Cottman Transmissions rip-off! These people are dishonest, manipulative, deceptive, and lie about what they can and will do. El Paso Texas

This report contains two e-mails sent to Cottman Transmission and the only response is as follows:

"These are long, but please, I think they are worth the time to read. If you are having any problems with your transmission-just bring it back to the El Paso Cottman Center. I spoke with Frank, you are covered under a full 12 month 12,000 mile warranty. Liza McNally Customer Relations".

What follows is a copy of what I sent to Liza McNally:

(COTTMAN TRANSMISSIONS 79 DODGE MANUAL TRANSMISSION REPAIR Of a 435 New Process Transmission) On Friday, August 20, 2004 in a conversation with Frank, the shop foreman for Cottman Transmissions, pertaining to the problems with a manual four-speed transmission in a 1979 Dodge Ramcharger stating the transmission will not stay in third gear once power is decreased, it will not down shift to second gear without excessive force, and the transmission is noisy. In an agreement with Frank the truck was brought to the shop Monday morning, August 23, 2004 arriving at 8:15 am. Once again, we discussed the problems with the transmission and told him the truck was needed come Thursday.

Tuesday afternoon I stopping by the shop to check on their progress and observed my transmission on a transmission stand noticing a lot of oil on the input shaft and retainer and asked if they had tipped the transmission loosing the oil onto the shaft. I asked if they would inspect the clutch assembly to insure no oil had contaminated the new clutch assembly that Cottman Transmission had just installed some weeks previous. Wednesday midmorning, Frank called me and said the transmission was in all respect was junk. I went to Cottman shop to see what he had spoken about. This is the day before I stated I wanted the truck back. The transmission was disassembled on a workbench where I observed that the gears and bearing surfaces on the main shaft where in very bad condition. The gear teeth where broken and the bearing surfaces where badly scared. The reverse idler gear was in the same condition. The nylon grommets on the shifting forks where junk, the machined surfaces on the forks where worn out and needed to be replaced. The tower assembly and main shaft retainer end cap had been repaired with J B Weld.

Upon seeing the condition of this transmission, Frank suggested that it be rebuilt and I agreed. I asked Frank if the main shaft retainer cap and tower would be replaced as well as the internal components. Frank assured me that this would be done and that they would send it off to be rebuilt. The cost would be $1800 plus shipping. Monday August 30, 2004, I checked on the status of the vehicle. I asked where Frank was and told by the tentative new owner that he was attending school. At that time I reminded the new owner what had been discussed between Frank and I.

Thursday morning approximately 11:00 am September 2, 2004 I dropped by the shop to check on the readiness of the vehicle and was told it would be ready the next day. I asked to see the truck and found it ready except the four-wheel shifter. I was then told it would be ready that afternoon. At 4:15 pm, a Cottman employee gave me a ride from my house to his shop. I then signed the contract for the work to be done. The tentative new owner stated that it now had more power and ran very good. I found that statement very strange to say the least. On entering the truck I noticed the driver side carpet was ruined with grease from the repairman's shoes. The grease covered nearly the entire driver side and some of the passenger side. Retuning to the shop office and confronting the tentative new owner about the grease in the floorboard, the tentative new owner denied that they had done this, but insisting he inspect the truck he finally admitted they had done it. I also noted that the truck had been driven 25.3 miles.

At that time I backed the truck up and down the driveway and then for took it for a short ride approximately one mile. The clutch hops when I back up and the transmission shifts hard. They installed a new clutch no more than six weeks ago; the truck has been in their shop for a week of that time. With the truck home, I inspected the undercarriage and transmission where I noticed the main shaft retainer had been replaced, but the old tower remains. That was part of the deal to replace. The constant velocity joint has been torque hard indicated by stress marks on the two constant velocity flanges. There are new bare metal marks on the front of the constant velocity shaft flange opposite a new dent in the new exhaust piping indicating over powering. There was no need to drive my vehicle 25.3 miles to test drive nor driving it so hard. For $2,262.43, I do not believe I have received what I paid for.

September 3, returning to Cottman Transmission shop, I discussed with Frank some other concerns that I had. I told him that the spacer washers on the transfer case shift rods where not in-place, bolts where missing and some bolts without nuts on them, the boot for the shifter tower was not installed, the transmissions bolts to the bell housing where loose, the drivelines where out of alignment, the transmission side cover was leaking oil, back-up lights where not plugged in, and the clutch was out of adjustment. Frank said to bring the truck in after Labor Day and they would have it out that day.

The truck was delivered to the shop Tuesday, September 6 about 9:00 am and I was given a ride home. At 4:30 pm that day I called the shop inquiring about the status of the repairs and was told it was not ready, but it would be tomorrow. I believe they should have called to inform me of the situation and again that is something that they have never done.

When I did pick the truck up, the only things they did was remove the grease from the carpet, align the drivelines, connect the back-up light, and put a repaired shifter boot on the shifter. Upon inspecting the loose bolts, discovery was made why the transmission to bell housing bolts where loose to begin with. The aluminum threads in the bell housing are stripped. But, they did re-paint the transmission in black to conceal the obvious problem. The bell housing cover was removed exposing the stripped transmission bolt threads that where pushed through the bell housing confirming why the bolts did not appear to be seated. The technician adjusted the clutch to the point the throw-out bearing was in constant contact with the clutch. This will cause premature failure of the clutch assembly. This was corrected.

