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Report: #4121

Report: AAMCO Transmission

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AAMCO Transmission - Hialeah, Florida ..they really don't know how to fix my car, just give me my money back *Consumer Advocate Suggestion

... Transmissions, and wear small metal flakes in a pan

1Author 13Consumer 1Employee

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AAMCO Transmission

Hialeah Florida
U.S.A.
Phone: 305. 887. 4309
Web Address:

Category: Auto Repair Service

Submitted: Tuesday, January 02, 2001

Last posting: Saturday, July 16, 2005

On June 6th of this year I had my 1995 Mazda 626 repaired at a cost of $1553.84 because the overdrive light kept flashing on and off. Ruben (the center manager) said that metal was coming off of the gears. They rebuilt the transmission, changed the torque converter, and replaced the solenoid set.

Everything was fine for approximately six weeks until the transmission went into default mode and the overdrive light started flashing on and off again. When the transmission detects a fault condition, it puts itself in a mode where it does not shift into overdrive, and flashes the OD light to notify the driver. When in this mode, driving at anywhere near highway speeds the RPM's are so high it feels like the transmission is going to fall apart at any moment.

I went back to the center and they said the transmission was overheating. An external cooler was added on July 20. Again, everything was fine until early October when the transmission detected another fault and put itself in default mode.

Again, I went back to the center and was told that the solenoids had failed. They said they replaced the solenoids and sent me on my way. On December 24, the very same thing happened again.

Throughout this process I have been in contact with AAMCO's customer relations department (Ronnie Vohlpe at 800.523.0401 x313 and Steve Stilwell) who really have not done anything other than send me conciliatory letters.

Every time I go back to the service center I have to drop the car off for the day or longer, causing me to lose time from work, lose money by requiring me to rent a car for a day, in addition to just the overall hassle of not being able to trust my cars reliability.

At this point I just want my money back. I paid AAMCO a good deal of money to fix my car, something which they have failed to do. Furthermore, due to the recurring problems, they have demonstrated that they really don't know how to fix my car. Thus I really have no reason to trust that they will permanently correct the problem on the fourth try. My requests for a refund have fallen on deaf ears.

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:

1Author 13Consumer 1Employee

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These Mazda transmissions really need a dealership to be overhauled correctly.

- ()

SUBMITTED: Thursday, January 04, 2001 POSTED: Thursday, January 04, 2001

AAMCO Transmission - Hialeah, Florida ..they really don't know how to fix my car, just give me my money back (#4121)

They filed the following Consumer Advocate Suggestion to the above Rip-Off Report:

Their email: wangel@kansascity.com
Their name: Robert Sokol

You had to take them one of the most difficult transmissions to overhaul? :)

These Mazda transmissions really need a dealership to be overhauled correctly. Most independent transmission shops will swap in a used transmission for a quick profit. Nevertheless, the solution to your problem is to continue what you are doing.

Keep in contact with the Aamco customer service, and give the shop the opportunity to repair the problem. Believe me, they also want to repair your car. They don't want to be working on your car (not making any money) for the next month or more.
Keep taking the car back to them to have it repaired. Let them know that you are willing to settle if they refund all your money back.

If they still cannot get your vehicle working correctly, you need to take your vehicle to a Mazda dealership. Explain to the service manager what has happened and that you need an exact diagnosis of the transmission. Once you have this, you can then take Aamco to small claims court and also sue for all your secondary expenses too, such as rental car, time off work,
etc.

Consumer Suggestion

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I am a Master Rebuilder

Steve - Jacksonville ()

SUBMITTED: Saturday, February 23, 2002 POSTED: Sunday, February 24, 2002

I have been rebuilding for 16 years now and we never like to see the same car more than once. If it was so simple everybody would do it. Most dealers send their trans repairs to a shop. My suggestion for the fix on your car sounds like the valve body is worn out (pressure regulator bore), all greek to you?? They are very prone to bore wear.

Consumer Comment

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THIS IS VERY COMMON WITH YOUR CAR.

