Complaint Review: Billy Howell Ford - Cumming Georgia

We have had three factory Ford transmissions installed by a premier, local mechanic, we have been going to for 10 years. All three transmissions were from Billy Howell parts department. The first went 98 miles before it broke, the second under 20,000 and it died and the third less than 9,000 miles and started slamming and now, they will not stand behind this one.

***UPDATE (AS of today, my mechanic, Scott's Auto Center, paid to have the third transmission rebuilt, as well as paid for a rental car for us and what they found was amazing! SEE below for the update. I highly recommend Scott and his team, who did more than they ever had to, in order to make this right!)

The parts manager from Billy Howell, looked it up and told our mechanic to have us come over and they would replace it.

The service writer (who is a manager) said we are now out of warranty!

My mechanic then reported this to Ford, who said it MUST be resolved by the dealer.

The dealer did not return my mechanic's phone calls. Eventually, they did, and said they would not stand behind this.

Personally, I understand warranties, BUT we have had three broken transmissions from the same place! That was three instances of being without a vehicle with an active family, three times towing the van over and then the third time? We are told "sorry, can't help"

Three bad transmissions and this means that the first two were bad but the third just lasted long enough to be sure we were out of warranty and now what? I think that a $2,700 transmission (NOT including installation) should last longer than our $500 tires, don't you?

This is not just an issue of bad service, or bad parts. Cars will break and people will let you down.

This is an issue of faulty workmanship, low quality parts and people who really do not care.

Please consider my experience if you are considering having service done here, or are looking for a new or used car?"

***Update: "I shared this review with the staff of Bill Howell Ford and I received two calls:

One from Jeff, a service manager, that afternoon and the other from Bill Howell, the next morning, from Colorado.

Jeff told me he wanted to bring the van over to look at, with no promises, and although he agreed that a big ticket part should last longer than a set of tires do, he could make no promises.

I was actually encouraged by the call, in that Jeff seems like a fair guy.

However, the next morning, Mr. Howell called me himself and dashed all hopes that this could ever be resolved equitably.

It was an argumentative call, in that he was not listening to me, and seemed to want to debate.

He made comments about our mechanic and basically ran me over with his questions, that he would then answer himself:

"The shop must not be one of much consequence" (Me: they happen to be the largest shop in the area) (oh and I understand they will look elsewhere for parts now)

"It must have been something the mechanic did on installation" (Me: The error is showing an internal malfunction) ***UPDATE (this was built using the wrong parts!)

"Why am I even having this conversation with you? You are not my customer? (Me: My mechanic bought the parts from you and you should stand behind them)

The conversation went downhill quickly, and so I told him that he should have this conversation with the mechanic and hung up.

***UPDATE: THIS is what the transmission specialist found: They had used the wrong parts in the build of the transmission! This will all come out in small claims court, and I do intend to testify, but the slipshod workmanship that was applied to this transmission as well as the wrong parts being used, never gave us a chance of lasting long.

No study was done of the first two transmissions but one can assume, based on this third, that was studied, that the issues were similar.

So if you are considering using the service department, buying a car, or even if your local mechanic is buying parts at Billy Howell Ford, I urge you to consider our experiences?

We showed them this review (the entire staff) and asked them to make this right, but the answer is "no"

I would ask all local mechanics you use, if they plan on purchasing parts from this dealer and if they are planning on using them, you can ask that they purchase elsewhere.

It might be a few dollars more but we really do get what we pay for, right?