Shop Charges Woman Almost $4,000 For Transmission Repairs, Then The Mechanic Tells Her The Work Was Never Done
This one could go on our list of your worst mechanic rip-off stories. A Florida woman was billed for an expensive transmission replacement, and even took out a loan to cover the four-figure bill. Except the transmission was never replaced, according to the mechanic who worked on the car, documented the process, and then shared his videos with both the customer and Local 10 News.
Jade Hill's 2008 Ford Edge suddenly stopped moving, so she had it towed to AAction Better Built Transmissions in Pembroke Pines. They told her she needed a replacement transmission. That's a plausible repair for a car that runs but won't move. The service advisor told her the job would cost her $3,850. Distraught, but desperate to get her car back, Hill agreed to the repair. She even took out a loan to cover the cost of the transmission replacement. AAction returned her Edge in working condition, as promised. That should have been the end of it.
A few months later, the mechanic who repaired Hill's car contacted her directly with some interesting information. He had recorded video showing that he had replaced both front axles, but not the transmission. Another clip shows him driving the car and running through all the gears, exactly like it's supposed to. The unnamed mechanic then recorded his conversation with the service advisor, who told Hill the transmission needed replacement. From Local 10 News:
AJ then responds, "I basically sold them the unit. I sold the unit, but... the axles are bad?"
The mechanic again replies, "Yeah."
A short time later, the recording captures another conversation as the two men walk through the repair shop near Hill's vehicle.
"The lady, she called me crying on the phone. I felt bad for her, but $3,850, b****," AJ says.
Laughter follows.
AJ then repeats, "$3,850," followed by more laughter.
Is it any wonder why people don't trust mechanics?
Caught on camera
Hill's invoice from AAction Better Built Transmissions lists all of the parts and labor for a transmission "overhaul and recondition," including an overhaul kit, filter, piston kit, ring kit, fluid, and a valve assembly. It also includes a new torque converter for $429.03, plus one $261 axle assembly. At a rate of $150 per hour, the $1383.45 labor charge covers more than nine hours of labor. It almost certainly did not take the mechanic that long to replace two axles.
The $3,850 total after taxes is in the right ballpark for a transmission fix — at least, if the work had actually been performed. The problem is it wasn't, and the mechanic who did the work has the proof. That's why Hill hired a lawyer and demanded compensation. The shop's attorney, Alejandro Velez, stands behind its claims that the transmission was replaced. He also questions the mechanic's motives. From Local 10 News:
According to the attorney, the mechanic was terminated for cause because of documented misconduct, including chronic tardiness and abusive language. The letter alleges the former employee threatened to "ruin" and "destroy" the business before his termination, later refused to leave the property, and was ultimately trespassed by law enforcement. The attorney argues the recordings were provided to Local 10 News as part of a retaliatory effort against the company.
The attorney further contends the recordings were made illegally using wearable Meta smart glasses inside an employees-only area where workers had a reasonable expectation of privacy. The letter argues the recordings were made without the consent of those involved and asks Local 10 News not to broadcast them.
Florida is an all-party consent state, meaning that everyone involved in a recording must give consent to that recording taking place. That could render the mechanic's video evidence inadmissible in court, even though it clearly shows the deception taking place, as well as the service manager's attitude about it.
It's also possible that the mechanic did threaten to "ruin" and "destroy" the business, perhaps because of its unscrupulous practices. He did feel the need to record what he did at the time in case his work was ever questioned. We can't know what was said behind closed doors, but it's plausible that he wasn't happy about the shop charging Hill for expensive work he didn't perform, brought his concerns to management, and was fired after whatever transpired. He then decided to blow the whistle on the scam by sharing his videos with Hill, who then went to the press.
The attorneys involved have reached a "verbal" resolution, the terms of which they did not wish to discuss. We'll likely never know what transpired before the mechanic was fired, or exactly what the resolution is. However, Hill herself was adamant that she still wanted to bring this story to the public's attention.
"This needs to be brought out," she said.
"You're allowing this to happen. You know about it. There's no way that you don't know about it. You know what parts come into your facility. You know what's ordered through your company."