Complaint Review: Mr. Transmission - TALLAHASSEE Florida

Upon searcching our customer database, we have no record of a Jenna with a Honda. All our customers are treated with honesty and respect and are given reccomendations, which they may choose to elect or not. Also,in checking with Dale at Performance Transmission, their shop does not repair Hondas, only American vehicles.

First, if your car's automatic transmission doesn't seem to be working right, pull over and check the fluid level. If it's low, don't drive anywhere before refilling it. It is common for a seal to start leaking and let all the fluid out. This will quickly ruin an otherwise good transmission if you keep driving. Always start with a general mechanic and have them check it. It may not even be a transmission problem. Sometimes the engine isn't running right, and it seems like something with the transmission. There are a bunch of parts that control and support the transmission that any mechanic can readily check and replace without removing the transmission from the car. If it does come down to there being an internal fault, it is worth knowing that that is really the case. If you go to a "transmission specialist" first, regardless of the problem, they WILL remove the transmission from your car and take it apart, because that is what they do and that is what will make them the most money. Having your transmission locally rebuilt may not be the best choice unless the problem is real simple. Unfortunately it still costs hundreds to tell you that. The "specialist" places will always do that though, because again it is how they make their money. If you go with a factory rebuilt or even a used transmission, the price of the job can be firmly quoted before starting. Any general mechanic can remove and replace the transmission with another one.

