American Engine, ripoff Phoenix Arizona

First of all, without knowing what year make and model of vehicle you have, it's difficult to know if you got ripped off at that price, or to what extent you were ripped off.

Secondly, you get what you pay for. Many engine and transmission replacement shops use salvaged engines and transmissions. There is nothing wrong with this in and of itself, if you're getting a good, low mileage replacement. In fact, most mechanics will tell you they would prefer a low mileage OEM engine over a remanufactured engine, simply because of the fact that most remanufactured engines are 150,000 plus mile engines that have simply had some parts replaced. You can never replace **all** parts.

If your vehicle is old enough, there is no way to get a "new" engine for it - you're gonna be stuck with a reman or a salvage engine. Never buy a salvaged engine without a CARFAX to verify the mileage on the vehicle it was pulled from at the time of the insurance salvage auction it was purchased from. Honestly, if you got a salvaged engine, they probably bought the cheapest local engine they could, and were told it "has about 100,000 miles on it." Well, that could mean anything all the way up to 250,000 miles.

Next time you replace your engine (and it sounds like it will be soon!) don't let your mechanic buy it - there is a conflict of interest there. Buy it yourself from a reputable engine seller that is a member of the BBB, that provides a CARFAX to verify mileage, and that provides an excellent warranty. DON'T let your mechanic buy it, because when you do, the cheaper he buys it, the more money he makes.

Find your mechanic by going to the local parts stores, talking to the manager, and asking for recommendations on a good independent shop to install an engine, do a good job, and not give you a heart attack on the price.

In addition to the previous issues there is also the leaking main seal between the transmission and engine. It is obvious the engine was not reinstalled correctly.

Yes we obviously have an old engine too, figured that out when we noticed we were burning a quart of oil a week, but also, they did not replace vacuum hoses, not even those that were dry rotted. We have had to go through and find all the vacuum leaks because so many hoses had not been reconnected.

Besides the fuel line being crimped and useless, they had also cross threaded the line into the carb, which left us needing to replace the carb also.

In addition to no longer having cruise control I have discovered while driving in the rain that the wiper delay no longer works either. That is on the same switch as the c/c.

It rarely rains here in Phoenix so we didn't discover the last problem I'm about to mention. Our car has power door locks and when we drove in the rain our door locks started locking and unlocking on their own. There is an obvious break in the electric system insulation that is causing this short.

We have since getting our car back been spent over $1000 having issues resolved. Please people, don't go to this business for a 'new' engine. You'll get an old engine and a lot of headaches.

I had a dipstick in my engine that was too short, my husband noticed. I also no longer have cruise control. I took my car to another mechanic that I've known for years, and he told me that this engine is definitely not new. He saw a new block with all old parts. Now that you mentioned the spray paint, even the engine block was probably spray-painted silver to look 'new'.

This company is a complete ripoff and need to be reported and shut down! These 'mechnanics' I was told by the secretary are not even affiliated with the company some way. This company is a REAL ripoff shadetree!