The book covers the following:
Page 3 A Little Background on AAMCO Transmissions
Page 6 Various Scams and Complaints about AAMCO Transmissions and Their Practices
Page 10 How to Avoid Being Ripped Off by AAMCO
Page 11 Too Late? What to Do If You Feel You Have Been Ripped Off By AAMCO
Page 12 Resources
Page 15 Class Action Lawsuit Against AAMCO Transmissions
Appendix State Attorney General Contact Information

You may purchase this book for $9.99…

The company was founded in 1963, and for forty years grew several branches and service centers throughout the United States until it reached over 800 in 2006.

In 2006, Aamco and Cottman Transmission merged with the help of an investment group American Capital. After the merger, the company had over 1100 stores across the nation.

There were two principal founders of the company, Robert Morgan and Anthony Martino.  AAMCO is named after Mr. Martino.  The company spends over $20 million dollars every year on advertising.

Franchises require applicants with $250,000 or more in net worth, $75,000 or more in liquid cash, and cost $30,000.

AAMCO’s address:
AAMCO Transmissions, Inc.
Ste 100
201 Gilbraltar Rd.
Horsham, PA 19044-2331
610-668-2900

Corporate Structure:
Keith Morgan – CEO
Mark H. Wurth – President and COO
Greg Matecki – CFO and VP of Finance
Brian O’Donnell – Senior Vice President of Sales
Mary McMonagle – General Counsel and Vice President

Allegations include fraud, deceptive practices, incompetence, dishonesty, outright lying, bait-and-switch, etc. If you are thinking about taking your automobile to an Aamco for diagnostic services or repair, do some research! Be wise and make an informed decision!

We have started a list our visitors may join to “watch” for class action lawsuit initiation. Please feel free to join and add your comments. Occasional updates are sent out to our list of watchers. [Privacy policy: This website will not release or sell your name or contact information to anyone for any reason.]

Ms Liz
August 2006
San Lorenzo CAI took my car in to the AAMCO Transmission service center for repair first thing on a Monday morning. They called shortly after I dropped it off and said it looked like it needed a new transmission, but they would have to disassemble it to see what parts would be needed. They said that would cost $500. I gave them the go-ahead, and they promised to get an estimate to me by Tuesday afternoon. I finally called them on Wednesday, and they said they had just finished the estimate, and it would be $2000 to rebuild my transmission. They promised the work would be complete by the following Monday.When I called Monday morning, they said they were just finishing up the work and were about to take the car out on a test drive. They promised to call when it was ready. They never called back! When I called Tuesday, I was told the manager was not there, but they promised to have him call me back. He did not. On Wednesday, I bummed a ride from a friend and went down to the shop to see what was going on. My car was still sitting in the same place, it didn’t look like anything had been done, and the service manager seemed to be very surprised to see me. I was told they were still working on my car, it would be ready soon, so I left.When I didn’t get anywhere with anybody at the shop on the phone on Thursday, I called the VP of the franchise and he agreed to meet with me at the shop that afternoon. I had my brother go with me, since he knows a good bit about cars. The VP explained that they had too much work, had made a promise they couldn’t keep in terms of scheduling the work on my car, and he said they would try to have it ready for me to pick up on Friday afternoon. He called me Friday and said they needed a special sensor that was only available from the dealership, and the part still had not been delivered.Believe it or not, on Monday, the service manager called and said the sensor from the Ford dealership wouldn’t work, and they were going to try something esle. I questioned him on this, since my car is a Mitsubishi. He apologized, said he had the wrong customer, and said he would call back.On Wednesday of that week, I had a burly towtruck driver sneak into their lot in the middle of the night and tow my broken car back to my driveway. I have started legal proceedings and hope to recover the money I lost on cabs and rental cars!

Hello,I went to Columbus Georgia to see my brother. When I arrived my
transmission was leaking fluid and missing really bad. I took it to the Aamco
shop for a quote. First he said it was just leaking fluid and the pan
needed to be replaced. The next day he called and said that it needed to
be rebuilt because it was leaking transmission fluid from the front of
it. He refused at first to give me a quote but then he said it would
be 1600$. So feeling helpless I agreed. Then the next day he called and
said he wanted me to pay 2400$ to get it fixed because the needed to
replace the Torque converter and some cooling unit. I naturally refused
to pay it and he got me down to 1950$ I only paid it because I had to
leave. After I got the receipt it says that I agreed that it would cost
1600$ for a rebuild and that the torque converter costs 300$ also it
said that they will give you a written quote in advance. I never recieved
either.

