I'm using another car I have temp. to get to work today. I'm thinking of doing what your saying, but if I do something to it in between them looking at it they (AAMCO) can probably claim it to be my fault.
AAMCO is a freaking joke
- Thread starter CycloneRulzzz
- Start date
I'm using another car I have temp. to get to work today. I'm thinking of doing what your saying, but if I do something to it in between them looking at it they (AAMCO) can probably claim it to be my fault.
I do almost all my own mechanical work and help out others also when I have time. Have changed brakes ($40 pads plus an hour vs $6-900 from repair joints), have changed out alternators ($167 at Autozone plus 45 min vs $700 at repair joints), replaced water pumps, fuel pumps, intake gaskets, front end bearings, jackshafts, fuel injectors. When I get something I don't want to mess with like when a rear main seal went out on my van I take it up to my hometown (Britt) and I have a buddy do it for me. When I checked around here, they wanted to charge anywhere from $1,100 to $1,400 to do it. He did it for $450 and I had him flush the transmission while he had the van(probly another $250 around here).
And not having the tools? I have taken some of the big bucks I have saved to buy tools that I can use afterwards as well.
Changing water pump on a buick century this weekend ($21.39 at autozone plus an hour) vs $400-500 at repair joints.
I have no problem with places making money but the rapes that go on around this area is criminal.
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Your failure to understand how a warranty works does not equate to it being a scam. If the warranty started over with the replacement, people would be pretty much be able to get replacement item annually without paying for it, and people will take advantage of it. When you initially purchase the item, part of your payment is covering the cost of 1-year of replacement on the item. That's it. You're not purchasing an additional year of coverage when you get the item replaced, therefore your warranty is not extended. If you want a warranty that is valid in perpetuity, pay for a lifetime warranty.
I worked in an auto parts store for 3 years and had to explain this to people daily. The example I always used was brake pads - if the warranty worked according to their wishful thinking, they would be able to buy the $20 1-year warranty pads, destroy them in a year, then pull them off and expect a replacement over and over again. And yes, there are people who go to this much trouble to get something for free.
I know you weren't replying to me, but I would answer yes to both you questions. Intake gaskets are easy and are usually nothing more than a couple of bolts and a couple of hours of labor.
I've done tranny work on my wife's van when the splines on the shaft for the OD got stripped out. It was a little tougher, but still just some bolts and about half a day of work. If the transmission were totally out I would have just bought a re manufactured one and replaced it. That probably would have taken me a weekend to complete.
I got ripped off (at least it always felt like it) a lot when I was younger for repairing vehicles. I had a ball joints replaced on a car and it cost me around $600. Looking back I could have bought a ball joint press, jack, jack stands, and the rest of the tools for less than half of that amount. I had a transmission rebuilt in a pickup for around $2000 and it never felt right. After a year it began to slip. I could have bought a re-manufactured one from dodge with a 3 year warranty for less than that and put it in myself.
If you can turn a wrench, use the internet, and can read you probably can do your own work on your vehicles. You might have to buy some tools, but its still cheaper and you get more tools.
I use to do that too, but its expensive. If you have an air compressor you can buy a cheap vacuum tool that uses it to supply the vacuum from harbor freight. I bought one and it worked pretty good. I also bought the gauges as well. Works pretty slick. Then buy the R134a from Sams club by the case. Its much cheaper there than anywhere else I've seen.
AAMCO is the worst... I took my car in for a simple oil change, left it there, and picked it up 4 hours later. The next day I was driving my car and it started smelling like burning... I checked my oil tank and it was EMPTY. The stupid ******** drained my oil and never filled it back up with fresh oil. I called them and all they said was "sorry, bring it back and we'll put the oil in"
needless to say, I did not take it back to them because you cannot drive a car without oil. I now change my oil and filters on my own and I reported them to the BBB
needless to say, I did not take it back to them because you cannot drive a car without oil. I now change my oil and filters on my own and I reported them to the BBB
In general I've found you get the best service and workmanship from dirty, small, independent garages with Playboy calendars plastered all over the walls.
Wow, just reading the responses about AAMCO. There is some serious problems with that chain if you all are basically saying the same thing. It's crazy how a thread like this could keep them from gaining hundreds, if not thousands of customers.
Wow, basically no one has said anything positive in this thread about AAMCO. That says a lot right there.
Ok I'm really ****** off. My coolant light came on my car and took it to AAMCO because of hearing about them on kxno about how they diagnose something for no charge. Well it was bad news as my gaskets needed to be replaced and that is labor intensive. The total bill with tax was a little over $900. So I pay and drive home only to have the *******coolant light come on again. This is ********. Anyone else get service like this.
Took my Durango to Granger Motors a few years ago and was quoted 8-900 to fix my coolant issue got it back and it wasn't fixed. Told me the told was going to be around 1300 and I said I've aready paid you the agreed upon ammount. They weren't happy but they fixed it.
Not one good thing to say about AAMCO. I've never seen that befor with a business, but it doesn't surprise me at all.
As far as local guys who seem fairly on the up and up, I've never had bad luck with O'Brien's on Douglas here in Des Moines. They never give any mystery charges, will always let me know if something needs to be fixed by them, or if its something I can keep an eye/do myself. I had a slight transmission fluid leak that I had them check out once, and they quoted me about $550 for the whole thing. Without me even having to ask, the guy goes "It's a minor, slow leak. $550 will buy a LOT of transmission fluid. Just keep your eye on it, make sure you add fluid when it gets low, and you're going to be fine". Some places would have just started barrelling into things and racking up bills.
A few years ago, after my car got hit by a flood, causing some transmission cables to rust and snap, they ended up charging me about 2/3rds of what some place on Ingersoll (near where I worked at the time) was quoting. I'd definitely recommend them.
As far as local guys who seem fairly on the up and up, I've never had bad luck with O'Brien's on Douglas here in Des Moines. They never give any mystery charges, will always let me know if something needs to be fixed by them, or if its something I can keep an eye/do myself. I had a slight transmission fluid leak that I had them check out once, and they quoted me about $550 for the whole thing. Without me even having to ask, the guy goes "It's a minor, slow leak. $550 will buy a LOT of transmission fluid. Just keep your eye on it, make sure you add fluid when it gets low, and you're going to be fine". Some places would have just started barrelling into things and racking up bills.
A few years ago, after my car got hit by a flood, causing some transmission cables to rust and snap, they ended up charging me about 2/3rds of what some place on Ingersoll (near where I worked at the time) was quoting. I'd definitely recommend them.
I dont have any experience with AAMCO, but someone brought up Jiffy Lube earlier. I've been going there for the past year to get my oil changed, and I haven't had a problem with them. The past few times I've gone, it has only cost me about $23 to get my oil changed which is a pretty good deal (thats with penzoil, not the cheap crap). As long as you dont let them talk you into buying anything else from them, its a good deal
So they said.
Those places are all about the up sell and the over charge. They do a LOT of unnecessary work and charge up the chute for it.
I would only go to Aamco if my light came on and I didn't know what it was. Then when they tell you what the issue is, you say "I have to get back to work, can we set something up tomorrow". Set up an appt for the next day, then go home and call around for better prices.