[pcj]

My car has had transmission problems and it is now the 3rd time I've brought it BACK to get fixed right
First time the car had no power going above 60 on a trip to NYC with the Check Engine Light and the Over Drive light flashing the whole way and the car bucked virolently and chirped the wheels when switching from 1st to 2nd gear
second time the car still bucked violently and chirped the wheels when switching from 1st to 2nd gear you would have to be passed out drunk to miss it...
This they had it for a week to fix that 1st to 2nd gear - he blamed it on a bad part hey got the first time they ficxed it...
So yesterday he called and said it was all good they drove it for 30 miles - looks great... come and get it. He said they closed at 5:00 - I told him I'd be there before then. At 4:50 when I got there - the place was closed - with a sign that my key was next door at the rental car place (that really ticked me off... seeing as I told him I would be there before 5:00 because I specifically wanted to talk with someone). I turned in my rental car and got my key.
Well, I got in my car and no sooner than I started it, stepped on the gas and pulled out did it start sputtering, have no getup and the check engine light was flashing. I had to pick up my son, so I drove it about 15 mintues to get him and bring it back to the shop. I regot my rental car and left my key there. I lost it on the guy when I called him last night...
This morning the guy told me it was probably because they were nice enough to clean (he said "detail") my car for me inside and out and probably got water in the engine. Well I thne told him how my hands were litterly black after driving the car for 15 minutes - and how they must not use papermats because my mat was an utter greasy mess... to which he said "oh, there was no paper mat?"
My question is this - while I paid for a service and I ain't leaving until that service is completed to my satisfaction, I paid to have it fixed, and when all is said and done it will eb fixed. But, what recourse do I have to demand a refund (and of what amount) for my time, frustration, inconvenience and dealing with incompetence...

[mjloves2shop]

You can PM him ~

Good luck with the car I understand completely!

[riffparker]

where are you having this work done?

specifically

NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE

of the shop

lets start with that and we will write the letter together in this thread so maybe others can pitch in or learn from our adventure!

[Shopz2Much]

My 2 cents...

Unless it was a Sears auto shop or something of that nature - you're screwed. Mom & Pop shops will not be responsive, particularly to a letter and especially if it's a sarcastic letter. Most "name brand" shops are franchises and again - you won't get anywhere with them.

I hate to say it but I think you're just going to have to keep bringing the car back to them till they get sick of seeing your face and fix it correctly to make you go away for good. Make the mechanic take a ride in the car with you.

I would TRULY not take the negative/sarcasm route on this one...

[riffparker]

Was it a Mom & Pop store, a franchise or a big box shop (Sears, etc.).

[pcj]

Here is my rough draft (I have to fill in some details...)

To: Todd P. Leff (CEO\President Cottman Transmissions)
CC: My local Cottman Transmission

Dear Mr. Leff,
I started having some problems with my car it was not engaging in first gear when I had the car in drive, so in order to drive it I needed to manually shift it through 2nd and 3rd gear. I brought it to my regular mechanic who diagnosed it as a transmission problem. They also diagnosed a problem with the front axels\boots. I decided to have a “transmission specialist” look at the car so I brought my 1998 Mazda 626 to the [My Local Cottman Transmissions] on March 12th or so (I don’t have the exact date with me today – but will provide that if needed). And to this point the car is still not driving properly and my experience has been far less than satisfactory from all standpoints.
When I brought the car in initially it was not engaging in first gear when I had the car in drive, so in order to drive it I needed to manually shift it through 2nd and 3rd gear.
I rented a car from the Enterprise Rental Car next door for the time while the transmission work was done. They did the work and I got the car back on March 16th ish or so (again I don’t have the exact date available now, but can provide that later if needed). At that time Bob noted to me that there was an issue with the front boots/axels that I should get taken care of in the next couple weeks. I told him I would do that, and I left with my car. Driving the car it was obvious there was still a problem. When in drive the transition from 1st to 2nd gear was tough. It bucked rather significantly. I drove it for awhile thinking that it might just be that things need to wear in a bit, I did not at this point contact Cottman regarding the 1st to 2nd transition.
On April 6th I brought the car to my normal mechanic to have the front boots/axle issue resolved.
The transition from 1st to 2nd gear wasn’t getting any better, but at the time I had some significant personal and work related duties that didn’t allow me to be without a car for a couple days while it was repaired, and I couldn’t afford another several days of rental.
On April 8th I was taking a trip up to New York City. While traveling on the NJ turnpike at about 75 MPH – the car would seriously rev the RPMs and didn’t seem to have any additional power to get past 75 or so… then at about 65 MPH while going up an incline in the road the RPMs spiked to like 5-6000 and then the check engine light came on and the OverDrive OFF light started flashing. We continued our trip to NYC with the car on Cruise Control at 57MPH. And returned the following day on the 9th. The whole time we traveled with the check engine light on and the O/D Off light flashing. That makes for a very comfortable and stress free drive I can tell you.

