AutoZone sells defective parts that ruined car, refused to pay for repairs Ripoff Crestview Florida

I can sympathize with your dilemna. I have been repairing vehicles for over 35 years and encountered this nonsense numerous time. Advance Auto Parts Started as Parts America and issued "life time warranties" on everything they sold. Upon getting hit with so many claims they just up and changed the rules mid game! When you went in to get an exchange they made sure they took your old receipt then issued the new one with the 3 month or 1 year depending on the part! How convenient!

Your claim is valid because they acknowledged fault and gave you a replacement radiator. The sticky part is that somewhere in the fine print they covered their *&*& by stating they were not responsible beyond replacement of the part!

This countries corporations are so crooked and so desperate that it is basically consumer beware!!!
You can't trust anyone and you have to take the time to read before you sign on the dotted line!

The other sad part is corporate America can use the "credit bureau's" to basically destroy you in a matter of minutes but we have NO recourse against them. Most folks cannot afford a court challenge so they know they hold the upper hand! Politicians and government offices are worst than the corporations and you should never expect relief through them! They will always pass the buck!!!! Can't cut off the hand that feeds them-right???
Hope you find a solution and everything works out!

PS: don't let the comments here bother you because you have alot of ignorant people out there that just run their mouth for the sole purpose of being a total idiot!

I understand most of what you are saying but a few things are incorrect. It is the silicates in the antifreeze that did the damage, not the water base that causes the bubbles. It ruined the clutches and did occure very quickly.
The radiator did fail internally due to a defective fitting on the transmission cooler, not due to an improper mixture or overheating. The lab of the radiator company that manufactured the radiator tested it and sent me the report.

I am well aware of what the warrantee states as far as other damages, however like my attorney said that is not worth the paper it is written on and I can believe that because the disclaimer that most shops post that sayes they are not liable for fire, theft or damage to your vehicle while it is in the shop will not hold up in most courts under some circumstances. So it is now in the hands of the attorney and we will see what happens. Like I said it is no longer a money issue but a matter of right and wrong, I have repaired the car and it is back on the road so we will see how this turns out. Bottom line is Autozone sold me a defective part that ruined the transmission and they should be held responsible for it.

By the way the radiator that Autozone gave me in June also failed last week due to the bottom tank crimp not being crimped all the way across. When they gave me the third radiator the same manufacturer has now changed the design completley from the material of the core as well as the design of the crimp and the cooler line fittings,(admission of faulty design my attorney thinks), great for my case and bad for Autozone. (:

I just wanted to put my two cents in on this case and ALL WARRANTY BS!

First and fore most, Life time warranty refers, as I understood it, to covering the product against all manufacturer defects for as long as you own the part. This does not cover outside damages that may lead to failure. (i.e. if you get in an accident and your radiator is affected as a result from direct impact to the part or as a result of the frame even ever so slightly twisting out of shape.) All warrantys are non transferrable. And do not cover damages as a result of failure.

In my experience as an AutoZone employee of nearly three years, if a product under lifetime warranty wore out or failed as a result of normal ware we would happily replace it. In my experience as a current ---- employee, that is far better than any warranty implied by ----.

And as to the comment which implied that the pressure in the colling system exceeded the pressure in the transmission cooling system was incorrect at certain conditions. And from what I understand as the mechanics of an automatic transmission (PLEASE correct me if I am wrong) if coolant were to enter the system damage may occur over time. Since water cant handle the heat of a transmission it would boil forming bubbles. These bubbles would hinder the torque converters operation giving lots of slippage, and very irratic lockups. The shifting pattern would be very irratic. You would immediatley know something was wrong.

My first inclination of driving a vehicle in that condition would be to imediately stop driving it. The constant locking, unlocking, and slippage would burn up the converter in time. However if you ceased operation of the transmission serious damage should not occur if you flushed the system immdeiately.

In normal conditions flushing your transmission usually does knock something loose that typically do cause a clog in the valve body creating a shifting problem. However if water was introduced this would be unavoidable.

As far as AutoZone telling you the warranty is expired is intreaging, however working in retail autoparts I am used to people constantly trying to rip me off as a company. I'm not saying all warranty claims are as such, but some are and as a rsult the company is trying to protect it's self.

Please understand that I am not saying AutoZone is right in its action nor am I stating that your inclination is correct. I am simply stating you must see it from both point of views.

In my personal opinion this situation was handled incorrectly from the get go. It is very obvious the product failed you must understand the warranty is against defects. Did it fail as a result of a defect or as a result of indirect damage. It's not honda's fault that your transmission failed as a result of the coolant. Thus you wouldn't claim it under the transmissions warranty.

