Firestone Auto Care Shop Damaged my transmission!!

[AC 5.0]

So I paid for one of their lifetime alignments some time back... I think I got talked into it when I got my last set of tires. Anyway, I decided to swing by a Firestone shop and get an alignment done. I waited for the requisite 1-1.5 hour period for them to get the job done, and listened as I heard them fire it up (You could hear the exhaust pretty obviously)

Anyway, I hear the tech leave the parking lot pretty hot, obviously at WOT and he proceeds to disappear for more than 5 minutes (kind of long for an around the block test drive). When he returns, I sign the paperwork and jump in the car and immediately notice a huge grind and chunk sound when throwing it into reverse!! :dw:

I put her back in neutral and try reverse again and the same thing happens, loud grind and chunk! I've had this car since 2011 and NEVER had any issues with the transmission, it has always been perfect for me. I immediately get the shop manager and the tech and show them what happens and explain that that was NEVER occurring before. The tech tries to act like its totally normal behavior and that if I try to get it fixed that the problem will get worse so I should just let it go! :fm::fm::fm:

I did my best to not loose my cool and more or less explained that the car is damaged and I'm not letting it go! The manager explained that he had to open a ticket and someone would be contacting me soon. I immediately drove over to a very nearby Ford Dealership and had a shop manager take a look and he told me that more or less the cost to repair would probably be the same as a new transmission!

To say I'm mad right now is a little bit of an understatement. Have any of you guys ever dealt with something like this?? I'm kinda freaking out right now. When I told a service manager at Ford what happened, and when I mentioned Firestone she made a face like I should have never gone there. Are they known for mangling cars??

 

[george.arnold]

So I paid for one of their lifetime alignments some time back... I think I got talked into it when I got my last set of tires. Anyway, I decided to swing by a Firestone shop and get an alignment done. I waited for the requisite 1-1.5 hour period for them to get the job done, and listened as I heard them fire it up (You could hear the exhaust pretty obviously)

Anyway, I hear the tech leave the parking lot pretty hot, obviously at WOT and he proceeds to disappear for more than 5 minutes (kind of long for an around the block test drive). When he returns, I sign the paperwork and jump in the car and immediately notice a huge grind and chunk sound when throwing it into reverse!! :dw:

I put her back in neutral and try reverse again and the same thing happens, loud grind and chunk! I've had this car since 2011 and NEVER had any issues with the transmission, it has always been perfect for me. I immediately get the shop manager and the tech and show them what happens and explain that that was NEVER occurring before. The tech tries to act like its totally normal behavior and that if I try to get it fixed that the problem will get worse so I should just let it go! :fm::fm::fm:

I did my best to not loose my cool and more or less explained that the car is damaged and I'm not letting it go! The manager explained that he had to open a ticket and someone would be contacting me soon. I immediately drove over to a very nearby Ford Dealership and had a shop manager take a look and he told me that more or less the cost to repair would probably be the same as a new transmission!

To say I'm mad right now is a little bit of an understatement. Have any of you guys ever dealt with something like this?? I'm kinda freaking out right now. When I told a service manager at Ford what happened, and when I mentioned Firestone she made a face like I should have never gone there. Are they known for mangling cars??

I'd say all shops are different from town to town. Firestone in my town may have some great, experienced mechanics, while the one in your town may not. In my experience, any Ford service department is going to give you a look when you say you took it to any other shop for service. That's just how they are.

Just keep up with Firestone and keep going up the ladder, if need be.

 

[AC 5.0]

Yeah, that's the plan. I've never had a bad experience with them before. I've been buying my tires from them almost exclusively over the last 5 or six years, and became very friendly with the staff at my old location. This time I used a new one in a slightly "shady" part of town.

 

[VETTEHUNTER]

Just reverse?...All forward gears are good?....What did the moron do, attempt a burnout in reverse!!

 

[SignalZero]

I used to be a tech at a Firestone in Nashville area and anytime I had to test drive a nice car like that, I usually invite the owner to ride along THEN, swap seats and see what they think. It's easier to readjust or compensate for the owners feel right then rather than having to load it back on the rack later.

And they could never say I was beating on they're baby :beer: Hope you get it sorted out. I've seen shops replace motors like nothing.

 

[blackbeast12]

Make them buy you a new tremec magnum set up!!!

