Complaint Review: AAMCO - Glendale California

These are the facts of Plaintiff: Merritt, Case Number 15G07337

November 15^th 2014 – 1997 Jaguar XK8 Transmission Fault Occurred.

November 19^th 2014 – Vehicle tow into Rusnak Jaguar Pasadena for Diagnosis.

See Exhibit 1.  Work Order: Invoice No: 714105 Pg. 1 of 2

November 24^th 2014 – Vehicle Release from Rusnak Jaguar Pasadena Diagnosed W/ A Failed and Slipping Transmission. Vehicle was towed from Rusnak Jaguar Pasadena to AAMCO in Glendale.

See Exhibit 1. RUSNAK Work Order Dated 11-19-14, Invoice No: 714105 Pg. 1 of 2

 

November 25^th 2014 – Repair Order was initiated for a Transmission Rebuilt by front of the store employee Robert at AAMCO Glendale. Verbally quoted to repair the transmission $2,500.00 half of what RUSNAK had estimated.

See Exhibit 1. RUSNAK Work Order Invoice No: 714105 Pg. 2 of 2

Mr. Robert Bakhtiari who is AAMCO Customer Service Manager ask me start application for financing.

See Exhibit 13. Synchrony Financial application and credit card account agreement.

Robert recommended to me to apply for $3,500.00 in case of any additional expenses. No written estimate was given to me at that time. I was not aware at time I should have ask for a work order. I may not have been aware of the law as a customer but I do believe the business should have known the law. I offer to this court that under the Business and Professions Code Section 9884.9 and the case of BENNETT vs HAYES

See Exhibit 12. Business and Professions Code Section 9884.9 and the case of BENNETT vs HAYES  

 

November 28^th 2014 – AAMCO diagnose transmission and found:

1)      Low Transmission Fluid

2)      Circuit Clutch Solenoid Malfunction

3)      Gear Control Malfunction

4)      Gear Ratio Error

No Written Estimate was given and I offer to this court that under the Business and Professions Code Section 9884.9 case BENNETT vs HAYES and because of this alone the Plaintiff should prevail and received back all money spent in this matter before this Honorable Court

 

December 3^rd 2014 – AAMCO course to rebuilt transmission was to replace with:

New Assembly Set (ZF5HP -24) New 56800M Filter New ATF filled to OE Specifications

Exch Rebuilt ZF68 Torque Converter New Propeller Shaft Support Remanufactured Valve Body (A18555BHD)

We provided a Transmission Mount from Rusnak Jaguar Pasadena after AAMCO attempted to add an addition $300.00 charge for a part that cost us $104.40  

See Exhibit 2. Rusnak Jaguar Pasadena Dated 12 -2-14  Invoice 91136

December 4^th 2014 – We arrived at AAMCO to pick up the Jaguar XK8. We were provided a printout of the Repair Order with a price breakdown at this point. $3,500.00 was paid that day. Robert mentioned to bring the car back if there is any issues such as check engine lights. After approximately 20 minutes of driving, the check engine light comes on. I immediately call AAMCO and returned the vehicle back to AAMCO. There, they plug a vehicle code diagnostic machine and it read out to be an Oxygen Sensor Failure. The error code was cleared from the vehicle computer; however, it would later reappear not long after. Clearly, I suspected that the recent work done to the vehicle had been the culprit. Was instructed to bring it back on Monday December 8^th, 2014 and AAMCO would inspect it. Also, when shifting from gears from Park to Drive, there was a 2-3 second delay and a slight kick.  This is the first and only paperwork giving up to this point I received on this 12-04-14

See Exhibit 3 Repair Order 143149 Dated 11-25-2014

See Exhibit 4. Phone Records Invoice Number 1349579102 Date Due 12-30-14 Pg.9 of 10

 

December 8^th, 2014 – Check Engine light was still on. Vehicle was brought to AAMCO. Later in the day, AAMCO confirmed that the Oxygen Sensor were not operating correctly and reluctantly agreed to replace the sensor next Monday when the part arrived. They once again cleared the check engine light.  I offer to this court that under the Business and Professions Code Section 9884.9 case BENNETT vs HAYES. That no repair Order was provided to me at that time.

 

December 16^th, 2014 – Vehicle was brought to AAMCO to get Oxygen Sensor replaced. However, since the check engine light had not returned yet. They were unable to determine which sensor needed to be replaced. Vehicle was return after 1 hour.  That no repair Order was provided to me.

 See Exhibit 5.  Phone Records Invoice No: 1358224005 Date Due 01-30-15 Pg.5 of 8

 

December 22, 2014 – Vehicle brought back to AAMCO after check engine light appeared. Shorter after it was returned once they knew which part needed replacing.

See Exhibit 6. Phone Records Invoice No: 1358224005 Date Due 01-30-15 Pg. 6 of 8 

I offer to this court that under the Business and Professions Code Section 9884.9 case BENNETT vs HAYES. That no repair Order was provided to me.

December 30, 2014, There they replaced one of the Oxygen Sensor. The vehicle was later returned. Not long after the check engine light came back on. Therefore, once again I returned the vehicle to AAMCO. Was instructed to returned the vehicle next week and they would perform an extensive diagnostic on the sensors and the transmission delay.

See Exhibit 6. Phone Records Invoice No: 1358224005 Date Due 01-30-15 Pg. 6 of 8 

I offer to this court that under the Business and Professions Code Section 9884.9 case BENNETT vs HAYES. That no Repair Order was provided to me.

 

January 06, 2015 – The vehicle was brought back to AAMCO for repair of the oxygen sensor and transmission repair.  AAMCO returned the vehicle back to me on January 08, 2015 the problems still not corrected.  I offer to this court that under the Business and Professions Code Section 9884.9 case BENNETT vs HAYES. That no Repair Order was provided to me.