Unfortunately for you even having the incorrect mixture of water to antifreeze/coolant could cause this incident. That would not be a manufacturer defect. And god forbid you overheated the car anytime with in the year you owned it. overheating coud distort the original specs.

I am assuming the reason AZ can not talk to you about it and the legal department is handling it is because you don't have a case. Simply because any little thing could cause the failure of anything. I've already though of several reasons for the failure outside of an actual defect. That is why atleast at my old store we would just warranty the part out in exchange. it's like meeting you half way to keep everybody happy.

sorry, allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company your comments on this policy are welcome! 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.

That's kind of what I was trying to say. I am in fact retired now but I do still work on the family and friends cars. My wife works as a school teacher and we plan to start full time RVing next year. This year we spent 30 days traveling through the west.

We were going to go full time this year but she loves her job too much and wanted one more year with the kids. I was very careful with my money and had real estate investments to help. The housing market here went through the roof in the last two years and that helped a lot.

We are very comfortable financialy although I would not say we have too much but we do have enough to live on for the rest of our lives.
Just a question now, not implying anything, but how do you drive a truck for a living with your medical condition? I know how rough that can be.
Anyway I agree it has nothing to do with the radiator, but is was nice arguing with you,just like old times in the military I guess.

I am 30% disabled..Remember I said I get $225/month right now because of the disbility lump sum payment offset for the next 7 years..That is $325/month at 30% disabled which was my initial rating.

I have been re-evaluted with more damage than originally diagnosed, as I cannot function in normal day to day activities. My situation has gotten worse instead of better.

You are less than 9 years older than me. I doubt that you are financially retired at 52, as you said you were still working as a mechanic.

I take 3 months out of every year off. The other 9 months I haul bulk oranges into manufacturing from the drop lot where they come in from the fields. It is a good union job in which I am fully vested for retirement after 5 years and can take retirement in 10 years of service. I have full medical benefits when I retire, in addition to my VA benefits. I am expecting a combined rating of 50% from the VA this year.

I don't know what all of this has to do with a defective radiator anyway.

Well once again you show your ignorance. I turn 52 in January and beat you to retirement. You are not that much disabled if you only recieve $225.00 per month. That is only about 20% disability and you implied you couldn't do mechanical work due to the disability I believe.

I retired from the military in 1994 myself and I recieved 20% disbility for my service connected back injuries. I do not consider myself disabled because of that and still worked every day. I have friends that drive for a living and a good friend that owns a fleet of trucks and I will assure you that you don't make more in two days than I did in a week. Of course now you may but I don't have to work for a living anymore.

If you have an engineering degree then why work at driving a local truck? By the way I can tell you from expierence that you can make as much or more driving a charter bus and not work near as hard, not near as dirty, and see great sites and eat for free.

Overall it seems we have a lot in common and it is a shame that two vets have to argue over whether a muti-million dollar business should rip off the little guy.

So let's just agree to disagree and let it drop. I'm shure there is a lot of things you know better than me and I am shure there are a few things I could teach you, that is what makes life interesting I guess.

Good luck to you, stay safe out there on the road(I know how that can be), and here's hoping you can retire soon and go fishing.

Roy,

I was injured while deployed on active duty on my second round in the desert in my 10th year of service. I'm sure my $225/month VA disability really "soaks the taxpayers" as you put it. Adjusted for severance pay will max out at $325/month after 7 more years.

I wanted to stay in, but they forced me out due to the nature of my injuries. You see, I have 3 disks shattered [L-4,L-5,S-1] and could no longer meet the physical standards of the army at 41 years old. I was out 11 years and went back in at 40 to serve again in the desert.

FYI..I am a local truck driver and work 60 hrs+ a week, as in Florida a local driver can work 15 hours a day, and I do it. It is a good union job and I probably make more in 2 days than you make in a week. So stop bragging about your success. I will be vested for full retirement at 52. I won't be a grease monkey in my retirement years.

Well I don't flush, you do so be it. That really had nothing to do with the original report anyway. But yes there are reverse flush machines out there. Think about it, what good would it do to flush a Honda transmission with the normal flow of fluid when it has no serviceable filter? All you would do is flush more trash into the filter. You can flush your own transmission by disconnecting the cooler line and let it flow into a pan while you pour new fluid in if all you want to do is change fluid. Flushing to me is reversing the flow and taking the trash out with the fluid. Maybe what you are talking about is simply a complete fluid change which is quite different.

OK I'm done now, gotta run to Waffle House for breakfast, can do that now since I am officaly retired.

