ComplaintsforNorthland Auto Pro, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  08/02/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On September 28th, 2020, I paid Northland Auto Pro $5296.30 for the replacement of a remanufactured transmission/trans case for my 2004 Toyota Sienna. It has 3 year/36,000 mile parts & labor warranty. Early October I called and complained that the van was not changing gears correctly I took it back to them. November 3rd, I complained again about the transmission problems again in addition it's now it not going over certain miles. November 17th, I told them I'm having the same issues and requested they contacted the transmission people and tell them about the problems I've been having 35 to 40 mph driving gets worse. December 4th, I told them I'm scared of driving my vehicle because of issues with the tranny, it would leave my family and I by the side of the road. December 4th, my van will not go into park. I shift the gear lever into park and take my foot off the break and my van stated to roll backwards. I've only driven 7000 miles. My van has been sitting on their lot since July 1

  Business response

  08/16/2021

  On September 17 th , 2020, the customer’s 2004 Toyota Sienna was towed to our repair facility. They had
  previously contacted us asking if we could replace their transmission. They were given rough estimates
  on prices and decided to have us complete the repair. Once we confirmed that the transmission and
  transfer case assembly did need to be replaced, we ordered a remanufactured transmission with a 3
  year/36,000 mile warranty from a company that we have purchased transmissions from in the past.
  Once it arrived, we moved forward with the repair. During removal of the transmission, the technician
  found the bolts to be seized from the subframe to the body of the vehicle. The solution to this was to
  replace the subframe bushings. We received approval from the customer and moved forward. Once the
  repair was completed, the vehicle was test driven extensively, passing the quality control check. The
  vehicle was returned to the customer on September 28 th , 2020.
  
  We were next contacted by the customer in October due to an issue with the overdrive. The customer
  stated that it did not seem to want to shift correctly into that gear. The customer also heard a popping
  noise, so the technician checked the bolts to the subframe to ensure that they were tightened properly.
  After addressing the bolts, the vehicle was then checked using the ****** **** **** ****. Codes
  returned for low current circuit to the air fuel ratio sensors (indicating the sensors needed replaced), 2
  codes for catalyst efficiency (indicating the catalytic converter would need replaced) as well as updates
  available for the engine computer. The customer was notified of the findings and also given estimates
  for the sensors. The replacement of the catalytic converter was discussed, but an estimate was not
  provided at that time. The customer approved the programming update, but declined to have the other
  issues addressed. It should be noted that without the replacement of the sensors, the codes can be
  cleared, but they will return. When they do return, they will cause the vehicle to be unable to switch
  into overdrive at the appropriate times. This is also the case for the catalyst efficiency codes (the codes
  can be cleared, but will return without replacement of that component). While these issues do affect
  the overdrive operation/function, they are not part of the recently replaced transmission.
  
  In November the customer contacted us to report that the vehicle would not go into park. In addition to
  this complaint, the customer also stated that the vehicle was still not shifting properly. There was also a
  vibration detected at moderate speeds that was accompanied by a droning noise that would start at
  higher speeds. We first addressed the parking problem, which was caused by the shifter cable coming
  apart. The shifter cable was then replaced, and the vehicle was able to move between the gears
  properly. With the shifter cable repair complete, the technician was able to safely drive the vehicle to
  confirm the noise and vibration the customer was hearing/feeling. The vehicle was then placed on a lift
  and put into the air so that the technician could observe the vehicle being operated in gear to locate the
  source of the noise and vibration. The issue was narrowed down to the driveshaft, where the technician
  found the u-joints seized. The customer was notified of the findings and given estimates for both new
  and used driveshafts. Due to the cost of this repair, the customer declined to have the repair completed
  at this time. The customer did check back to confirm the pricing a few times following this visit, but the
  repair was never addressed. The same issues from October were also present and discussed, though
  these were also not completed.
  
  On July 1 st , the customer’s vehicle was driven to our facility and we were told that the transmission did
  not seem to be engaging. With the vehicle in gear and accelerator pedal pressed it would not move. This
  was also the case in reverse. If a person were to sit with their foot on accelerator long enough, the
  vehicle would begin to creep forward very slowly, but it would never move at a normal speed. When the
  vehicle was pushed into the shop, it was noted that there was a large amount of fluid under the vehicle
  that then left a trail into the shop. The vehicle was placed on a lift in the air so that the technician could
  begin to inspect the area where the fluid was coming from. The technician found fluid leaking from the
  area of the left front cv axle. The cv axle was moving freely in and out of the transmission, which it
  should not be doing. We contacted the company where the transmission was purchased to determine
  our next steps. They requested pictures and video of what the technician was seeing. They also advised
  that the first thing that would need to be done would be to replace the cv axle in order to see if the leak
  stopped as well as if the vehicle would drive once it was replaced. We were also advised that we would
  need to obtain the customer’s approval for this repair, due to the possibility that the issue may be
  because of a bad cv axle and not the transmission. In that case the customer would be responsible for
  the repair and not the warranty company. We notified the customer and were given permission to
  replace the cv axle. (During this conversation, the customer did mention that a family member had
  recently replaced the left front wheel bearing on the vehicle themselves. We do not know if they also
  removed the cv axle during this repair, but it is a possibility) Once the cv axle was removed, the warranty
  company also requested pictures of the part so that they would be able to examine it and its
  components. The new cv axle was placed in the vehicle, 6 quarts of transmission fluid was added and
  the vehicle was parked while we waited to hear back from the warranty company. A representative for
  the warranty company contacted us by phone 2 days later to inform us it appeared that a clip was
  missing from the end of the cv axle that connects to the transmission. The missing part from the cv axle
  appears to be the source for the failure. Without this clip the vehicle would not drive and would feel as
  if the transmission was failing. The representative did state that the transmission could be removed and
  sent to the builders to examine in order to make a final determination. We were advised that we would
  need to obtain permission from the customer in order to move forward due to the possibility that the
  failure was with the cv axle and not the transmission itself. In this case, the warranty company would
  not be responsible for labor cost incurred during the removal. That cost would then become the
  responsibility of the customer. We contacted the customer to let them know what we were being told
  by the warranty company and requested permission to move forward with removal of the transmission.
  The customer did not and has not given their permission to remove the transmission for inspection.
  Unfortunately, without their permission we are unable to move forward.
  
  We have never refused to work on the customer’s vehicle, we have only requested that we obtain their
  permission to move forward with the warranty company’s request. According to the labor manual that
  is utilized by this shop, it takes 13.5 hours to remove and replace the transmission on the customer’s
  vehicle. If the builders find that the transmission did in fact fail, they will cover the cost of our technician
  to complete the requested work. However, if the builders find that the cv axle (or something else non
  transmission related) caused the failure, that would then become the customer’s responsibilty and they
  would need to cover the incurred cost. We understand that this is a difficult decision to make due to not
  knowing what the outcome may be. If the customer would like for us to remove the transmission and
  
  send it to the builders, we are willing to move forward. We only need their permission, as requested by
  the warranty company.

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