July 31, 2007
I brought my 2000 Isuzu Trooper to the AAMCO store in Wallingford, CT last Thursday to have the transmission check.
The first call I receive they said it would be 695 just to take the transmission down and look at it. When I pressed
on how much the repair would cost the next number was 1700 dollars but the 695 was included in the repair. I ok
them to look at the transmission. Today I get a call not even explained what was wrong but that it now was going
to cost $2800 dollars to repair or more. I never received a call telling me what was wrong or the cost of parts.
The whole 695 part was a complete scam. Now I am screwed because my car is all apart and I can’t be with out
it. I writing to you now because I will never bring my car back to Aamco. I can only hope that they get the vehicle
back together and it runs fine. I feel that I have been misled from the beginning.Sincerely,Roger Tryon, Jr.

September 24, 2007
I had the same problem with the “$495″ charge to tear into the transmission. It may have been a broken line or a gasket, but either way, they “bargained” me down to $1100 with a 3-month warranty. I was pinned since they wouldn’t let the car go without the $495 to just get my car back. so, it was easier to have them fix it. I was pressured in a sense. they actually started at $1700, down to $1500, and ended up at $1100. It is still not running smooth. I left it there for 10 days, and they said it was the motor mounts, I had that done elsewhere. They wouldn’t replace the transmission (at least). So, I went somewhere else, it is still shifting poorly. I am taking it back.Alice

September 26, 2007
I had a Cottman transmission shop and 3 months after I opened they forced me into bankruptcy and told me I had to move and change my name to AAMCO I lost 250,000 plus.Cottman put me in a 5 block radius as they did over 100 others in a year’s time. Their only intention was to lower the stock price of AAMCO to obtain this company cheaper!Steve

Septemeber 26, 2007
I took my 2003 Jeep Liberty to AAMCO Transmissions on a Saturday morning. They kept the Jeep until that Thursday but frequently called my warranty company asking them for money to fix EVERYTHING that was wrong with the Jeep, for instance, the breaks and shocks, which I only went in to fix the transmission problem.They called us saying we could pick up the Jeep Thursday, which we did and paid them $592 out of our pocket. 30 minutes later, we were experiencing the same transmission problem with our car.We took it back that Saturday. Monday we went to pick it up, Chuck Stasny (THE OWNER) explained that he took the Jeep HOME, and he brought it in to get to work that Monday and nothing ever messed up. So we took the Jeep, 15 minutes after leaving AAMCO, the Jeep continues to have the same problem! By this time we are feeling cheated and my parents bring the Jeep in Tuesday morning explaining things need to get fixed.Meanwhile, I found another bodyshop that could look at the Jeep because I didn’t want CHUCK touching my Jeep anymore. I called AAMCO telling them to tell Chuck not to touch my Jeep that I would have someone pick it up.We get there yesterday afternoon (Tuesday) and talk to the front desk associate Coach. We ask to speak to Chuck which he said Chuck was out to get a part. We are explaining that we want a broke down list of everything we paid which he said he could not access. Coach then tells us to hold on, as he answers the phone. My mom can see the caller ID from her point of view which says “CHUCK STASNY” She goes outside and sees him in the garage!!!He comes in the office to get a stack of papers, and shows us a HANDWRITTEN break down on a sheet of paper telling us it added up to $450. I asked why did we pay $592, and he said he needed time to add things up to that. I asked for a copy of the handwritten paper several times and he kept telling me no that I couldn’t have it and that he would give us a breakdown tomorrow morning after he added up everything to equal $592.We contact our Fleet Warranty Customer Service, and spoke to a lady, who said the bill Chuck sent them was for $800, which they paid for. Chuck gave my husband a bill for $1400!So at the moment, I am without a fixed car, and out of $600, which we have to pay more for someone else to fix it right! I feel I need justice here!Angel