The guy that owned it called it a "back-scaler" This was back in the early sixties, at a Jenny service station I worked at. It was a cone-shaped gizmo with hoses for water and air, and he stuck it into I forget where and a bunch of crap shot out the bottom of the radiator, if I remember correctly. Thinking back, maybe it just did the radiator. Ever seen one?

Here's a realistic article though:
"There seems to be as much bad info out there about transmission flushes as there is about synthetic motor oil. The number of professional mechanics that claim that a flush will blow out the seals and cause damage to the transmission dumbfounds me. Those poor people are suffering from invincible ignorance and refuse to understand the benefit of a proper transmission flush.

Here is the BIG secret about transmission flush machines. They do not use pressure at all. They use the transmissions own pump to move in the new fluid that displaces the old fluid and the old fluid is collected and thrown away. There are two basic types of flush machines and here is how they work and the differences in the two.

Cooler line flush machine:

The first type of flush machine connects into the transmission cooler lines. BG makes this kind and here is how it works. The line going from the transmission to the transmission cooler is disconnected and connected to the machine line in. The line out from the machine carrying new fluid is connected to the line going to the cooler. There is a chamber on the machine that has a diaphragm in it. The top part of the chamber above the diaphragm is filed with new fluid. The engine is started which turns the torque converter and the input shaft on the transmission. The input shaft turns the transmission pump and it makes hydraulic pressure. This causes fluid to flow through the cooler line. As fluid leaves the cooler line it enters the chamber on the flush machine. As the old fluid side of the diaphragm fills it pushes the diaphragm up and forces new fresh fluid into the transmission. After a while the old fluid is collected in the machine and it is replaced by new fluid. Now the transmission has been flushed. Really pretty simple. As you can see the machine cause no pressure and all fluid transfer is done by the transmission?s own pump."

WOW! That's exactly what I said. Gee Roy...you seem to be needing that retirement, as you really have no clue whatsoever about auto repair.

Now, how DO you get the tranny pump to go backwards. That's the only way you'll be able to reverse ANYTHING.

Here's a realistic article though:
"There seems to be as much bad info out there about transmission flushes as there is about synthetic motor oil. The number of professional mechanics that claim that a flush will blow out the seals and cause damage to the transmission dumbfounds me. Those poor people are suffering from invincible ignorance and refuse to understand the benefit of a proper transmission flush.

Here is the BIG secret about transmission flush machines. They do not use pressure at all. They use the transmissions own pump to move in the new fluid that displaces the old fluid and the old fluid is collected and thrown away. There are two basic types of flush machines and here is how they work and the differences in the two.

Cooler line flush machine:

The first type of flush machine connects into the transmission cooler lines. BG makes this kind and here is how it works. The line going from the transmission to the transmission cooler is disconnected and connected to the machine line in. The line out from the machine carrying new fluid is connected to the line going to the cooler. There is a chamber on the machine that has a diaphragm in it. The top part of the chamber above the diaphragm is filed with new fluid. The engine is started which turns the torque converter and the input shaft on the transmission. The input shaft turns the transmission pump and it makes hydraulic pressure. This causes fluid to flow through the cooler line. As fluid leaves the cooler line it enters the chamber on the flush machine. As the old fluid side of the diaphragm fills it pushes the diaphragm up and forces new fresh fluid into the transmission. After a while the old fluid is collected in the machine and it is replaced by new fluid. Now the transmission has been flushed. Really pretty simple. As you can see the machine cause no pressure and all fluid transfer is done by the transmission?s own pump."

WOW! That's exactly what I said. Gee Roy...you seem to be needing that retirement, as you really have no clue whatsoever about auto repair.

Now, how DO you get the tranny pump to go backwards. That's the only way you'll be able to reverse ANYTHING.

Here's a realistic article though:
"There seems to be as much bad info out there about transmission flushes as there is about synthetic motor oil. The number of professional mechanics that claim that a flush will blow out the seals and cause damage to the transmission dumbfounds me. Those poor people are suffering from invincible ignorance and refuse to understand the benefit of a proper transmission flush.

Here is the BIG secret about transmission flush machines. They do not use pressure at all. They use the transmissions own pump to move in the new fluid that displaces the old fluid and the old fluid is collected and thrown away. There are two basic types of flush machines and here is how they work and the differences in the two.

Cooler line flush machine:

The first type of flush machine connects into the transmission cooler lines. BG makes this kind and here is how it works. The line going from the transmission to the transmission cooler is disconnected and connected to the machine line in. The line out from the machine carrying new fluid is connected to the line going to the cooler. There is a chamber on the machine that has a diaphragm in it. The top part of the chamber above the diaphragm is filed with new fluid. The engine is started which turns the torque converter and the input shaft on the transmission. The input shaft turns the transmission pump and it makes hydraulic pressure. This causes fluid to flow through the cooler line. As fluid leaves the cooler line it enters the chamber on the flush machine. As the old fluid side of the diaphragm fills it pushes the diaphragm up and forces new fresh fluid into the transmission. After a while the old fluid is collected in the machine and it is replaced by new fluid. Now the transmission has been flushed. Really pretty simple. As you can see the machine cause no pressure and all fluid transfer is done by the transmission?s own pump."

