Multiple bad transmissions

[teach45]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Iowa
We bought an Audi 2 years ago. The transmission went out in Sept. It was replaced with a used tranny. We bought a warranty with it. We were told by the repair shop that the warranty covered labor and parts. Then in Dec., the tranny went out again. It was in the repair shop for 5 weeks!! The warranty place (I think it is a junk yard) sent a tranny, but it was the wrong one. Needless to say, we got the car back after 5 weeks. There was no charge. We did not know that they did not charge us because it took them so long. We looked on our receipt from Sept, and there is one sentence that states it is a warranty for 100% parts and 50% labor. At the time, we did not know that. We thought the warranty covered everything. Fast forward six weeks later, YES, the tranny goes out again. Only the car is two hours away in Des Moines. We call the original repair shop and they told us where to get it fixed in Des Moines. The junk yard sent a tranny, and YES, it was broke. It has been almost 3 weeks now and it is still not fixed. But, the second repair shop wants $800 for 50% of the labor!!!!
My questions are...1. Who is responsible for the warranty? Should we be talking to the junk yard or the repair shop that sold it to us? 2. Is there any recourse? The second time they fixed it was 5 weeks. Now, this time is going on 3 weeks. This is the 3rd tranny in 6 months and plus they sent two others ones that weren' t any good. Recourse? 3. Is there anything we can do because they verbally told us the warranty would cover parts and labor. Plus the second repair shop charges $111 an hour!!! We would never have taken the car there if we knew that. But that is where they recommended and we didn't know we would be paying anything for the tranny. Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated!

 

[BL]

We call the original repair shop and they told us where to get it fixed in Des Moines

But that is where they recommended

Well when you called why didn't you get everything clear as to who is going to pay what ?

Additionally , if the place that holds the warranty stated you would be responsible for taking it to a shop two hrs. away ,why didn't you insist they come and tow it at their expense ?

Finally ,why are you asking a forum instead of asking the place with the warranty where you stand ?

 

[xylene]

Maybe your car is just an Audi, and you should consider that this is a "Perma-Problem" that is sadly typical of these beautiful but disaster plagued cars.

 

[teach45]

Well when you called why didn't you get everything clear as to who is going to pay what ?

Additionally , if the place that holds the warranty stated you would be responsible for taking it to a shop two hrs. away ,why didn't you insist they come and tow it at their expense ?

Finally ,why are you asking a forum instead of asking the place with the warranty where you stand ?


To answer those questions...when it was fixed in Jan., there was no charge. No one ever said we could have charged you but we didn't. They handed us the keys and said it was done. So in March, we were blown away when they said what our part would be.

We insisted that they tow it back to our original repair shop. They said there was absolutely no way they would pay to have it towed 2 hours. They did tow it from the interstate to the repair shop and they paid for that. We argued, and argued with them.

Finally, we have talked to the warranty place and the repair shop until we were blue in the face. So we are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

 

[BL]

Well when you called why didn't you get everything clear as to who is going to pay what ?

Additionally , if the place that holds the warranty stated you would be responsible for taking it to a shop two hrs. away ,why didn't you insist they come and tow it at their expense ?

Finally ,why are you asking a forum instead of asking the place with the warranty where you stand ?


To answer those questions...when it was fixed in Jan., there was no charge. No one ever said we could have charged you but we didn't. They handed us the keys and said it was done. So in March, we were blown away when they said what our part would be.

We insisted that they tow it back to our original repair shop. They said there was absolutely no way they would pay to have it towed 2 hours. They did tow it from the interstate to the repair shop and they paid for that. We argued, and argued with them.

Finally, we have talked to the warranty place and the repair shop until we were blue in the face. So we are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

What exactly is each one saying about who pays ?

The bottom line is the repair shop you took it to has the right to be paid .If you can't or no one will the shop can put a lien on it , keep and sell it for what they can get .

If the prior shop won't pony up for repairs , then you may have to pay and sue .

A much cheaper rout would have been to rent a U-Haul with a trailer and take it back to the original shop.