This is a response I gave to http://ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff113240.htm ***THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO ALL MR TRANSMISSION OR ALL TRANSMISSION SHOPS (but many.....)*** I had been an employee of several Mr. Tranmission operations. Over the years I learned of plausable denyablilty, external electronic failures (not covered by the MECHANICAL warranty), voiding of warranty by not returning for 10 day after check. I have also learned about ASE certifications (If one tech has ASE, act like all techs has ASE). But the dirtiest secret of them all are the fact that these dissatisifed customers, along with their multitudes of operational problems, are victims of many of the dirty tricks of the industry, from the top: "FREE ESTIMATES"- Most Mr. Transmission will not give free estimates or quote any prices over the phone, if they do they 'lowball' it. AAMCO may quote a 'soft parts overhaul', ie seals and clutches, but no acutal gears. Sometimes Mr. Transmission will do that, but virtually any price quoting are against the rules "FREE DIAGNOSTICS"- Nearly all Mr. Transmission give "Free Diagnostics" consisting of a road test, a computer scan, and a fluid check. Most Mr. Transmissions will not work on a car that has sever engine problems (Unless they are a Mr. Motor (Trademark Owned by Moran Industries as well) or have one near by, but 95% of the time if you have a shifting problem, it WILL be major. "INTERNAL INSPECTION"- most of the time the Diagnostics will determine that there has been an internal failure that can't be repaired or further checked out without removing the transmission. This is where some labor charges get invovled. Some managers sell it as a "FREE" inspections, assuming you have the transmission properly repaired. This is where the concept of a "FREE ESTIMATE" for Mr. Transmission comes from, and when quoted that labor cost (around the $400 quoted in some of these complaints), the next logical question is "Worst case senerio". Honestly, there is no way to know other than the highest price you can pay to get your transmission rebuilt, however, some managers quote a "soft parts overhaul" price, and slip in a mention of hard parts. Either way if the customer doesn't get the transmission repaired, they have that labor bill and a dissassembled transmission. AT THIS MOMENT, the customer may or may not have an idea of what his repair costs may be depending on how closely the manager follows Moran procedures. but when that inspection is done, they are presented with either the long story or short song, and it is usually a price that is unexpected. A serious shopping customer will have priced these things out at legimate shops (for exchanged warrantied units, either from dealer or reman factory) and of couse they can get lowball quotes from a backyard shade tree tech. That customer may get a fair shake on their repair bill (EXCEPT FOR THE NASTY SECRET) or may work out other options such as providing their own unit (which they have no warranty, not even labor) but most of the time the price is the price, and will be justified by the manager (after all they are sales man). THE NASTY SECRET that generates the most complaints and most of the technical problems is the GREED of the owner and the pressure he puts on his transmission rebuilders to build units that will work with as little investment as possible. HOW CAN THIS BE? Sure you may have been provided with a list of all the parts needed to be replaced to bring that transmission to "factory" quality....but after all the purpose of a business is to PROFIT. The dirty secret used by many transmission shops is the use of CORE parts....these are parts taken from USED and OLD transmission that cannot be sold as OPERATIONAL, however they may have usable parts inside. These units are sold by junk medal peddlers, folks that pick up units from wrecked cars at junk yards, etc.. This is not to say that I've seen an entire transmission built from core parts only, there is a considerable amount of money being spent on internal transmission parts, you have to put in new seals and new clutches, but the HARD PARTS are what they are looking for, the gear sets, if they can replace a $200.00 planetary set with a core part, that two more c notes in their pockets, the gamble is playing out the warranty game. Most Mr. Transmission warranties are supposed to be nationwide, the catch is that it is the responsibility of the center that did the repair to honor it, no matter which MR. Transmission you go to for warranty repair, you are at the whim of the center you had it repaired at orginally. READ YOUR WARRANTY.....if you transmission leaks all its fluid out and fails due to lack of fluid, YOUR WARRANTY IS VOID...If your car over heats and the transmission fails YOUR WARRANTY IS VOID, if you are in a state where there is no Mr. Transmission, YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT WHERE THEY TELL YOU OR YOUR WARRANTY IS VOID. THE NATIONWIDE WARRANTIES ARE NOT A VALUE ADDED OPTION, they are supposed to be a part of the repair, however, I have seen customers get price reduction for a "downgrading" of a warranty to local only, which technically is against Moran rules, and does a customer who is a traveller no good. I could go on and on with the games that have been played with the "trouble customers" whose vehicle we really had no business repairing (like many european cars) or the ones that were 'double' and 'triple dipped' (repeat out of warranty customers). To be fair, all in all most customers received a proper repair, and were generally satisfied, even if they had to bring the car back for some techical reason (the industry has a 30-40% 30 day comeback rate, period). but when you have a 20% pissed off rate over a longer period, that isn't good, when you keep a paid customer waiting on their car because you don't want to deal with it for no legimate reason, that poisons the pot. When you shortcut a proper repair to get the money faster, you can't regain that credibility. WHEN YOU HIDE BEHIND THE COMPANY LINE like "We did ever thing our warranty provides for" or if you have to go that extra mile for a rental car only after the customer threatens you since you had his car for over 3 months and he paid your for his orignal repair 4 months ago, you lose face. THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO ALL SHOPS. In the years I have worked in the industry I have only met 2 people that were of high character, never lied or stretched the truth to customers, was always able to difuse a mad customer because of the truth. One worked (may still work) at a Mr. Transmission, the other was a independent shop who had the moral concept that there was enough work to go around, so why muddy his waters with misleading language and half truths. As for Moran Industries, Mr Transmisson's Trademark owner, AKA "THE HOME OFFICE". Jackie McNeal of Customer Relations, bless her heart, has it rough enough, however she is like radar, the customers complains to her, she calls the center, they give her the company line and reasoning, and she echos back a letter or call. No real resolution as long as the 'offending' center's reasoning and deniablity is on target. I see she may be responding to these complaints. Based on my experience, it has to get really bad for the customer for them to theaten to go to the BBB (what a joke) or the Chamber of Commerce (bigger joke), or the state attorney general (plausable denyability with proper documentation), or the home office (nuff said). (part quote from additional repsonse I gave) To any potental customer of any transmission repair: Don't have your transmission repaired on a low ball price. No one can know what needs to be repaired interally without an INTERNAL INSPECTION IT IS IMPORTANT TO DO AN INTERAL INSPECTION to determine if rebuilding or replacing with a factory built unit (a factory build unit is tested externally with mutiple machine i.e. Answermatics, Dyno Testers)will be the less expensive option. Don't let a repair shop tell you they "remanufacture" a transmission, they rebuild it, there is a difference. Get any service you agree to IN WRITING, i.e. diagnostics, internal inspection and including the final repair cost, BEFORE YOU AUTHORIZED ANY DIRECT REPAIRS. VERY IMPORTANT, if you are serious about having your vehicle repaired properly, COME TO THE SHOP AND SIGN ALL AUTHORIZATIONS IN PERSON, MAKE TIME TO SEE THE TRANSMISSION TEAR DOWN, even if you don't know a seal from a grommet, you can tell a worn or broken part from a good one. If you are obligated to any labor due to internal inspection, you are entitled to a complete parts list with their retail pricing infomation and labor breakdown including enviromental and disposal charges, and of course sales tax. DEMAND THE LIST even if they say the transmission is trashed and you need a 'new' one. You are paying for the inspection, you deserve to have the list and see the parts, Its your property and you're in for the service. No Longer In the Industry,