WOW! That's exactly what I said. Gee Roy...you seem to be needing that retirement, as you really have no clue whatsoever about auto repair.

Now, how DO you get the tranny pump to go backwards. That's the only way you'll be able to reverse ANYTHING.

Here's a realistic article though:
"There seems to be as much bad info out there about transmission flushes as there is about synthetic motor oil. The number of professional mechanics that claim that a flush will blow out the seals and cause damage to the transmission dumbfounds me. Those poor people are suffering from invincible ignorance and refuse to understand the benefit of a proper transmission flush.

Here is the BIG secret about transmission flush machines. They do not use pressure at all. They use the transmissions own pump to move in the new fluid that displaces the old fluid and the old fluid is collected and thrown away. There are two basic types of flush machines and here is how they work and the differences in the two.

Cooler line flush machine:

The first type of flush machine connects into the transmission cooler lines. BG makes this kind and here is how it works. The line going from the transmission to the transmission cooler is disconnected and connected to the machine line in. The line out from the machine carrying new fluid is connected to the line going to the cooler. There is a chamber on the machine that has a diaphragm in it. The top part of the chamber above the diaphragm is filed with new fluid. The engine is started which turns the torque converter and the input shaft on the transmission. The input shaft turns the transmission pump and it makes hydraulic pressure. This causes fluid to flow through the cooler line. As fluid leaves the cooler line it enters the chamber on the flush machine. As the old fluid side of the diaphragm fills it pushes the diaphragm up and forces new fresh fluid into the transmission. After a while the old fluid is collected in the machine and it is replaced by new fluid. Now the transmission has been flushed. Really pretty simple. As you can see the machine cause no pressure and all fluid transfer is done by the transmission?s own pump."

WOW! That's exactly what I said. Gee Roy...you seem to be needing that retirement, as you really have no clue whatsoever about auto repair.

Now, how DO you get the tranny pump to go backwards. That's the only way you'll be able to reverse ANYTHING.

Flushing against the normal flow of fluid? Exactly how is that done. Tranny flushing is done using the engine running. This means the pump is turning, and making pressure. The cooler circuit comes directly from the pump. The flush machine connects to the cooler lines, and does NOT reverse anything. The old fluid goes into a holding tank, while you regulate the flow into the other side of the cooler line so the level remains the same.

EXACTLY how do you reverse that? How do you reverse the flow of pressurized fluid?

Considering that was pure idiocy, I ignored the rest of that guys drivel.

Whoever he is, he needs to stay away from automobiles.

Flushing a tranny is NOT bad for them. Engine flush is just a $5 qt of Kerosene. You can buy a gallon for less than $3. An engine that has regular oil changes needs no flush.

Coolant flush? This guy is somehow reversing that flow too? He is amazing, I tell you. He's managed to get the waterpump to go backward, while the engine continues to run normally.

What a guy. He should be in charge of North Korea's Missile Program.

Don't get me wrong, transmission flushing if done regularly from new is no always a bad thing, however flushing an old transmission, which in this case is 16 years old is a bad thing if it has never been flushed.
My cars drive and look brand new also, but I have did all the maintenance on them. My 90 Accord has 324,000 miles on the original transmission and engine. My 92 Dodge pickup has 200,000 on the original engine and transmission and has never had a wrench inside it at all except for maintenance. The water pump is still original as well.
No manufacturer will tell you that flushing is bad for obvious reasons.

The flush machine actually reverses the flow of fluid.

Here is just one artical on the subject and there are hundreds more..

Do You Need To Flush? Vincent Ciulla
Engine and transmission flushes are being sold left and right, but are they a good idea?
A New Recommended Maintenance Item

In the last few years you were probably asked, or told, by you dealer or quick lube place that you need an engine or transmission flush, because the engine oil or transmission fluid is very dirty. They will tell you that it is recommended that you have it done because your engine or transmission will last longer if it is flushed clean. In that they are correct, a clean engine and transmission will last longer. But is flushing the best way to get a dirty engine clean?

What Is An Engine Or Transmission Flush?