 

[PLASMAN]

This happened to me back in 94 with my 92 Probe Gt at a midas in CO, that I went to for just brake pads after just leaving ford dealer who wanted a mint for brakes. The tech took off smoking tires on test drive heard him grab second and third. Same thing lost reverse and after a couple of hours if driving it was stuck in gear. I had it flatbedded back to their shop after hours and dropped right in front of the front door and was waiting there the next morning for them to open. Long story short they obviously denied any damage so I sued them and had estimates from other shops before going to court, as well as the 100pt inspection I just had done 20 minutes before going to midas for just brake pads. Day before court their attorney called me and settled for what I was asking and made me sign paperwork that I would never use midas again....no problem.

 

[AC 5.0]

GOD THIS BLOWS!!! :fm::fm::fm:

I was going to buy a set of Long Tubes and some other goodies today. I never in a million years would have thought this would happen. PLASMAN, your story is killing me... I think I need to walk away and try to think of something else :nonono:

 

[Fun4me]

Man that sucks. When they take your car, they should mark off any problems/scratches/etc. So that way if you claim they broke it they have something.
In this case, they broke it. I never let anyone test drive my car w/o being in the car.
Good luck.

 

[Katy TX5.0]

Man that sucks. When they take your car, they should mark off any problems/scratches/etc. So that way if you claim they broke it they have something.
In this case, they broke it. I never let anyone test drive my car w/o being in the car.
Good luck.

That saved me a couple months ago. I never cared about the scratch inspection before but being my '12 is my first new car I pay attention now. I got my car back and noticed someone had scratched the bumper then attempted to paint over it with touch up paint. I was very nice about wanting it fixed and after the manager looked at that report he had no choice but to fix it.

 

[PLASMAN]

GOD THIS BLOWS!!! :fm::fm::fm:

I was going to buy a set of Long Tubes and some other goodies today. I never in a million years would have thought this would happen. PLASMAN, your story is killing me... I think I need to walk away and try to think of something else :nonono:

Sorry bro

 

[Ron Mexico]

burn it down.

 

[Chameleon76]

Thats complete BS and can only think...

 

[VirtualSVT]

Anytime I took my Cobra to a shop where I didn't have a friend working I'd always load the valet tune.

You could rev it to 7 grand but as soon as it moved it was limited to 2000.

 

[Chaney5.0]

Why I don't take my shit to any shop. COME ON FLAMERS! Can't wait for the "Blah blah I'm a tech and I treat everybody with respect and do the job" BS LOL.

I get good with my buddies who can do the work after hours for me on the lift. That's how you do it.

Can't believe you didn't lose your cool. I have been in handcuffs before over a kid doing a slight burn out in my c6 pulling it out of the Chevrolet dealer after they had to fix a simple rattle in my seat mechanism. I clocked his ass a good one before he was even half way out of my car.

 

[SCalla1384]

I would have been pissed the moment he left there for a test drive. Never mind going wot. I'd be ****ing heated

 

[itSSlow98]

So how exactly did he ruin your trans in a 5 mile test drive?

 

[BPatterson]

Why I don't take my shit to any shop. COME ON FLAMERS! Can't wait for the "Blah blah I'm a tech and I treat everybody with respect and do the job" BS LOL.

I get good with my buddies who can do the work after hours for me on the lift. That's how you do it.

Can't believe you didn't lose your cool. I have been in handcuffs before over a kid doing a slight burn out in my c6 pulling it out of the Chevrolet dealer after they had to fix a simple rattle in my seat mechanism. I clocked his ass a good one before he was even half way out of my car.

Hahahaha hell yeah! Love it! I'm the EXACT same way!

 

[87hatchy]

Sorry but that's what you get for leaving your car at Firestone. Prob some 17 year old took it out ripping on it, powershifting at 7k.

Exactly why I'll never leave my car with a mechanic ever. And If there was absolutely no way I couldn't do the work myself and had to drop it off somewhere I would be very clear that I didn't want it test driven after the work unless I was in the car myself.

Hopefully they take care of you and hopefully they pay for you to take it to Ford, not have one of their mechanics work on it.

 

[Chameleon76]

So how exactly did he ruin your trans in a 5 mile test drive?

A lot of things can happen in 5 miles.