The transmission is hard to shift and at times difficult to find the shift pattern between second and third gear. Shifting the transmission from third gear to second gear results in gear grinding especially from a stop. These concerns where expressed to Frank, but he assured me that the transmission was of quality rebuild and that he would stand by his out sourced re-builder. This re-built transmission does not work any better than it did before. There is a question here that needs to be addressed, if Cottman Transmission is in the business of repairing transmissions, why is there a need for them to have another company do their work?

This is the second letter sent to Liza. Wednesday, November 03, 2004 Cottman Transmisson-2 Follow up With the instructions stated in an e-mail from Mrs. Liza McNally, customer relation for Cottman Transmissions, at my earliest opportunity, Frank was contacted and a date was set to take the truck back to the shop for evaluation.

On Monday, November 1, 2004 arriving 8:00 am at the shop in time to walk in with the new owner (to this date he has never introduced himself) exchanging traditional morning greetings initiated mostly by myself as we entered the building and being the only conversation I had with him that day. In fact, Frank has always been his voice.

I greeted Frank and begun to explain what problems I was having with the transmission. His demeanor was very impersonal and responded only when pressed or confronted with a question. His best answer was, we will determine if you have a problem.

I asked him to ride with me to demonstrate the problem. He refused calling an employee to drive the vehicle and report back. At this point I had the feeling of being mostly ignored, so I waited for the employee to return. He made his report to Frank stating nothing was wrong with the transmission.

Again I asked Frank to ride with me and he refused again, but instead told the same employee to ride with me. This was upsetting. This individual did not speak English; therefore no communication of any consequence existed between us. After traveling a block and a half, he indicated that we should return to the shop. Frank informed me the employee said that I am too hard on the vehicle.

Who is this young person that rode with me and determined nothing is wrong with the transmission and that I am hard on my vehicle? Is he a board member incognito or a silent partner to make such a statement? We are talking about a 5,00 pound truck not a sports car! I feel no need to explain myself to either Frank or this young man. Frank asked me since there was nothing wrong with the transmission, what did I want him to do? The question was posed in gesture such as to ask do we pull the transmission again for a fee?

The following describes what appears to be wrong with this transmission that over $2,200 was spent on not including my down time and the many returns to the shop. First, shifting between gears takes more effort than it should and feels stiff and jerky like a bur on a sliding door rail; other words the shift does not feel smooth and comfortable.

Second, down shifting to second gear is hard and requires the old method of double clutching to be done to move the transmission to second gear. Third, at a stop such as a red light, with the transmission in neutral and the clutch disengaged, shifting into second gear requires double clutching, if not the gears will grind and is hard to engage the gear.

I am 56 years old and have driven standard transmissions since I was 10 years old. I have driven new vehicles and very old ones of many types. I know what a transmission should feel like and how it should work. Frank retorted with a remark that I was a big burley-looking fellow and I should have no problem shifting the transmission.

When an individual ignores my experience and tells me that I am not a transmission technician and there is nothing wrong with the transmission, I tend to become displeased with the comments. When the new owner sits and listens to what is being said without any input on his part, allowing the foreman to do all the talking, something is amiss. When the shop foreman allows a 20 plus year old employee who does not have the communication skills necessary to respond to a customers' needs and questions, problems will prevail.

Again, I asked Frank why it was necessary to send my transmission out of town for repair and why the top section, the tower was not replaced since it had been repaired previously with JB Weld. He retorted that it was cheaper and the top section was not part of the box. Does that mean that an oil pan on an automatic is not part of the transmission? If it needs repair, do you not make provisions for its repair and inform the customer? I asked if the forks had been replaced and for the first time he informed they had been rebuilt and where not replaced. I could have done that myself!

I told Frank that I could have purchased a remanufactured transmission from the internet for $ 875 plus shipping. Frank said, I knew what he intended to do and I had that option at that time to order such a transmission that Wednesday. When your truck is in pieces, there are no real options. I was not aware that Frank intended to out source my transmission until that Wednesday, the day before the truck was needed.

At that time Frank assured me I would be getting the old transmission case with all new parts and components. That has not happened. All I want is what I paid for which is expensive and what the shop foreman agreed to. I want what I should have received which is only right.

I do not prefer at this time to pursue other avenues to vindicate the situation unless I am forced to do so. This letter should have been very un-necessary. Cottman Transmission was chosen because of the good work and report that a friend had given when Mr. Louis Ortis owned the franchise. In fact, while Mr. Ortiz was still the owner, he repaired the transfer case in the same truck. I was very impressed with his knowledge and professionalism and his willingness to help.

However, I do not see that now. I wish to thank you for the time and effort concerning this matter. I am considering a report to the BBB and consult a lawyer and take it to small claims court. Thank you for reading this report.

James
El paso, Texas
U.S.A.

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