 

[teach45]

The junk yard said they will pay for another used transmission and 50% of labor. They also agreed to pay for towing from interstate to repair shop (2 miles). That is ALL they will pay for. The first repair shop said they are not paying anything, but they feel bad for us. They said they are not warranting the car (But they are the ones that SOLD us the waranty!) The second repair shop (where it is now) wants their money if/when the job gets done.

You mentioned about suing the original repair place. Are they liable and how? Can they be liable for verbally telling us that labor was covered? Can they be liable because they SOLD us the warranty? I just want to be clear on who is liable and for what. That is where the frustration is coming from.

Hindsight, we should have gotten a u-haul. The problem was that we didn't know (at that time) that we had to pay any money for labor. The original repair shop never once said they were writing off half the labor. So when the junk yard guy instructed us to take it to the repair shop in Des Moines, no problem. We didn't think we were paying any labor anyway. We just wanted it to go where the junk yard guy would work with for the warranty.

Even if we have to pay for half the labor this time, I just find it hard to believe that there isn't some recourse for having to go through 3 trannies in 6 months!!! Plus he sent another 2 bad ones on top of that. I asked the repair person that has the car now if there is any way how someone's driving can do this. He said absolutely NO! He said either we were constantly getting crap transmissions from the warranty place or the original person doesn't know how to correctly put in a transmission.

 

[BL]

The junk yard said they will pay for another used transmission and 50% of labor. They also agreed to pay for towing from interstate to repair shop (2 miles). That is ALL they will pay for. The first repair shop said they are not paying anything, but they feel bad for us. They said they are not warranting the car (But they are the ones that SOLD us the waranty!) The second repair shop (where it is now) wants their money if/when the job gets done.

You mentioned about suing the original repair place. Are they liable and how? Can they be liable for verbally telling us that labor was covered? Can they be liable because they SOLD us the warranty? I just want to be clear on who is liable and for what. That is where the frustration is coming from.

Hindsight, we should have gotten a u-haul. The problem was that we didn't know (at that time) that we had to pay any money for labor. The original repair shop never once said they were writing off half the labor. So when the junk yard guy instructed us to take it to the repair shop in Des Moines, no problem. We didn't think we were paying any labor anyway. We just wanted it to go where the junk yard guy would work with for the warranty.

Even if we have to pay for half the labor this time, I just find it hard to believe that there isn't some recourse for having to go through 3 trannies in 6 months!!! Plus he sent another 2 bad ones on top of that. I asked the repair person that has the car now if there is any way how someone's driving can do this. He said absolutely NO! He said either we were constantly getting crap transmissions from the warranty place or the original person doesn't know how to correctly put in a transmission.

Well find out which it is .

If the Junk yard pays 50 % plus a transmission and the warranty covers 50 % labor ,there ya go .You have an arguing point .

On top of that it is not reasonable to expect you to keep paying any amount of labor cost for repeated bad transmissions or installs .

Pay the cost and sue on the grounds I mentioned .

Get it in writing from the current repair shop what was wrong with your transmission and his opinion you mentioned on their invoice.

If this one fails demand that the original shop that warrantied the repair , pay for a rebuild , as multiple replacement and charges are not reasonable .

 

[Zigner]

On top of that it is not reasonable to expect you to keep paying any amount of labor cost for repeated bad transmissions or installs .

Actually, if that's what the written warranty allows for, it is perfectly reasonable.

 

[BL]

Actually, if that's what the written warranty allows for, it is perfectly reasonable.

That would be up to a court to decide .

Small claims filing fees are generally low cost and if the plaintiff prevails ,the cost are added to the Judgments .

The repair shop should seek out an alternative " Auto Recycler " if the one they use keeps sending Junk .

That is reasonable to expect .

 

[Zigner]

That would be up to a court to decide .

Yes...and the court would find that the warranty only provides for 50% labor on any warranty work

 

[BL]

Yes...and the court would find that the warranty only provides for 50% labor on any warranty work

I didn't know FA's crystal ball was around and functional .

 

[Zigner]

I didn't know FS'a crystal ball was around and functional .

This one doesn't take a crystal ball. There is nothing inherently unfair or unreasonable about a written warranty only paying for 50%.