Anyone have experience with AAMCO?

[jcard71]

So my 03 MDX is starting to slip gears and shifting hard. I have 144k miles on it

I was quoted $2369 to have the tranny pulled out and rebuilt.
It would be "extra" for any hard parts that might need to be replaced.

I would also get a 12k mile or one year warranty.

Anyone have experience with AAMCO? $2k+ is better than the cost of a new one, but was wondering if folks think it's worth it?

[Bill_de]

AAMCO is like any other franchise, good bad and somewhere in between.

Years ago, Lee Myles used to quote a price +parts. AAMCO advertised that on a rebuild, all the wear items were replaced, otherwise you were getting a repair.

I would shop around and ask just what they intend to do, and if it's a + parts, get a maximum price before they tear it down. If they can't do that, you might as well take your money to Vegas.

[lion9mdx]

My vote is to use a good local transmission shop over an outfit like AAMCO. I figure there must be a reason that people call them "All Automatics Must Come Out".

[phins2rt]

Originally Posted by lion9mdx

My vote is to use a good local transmission shop over an outfit like AAMCO. I figure there must be a reason that people call them "All Automatics Must Come Out".

+1!

[proman]

Don't accept an "open-end" quote. Or you will be on the hook once they take it apart, and by that time there is nothing you can do but agree with whatever they want to charge you for the "Extra".

They should already have an idea about what's wrong with the tranny, but they just do not tell you and quote you low price until you are on the hook. Then the "extra" will kick in and give them space to play. Get the "worst case" quote.

I once had some problem with the tranny of my Accord. Visited 4 tranny shops. 3 of them said the tranny is "gone" and tried to scare the hell out of me. They quoted 2500 - 4000 to rebuild.

The 4th shop told me it's a famous problem for Accord and it's not the tranny itself. I ended up spent $35 to fix it.

Ask around and don't be scared to ask detailed questions. Remember it's you that hire the mechanics to work on your car. You have the right to evaluate them before you pay.

Good luck.

[TexasHonda]

I have heard horror stories about AAMCO, but have no personal experience.

If you're in a well-populated area, suggest getting an Angie's List subscription and check for automatic transmission rebuild experiences. I've saved substantial on fence replacement, painting, and other services w/ Angies List. About $40/yr is what I recall.

good luck