TAT Express in Dallas Tezas

Don't know if this will reach anyone or anyone will care but I thought I could at least try. I am a owner operator I have a small Trucking company 3 Trucks and Trailers nothing crazy. I do 90% of my own mechanic work went to school for it and spent years doing it for a living. But bigger jobs like transmission, overhauls ect I leave to people with a shops. Well I had seen these videos with Adam from TAT Express and thought he seems like honest guy I'll give him a try Mistake. I was coming in from Amarillo and long story short my transmission went out I got to his shop. This is where my story really starts. They called me the next day and said that my transmission burned up and would recommend a new one, they get new one in charged me $11,000 thought this seems high but whatever I have my truck back. Fast forward 11 months I am in Childress TX I pull to take a break 2 am in the morning get back in my truck press down the clutch it feels strange and it's shifting doesn't feel right then it starts slipping, Remind you everything was fine 10 mins ago. I thought maybe I lost my clutch but also couldn't figure out how that could of happen so fast. Turns out it would of been a lot cheaper if that was it. My transmission had fell out only 1 bottom bolt remained and it was almost out, it was 3 inch away from the top of the bell housing. So I call TAT Express from the mechanic shop and they ensure me they'll going to make it right. I wasn't to upset I figured mistakes happen just fix my truck and were good! my truck sat in that shop for 3 weeks wait on TAT Express to figure out what they were going to do which slow turned into them ignoring my phone calls and emails. When I did get hold of the secretary after calling a dozen times I was informed that they weren't going to help me. Said there's no way I wasn't aware there was a problem that I caused it. So now I half to sue then.
When my Transmission came out 1 or 2 things happen it cracked the transmission or here is the kicker it has a crack when they put it in. They said on the receipt it was a New transmission but turns out it was a in house rebuilt. Crazy thing is the transmission I replaced it was a remanufactured 13 speed Fuller Eaton from the manufacturer with a nationwide warranty for $500 cheaper then the sold me they're in house rebuilt. Any way they didn't stand by there work mean while 1.5 years after it happened I am still suing them. Go to Court in October already sent $10,000 in lawyer fees. Becareful hope this help you.

 

I really don't like to talk bad about anyone especially like this. They're expensive too. And if you have a deleted track they won't work on your truck. I think they think they're a dealership without the nationwide support.

 

No I did and do my own PM. And I hear you about them not all coming out at once. Buy honestly I just never noticed them. The bottom bolt was the only one left and I did climb underneath there about month after they did it and at that point didn't notice anything. But in reality it wasn't something overly pedantic about. Never seen that happen. I'm assuming that they didn't tighten them they forgot to put long tight are they used the bolts to pull the transmission into the bellhousing In return stripping out the holes. I do jump on or leave my trucks a lot. But I focus on other things and that's probably what screwed me. Trust me if I had a notice of bolt falling out of my transmission I would not have waited my transmission to fall out.
Actually I mediation pointed out some oil seepage as example of why it fell out the mediator said I am not following what this has to do with the transmission lol. They can try and I am sure they will and say vibration but I told my lawyer put it this way the last time you bought a new car did they tell you becareful the transmission may fall out if these bolt had of been put right torque this should never happen hell I've seen semi completely destroyed burn to the ground upside down and the transmission was still there. Lol

 

I actually agree with you on this but I've never had that problem before when I've had major work done like that. In future references I most definitely will recheck the torque of somebody who does work on my truck..

 

That being said. Maybe somebody in your position that has seen your fair share of things this seems like common knowledge. And although I do have a lot of experiences with mechanic work I haven't had a lot of experiences with transmissions falling out because the bolts weren't torque down enough. In my experience most of these are torque down with an impact and the likelihood of them not being over torqued is more of a concern than being undertorqued.

 

Just to be clear I do feel like I should of caught the bolts falling out. But I didn't! I drive about 3500 miles a week. And even though I had climb underneath my truck several times in that time I didn't look at the bolts after the first month. And furthermore I returned this truck to TAT EXPRESS 4 months later for axel work and they do Courtesy check of your truck and they didn't catch anything with the transmission. It easy to look in back and have. But at the end of the day had the mechanic did his job this wouldn't of happen. The point of this trend was a just How about other truckers Because even though any mechanic can make a mistake A good mechanic shop would stand behind their work. I shouldn't have to Sue them they should have just fixed my truck. I would have considered it no harm no foul. I don't need people to tell me what I get wrong I already know.