a gravel pit (what?) and was spinning the tires trying to get it out." He then points out that the frame is bent also. The whole time I was staring at him while he tried to fabricate this story. What I have already explained to him is that the title to my car says "SALVAGED" on it. Meaning, the car was totalled before I purchased it. It was involved in two front-end collisions that resulted in the frame being bent and the front end suspension damaged. AAMCO has yet to provide and solid concrete evidence that the car was abused. Oh, and a side note: Marc told me that the EDS showed that the car was at 5400rpms which was "way above normal driving conditions" (really? it doesnt red-line until 6). After reviewing the EDS there is no mention of this anywhere, hmmmm.

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