Flushing is the high pressure forcing of fluid back against the normal flow of the fluid. In other words if the normal flow is left to right, the flush would force the fluid right to left. This is accomplished by connecting a machine that will force special solvents back through the engine and transmission. The idea is that by forcing cleaning solvents backwards through the system, it will get all the junk and garbage that has formed over time and "flush" it out of the system. In theory this may be sound, but in actual practice, it's dangerous.

The Dangers Of Flushing

Flush machines do what they say; they force high pressure cleaning solvents back through the engine and transmission and clean out some of the accumulated junk that has formed. Now engines have small passages and galleries through which oil or automatic transmission fluid flow and there are one-way valves that keep the fluids from backtracking for whatever reason. By using an aggressive cleaning procedure like flushing, large chunks of accumulated sludge are broken off and forced backwards through these galleries and valves and, more often than not, lodge tightly and block them. This cuts off the normal flow of the fluid and causes lack of lubrication in an engine and abnormal or no shifting in a transmission. The results are expensive repairs, or more often, engine or transmission replacement.

Who Recommends Flushing As Maintenance?

The shops that want to sell you the engine or transmission flush charge anywhere from $49.95 to $99.95, not including a new engine or transmission. Those are extra. And they state quite emphatically that it is recommended that it be done. But who actually recommends that it be done? I checked with GM, Ford, Chrysler, Nissan, Honda and several other new car manufacturers and not one recommended an engine or transmission flush as routine maintenance. In fact, they specifically don't recommend it at all!! The new car dealerships that do sell them use the implication that since they are the dealer that it must be the factory that recommends it. And if they do say the factory recommends it, they are flat out lying to you.

The only ones who do recommend flushing as a maintenance procedure are the companies that sell the flush machines and the shops that buy them. The flush machine manufacturers state quite clearly in their operating manuals not to use their machines on high-mileage vehicles. That simple statement proves that flushing is not a safe procedure. It also absolves them of any responsibility of any damage that may occur due to the use of their equipment. This leaves the shop wholly responsible for anything that happens and the cost of correcting the damage that occurs.

I know this since I recently appeared as a witness in a lawsuit where a person was sold an engine flush that destroyed his engine.

The Facts

The fact is, if you do frequent engine oil and filter changes and service the transmission every 15,000 miles there is no need for a flush. I have customers that change their oil every 3,000 miles and they don't need to use fancy oils and filters, and after over 100,000 miles, the oil comes out almost as clean as it goes in. They have regular transmission services and their transmission still shifts like new, even with well over 100,000 miles on it.

If you have neglected regular oil changes and you want to do some interior engine cleaning, get the oil and filter changed and replace one quart of motor oil for one quart of transmission fluid. The transmission fluid has a high detergent content that will clean the engine without damaging it. Do this every 3,000 miles and you will clean the inside of the engine slowly and gently.

If you do get a flush, I recommend you do it when you can afford to replace the engine or transmission.

By the way the 91 Honda reccomended DexronII which has been replaced by the DexronIII fluid from the factory. I like to use the Honda fluid anyway as it is supposed to be better.

Like I said flushes are not bad if you have kept the transmission clean but I would not flush an old transmission. She probably did run this car 50 miles or so the day the cooler failed.

Autozone still has not denied the warranty covered the damage, but only that the lifetime warranty has expired one year after purchase.

Please explain EXACTLY how pouring clean fluid in, while the old fluid comes out of the cooler line, destroys a tranny. This is how a flush works. Clean fluid in, old fluid out.

I know some dipsticks who save the old fluid when they do filter changes, then put the old fluid back in. They also believe new fluid will ruin the tranny. They drive junk.

My Chrysler Concorde LXi has 156K miles on it, and still with the original transaxle. I FLUSH the fluid every 50K miles, and change the filter at 100K. BTW, this is a tranny that is notorious for self destructing by 75K miles. I wonder how I managed to get double that, and it continues to operate exactly as it did when I bought it new. Maybe it's the same reason my last tranny had to be replaced(finally) at more than 250K miles. This was also in a Dodge. The tranny worked fine, it just wore out the bushings at the output seals, and the front seal, and the d**n thing started to leak badly. It was just common sense to put in a new one at that point.

Honda friction material is made from crushed coconut shells (good trivia). It is fairly resilient. They will NOT come apart in a short amount of time. I know guys who use Dexron3 instead of the required fluid, with no ill effects. Glycol is slippery, and will cause damage if not flushed out. It will not happen in a few miles. Steve was probably at the far limit driving 60 miles.

The fluid pressure in the tranny lines is roughly equal to the pressure in the cooling system. This is why the fluids mix, in both the radiator, and the tranny. Most cars use clamps to hold the tranny lines in place. The fitting also have wider barbs to retain the clamp, than any other application. The hoses are made of a high pressure, oil resistant material, and the hoses are crimped to the steel lines. They don't crimp them because they have no pressure.

