Driver says auto shop ruined transmission

HARRISBURG, N.C. — A driver says an auto shop that does fast oil changes ruined the transmission on his vehicle.

Rajender West took his SUV to Valvoline in Harrisburg for an oil change and state inspection, but he says the business convinced him to get a transmission flush too.

West says once he got his car back, over the next few days the transmission would hesitate, and “then there would be a shudder at certain speeds,” so West took his vehicle back to Valvoline.

Both sides acknowledged to Channel 9 that the business agreed to service the transmission again, this time trying a different fluid.

But West says that didn’t solve the problem. He says he took his SUV to two mechanics, which cost him more than $500. He was told it would cost about $6,000 to fix the transmission.

West says Valvoline wouldn’t cover either tab.

“You have a vehicle that you just want to sort of keep on the road, right? So, you’re there to engage in preventative maintenance to extend the longevity of the vehicle. What you end up with on the other side of it is paying over $500 to diagnose a problem that you didn’t have before you took it to Valvoline and then you have Valvoline telling you that you should be stuck with a $6,000 repair bill to make your vehicle what it was before you took it there,” West said.

The business would not give Action 9 an official statement, saying it would communicate with West directly. But it did say it feels it did the service correctly. It says it tested its transmission flush machine and fluids and that both were fine.

Advice from Action 9 no matter where you go:

- Be careful about any business selling you something you didn’t intend to get.

- Find out what guarantees the shop makes in writing.

- Businesses that have multiple locations, such as the shop in this story, could be owned by different people (franchises), so the quality may vary from location to location.

(VIDEO: Action 9 helps driver get almost $40,000 back for SUV)

Action 9 helps driver get almost $40,000 back for SUV

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