On April 10th. I brought the car back into the [My Local Cottman Transmissions] center and explained the issue to Bob from the trip to NYC and also told Bob that the car jerked\bucked when transitioning from first to second gear. Bob said they’d take care of it. I had coordinated to have a friend pick me up at the Cottmen to drive me to work. I called later that day at like 4:00 when I hadn’t heard from anyone and had to figure out what I needed to do as far as transportation. Bob said they hadn’t diagnosed the problem yet because a technician left early that day. I had my friend drive me home
April 11th coordinated a friend to drive me back and forth from home to work.

On April 12th coordinated a friend to drive me back and forth from home to work. Got a call from Bob who said my car was repaired and everything was all set there had been a problem with some switch so they replaced it. Bob also mentioned that he was still hearing the clicking indicative of the problem with the front boots. I told him I had had it fixed already and would have my regular mechanic look at it. He left the key locked in the car (I have a second set of keys) and I had my wife drive me down in the evening and I picked up my car.


On April 13th I brought my car to my normal mechanic to have them fix the problem with the clicking still with the front boots\axels.
Around lunch I called to let Bob know that the car was STILL NOT transitioning smoothly between 1st and 2nd gear, and in fact it now also chirped the tires quite often when transitioning. I told him that I had reported that problem to him when I brought it on April 10th and that it was still a problem. Bob said that he didn’t recall me telling him about that problem on the 10th. It’s possible he didn’t remember me telling him, hear me tell him, or just lumped it in with the NYC problem and didn’t differentiate that I had two problems, but either way, anyone who would have driven that car for just a couple minutes in order to check that it was all working fine after they had replaced that switch would have noticed how it bucked and chirped the tires when going from first to second gear. So regardless of whether he recalls me reporting that problem to him or not, there is no way that car should have been returned to me in that condition.
Bob told me to bring the car in on Friday the 14th.
Later that afternoon I got a call from my regular mechanic who told me the problem was not with the boots\axel work, but that the transmission bolts were loose, and in fact the wrong bolt was used to secure it. The bolt that was used was only long enough to fit in maybe 2 or 3 threads. He also said the transmission plug was not in right and was leaking fluid.
I called Bob back to give him the information and he apologized and said he’d look at it on Friday when I brought the car in.

On Good Friday, April 14th I drove my Mazda down with my wife and kid following in another car so I could leave my car at [My Local Cottman Transmissions] center. I got there and showed Bob the wrong sized bolt and the report from my Mechanic. A Technician grabbed the keys and put it up on the lift to check it out. Bob then asked me when next week would be a good time for me to bring it in? Say What?! Why did I bother bringing it in today if you weren’t going to work on it and just ask me to bring it back next week? He said it was because he was concerned about the loose\wrong bolts. I explained to him that he wasn’t aware of that problem when he initially told me to bring it in today. He then apologized and said the he couldn’t do anything because it was a holiday and he couldn’t get parts and that he was closing the shop early. This really chapped me – why waste my time on my day off with my family to have me bring my car down to your shop, have my wife follow me down with our child in tow, just to tell me to bring it back next week?!?!?!?!?!?!? And then to try and just make up excuses as to why you have just wasted my time!!!!
At that point the technician also test drove the car to see about the jerking\bucking\chirping when going from 1st to 2nd gear. The tires chirped nicely on his way out of the parking lot. I left that day with my car and Bob told me to call back on Monday to see when to bring it in next week and to see what he could do for me as far as alternate transportation while my car was again being worked on.

On Tuesday April 18th I brought my car back in so that the [My Local Cottman Transmissions] could fix the problem with the jerky\bucking\tire chirping transition from 1st to 2nd gear. Bob coordinated a rental car for me with the Enterprise next door that would be paid for by [My Local Cottman Transmissions].
I didn’t hear from Bob or anyone from [My Local Cottman Transmissions] all week so finally at 4:30 on Friday April 21st I called. I talked with Bob who said things weren’t going good. They had tried all kinds of tests – tried a couple repairs that didn’t work and that they were still working on it and that I should check in next week. Customer Service tip here: Call the customer once in a while to let them know how things are going and what they can expect.