Checking everything under the hood at least every week stops most issues. Also, check under the car each week. My cars look and drive like they are brand new. I wonder why? Wait it's because I follow the manufacturers scheduled maintenance exactly as they wanted.

So please tell me which manufacturer says flushing the tranny is bad. Tell me what automotive ANYTHING says it's a bad thing to do.

I too was a jet mechanic in the service, I too have worked on diesel trucks and other heavy equipment as well as fire trucks for a while. I was injured while in the service and have two different back injuries, but I unlike you still continued to be a productive worker and not a drain on taxpayers like me.

It has nothing to do with age at all, but some people like you think you know all and actually know very little about anything.

Antifreeze does in fact have ethylene glycol, water, coloring, and one thing you and your degree failed to mention - silicates which prevent corrosion in the cooling system. Guess what, silicates are also known as silicone. How slippery is silicone? Soak a clutch disc in it and see how long your car moves. Maybe a matter of minutes was a mis-statement but most people reading this would get what I mean. By the way I checked the specs and the transmission lube pressure in the cooler lines should be between 3 and 15 pounds so the cooling system is running at a higher pressure at most times.

No one including you would expect antifreeze to be in thier transmission, and no one including you would check it before each use of the car. Other than fluid changes this car has never had to have any transmission fluid added, with no leaks she would have no reason to check it. The average person never checks their transmission fluid.

Like you said though, you have your opinion and I have mine so we will let this end now as it has no furthur purpose. My attorney filed the small claims case today and I trust him with all my business affairs, he seems to think we have a very good case and I will assure you he has a lot more eduction than either of us will ever have combined. So now I will let him do his job, the money is not the important thing here as I have already replaced the transmission and radiator with good parts.

It's just the principal of thing now and I will ensure everyone I meet from now on knows how deceptive Autozone's warranties are and the quality of their parts are not something you want on your car.

Roy,

Ok...You are the farm master.

You have your opinion and I have mine. I got my first ASE certification in 1980. So you have been at it longer than me. Big deal. I can guarantee I have more varied experience and more training.

I was also a jet mechanic for 7 years and a flight engineer for 2. I have worked on big trucks as well as cars and was fully certified.
I am now disabled with a back injury from active duty military serviceso I cannot I also have an engineering degree. But your smarter than I am.

I hate smug idiots like you that think you are older so you know more. You know nothing based on your posts.

The part of your post that got me was the statement that the antifreeze in the trans would ruin it in a matter of minutes. That is total BS. The transmission was shot probably because you were the last one to work on it!

Well like I said it is a dead horse with you. I am a mechanic and have been for 36 years. How old are you? I have repaired more transmissions than you have seen. I am retiring this year from making a living repairing these cars you seem to think I know nothing about, are you?

Antifreeze does not evaporate, at least some of the compounds in it does not. It is extremely slippery and will burn up clutches real quick. If you indeed have the same problem and got by you were lucky. Good for you.

The cooler lines on this car as well as all others on the road may have 6 to 10 pounds pressure, pull one off and start your engine to see if you are not a mechanic enough to already know. The radiator is pressurized by the cap, not the circulation pump like the transmission.

So before you bash, know who you are talking to. People like you only post here to argue and look important. This site is to inform others of bad business practices like a business that claims to have a lifetime warranty to sell you an object then claim it has expired.

If you would stop to read the post instead of only trying to stir up trouble like a child you would see I never once said that Autozone claimed the warranty did not cover the damage, only that the lifetime warranty had expired.

Now I am finished with this subject and am going out to polish my new RV that not knowing anything bought and I may take my truck for a spin around town very slowly and enjoy the fact that I don't have to work for a living anymore like you do at the local MacDonalds.

Roy,

It is obvious that you are not a mechanic and have no real mechanical knowledge.

First of all, that transmission does operate at both a higher pressure, and a higher temperature than your radiator does. You must have a special setup if you do not have some sort of high pressure hose / fittings. That little flange on that nipple that the cooler goes on is a retention device for high pressure application.
MOST imports have high pressure hoses just like a power steering pump.

Second, any liquid other than oil WILL burn off inside tour transmission. Antifreeze is mostly water with some ethylene glycol added along with some coloring. It does evaporate, just like water, and your transmission at operating temperature WILL vaporize most of it.

Third, the mechanical parts of the honda transmission are made from the exact same materials as every other import on the road.

I have seen this problem a few times, and have had it myself with a 1981 chevy with the little 4cylinder. Guess what? I was 60 miles from home when it happened. I drove it home and drained it. I did a flush the next day on the transmission and replaced the filter. No problems with the transmission.