ANTHONY - SCRANTON ()

SUBMITTED: Wednesday, October 30, 2002 POSTED: Thursday, October 31, 2002

listen to the guy talking about the pump valves in your car. it is a very common problem with the mazda 626, and pretty much any other care equipped with a CD4E transmission.

to the person who recommends taking it to the dealer, the price would have been appx. $1,000 more, and it would only be warrantied 12 months or 12,000 miles(which ever comes first). AND----the problem with the pump valves still would not have been corrected. ( ford, the company who designed and produces this transmission, has yet to figure out why this happens )

it sounds like the AAMCO is trying to do it's best to correct your problem. it's not like you drive it 5 miles and the problem reoccured again. have they ever declined to honor your warrany? have they ever thrown you off the porch and told you not to come back? it appears that you've had a series of occurances, and they aren't all the same problem. talk to some other owners of mazda 626's. you'll hear the same story over and over again.

at what point do people take responsibility for their own problems? instead of demanding that the last poor bastard to make an honest repair on the automobile pay for every little thing that goes wrong after the fact.
maybe you can cry to mazda, and they'll fix it for you. someone else has to be responsible for your problems, RIGHT?

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Then ALL cars must be too hard for Aamco!!!

K. - Broward County (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 POSTED: Wednesday, December 11, 2002

Well, what's the excuse, then, when Aamco cannot repair or rebuild correctly the transmission on a Dodge Caravan? It's not a Mazda. So what then??? I don't think they can fix ANY transmission. They repeatedly return it to the consumer in poor condition making claims that they fixed it. But if they test drove the vehicle prior to returning it to the customer, there's no way they'd actually be able to make that claim legitimately. What it comes down to is this...incompetance, laziness and greed. And there you have Aamco in a nutshell. To be specific, this has been my experience as well with the Aamco in Pembroke Pines, FL. Very poor customer service -- they totally lack the proper ettiquette and appreciation for the people who pay them their good money.

Owner of Company

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K in Pembroke Pines

Linda - Hollywood (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Thursday, December 12, 2002 POSTED: Friday, December 13, 2002

We can not help you if you do not contact us or bring your vehicle into the AAMCO Center. We were unable to contact you or look you up in our computer without you name. If you have any transmission concerns, please contact us as soon as possible. We will make every possible effort to assist in resolving your concerns.

Consumer Suggestion

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unit needs transgo sk jr

Norman - Washington (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Friday, January 31, 2003 POSTED: Friday, January 31, 2003

if this is a 2.0L then it is a cd4e, and during the reman process needs a trans-go sk jr installed, the cd4e with that shift kit installed is a great working unit. it will correct the pressure spike problems, within that unit. it also needs the updated pump plate. by the way most cd4e's i see in my shop are ford remans, that means ford/mazda had several cracks at it already, probably barley making it through the warranty periods. now i get to perminatley fix it. pay me the 2600 or so the manufacture wants and i will have roadway drop on of to you, with a 10 year 100,000 mile warranty.

hi Linda and Bob,
k is probably kevin the disgruntled employee you discharged, for poor conduct, i have noticed 2 times here you have tried to get the name of the so called customer in order to resolve there problem, if they have one.

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BADD PRESSURE

Joe - Richmond (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Sunday, April 27, 2003 POSTED: Monday, April 28, 2003

It seems that everybody wants to pass the buck when something is going to take more time to correct. Correct hydralic/electrical Diagnosis is the key to success with these units. If you don't do them correctly and understand why? It doesn't matter how many you have taken apart an assembled one. Until you understand the theory of how they actually operate hydralic/electric~~~~~The tranzmn~~~~ford trained/technical advisor 32years~~~~~~~

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No, I'm NOT a Disgruntled Ex-Employee

K - Pembroke Pines (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Tuesday, April 29, 2003 POSTED: Wednesday, April 30, 2003

