ComplaintsforAAMCO Transmissions & Total Car Care

• Initial Complaint

  07/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  At the end of June I brought my car in to have my transmission looked at because when i put the car in reverse it was making a noise. They told me i needed a new transmission. The car was running great besides the noise it was making in reverse. They told me i needed a new transmission and charged me $3700 for a refurbished transmission. They took an extra week to repair the car because they said when they put the transmission back in they had an electrical problem. i told them there wasn't an electrical problem when i brought it in and he acknowledged and said no worries they were getting it fixed. when i went to pick up the car i asked him if they documented the electrical problem they had in the computer for future reference in case i was to drive away and have an issue and he said NO. I asked him to document it and he refused and said that it was fixed and he didn't have to. i got the car back, drove around for a day and it was making a horrific noise so i brought it back to them and they had forgot to put in engine mounts so the mechanic did that. i drove around again and it was still making a noise so instead i took it to the dealership ****************. All of the sudden my struts are bad now somehow they broke while being repaired in a transmission shop... so i paid the dealer to fix the struts. the noise was gone but the transmission was still bad. The car was given to me UNFIXED. i took back to AAMCO on 15th street and ****** is now saying its electrical and its not covered under the warranty of the transmission they put in. The transmission they put in never worked from the get go because they screwed up the electrical and refused to document because he knew I would be back. This is complete fraud. I want a transmission that actually works put in the car PROPERLY with my electrical working as perfectly as it was when I brought it into the shop.

  

  Business response

  08/04/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/07/21) */ The vehicle was received 07/20/22 and has been scanned for codes. There are none at this time. Tech advised transmission has a bit of harsh shift on take off but we believe this is due to the start/stop mode these newer vehicles have for fuel economy purposes. No transmission codes at this time. That does not mean the transmission is good or bad. Sometimes DTC (diagnostic trouble codes) will not appear until the PCM see's so many errors during its duty cycles. Sometimes it can take over 100 duty cycles for a DTC (diagnostic trouble codes) to illuminate the Service Engine Soon Light also known as the check engine light. The customer chose to go with a salvage transmission and there are times when they have issues. We are going to do advanced diag on Monday. We will provide customer with our findings when completed. AAMCO will follow their warranty process and if the transmission is bad it will be replaced with a similar salvage transmission under warranty. A refund is not an option. Blessings,

• Initial Complaint

  06/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Charged $5,000 for rebuild transmission but didn't. I took it to another shop and it was worse. Don't know what to do.

  

  Business response

  07/14/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/23) */ Our General Manager has contacted the center and requested the vehicle be brought back to the center to determine what is wrong with the vehicle. Once the diagnosis is complete we will advise what if anything AAMCO will do. Blessings, Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2022/06/24) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) I just want my truck working properly again

• Initial Complaint

  04/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We have been without a car for a little over 11 weeks as it is still being repaired by Aamco. Our car broke down in Tulsa, OK over the Christmas holiday and we had it towed to one of the Aamco shops there to be looked at. We were told that we needed a new transmission but that everything else on the vehicle was good. We proceeded with the transmission fix and after a week, we were told there was a shipping delay. However, the delays and excuses continued for a couple months. One day, my father stopped by the shop to check on the vehicle since we do not live in Tulsa and they said it was almost done. My family picked up the car the following week and was told all was well but the car was not fixed. Miraculously, we were able to barely drive it to College Station. At this time, we contacted. Customer service to tell them of all the issues and that it was still not fixed. They had us bring the car to the College Station Aamco to be fixed. It has now been a month and still no car. I have tried several times to contact corporate to get answers and to find a solution.

  