On April 25th Bob called to tell me the car was all set – they had driven it for some 30 miles and everything was fine/great. They determined the problem was that the valve body they installed the initial time was bad and they replaced it. I asked him when they closed and he said 5:00 PM but if I was going to be later he could leave the key under the mat or something. I told him no, I would be down before 5:00 because I wanted an updated warranty with a new start/repair date on it to reflect April 25th. When I got down to the service center at 4:50 the door was locked and no one was there. I walked over to my car only to find it sitting in the parking lot unlocked. At this time Bob appeared from his car, he must have been just leaving when he saw me try the office door. Bob told me the car key was over at the Enterprise Rental Car office and that everything was all set.
I was annoyed here for a couple reasons
1. My car was left in a parking lot unlocked. Is this the way your company generally leaves customer’s cars when the service center is closed?
2. It was not yet 5:00 and I had told Bob earlier on the phone that I would be there before 5:00 to pick up my car – yet Bob’s time was too valuable for him to stay the 10 additional minutes until 5:00. 5:00 is not the time I chose, but the time that Bob told me the service center would be open until.
I turned in my rental car at Enterprise and got the key to the Mazda. I got in my car and before I started the I had to wipe down the steering wheel because it was very dirty and greasy. I also noticed that my floor mat on the driver side was very dirty and greasy. Your technicians should take care to use paper mats when in a customer’s car. Your company should also make it a practice to wipe down the steering wheel after working on a customer’s car. I started the car... and it was sputtering a bit. I figured maybe things need to work themselves out a little more – maybe the 30 miles that Bob said they drove it wasn’t enough. No sooner had I stepped on the gas and made a left turn out onto the road then the car started really sputtering and jerking. At that point the check engine light started flashing. As you can sense I really became mad at this point. How can someone call me and tell me my car is all ready to go, when by simply turning on the car and stepping on the gas peddle I get bucking, sputtering and flashing warning lights!?!?!?!?! This is now the second time where I simply got in my car and drove less than 30 seconds and I, a man who doesn’t know much about the inner workings of engines, could tell the car was not right and there were still problems! It didn’t take a car mechanic to determine there was a problem still. Does your company not train your technicians on how to drive a car 10 feet to determine if it sputters, bucks or flashes warning lights at them?
At this point I was overdue for picking up my son at daycare, so I drove my car the 4 or so miles to the daycare – sputtering, bucking and flashing at me the whole way. I picked up my son and drove it back to the [My Local Cottman Transmissions] service center - sputtering, bucking and flashing at me the whole way back. The Enterprise folks hadn’t ‘checked in’ the rental car I had returned so I took that back and left my key with them and my Mazda in the parking lot. I also called Bob ( I guess the phones are forwarded) and I apologize, but I let my frustration take a bit of a hold over me and I got quite upset with Bob over the phone while telling him that I was back yet again at his service center with a car that was yet again not fixed.
Now on top of all this, when I got into work the next day (this morning), I had a voicemail message from Bob left at 4:40 the previous day telling me he was getting ready to leave and wondering where I was and what time I’d be there to pick up my car. What happened to the center being opened until 5:00 PM?


What I would like for your company to provide me in return for my poor experiences with your company is:
1. A lifetime guarantee on the transmission. With the experience that I have had to this point in dealing with your company, I have no faith in the fact that my transmission has been repaired properly and I have no faith in the fact that there has been no other damage done to the transmission as a result of the inability of this service center to repair the transmission right the first, second or third time. So to that point I would like some assurance that your company will guarantee the transmission as long as I own this car.
2. I would like a 100% reimbursement of the initial labor fees charged to me for the repair as compensation for my time and aggravation in dealing with this mess. Your company continually told me the car was fine and everything was OK – and each time I picked up my car I found that it wasn’t. All 3 of those times it was abundantly obvious that the car was not operating properly within 30 seconds of driving the car out of the parking lot.
3. $25 to reimburse me for a carwash. The interior of my car in the area of the drivers seat was dirty and greasy. After driving away from the service center on April 25th for the 15 minute ride before I returned it yet the third time to get fixed, my hands were black with the grease/soot that was left on the steering wheel from the technicians (even after I had wiped it down before leaving the parking lot). The floor mat, which I admit was not spot on clean, was a greasy mess from your technicians going in and out of my car without using a temporary paper mat.

I would have to say at this point I am very unhappy with the choice I made to bring my car into [My Local Cottman Transmissions]. While I hope this experience is not one that most of your customers would experience at other Cottman centers, I’m sure I won’t be the last unsatisfied customer at the [My Local Cottman Transmissions] center. To that point I will be sure to let my friends, acquaintances & co-workers hear of my time with [My Local Cottman Transmissions] so they are aware of what they might experience if they were to make the same unwise choice that I made. I can also say with complete certainty that should I need to bring my Mazda back to Cottman in order to resolve a transmission problem under the warranty, it will NOT be the [My Local Cottman Transmissions] service center. I will travel out of my way to find another Cottman Service Center and pray that I my experience there is better than the one I had at the [My Local Cottman Transmissions] center.


Regards,

[pcj]

Ugh - I should have proofed it before I posted - the first paragraph is all sorts of screwed up..

[riffparker]

OK so fix it

then subimt it electronically on BBB.ORG

send another copy to corporate HQ

wait 30 days

[Trish]

ewwwwwww.........I don't know about your Cottman but ours is really bad. a few years ago we took a car there to have a clutch replaced (I think it was more than that too but don't remember) and they invoiced us for a new clutch. My DH didin't even drive the car out of the lot before it was acting up. Went back and first asked for the old clutch back. They couldn't produce the part. Long story short, DH gets a little mad and they admit to "forgetting" to do that part! LMAO..........I kinda wish I would have been there.....but our Atty General has investigated Cottman after a local newstation did a piece on Cottman charging people for "dummy" repairs!