 See Exhibit 7. Phone Records Invoice No: 1366800878 Date Due 02-27-15 Pg. 4 of 8 

 

January 20^th, 2015 – Vehicle was brought to AAMCO for further inspection of oxygen sensors and transmission delays. AAMCO stated on the Repair Oder that they could not find any issues with the   

 

According to AAMCO, Rusnak stated that my transmission delay is due to a Traction and Stability Control Failures (ABS) and that the other three Oxygen sensors needed to be replaced.

January 21^st, 2015 Therefore, I drove to Rusnak Jaguar Pasadena in attempts to acquire more information. There, I was informed that my vehicle had not been there. I went back to AAMCO and attempted find out where my vehicle had been for the last two days. Robert Bakhtiari suggest to talk to Enrique Hernandez, the general manager, in the morning as he was the one who personally dealt with the vehicle. I called my Services Advisor Michael Vasquez at Rusnak Jaguar Pasadena who said if my car had been there it would have generated some paper work and that there was not any documents to show that the only time the Jaguar was brought in was when I had done so.  That was it. Robert Bakhtiari had told me an untruth.

See Exhibit 10. Phone Records for Michael Vasquez at Rusnak Jaguar Invoice No: 1366800878 Date Due 02-27-15 Pg. 6 of 8   Shows me contacting Michael at Rusnak Jaguar when my Jaguar was with AAMCO

See Exhibit 8.  This the second set of paper work receives from AAMCO Repair Order Number 143254 Dated 1-20-15

 

That’s when I wrote to the State of California Department of Justice about my concerns about how AAMCO was doing business. I received a respond’s letter on February 27, 2015 that recommended if I wanted to pursue to contact the Bureau of Automotive Repair.

See Exhibit 9.  Copy of letter from Public Inquiry Unit Dated February 27, 2015

 

February 25^th, 2015 – The Jaguar XK8 was brought to Rusnak Jaguar Pasadena for a transmission diagnostic as well as the oxygen sensors. Rusnak Jaguar Pasadena released the car back to me the same day. The Repair Order stated that there was a transmission internal failure and the transmission does not want to shift into 1^st and 2^nd gear along with a transmission error code (P1731 Inconsistent Gear Ratio) and the transmission is leaking oil. The oxygen sensors according to the dealership had been stretched out of position.

See Exhibit 11.  Rusnak Jaguar Pasadena Invoice 715396 Dated February 25, 2015 Pg. 1-6 

 

March 17^th, 2015 I did contact the Bureau of Automotive Repair and I spoke with a Mr. Donald T. Pace who informed me that under no circumstances should I leave a car with any repair shop without a written estimate. I informed him I had already sent four demand letter to AAMCO. He all so suggested that I give the repair shop one last time to get the repair correct. It would look good in my favor if I had to sue later on. He also stated that they would investigate the shop. I have subpoenaed the records from the Bureau of Automotive Repair for this case.

See Exhibit 14.  Printed out of e-mails to and from Mr. Donald T. Pace of the Bureau of Automotive Repair.

Exhibit 18. Four USPS Tracking # 9505511029695058524487 Delivery dated Saturday, February 28, 2015

USPS Tracking # 9505511043525066482113 Delivery dated Tuesday March 10, 2015

USPS Tracking #9505511029695260425121 Delivery dated September 18, 2015

USPS Tracking #9505511029695260425763 Delivery dated September 18, 2015

 

See Exhibit 19.  Two Demand letter #1 for Payment or the Correct Repair of my Automobile Dated March 6, 2015 #2 Demand for Reimbursement letter dated September 16,2015

 

March 18^th, 2015 – The vehicle was brought back to AAMCO along with contradicting paperwork from Rusnak Jaguar Pasadena. Enrique Hernandez personally dealt with this issue and agreed to replace the oxygen sensors and take another look at the transmission.  , I was never giving a written estimate until this day. So that what was done on March 18, 2015 after a long discussion with the owner Enrique Hernandez about getting a work order describing what was being done and the cost. I fill out the CUSTOMER RECEPTION form. I had to insist that he place a stamp of his business in the Remit box of the document.

See Exhibit 15.  Customer Reception Number 143381 Dated 3-18-15

April 09^th, 2015 – The vehicle is finally returned after nearly three weeks. Enrique Hernandez said they were unsuccessful in determining the errors in the transmission and therefore had replaced the whole unit with a remanufactured unit. The transmission warrant reset to this date.

See Exhibit 16.  Repair Order Number 143381 Dated 3-18-15

 

April 10^th, 2015 – Vehicle was brought to Rusnak Jaguar Pasadena for a transmission diagnostic to ensure that everything was running well. Rusnak replaced 2 by pass hoses and did note diagnostic revealed that several transmission error codes (P1799 CAN Transmission Control Module, to engine Control Malfunction.  

See Exhibit 17. Rusnak Jaguar Pasadena Invoice 716037 Pg. 1-5, April 10^th – 17, ^th 2015

 

August 29^th, 2015 – Transmission Fault occurred. Car becomes non-drivable and it towed from my job to our residence.

See Exhibit 20.  Automobile Club of Southern California letter/bill dated September 3, 2015

 

August 31^st, 2015 – Vehicle is towed from our residence to Rusnak Jaguar Pasadena for further diagnostic. The diagnostic revealed that several transmission error codes (P1799 CAN Transmission Control Module, P1779 Load Control Malfunction, P1731 Inconsistent Gear Ratio, and P1722)  

See Exhibit 21. Rusnak Jaguar Pasadena Invoice 717811 Dated 8-31-2015 Pg. 1-5

See Exhibit 20. Automobile Club of Southern California letter/bill dated September 3, 2015