Cottman Transmission
Ripoff John (aka Jack) De Santo Deceptive Trade Practices I asked where was the fairness of paying all that money to make the transmission worse

Took my Toyota truck to this shop on November 9 complaining of a whining noise in the manual transmission. Being a former mechanic, I was pretty sure it was just the input shaft and bearing.

They ordered a rebuild kit for the wrong transmission, and apparently had to call me to find out what kind it was. Paid $1221.25 and recieved the truck November 16, and it sounded exactly the same! I examined the old parts, which did not include the input shaft, and could find nothing wrong with any of them.

When I took it back they tried to tell me it was normal! The transmission was louder than the engine. I told them I didn't buy it. After looking at it some more, they said they found a rebuilt transmission in Waco that didn't make that noise and it would cost another $575 to put it in. I went for it like a dope.

They did this work in mid-December. This "rebuilt" transmission would not, and still doesn't stay in first! It pops out at the worst possible moments. Took it back in January and they worked on it again. It stays in first more than it used to, but it is still pops out at times, which is unacceptable. This transmission may not whine like the other, but it's definitely in much worse condition.

While replacing the driveshaft, one of the mechanics overtightend and stripped the threads off of one of the drive shaft bolts, a critical component. I noticed this because they replaced it with an inferior hardware store bolt. And John De Santo charged me $1,800 to do this to my truck!

After several months of embarassing and dangerous driving situations, I took it back again June 3, and told John that I wanted my money back. He said I had to give him an opportunity to fix it. I told him I had given him more than enough opportunities, but offered to leave it that day and that I had to have it back by 3 P.M. John didn't seem interested.

Took the truck for a demonstration drive with his mechanic, but the transmission didn't pop out of gear! After the test drive John asked what I would do with the money if I got it, and I told him I would go straight to the dealer where they have a new transmission for the same price he charged me.

John again told me that I had to give him the chance to fix it as long as it was under warranty. I told him that if I did that, he may never fix it and he would off the hook at the end of the warranty period. He shrugged his shoulders.

I told John that I had also noticed that the transfer case had been switched without my knowledge or consent. He asked how I knew that. I said because it had junk yard paint marks all over it. He asked how he would know if I hadn't put those paint marks there myself.

John was clearly agitated. He said it wasn't fair for him to refund my money after all the work they did on it. I asked where was the fairness of paying all that money to make the transmission worse. He said he couldn't and wouldn't ever refund the money. I said goodbye and left.

That day I filed a dispute with the credit card co. For the $575, and will file another one soon for the remainder.

Company: Cottman Transmission
Country: USA
State: Texas
City: Austin
Address: 4900 Interstate 35 North
Phone: 5124079300

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