Have fun suing a major parts manufacturer. I hope you have a lot of money to throw out the window.

Welol we could beat this old horse to death but there is no sense in it, we all have our beliefs and we all will swear by them.

The Honda transmission does not have high pressure fittings on the cooler lines, just hose clamps and LOW pressure hose and it is a very low pressure.

I do not believe synthetic oils will ruin anything, in fact I use them in all my vehicles.
I will not be out of business soon except to retire which I have made plenty of money to do so now.

Flushing is bad for automatic transmissions, why would a manufacturer suggest it? Well let me see, they wouldn't want to sell you a new transmission or car would they??? In a pigs eye they wouldn't.
Antifreeze will ruin a Honda automatic transmission in a few miles no matter what you think and antifreeze will not evaporate at the tempature of an automatic transmission. Water may but not antifreeze.

So you can go on bashing people all you want, and yes the Honda automatic is a fine transmission if it is not contaminated with dirt or antifreeze but it's clutch material is very easy to ruin.
AutoZone sold me a defective part that ruined the transmission and they have the responsibility to make it right period. Not just my opinion but my attorney's also.

I will get the claim paid and I hope it never happens to you, but if it does you will understand why I feel the way I do. Only then will we see if you are so understanding of big business ripping of the little guy.

If you had a new furance installed in your home and the gas valve was defective and the house burned to the ground would you not want the manufacturer of that valve to replace your home? Same case here and certianly because the manufacturer admits it was there fault. Not only did it fail but it failed because of a fitting they installed poorly.

So like I said I could go on beating a dead horse but unless you are a member of AutoZone's management then I am wasting my time on you. But if you are then I can say stick your parts where the sun don't shine!

I hope this might clarify the terminology used by corporate America in its deceptive practices to enrich the wealthy!

"Life Time Warranty" BEWARE!!! The author of this article says it all- "while I'm still alive" and the answer to that is "WRONG"!!!!

"Life Time Warranty" refers to the product itself to which the manufacturer either already has predetermined its useful life span or will make that determination upon your initiating a complaint-(generally in their favor).

I experienced this same dilemna with Advance Auto Parts and their sale of "Carburators"! Also, Advance Auto Parts stopped using the "Life Time Warranty" policy on most of their products if not all of them at this point.

It boils down to "BUYER BEWARE" in our country today because corporate America is immune to our legal system! The millionaires are in total control of everything in this country!!! And to their corrupt dismay-they are one by one going for broke due to their unscrupulous business practices!

My advice: When you purchase anything- the guarantees aren't worth the paper they are written on!!! So I generally price shop because we all know their is no "QUALITY" in todays products!!!!!!

Roy,

I have another issue to your post in addition to the one Robert already identified regarding flushing.

You wrote: "The radiator in a car runs at a much higher pressure that the transmission so a leak that developes running down the road as this one did will ruin an automatic transmission in a matter of minutes".

Well Roy, I don't know what school you went to, but I can tell to for a fact that the pressure in that Honda cooling system is no more than 16PSI which is far less than the pressure in that transmission. That's why your transmission cooler lines have high pressure fittings.

Furthermore, anti-freeze will not destroy your transmission in a matter of minutes as you claimed. It will cause slipping and erratic operation, but will not do permanent damage to the trans unless left in long term. Most of it will burn and evaporate.

You also stated that several other parts stores sell that same radiator. So, wouldn't that mean that they all sell defective parts? Not just Auto Zone, right? Get your story straight.

After all, they did warranty the radiator, right? That means the warranty was honored. They have no responsibility for fixing your junk Honda transmission. That is your responsibility.

"I would not flush any automatic transmission as it has been proven that flushing causes more damage due to stirring up trash in the transmission."

Huh?! What proof do you have? When you consider EVERY manufacturer recommends flushing, that entire statement becomes false. What trash? Flushing is done through the cooler lines. Any trash in the pan will still be in the bottom of the pan. That's why you flush every so often, and change the filter/clean the pan every other time.

Your Honda doesn't even use a serviceable filter. It's buried inside the valve body. That's how much Honds wanted it changed. They made sure nobody could get to it.

If you run your shop using the "old wives' tales" and myths of yesteryear, I suspect you'll be out of business soon. Let me guess...you also believe Synthetic Oil causes old engines to fall apart. I still love that one.

Well Steve I wish you were right but unforunatly you are way off base.