October 5, 2007I am writing regarding my recent and past experience with Cottman
Transmissions in Lansdale, Pa, Greensboro, NC and with their corporate
office in Horsham, PA.Three years ago we had transmission problems in NC and I took my car to
Cottman in Greensboro, NC whereupon I was told that I needed a new
first and second gear put in as well as other repairs totaling over $1500.
I had the work done and got my car back roughly two weeks later still
not working properly. After two more visits to their shop, more time
without my car and more costs incurred the car was finally in acceptable
order. I was told that the transmission had been rebuilt and that I
should have no more problems. However, last year after moving to
Doylestown, PA I began hearing a strange noise coming from the transmission so I
took the car into Cottman Transmission in Lansdale, PA.
I was again told that I needed a complete rebuild and was quoted what I
have been told is a grossly inflated price. I attempted to contact
Cottman’s corporate offices regarding the prior failed repair but never
received a return call. When I instructed the shop in Lansdale to put the
car back together and I would take it elsewhere rather than pay
Cottman again for a repair that I felt should have lasted longer they
immediately quoted me a price much lower that the original quote. I also had
to consider that the charge quoted for the removal, assessment and
reinstallation of the affected transmission would have been nearly $600 so I
was in a very difficult position. I agreed to have the work done with
the assurance that this would be a very extensive rebuild and would be
like installing a new transmission. I again waited patiently for my car
to be repaired.I was called by the shop in Lansdale near the end of the work and was
told that I needed a clutch and that that repair would cost several
hundred more dollars than the second, less expensive quote that I was given
effectively hiking the price for the repair back to the original
quote. I did some research of my own and found that given the mileage and
use of my car, I shouldn’t need a new clutch and told them to finish the
rebuild without replacing the clutch. When I got my car back it ran
satisfactorily inasmuch as the noise was gone and the transmission seemed
to be in satisfactory working order. This repair cost me nearly $2000,
but I assumed that, at that price, I would have a reliable transmission
for some time.Approximately ten months later this would prove to not be the case. The
transmission again began making a squealing sound in first gear and
popping out of second gear. I took the car to a shop here in Doylestown
truly hoping that the repair that was needed somehow had nothing to do
with the transmission or the work that was done at Cottman.
Unfortunately I was told that the transmission was faulty and that I should take it
back to the Cottman shop in Lansdale. I contacted their corporate
offices immediately regarding the transmission and was told that they could
do nothing.I told Carol [phone # delted for legal reasons] there that I intended to contact
consumer advocacy agencies regarding the situation and she then said
that she would contact the shop in Lansdale and “see what she could do”. I
was then contacted by Rich at the shop in Lansdale [phone # deleted for legal reasons] and
was told that he doubted the repair would be serious and that he wanted
to look at the car himself. Frankly, I hoped that he was right.
I received a call from Rich on October 5th and was told that there was
something seriously wrong with the transmission again and that he would
need to pull it out to assess the damage. I was told that I would be
responsible for all costs involved with the removal and diagnoses
regardless of the fact that I had already paid over $3000 dollars to Cottman
for a transmission that had failed twice.
I am now trying to contact Carol at their corporate offices to see if
they will help me with this situation. I am not encouraged, however, by
their “help” thus far.I have researched several consumer websites including ripoffreport.com
and found many, many complaints and similar stories regarding Cottman
Transmission. Many of these stories involve “bait and switch” scenarios,
and feel that I have been and am still being victimized by this
company. I would appreciate and advice and/or resources that you know of. I
feel that this company should be exposed and pressured to stand behind
their work.Paul

October 12, 2007 From Brett B.

October 13, 2007 From Desiree L.

November 1, 2007 AAMCO Ripoff Warning From LauraLee

November 25, 2007 Scam Warning from Jacqueline
November 27, 2007 Keith K.
Jan 3, 2008 Rachel’s Story
Jan 3, 2008 From Jerry
Jan 3, 2008 J. Jones tells his story…
Feb 16, 2008 Jack and Sandra – a horrible experience
Feb 21, 2008 Former AAMCO Store Owner
Feb 25, 2008 Aaron – not happy
Feb 25, 2008 Kevin A.
Mar 25, 2008 Unisha M. – Fraud
Mar 27, 2008 Roberts Ripoff
Apr 4, 2008 Samantha M. Held Hostage
June 20, 2008 Jazz J – What to Do
June 26, 2008 Sarah T. Ripoff
June 26, 2008 Paul R Got Taken
July 2, 2008 Meera
July 15, 2008 Sandra A
July 20, 2008 Cathy B
August 8, 2008 Greg T
August 17, 2008 Sherry
August 18, 2008 Jack W
August 23, 2008 John Lee
August 31, 2008 Matthew
September 6, 2008 Kristen
October 5, 2008 Galiana
October 19, 2008 Linda I.
October 27, 2008 Linda
Nov 12, 2008 Aaron
Nov 19, 2008 Mary UNov 20, 2008 Rodney R
Jan 22, 2008 John S. and Tim S.
Feb 2, 2009 Marcus C.
Feb 24, 2009 Pete M.
Feb 27, 2009 Virginia A.
March 1, 2009 Allison S.
March 9, 2009 Fernikya G. Scammed
March 15, 2009 Ralph V.
April 24, 2009 Kirk V.
April 30, 2009 Omar T.
May 27, 2009 Henri D.
June 8, 2009 Brian J.
June 14, 2009 Sheilia W.
July 1, 2009 Michael P.
July 27, 2009 Sheila W.
August 7, 2009 Andre G.
December 19, 2009 Michelle
December 19, 2009 Danny F.
December 30, 2009 Kent C.
February 15, 2010 Jeremy G.
February 25, 2010 Mary R.
March 24, 2010 Alonso P.
May 30, 2010 Mykesia M.
June 25, 2010 Bonnie B.
June 27, 2010 Chris F.
July 29, 2010 WFE
August 9, 2010 Billby Bob
August 11, 2010 William S.
April 14, 2011 Ercole M.
April 23, 2011 Bryan S.
May 4, 2011 James B.
May 8, 2011 Maxine B.
May 11, 2011 Jaime H.
May 29, 2011 Anthony G.
June 16, 2011 Angel A.
November 5, 2011 Megan