  Business response

  05/16/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/04/05) */ The AAMCO in College Station is what we call builder less. They shipped the transmission to Oklahoma for us to rebuild and return to College Station. We received the transmission late last week. We are currently waiting on parts. This transmission is very hard to find and or get parts for. Barring anything unforeseen we should have the unit back to College Station next week. We are sincerely sorry for any inconvenience. Blessings, Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/04/11) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The response is insufficient because it fails to address the multitude of issues with this case and does not give any solution. We are requesting a full refund and settlement for the ongoing car repair situation. After being at the AAMCO Tulsa store for over 8 weeks, the vehicle was neglected and further damages developed. This includes: 1) The car after a complete transmission rebuild has a transmission issue between 2nd and 3rd gear where the RPM's ramp up 2) The car does not recognize the key so it will not start (This is an issue that began at the Tulsa AAMCO and the owner told us about it but stated it had been fixed) 3) Radiator having a leak/crack in it 4) Cracked light fixtures (some that were glued when we picked it up from the AAMCO in Tulsa). Also, the response fails to explain why the vehicle was released if the transmission was not fixed. This was extremely dangerous and careless. At this point, it is uncertain and unclear when we will get the car back and if it will be fully repaired. We have been told countless times that it will just take another week but it has been an absurd amount of time. The car has been at AAMCO for a second time for over 6 weeks. This has negatively impacted ever part of our life. Please give a real solution to this situation promptly. Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2022/05/02) */ ***Document Attached*** I'm sorry for the long delay. This has been quite the problem for us. This transmission has been extremally hard to find and once we did then freight became the issue. I last mentioned that the transmission was purchased and picked in early April. I was surprised to see that when we returned from an extended leave that this was and is still an issue. It has taken this long to get information from where we purchased the transmission. I have attached information confirming that we purchased the transmission when we said we did. I have confirmed the the unit will arrive in Texas Wednesday 05/04/22 barring anything unforeseen. I have spoken to the owner at the Texas location and he assure that when the unit arrives it will be top priority.

• Initial Complaint

  02/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  In November and December of 2021, our newly rebuilt (in Denver, CO) transmission started having issues. It was still under warranty so went to the nearest AAMCO that could accommodate our large vehicle (Tulsa, OK on 15th St.). It was difficult to get them to honor the warranty and the manager (****) and assistant manager (******) were rude, inconsistent, and non-communicative throughout the whole process. The most important reason we are making a complaint with the BBB is because, once the warranty work was completed, they told us the coolers were clogged, giving us the option of charging us to fix it, or for us to have it towed off the property and fixed elsewhere because if we drove it at all, the warranty would be voided. Due to how we had been treated, we opted to go somewhere else. When we were having it loaded on a tow truck, an employee of this AAMCO informed us they knew it had flushed out fine and was confused why we were having it towed, stating it was fine to drive. However, we took it to another place because that employee alone cannot honor the warranty, so we had no choice but to continue taking it to another transmission shop to be looked at and they informed us it was in fact not clogged and was fine to drive. So with that and the information from the employee, it validated this was not a case of misdiagnosis, but a blatant lie from management. We did send a complaint with a request to be reimbursed for the money we unnecessarily spent at the other place to *********** but even after several weeks, had no response.

  

