AAMCO TRANSMISSION - Black Horse Transmissions AAMCO FRANCHISE INSTALLED OLD PART IN VEHICLE SPRAY PAINTED TORQUE CONVERTER TO MAKE LOOK LIKE NEW Pleasantville New Jersey

On 1/7/09 we had our Ford Explorer serviced at Aamco Black Horse Pike in Pleasantville.  The check transmission and o/d light were flashing.  They replaced the solenoid block for a cost of 685.34.  On 1/9/08 the lights were flashing again and the truck was taken back to Aamco.  We were told we needed a torque converter.  This was installed for a cost of 1551.23. 

July 2009 the check transmission light was back on and the o/d light flashing.  I took the car to my local mechanic and was told I may need a transmission rebuild.  I told him that the solenoid block and torque converter had been replaced a year and a half ago at Aamco.  He stated that the transmission could have been rebuilt for the price they had charged and that it was not normal for the same problem to reoccur 1.7 months later. He suggested calling Aamcos corporate headquarter. He told me years ago he had worked for Aamco building transmissions and finally quit due to unethical business practices that were occuring in the shop. 

The Aamco dealer in Pleasantville had closed so I contacted the Aamco dealer in Egg Harbor Township NJ.  He told me to bring the paperwork in from the repairs that were done on 1/7/08 and 1/15/08.  The owner reviewed the paperwork and stated that it was clear that the transmission should have been rebuilt and that I had payed enough to have that done. He said the torque converter was not bad it just wore out because the transmission had not been rebuilt.  He ran diagnostics on the vehicle and gave us a quotation sheet for the cost to rebuild the transmission.  The quote was for 2343.67 less a 15% discount offered for customer satisfaction due to Pleasantville not being open.  Final cost 1992.12. 

I asked the owner for a number to AAMCOS consumer affairs.  They gave me a number and  a name -  Anna Wright.  I went on Aamcos website and emailed customer service my concerns.  The response I received from  Michael Pekyula was as follows: "While we appreciate your concerns, please understand that our company was merely the entity that contracted with the owner of the Pleasantville facility to operate under the AAMCO brand.  Our company had no ownership interest or control of that business and did not enter into any contracts with customers of that entity." They recommended I call Egg Harbor AAMCO .  I then called consumer affairs and spoke with Anna Wright.  I basically got the same response that I did from the e-mail.  She said the AAMCO franchisor was not liable. She also asked me how did I know that the vehicle repairs that were done were misdiagnosed. I asked her if AAMCO stood behind there name and she just repeated they weren't liable. The conversation basically went no where.  At this point I knew I would not have any AAMCO Franchise work on my vehicle anyway even if it was free. I contacted my local mechanic and told him to fix the truck.  Soon after he contacted me and had me come down to the shop.  He showed me the torque converter that had come out of my vehicle and  the new converter that was going to be installed.  The one coming out was spray painted blue and he stated that it was the original, it had never been replaced. He said he surmised when AAMCO Pleasntville took the torque off the seal was most likely gone which would indicated further work had to be done, the transmission had to be taken apart.  The work that I'm having done now was what should have been done 1.7 years ago.  I was furious.  Shoody workmanship is one thing, but when you are charged 1551.23 to replace the part and the old part is spray painted and reinstalled - well only one thing can be said  I WAS RIPPED OFF!!!!!!!