Transmission Problem (on A 3-yr Old Car?!)

[Lexusfreak]

I'd like to know why the hell they are taking so long to get this problem resolved.....it's simple....either the transmission is covered or it's not The good news it in the future, I doubt anybody on this site will go with this aftermarket warranty company because of this........I guess the bottom line is be a bit more patient as it's worth it for a new tranny. :)

[bartkat]

How Do I Start A Claim?

  1. Take the vehicle to a licensed repair facility.

  2. Give the repair facility your policy number (usually located at the top right of your contract) along with the Heritage claims department telephone number from your contract.

  3. Ask the shop to find out what the problem may be.

  4. Tell the shop to call Heritage for authorization before any repair or tear-down is done.

http://www.heritagewarranty.com/customers/default.aspx

Getting the authorization seems to be the hard part. Kinda like having an HMO.

[Lexusfreak]

I've heard things about HMO's in the U.S. Our healthcare system is very different than our friends south of us......it's pretty much all paid for.

[bartkat]

I've heard things about HMO's in the U.S.  Our healthcare system is very different than our friends south of us......it's pretty much all paid for. 

   

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I heard that. My company insurance is very good, but HMO's are a real problem sometimes.

[lexusk8]

The dealership finally was able to speak with the warranty company today; it has been hell trying to deal with this aftermarket warranty since the start of the tranny issue. Unfortunately the news I received from the dealership was not the greatest :( : The warranty company won't pay for a brand-new, warranty covered transmission on my ES. Instead, they will pay a certain amount of $$$ towards a Lexus remanufactured transmission, and I will end up covering the difference. I know my dealership tried their hardest to fight for a new transmission in the last 3 weeks, but the reality is that it is generally a hard sell with an aftermarket warranty company. They work almost like an insurance company, one who is willing to lowball the affected item(s).

At any rate, the transmission will be eventually be replaced, but not with a new one like I had hoped for I may have to suck this one up and let the dealership handle the tranny work <_< My dealership and I will come up with a firm plan for the work on my transmission within the next 2 days, so I will keep this posted.

[ArmyofOne]

The dealership finally was able to speak with the warranty company today; it has been hell trying to deal with this aftermarket warranty since the start of the tranny issue.  Unfortunately the news I received from the dealership was not the greatest :( :  The warranty company won't pay for a brand-new, warranty covered transmission on my ES.  Instead, they will pay a certain amount of $$$ towards a Lexus remanufactured transmission, and I will end up covering the difference.  I know my dealership tried their hardest to fight for a new transmission in the last 3 weeks, but the reality is that it is generally a hard sell with an aftermarket warranty company.  They work almost like an insurance company, one who is willing to lowball the affected item(s).

At any rate, the transmission will be eventually be replaced, but not with a new one like I had hoped for   I may have to suck this one up and let the dealership handle the tranny work  <_<  My dealership and I will come up with a firm plan for the work on my transmission within the next 2 days, so I will keep this posted.

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as i said on CL, find a lawyer.

[steviej]

have them show you in your policy where it states that they can use remanufactured parts and where it says you have to pay part of the cost,

then contact a lawyer.

steviej

[SW03ES]

Don't roll over for that one! If you complain long enough they'll cave. I don't disagree with Army actually, go see a lawyer. Take the paperwork with you and have him review it and see what he thinks. Most lawyers will do a consultation like that for $50 or so.

Thats terrible...

[lexusk8]

The warranty company has informed me that remanufactured parts (new or used) will be replaced for any of the affected items in the car during the extended warranty period, and that the warranty company will pay for either all or a portion of the parts. So according to these statements as stipulated on the contract, the warranty company is not trying to screw me over, although they don't look too kindly when faced with replacing a new transmission. Bottom line is, warranty is following the terms of the contract, and there's no b*llsh*t involved.

As of right now, warranty has agreed to pay $900 for a used remanufactured transmission, and I cover the difference. The dealership called me and said that from their list of vendors, they found a used tranny off of a '01 ES w/ 45K miles put in, for $1,950. After the warranty coverage, I'll be looking at an expense of $1,050 plus tax (labor paid by Heritage warranty). This is at least better than the $2,600 price tag for a reman tranny. The dealership will also throw in a 1-year/unlimited mileage warranty for the used tranny, so if anything goes wrong with the tranny during 1 year, Lexus will pay for it. That should give me some peace of mind for the time being

[Lexusfreak]

It's sure better than flipping the bill all on your own Doug :) Make sure the dealer put's all new Toyota type IV fluid in as well. Hopefully your back in business!! B)

[lexusk8]

Well, I'm happy to announce I got my beloved ES back (after 1 month out of commission at the dealership). The used/remanufactured transmission replaced in the ES makes it feel like I'm driving a brand-new car straight from the showroom. No hesitation, no lagging, and no problems with the tranny. The dealership was also kind enough to flush the tranny fluid from the TC, and replace the tranny gasket and fluid. They also went ahead and replaced the rear main seal since I knew it was going to have to be replaced sooner or later on the ES.

Although I'm out $1,200 <_< , I'm very pleased to get my car back in excellent condition. Now I can resume planning my winter mods!

[SW03ES]

Thats great, glad to hear it went well.

Honestly, a lot of times these remanufactured trannies wind up being better and longer lasting than their OEM counterparts depending on who does the rebuild. I had the tranny go out on my explorer at 70k and had a remanufactured one put in that was built by one of the "best in the business" and its now lasted me nearly 100k and shows no signs of slippage.

[SKperformance]

if i had read this earlier i would have said to never take a used tranny especially for that price

a used one can be had for about 700 the instal is the money

as wel as it is more likely to have issues again like most ES's over time as well as the age that it sat around for on conctrete

the best bet would have been to pay for a remaned one and suck up the difference

[steviej]

awesome news lexusk8. what kind of warranty did you get on the reman, 1 year parts and labor?

enjoy the new ride....new feeling ride.

steviej

[Lexusfreak]

Welcome back Doug! :)

[lexusk8]

sk, we are talking about a Lexus remanufactured transmission out of a spare '01 ES, not an aftermarket warranty supplied tranny. These are 2 very different items. Where exactly can you found a Lexus reman tranny for $700?? Of course I'm aware that Lexus labor eats up a majority of the expense (I've done (2) 90K services so I know the territory). If you go back and read one of my previous posts, the dealership found the best price for a used Lexus tranny with a price tag of $1,950. Extended warranty agreed to pay roughly half of it, so I ended up covering the difference. This is the best my dealership and I could do working with the aftermarket extended warranty, so case closed.

steviej, the warranty for the reman tranny is for 1 year, and includes parts and labor. Mileage is not an issue :D

[NeiLtYmE]

congrads man, glad to see you happy again!!!!

[SKperformance]

then i am confused i understood it as a used tranny

but you say remanufactured out of another car?

what is a spare 01 ES?

was it rebuilt before install or once upon a time?

[lexusk8]

then i am confused i understood it as a used tranny

but you say remanufactured out of another car?

what is a spare 01 ES?

was it rebuilt before install or once upon a time?

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This tranny is a used one, came out of a '01 ES which had 45K miles on it, but was remanufactured to Lexus factory specs. The dealership by policy does not install or recommend rebuilt transmissions; that's more on the line of work for an independent transmission repair shop.