Hi Linda and I guess Norman, too. No, I am definitely not a disgruntled employee of Aamco. I am a very angry and sickened customer who is just so fed up and see no reason for going back to Aamco with my still yet messed up Dodge Caravan that Aamco never fixed correctly in the first place and has had it back numerous times ALREADY. This is the vehicle I drive my family around in, which of course shouldn't matter because a human life is a human life! Aamco takes no interest in human lives, though. They're only interested in taking your money as many times as possible. You see when they leave your transmission screwed up and you have to take it back to them under warrantly, they charge you a Co-Payment!!! That's right, a Co-Payment to do the work that they were supposed to have done and have already been paid for!!! This is the vehicle that I lost my transmission on while driving down the very congested center lane of Flamingo Road with my baby son in with me. Other than him, I have two other small children as well. People cannot always simply go get another new vehicle. We DID take this van back to this Aamco again and again and again and yet again. Actually I think it's been more than five times and it's still messed up. There's a puddle of transmission fluid on my driveway since the last time we got it back from them and it's still fluttery. Take it back again? Why? They WILL NOT FIX IT and will only want another Co-Pay while we also shell out more money for yet another rental car!!! Aamco is full of horrible, horrible people. I will never believe otherwise because they had SO many chances and all they did with those chances is take more money from us and make us angrier at the world that allows horrible people like this to get away with what they do!!! And by the way, this was the first time I had ever received anything in my e-mail stating that there had been a rebuttal placed on my rebuttal. That's why the wait for my response.

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To the infamous K

TRANZMN - Richmond (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Thursday, May 08, 2003 POSTED: Thursday, May 08, 2003

K ~~~~If your have a warranty issue the previous rebuttals ask you to contact them~~~~~under warranty unless there are other electrical/mechanical malfunctions that contribute to a warranty issue there should be no charge whatsoever~~~you should contact the shop an report here the events that transpire in detail~~~days/time/etc~~~~so all can see the real story ~~~~~~~~~THE TRANZMN 5/8/03

#10

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Bad Experince with Aamco

Tom - Indianapolis (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Friday, August 27, 2004 POSTED: Saturday, August 28, 2004

In the past 32 years I have taken at least 5 different vehicles to Aamco here in Indianapolis
And by the way it was the same Aamco on east 16 th street. And guess what was wrong with all of them? Well they take em in the bay and put em up on the lift, Then off comes the transmittion pan next the mananger comes in to the lobby where you are waiting and has the pan cover of your transmittion in his hands with the little red rag which he then shows you some fine metal like dust that your metal parts and clutches in your transmition have been working together with have made with all the miles of ware and That oil that is susposed to coat and protect them.

And he tells you look at this metal in the pan this is bad news we will have to tear it down and then call you with a price after we find exactly what the problem is.Well on one of my trucks a box van.

They told me this after he test drove it and did the check list test.well it was a little sluggish and acted like it did'nt want to change gears same as all the vehicles I had taken in.

So I told them just put the pan cover back on and I will pay you to put new fluid back in it because they usualy put your old fluid back in. If you don'nt let them fix it. Guess what? He said you won't make it home before it goe's out! Well I put approx. 45,000 miles on it with the new fluid and it was still working fine when I sold it.

#11

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Copayments

Darren - Neenah (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Saturday, August 28, 2004 POSTED: Saturday, August 28, 2004

Hi All,
I remember those copayments. When I was a kid I remember going to an AMMCO garage with my father. He was talking to the guy about getting some work done on his car. AAMCO charged a bit more than the corner service station (back then they were service stations, not gas/convenience stores).

My father asked about the life-time warranty and the copay. He realized that the copay to cover the cost of the warrantied repair was actually more than the cost of paying someone else to do the job with parts and labor.

My father drove his car out and went somewhere else. He has never been back and neither have I. I think that my kids won't either because I tell them about that experience everytime we drive by an AAMCO. It's hell getting old!

Thanks,

#12

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Lifetime Warranty

Raymond - Laguna (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Friday, September 10, 2004 POSTED: Friday, September 10, 2004

In 1966 I had my 1961 Dodge Power Wagon Transmission rebuilt with the AAMCO lifetime warranty at the AAMCO in town here and i have not paid for any transmission repair since. They have regulary serviced it and maintained it despite the push button transmission bieng obsolete. I never encountered a co-pay.

#13

Ex-Employee

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Hardest tranny?

