Scams-o-matic Transmission shop in Chico, Ca.

Two weeks ago, my transmission started lightly slipping and I observed that it was leaking fluid from the space between the transmission and the transfer case (2000 F-150). I took it in to my local repair shop (Corning Auto Center) because they have a pretty good reputation, myself and several of my friends have been going there for years and they have always done us right. I'm a firm believer in talking good about local businesses when they treat you right.

Well, after Corning Auto checked it out, they had determined that I was correct and that the seal just needed replaced. Unfortunately, they didn't have a certain tool that was needed that had something to do with dropping the torsion bars, I don't know the exact tool or it's use so I won't try to quote it. Non the less they didn't charge me a dime for looking at it, and they even added a couple of courts of fluid to it and didn't charge me for that either. (good guy's I'd say)

Since they were unable to do the job they recommended that I take it to a transmission shop in Chico that rhymes with scams-o-matic. I called and talked to one of them on the phone and told him that the seal needed replaced and I told him everything that Corning Auto had told me. He instantly started off bad mouthing them and saying that it was a very simple job, he then told me that he's not surprised that they couldn't fix it bla bla bla...

He said that it should only cost a couple hundred bucks to replace that seal, I said wow, only a couple hundred bucks, I'll bring it over right now. <-- I wasn't being sarcastic at all, I really did think that was a good price, I still think it would have been. Let's move on... So I dropped the truck off and drove back to Corning. The next day I called them and the male receptionist said that it's going to be 2400.00 to fix the truck.

HUH!?!? 2400 to replace a seal?

No, we have to replace the transmission.

What's wrong with the transmission? It was shifting and operating smooth.

You ran it low on fluid and it needs replaced.

Needs replaced? It was a little low on fluid because of the leaky seal, not way low, just a little, it was operating and shifting just fine, it just needs a new seal, can't you just install a new seal?

We can do a patch job on it and replace the seal, but you are going to need a new transmission and the replacing the seal is going to run you 300.00 plus parts so you might as well replace the transmission if you plan on keeping it, specially since your truck has so many miles on it. I'm on lunch right now, will you call me back at 1:15?

Sure.

So, I thought about that for a few minutes and called up an older friend (who is not a transmission specialist) but did do this line of work for many years for local large dealers. I told him what I was told on the phone and he said let's drive over there and fill it full of fluid and drive it around the block a few times and see how it feels, sounds, and shifts. 2400 is a lot of money to replace something that we arrent sure is even broken.

We drove over there and he waited in the parking lot and I walked in to the office, I was not mad or even in a bad mood, I'm a pretty mellow person that hates drama and I was very polite and not even slightly sarcastic in any way. I told the male receptionist that I wanted to fill the truck with tranny fluid and drive it around the block a few times and listen to it, that way I can make up my mind if I want to pay $2400.00 to replace the transmission, or just pay the $300.00 + parts to replace the seal.

Was there anything wrong with the above statement? I don't see anything wrong with it, they certainly should not have been offended by any of that. One would think that it is perfectly okay to want to test drive the truck before paying a shop 2400.00 for a new transmission, I mean after all, I brought it in because of a leak, not direct transmission problems.

The guy said no problem and walks through the door and tells the mechanic that the owner wants to make sure that it is topped off with fluid and test drive it in order to determined as to whether he wants us to replace the transmission, or just the seal.

Here is where my mood is about to change, I heard the piece of shit mechanic yell, “Why?!?” and them make a loud CCHHHHAAAAA!!!!! sound. As if the owner (that's me) is a total idiot because I didn't just whip out my wallet and pay them 2400.00 for a transmission but instead, how dare I question them that it is bad.

But guess what? I'm still not pissed off.... I knew that he didn't know that I heard him do that and who knows, maybe he's just having a bad day or something. So I walked around to the side of the shop and I saw the mechanic walking towards my truck, apparently he didn't know that the guy standing in the lot was my friend that had came with me, because my friend walked over to me and said that right before I came out, this mechanic came walking out with his head down and he said very rudely, “This guy is fucking with us!”, and he was referring to me being “this guy”.

First off, it's very unprofessional to get an attitude with your customers. Second, I wasn't fucking with anybody, I was just wanting to make sure that I needed a new transmission before forking out 2400.00. I lifted my hood and my friend (who didn't even know what was going on other then the fact that a rude mechanic was talking crap about me) reached in to pull my out the dipstick and see how low I was on tranny fluid. It turns out I wasn't that low, but this apparently really pissed off the mechanic with a stick up his arse so he threw his hands up in the air like a little bitch and walked back in to his shop. How dare we get in his way.

My friend and I has decided to go get our own fluid from Wally world and add it ourself, no big woop, so I locked up my truck and we started to drive away in my other vehicle when another guy comes out with a piece of paper and says, “Here is our estimate for the transmission.” I told him that I don't need it because I'm done doing business here and you can tell your rude mechanic to fuck off! <--That was the redneck in me. By this time I had that trembling adrenaline feeling going on and really wanted to open up a can. I realize that's a very immature thing to say, but sometimes it's easy to lose control of your maturity when your really angry.

We went to wally world and picked up two courts of transmission fluid, came back to their parking lot and added a quart and drove the truck home. When we arrived home we were short a half quart. It has a simple leak, the transmission is fine, it is shifting fine, there is no burnt smell it discoloration on the dipstick. I have a freaking leak, and they were going to install a transmission and charge me 2400.00 for it.

You know, it wasn't the fact that they were trying to sell me a 2400.00 part that I didn't need that really torques my shorts, it's that rude fat guy that claims to be a mechanic came out of there bad mouthing me when Idid nothing to deserve it.
There, I feel better now!

Careful where you shop..... for transmission work. .02