Car Service didn’t install trans fluid container causing leak that requires a $600 transmission repair. Who pays?

Posted by SoundNo3721@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 10 comments

Hi there, I had my car recently checked out at a grease monkey before a road trip and ask them to make sure everything was up and running for a long drive.

During that service, they didn’t properly reinstall the container that holds my transmission fluid, causing it fluid to go all over the bottom of my engine container and for me to feel some weird shifting when I started my car. I took it into this shop that gave me a new transmission almost two and a half years ago. It’s just needs to be cleaned and the leak fixed but since my 2yr trans warranty expired 4 months ago in January this shop is telling me itll be a $600 repair job. Which is so expensive for a leak but I’m worried no other tranny shop will look at this issue…

Is grease monkey responsible for the cost of this repair and they didn’t properly close the cap for the fluid? Or is this something I have to just accept

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pianistafj@reddit

Ask the mechanic to provide a description that rightfully blames the last mechanic to service it. Authorize the repair for $600. Go back to Grease Monkey and tell them they screwed up (respectfully), and they need to pay the $600 for the repair. Escalate if they don’t agree to pay to have it fixed.

Talentless_Cooking@reddit

This, they should have insurance to cover ot if they won't pay.

Sideburn_Cookie_Man@reddit

Find out what the actual issue is first.

What you're describing makes no sense.

Cautious-Put-2648@reddit

So your saying the transmission oil pan wasn't torqued properly? Why did they take off the pan? Drain and fill service?

jrileyy229@reddit

Maybe, I can't see going into a grease monkey for some kind of "road trip check out" and they would drop the pan

What you're describing doesn't really make sense. I don't think you clearly understood what they were telling you

HenryLoggins@reddit

Correct, I really don’t understand what OP is trying to say.

sergioraamos@reddit

If it's their mistake and you can prove it they need to pay They have business insurance for this kind of stuff

WittyFix6553@reddit

OP can you let us know specifically what the quote from the transmission shop says?

As in, what part(s) they’re replacing and the thing(s) they’re servicing? Can you tell us the specific part that’s leaking?

I can’t figure out from your description what’s wrong, and anything I can think of is likely incorrect.

Your transmission itself is the container for the transmission fluid. Did they remove the pan, which is the bottom part? If so, all the fluid would fall out immediately. Like, right away. Before it left the garage. It would take a stunning amount of negligence to release a car without a transmission pan at all. There wouldn’t be a “leak” in this case. Take off the cap on a bottle of milk, and turn it upside down. Is it fair to say the milk bottle is leaking? No. Same thing with the pan. It’s basically the “cap” for the system (even though it’s on the bottom).

I’m confused about the fluid being all over the “bottom of my engine container” because there isn’t really a “container” for the engine - below the engine sometimes there’s a plastic cover, and then below that is just, like, the road.

What kind of car are we talking about? I’m assuming it’s automatic, because it would be super difficult to shift at all with a dry manual gearbox.

135is@reddit

Grease monkey pays