Greg - Middletown (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 POSTED: Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Them old push buttons were simple and they would last the only hard thing about them is to get the R&R man to make sure the cable is adjusted correctly. But now lets get down to the masda. Hardest? I don't know about that I was rebuilding those early BMWs drive by wire for two years before tha factory said they could be rebuilt. Every time I'd drive down to the dealership to buy parts I would be told they didn't know why I was buying the parts because the tranny couldn't be rebuilt I was usualy driving one I just finnished. No I think the hard part about Masda is the stuff you need to do a correct trouble shooting. Its really a simple unit but what usualy happens is that the owner expects the builder to buy all this fancy testing and building tools why? because they cost money.Some times alot of money when that happens you end up with not all of the units not working then it becomes the hardest unit even the factory has trouble and on and on. And please don't come back with well the testing equiptment AAmco sent us covers all of the problems. A friend of mine borrowed one and we took down to the shop and put one of the units on a dyno and had a good laugh.

#14

Consumer Suggestion

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Owner of mazda 626 w/ CD4E Tranny

German - Oakland (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Sunday, April 24, 2005 POSTED: Sunday, April 24, 2005

I just learned yesterday that the CD4E tranny for the Mazda 626 has a terrible history of breaking down.

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

My story: Purchased '98 mazda 626 for $1800 on Aug 2003. The transmission was already bad, but I thought it was a bargain. After I paid another $1800 to fix transmission. Today April 24, 2005, the car sits in my driveway because the transmission failed, again.

Unfortunately, this tranny is just plain bad. Based on the complaints I've seen in the website, neither tranny shops like Aamco or dealerships were able to fix the problems associated with the CD4E transmission.

If they are true transmission specialists, Aamco should at least be able relay histories of transmissions to their clients. Does anyone in the transmission industry keep track of lemon transmissions, or do they keep quiet about what they really know so that they can make a buck.

If my transmission guy had told me that "hey these mazda transmissions have a terrible track record, I can fix it but can't guarantee the longevity becuase it's a bad design" I would at least be able to decide if I want to spend $1800 again, or just junk the car.

#15

Consumer Comment

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The CD4E These are not bad units

Joe - Richmond (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Thursday, May 12, 2005 POSTED: Thursday, May 12, 2005

German~~~These are not bad units but they ae very specific as to what needs to be done when they are being repaired or rebuilt.There is much info on these units to make a successful repair but not everyone does what is nessesary to make them work/last at the same time. the diagnosis must be done first then the repair can begin~~~The engineers design is not bad it has a basic planetary/hydraulic design that most manufacturers use with variation for their application~~~It just comes down to the mind/hands of the repair person not the unit

#16

Consumer Comment

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Transmissions, and wear small metal flakes in a pan

Patrick - Olympia (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Saturday, July 16, 2005 POSTED: Saturday, July 16, 2005

Hey guy's, I've been a mechanic in the Army for over 15 years now and if a mechanic comes to you
and shows you small metal flakes in a pan and he
tells you it has to be rebuilt on that criteria
alone is bilking you for money, plain and simple.
In the ARMY we are not privvy to all the neat hi-
tech wizardry civilian Mechanics are so we have to use our four senses and more importantly a lot
of common sense.

All metal components are subject
to wear, and a trans is no different. Some trans
pans have a drain plug with a magnet on the tip
and some pans have a magnet that sits on the pan
to collect these particles, so aremed with that knowledge you can ask him to point out what may
be wearing out to cause this, most likely he'll
tell you some sort of alien terms such as TPS,
OR TISS/TOSS etc. dont fall for it!. Those are
electrical sensors, the valve body can be metal
but some are now plastic in composition. If your
trans has big metal pieces than its a problem, but more often than not, if you have small metal
flakes its just normal wear, and all your trans
should need is a drain, flush, and re-fill. Also
do not fall for the additive speach, tell them not to put it in!. Most additives have chemicals
that can clog and gum up components or cause more
pre-mature wear. Just tell them you want what the
manufacturer specifies I.E. Dexron (GM) Mercon...
(Ford) at the right levels.

When you check your
fluid make sure your engine is at least 160 in
temperature, on level ground, vehicle on and in
park/neutral. This is the only way to get an accurate reading because fluid expands when hot.

I could go on forever about this topic but just
remember, they are there to provide you a service
and you can request to see the codes, etc. in
addition to any other charges they might throw in
such as for supplies. Just make sure you ASK!.
dont think they wont answer, they HAVE TO!, if
they wont then they are wrong. Pitch a fit or
do whatever it takes to get some sort of redress.