Hello All,
Just wanted to share my experience with a company that sells used japanese engines and transmissions.
These people totally screwed me over big time.
This may get a little lengthy and I apologize but please if you have time read and feel free to comment offer
any suggestions as I am out $1500 ( parts / labor / towing ) and if anything this will help others.
This company was 100% unwilling to help besides offering some ridiculous demands that do not even make sense.
We just did a major service on the car ( timing belt / water pump etc ), The car was running great but at this point we noticed the trans would slip here and there.
So I figured lets have the dealer do a trans service, new fluid etc.. Well after that the trans just got worse and worse slipping like mad and died.
I have never really owned automatics and didn't know that if the fluids never been changed to your knowledge just LEAVE IT ALONE! Needless to say we needed a replacement.
We just spent all the money to do the tune up so funds were a little low and without a ton of time I couldn't do the trans myself. So I paid my buddy to do it who has a shop and is ASE certified he said just find a transmission so I looked and found two options.
I slept on it and figured screw it lets just take our chance with the used transmission were only keeping the car another 2 years or so. So I find a good deal from a place called Japan Motor Import and I contact them. At first they seem really cool send pictures etc and talk about there is a 60 day warranty etc and its stated on there site.
Warranty - Warranty
Used Replacment Transmissions – 60 Days
So we order a transmission on 3-21-12, It arrives 3-27 at around 5pm, We dont install until mid April as time and funds were tight.
They tell me there will be like 4 sensors and that they will be marked in pink you need to swap your USDM sensors which we do.
The transmission was installed by my friend at his shop and on the books so I have a receipt etc. He runs a general repair facility but they also do lots of fast turbocharged cars etc.
This shop never cuts corners and does great work and my friend is pretty much the only mechanic he is the owner and takes pride in his work.
Needless to say within 500 miles the new transmission starts slipping and throws a check engine light.
The transmission has thrown the following codes :
I politely emailed Japan Motor Import about the issue :
First Email : http://www.darylgregg.net/misc/japan_motor_import_beware_1.pdf
( within the 60 day warranty period ) I also call to go over. ( .pdf contains images / time stamps etc )
The guy on the phone says, Im sorry to hear that please get me the codes and we will take care of you. I send him the codes and he says yeah sounds like its bad we will do the right thing and send you a new transmission but you have to pay the shipping of around $250. At this point I say fine that is fair. Do you guys need anything from the old transmission and he says not we dont need anything its not worth much if its broken or for you to ship back.
Well it took me about 2 weeks to get the money together so I called him back now to start the process and now he says the following and I quote it.
We are going to need you to send the transmission back to us for inspection, We need to make sure it was not due to installation error. We need to test and look into what went wrong
( this is an engine depot not a transmission shop ). I said to the guy what could of possibly be installed wrong its not a complex job to install the transmission.
Transmission cooler was flushed, Sensors swapped, installed and then codes cleared.
They totally changed there story and now wont do anything without the transmission being sent back to them on my dime and then if they can deem it was not due to installation error they will send me another one if not im beat.
I called back multiple times to discuss, Explain, had shop owner / installer call etc and I got no where so I send a 2nd email.
Second Email: Below ( .pdf as well - http://www.darylgregg.net/misc/japan_motor_import_beware_2.pdf )
To send back it would cost me $250 or so, Plus pay shop to remove from car, Remove Sensors that we put on from our US Transmission per Japan Motor,
and if they say its our fault we get no money back nada.
I had to share that guys, Let me know if you have any suggestions or ways to help im trying to seek as much assistance as I can. I may submit this to Jalopnik.com & Autoblog.com as well
Just wanted to share my experience with a company that sells used japanese engines and transmissions.
These people totally screwed me over big time.
This may get a little lengthy and I apologize but please if you have time read and feel free to comment offer
any suggestions as I am out $1500 ( parts / labor / towing ) and if anything this will help others.
This company was 100% unwilling to help besides offering some ridiculous demands that do not even make sense.
Story:
We just did a major service on the car ( timing belt / water pump etc ), The car was running great but at this point we noticed the trans would slip here and there.
So I figured lets have the dealer do a trans service, new fluid etc.. Well after that the trans just got worse and worse slipping like mad and died.
I have never really owned automatics and didn't know that if the fluids never been changed to your knowledge just LEAVE IT ALONE! Needless to say we needed a replacement.
We just spent all the money to do the tune up so funds were a little low and without a ton of time I couldn't do the trans myself. So I paid my buddy to do it who has a shop and is ASE certified he said just find a transmission so I looked and found two options.
- Rebuild - $1500 or so
- 30-40k Mile JDM Pull - $875
I slept on it and figured screw it lets just take our chance with the used transmission were only keeping the car another 2 years or so. So I find a good deal from a place called Japan Motor Import and I contact them. At first they seem really cool send pictures etc and talk about there is a 60 day warranty etc and its stated on there site.
Warranty - Warranty
Used Replacment Transmissions – 60 Days
So we order a transmission on 3-21-12, It arrives 3-27 at around 5pm, We dont install until mid April as time and funds were tight.
They tell me there will be like 4 sensors and that they will be marked in pink you need to swap your USDM sensors which we do.
The transmission was installed by my friend at his shop and on the books so I have a receipt etc. He runs a general repair facility but they also do lots of fast turbocharged cars etc.
This shop never cuts corners and does great work and my friend is pretty much the only mechanic he is the owner and takes pride in his work.
Needless to say within 500 miles the new transmission starts slipping and throws a check engine light.
The transmission has thrown the following codes :
- P0730 - Faulty Shift Control System / Incorrect gear ratio condition
- P1706 - lockup clutch does not engage
- P0740 - TCC does not engage
I politely emailed Japan Motor Import about the issue :
First Email : http://www.darylgregg.net/misc/japan_motor_import_beware_1.pdf
( within the 60 day warranty period ) I also call to go over. ( .pdf contains images / time stamps etc )
The guy on the phone says, Im sorry to hear that please get me the codes and we will take care of you. I send him the codes and he says yeah sounds like its bad we will do the right thing and send you a new transmission but you have to pay the shipping of around $250. At this point I say fine that is fair. Do you guys need anything from the old transmission and he says not we dont need anything its not worth much if its broken or for you to ship back.
Well it took me about 2 weeks to get the money together so I called him back now to start the process and now he says the following and I quote it.
We are going to need you to send the transmission back to us for inspection, We need to make sure it was not due to installation error. We need to test and look into what went wrong
( this is an engine depot not a transmission shop ). I said to the guy what could of possibly be installed wrong its not a complex job to install the transmission.
Transmission cooler was flushed, Sensors swapped, installed and then codes cleared.
They totally changed there story and now wont do anything without the transmission being sent back to them on my dime and then if they can deem it was not due to installation error they will send me another one if not im beat.
I called back multiple times to discuss, Explain, had shop owner / installer call etc and I got no where so I send a 2nd email.
Second Email: Below ( .pdf as well - http://www.darylgregg.net/misc/japan_motor_import_beware_2.pdf )
I HAVE RECIEVED NO REPLY, NO PHONE CALLS, NOTHING! They will not do anything to help and could care less. All they say now is they need it back to inspect.
To send back it would cost me $250 or so, Plus pay shop to remove from car, Remove Sensors that we put on from our US Transmission per Japan Motor,
and if they say its our fault we get no money back nada.
I had to share that guys, Let me know if you have any suggestions or ways to help im trying to seek as much assistance as I can. I may submit this to Jalopnik.com & Autoblog.com as well