The radiator in a car runs at a much higher pressure that the transmission so a leak that developes running down the road as this one did will ruin an automatic transmission in a matter of minutes. Do you check your fluid while you are driving? Antifreeze is not like water and Honda cars with an automatic transmission can not tolorate antifreeze in them for more that a few minutes and no overheating ever occured, futhermore a Honda car has no servicable transmission filter. I would not flush any automatic transmission as it has been proven that flushing causes more damage due to stirring up trash in the transmission.


As far as being a cheap part, that is far from the truth also. The company that manufactured this radiator sells it's product to most part stores. This defect happened to thousands of Chrysler products in the mid seventies with factory radiators.


True Autozone did not manufacture this or any other part, however they are making millions of dollars per year selling them with a lifetime warranty.


They have not claimed that the warranty does not cover the damage, they claim the warranty has expired.


I understand that the warranty claims they are not responsible for the incidental damages but as we all know that this statement means nothing when it gets to court. If you can prove that the radiator caused unusual damage to the vehicle due to a defect it will hold up in court.


Like I said from the beginning I only reported it here so more people could be informed of the poor quality parts sold at Autozone and they way they refuse to honor their "Lifetime Joke Of a Warranty"


Do with this information however you wish but I would suggest anyone who cares about their car to buy from a more reputable parts company than Autozone, I know I do now and the manager at my local parts store has offered me an additional discount to use them for all my parts so I know where my parts are going to be purchased from now on.

This is ridiculous. Auto Zone did not manufacture that part. However, YOU did CHOOSE to buy that cheap part and install it in your daughter's car.

There is a responsibilty of the DRIVER of the car to keep an eye on things under the hood. Some women are notorious for never looking at anything or filling anything. It is hard enough to get them to put gas in it.

Herein lies the problem. I can tell you that if that problem was caught right away, and the car not driven it would have done no damage to the transmission. A fluid flush and filter would have been it, and that would be the maximum the manufacturer would be liable for.

This problem would have caused a very strong smell of burning antifreeze AND the car wold have ran much hotter, possibly overheating, at which time the car should have been stopped and checked. But, some women will drive a car until it won't drive anymore. Then they look at it when it is too late.

How often does your daughter check the oil, coolant, and trans fluid? How about the tire pressure? Does she even know how?

I pop my hood NO LESS than once per week and EVERYTHING gets checked thoroughly, and a gauge goes on my tires at least once per month.

It is called paying attention to what is going on with your car. NOBODY should drive a car that is unable or unwilling to check the basic driveability and safety items.

You get what you paid for. You bought a cheap part. You got a cheap part. And that lifetime warranty specifically excludes incidental damage due to parts failure, and only covers material defects in the manufacture of the part. It does not cover neglect, improper installation, etc.

Did you actually READ the warranty?

No they have not claimed the transmission was not covered and yes if a warranteed parts fails, which was verified by the manufacturer of this part and I do have that in writing, and it causes damage to your vehicle then the seller of that part is liable in most cases.

Autozone's position when this first occured was that it was not their responsibility, it was between the manufacturer and myself which is wrong. Autozone is the first party in this case as I purchased the radiator from them, not from the manufacturer.

The Autozone area manager can not discuss this matter with me any longer and his legal department has taken over the claim so that tells me they know I have a good case.
If I can not get a response from them soon my only recourse will be small claims court, which is my next step. I just wanted to get the word out to all I can about how they do business.

No everyone with a bad transmission should not claim it was the radiator that caused it, however anyone who has written documentation from the lab at Proliance International,Inc.(the manufacturer of the radiator), that the transmission cooler in the radiator failed and leaked antifreeze into the transmission, should indeed file a claim.

I do not usually buy from Autozone for the shop, but I did when they are the only one who has the part and I need it in a hurry. NEVER AGAIN!

I'm sure it doesn't cover replacing a transmission, otherwise everyone with a bad transmission would be claiming a faulty radiator caused it. Also, the "lifetime warranty" covers the radiator for the life of the car, the life of the driver, the life of the registered owner, or the life of your daughter whose car you installed it? Warranties are very arbitrary,
usually lasting all the way to the door.

Why? We only use a part if necessary from Autozone, and even then we have bad luck with them.

Wondering if maybe they meant that the transmission repair needed wasn't covered by the warranty?

Obviously the radiator itself is, and you are right, the warranty isn't worth the paper it's printed on. All it covers is a replacement part if yours breaks. I have never seen one that covers things damaged when the part breaks. (But like I said, I already avoid Autozone as much as possible)

Another possibility is that the radiator is out of the manufacture warranty, but Autozone is the one replacing the part to you out of their own warranty. Since autozone warranties items on their own, it might make sense.

Either way, you are right, don't shop there again. Autozone's warranty means nothing. Who cares if you can get a replacement part again, it doesn't cover the labor to remove or replace it after it craps out.