  Business response

  02/27/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/02/27) */ We are very sorry for the inconvenience. We didn't lie to the customer. We informed the customer what was needed for AAMCO to provide a warranty for this repair. AAMCO's process does not change for any customer and we were not able to clear the debris by flushing. The customer drove this vehicle several hundred miles knowing there was an issue with the transmission on their way to Oklahoma. This was intentional and abuse. The customer had several opportunities to stop at an AAMCO before they reached Oklahoma. The transmission was destroyed because of the decision to continue to drive and all that metal was in the entire cooling system. AAMCO is the oldest Transmission repair company because we follow process and procedures. The company that the customer took this too has been in business for a short time and has changed their name several times. AAMCO doesn't support their statement. We will not provide a refund. Blessings, Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/03/01) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) 1) The information provided regarding what needed to be done for the warranty and in general was inconsistent/unclear. In the midst of this, they were incredibly rude, not looking up from the computer while talking to my husband, not giving us updates or any kind or reliable timeline since there were no updates, being obviously annoyed with us about having to have our vehicle in their parking lot for a long time, and more. 2) Again, we were told by an employee at AAMCO they were aware it had been "flushed out just fine". 3) We did not have "several opportunities to stop at an AAMCO". Yes, we drove it quite a ways, which we were open with them about from the beginning, but it was not "100s of miles". We contemplated our options with care but there were no good options. We were in the middle of nowhere in Dexter, KS when we started having issues and there were no AAMCOs within a reasonable distance. The options were backtracking 62 miles to Wichita, KS or continuing 115 miles to our destination near Tulsa, OK where we had a place to stay. No matter what we did, it would have either been an astronomical tow bill plus housing accommodations plus many other factors (we had our dogs with us as well as all of our belongings in the vehicle), a long scary drive, or some combination of those things. Considering we cannot just pull up to any AAMCO due to accommodation needs for the size of the vehicle, it would be after hours once we arrived, and later learning the Tulsa AAMCO was backed up 2 to 3 weeks, there was no telling how long other's may have been backed up. We stand by the decision we made to drive a little bit further to get to Tulsa in order to deal with it. We drove slowly and cautiously. Once in Tulsa, the AAMCO on 15th was the nearest option. 4) We have since driven the vehicle a substantial distance around the area to test the transmission after having it seen and have had no issues yet. 5) We took it to ********************** in Broken Arrow, OK. They were helpful, fast, and explained what they did and how they flushed it out in detail. I will attach their statement to this response. I will let the reader decide the quality of the business for themselves. What I do know is that an old business does not inherently mean a good business, and new does not inherently mean bad. 6) Now with the response we received, we are finding continued inconsistencies with AAMCO as the Denver AAMCO informed us they would accept a statement from another transmission shop stating it is cleared to drive, in the off chance something happens again, to continue the warranty. But here, the Tulsa AAMCO states they "do not support ********************** statement". Whether we could have it fixed/inspected at another shop or not was also inconsistent depending on who we talked to while it was still at AAMCO. (please see attached) Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/03/02) */ There will be no refund. Blessings, Consumer Response /* (3000, 16, 2022/05/12) */ ***Document Attached*** After being slandered by the management at AAMCO in their original rebuttal (falsely accusing us of having drivien it hundereds of miles knowing there was a problem, etc) and with their second rebuttal being a short "there will be no refund Blessings", unsurprisingly, we are still not satisfied. If we can still somehow get a reimbursement, that would be ideal for us even though that still wouldn't scratch the surface of what we went through throughout this, but I'm also worried about their other customers and who else may fall victim to this. At the very least, I want to make sure people are aware of this on a larger scale than a just simple review. Update: as of 5/12/2022 the vehicle has been driven approximately 500 miles with no issues, which aligns with what both the non-managerial AAMCO employee and Lifetime Transmissions stated. So far, contradicting AAMCO management. BBB NOTE: Customer was contacted by BBB on 6.29.2022. BBB was informed at that time approximately 1,500 miles have been driven with no issues.

• Initial Complaint

  09/27/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Aamco has truly shown they are a company worried only about money. I've had the absolute worse experience with the Aamco located off 15th street in Tulsa. Vehicle dropped off 9/6/21, diagnosed as a rebuild. I was originally quoted $3000 for the repair, and 3-5 days to complete. I was approved for a loan up to $3800 through a loan company aamco uses, all of a sudden they're telling me $3800 for the repairs. Sucks but i got over it, for the next 2.5 weeks they give me the run around and kept telling me my vehicle will be done the next morning, when i would call the next morning they'd tell me it'd be done that afternoon, and so on for over 2 weeks, still waiting. I have no issues with having to wait for the repair, but when I'm using a company vehicle and I'm reporting to my employer that i will have their vehicle returned the next day, and this happens for 2+ weeks, it looks bad on me. Their customer service is non existent, nonstop lies coming from this store. Never again.

  

  Business response

  11/09/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/09/28) */ The customer was contacted on the 24th letting them know their vehicle was ready to be picked up. The customer picked up the vehicle the 27th. I'm not aware of the specifics, however, Freight, manufacturing, and part availability is unpredictable in our market at this time. There are so many of us going after the same parts it is creating issues. We are sincerely sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. Please let us know if there is anything else needed from us. Blessings,

• Initial Complaint

  07/22/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Took my 7 year old car in on the 21st of DEC 2020 for what the dealer and Lifetime Transmissions had already diagnosed as a bad torque converter. Beau of AAMCO convinced me that he could do a better job than both of those places and that I would come away with a better product with a transmission rebuild that would last. Car has been back to their shop 6 times and has been there a month this last time and still not fixed. They have delivered the car back with things not connected, bolts missing, air filter assembly not connected, parts in engine bay, Transmission leaking, shifting hard, Knock sensors not connected, transmission filler cap broke and transmission making noise. All the while when I picked it up saying it was ready to go. We are talking about a dealer serviced on time every time vehicle with not one issue until this shutter with the transmission. I would like to speak with the owner of the franchise also before I continue to court. Finish work. Restart warranty.

  

  Business response

  08/19/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/07/23) */ AAMCO's General Manager has been and will be in contact with Mr. ******.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