manufacturer rebuilt vs indy rebuilt transmission

Then you have a very good dealer (or some very poor "mom and pop" shops.)

Yes - there ARE some good dealerships around, where you will get a fair shake, and a good job - without a hassle if and when something does go bad - because it WILL. It will go bad because of the quality controll issues in the parts supply train. Doesn't matter WHO you buy from.

Then again, there are some VERY respectable "mom and pops" out there who will consistently do a better job, for the same or better price, without the hassle. And things won't go sour any more with them than with the dealer.

The independent has the "luxury" of being able to source parts from whoever he pleases - unlike the dealer who is more or less tied to his own parts department, and the dealership parts chain. They can, and some do, buy some aftermarket parts, particularly when they know they have a problem and someone else has the answer. The independent can pick and chose - they know, for instance, that XYZ Starter and Alternator Service over on the state line provides the best auto electrical rebuilds in the area, at any price, and has good stock and a fast turnaround when problems arize - so they get all their starters and alternators etc repaired, rebuilt, or replaced there.

They have had very good results, with good fit, long life, and decent price with exhaust parts from (Bosal, Walker,you fill in the blank) and A&Z Auto over on the east side almost always has stock, delivers within the half hour, and beats everybody else's exhaust price by 5% - so they buy their exhausts from A&Z whenever possible.

If they run into a fit problem, their complaints carry some weight and A&Z goes to bat for them with the manufacturer because their business is worth something to A&Z.

You get the picture.

You get the picture.

Hey! Don't knock the captain! Captain Kangaroo was a terrific, educational show -- for six year olds.

I'm still trying to figure out what happened with a local shop in town here -- when they were a dealer, they were one of the rare outstanding dealers. I never came away feeling like I'd been taken for the proverbial ride; their work was good. Though they were a Chrysler dealer, I got to where I was taking my off-brand truck to them.

They sold the dealership, and remained in business as a used car store plus repair shop. The old service manager became a partner in the revised enterprise.

And... it all went to hell. Exactly the same people I'd worked with for years and years were suddenly telling me the on-off-on-off-on key sequence didn't work on a '95 Neon (and the long list of codes it reported to me didn't actually mean anything); that you couldn't adjust the clutch pedal on a '90 Toyota truck (not only is the procedure quite prominent in the manual, but the same people had mentioned it on an earlier trip), and they botched an R134a conversion to the point that I was getting an annual free A/C compressor from them for several years.

I still don't understand it, but I haven't been there in quite a while.

It is actually: "smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kang-Kangaroo. Long live the Statler Bros.!!!

No, but if I just have some chest pain and a doctor wants to do a quad bypass, I'd be well-advised to read about angioplasty, stents, and other alternative methods. And if the doctor wants to throw me on blood thinners, I might do well to learn about the risks and side effects before I risk a massive stroke.

I just can't imagine that its that hard. Its just a silly little minivan transmission, not an Joint Strike Figher lift-fan gearbox and clutch! And the web gives a huge amount of resources to tell you the common problems, symptoms, and the right questions to ask to boot. But I'll allow that maybe I'm just such a dyed-in-the-wool gearhead that I can't see it from any other perspective. I started reading up on the transmission about 100,000 miles before I *HAD* a problem with the one in my wife's car.

All I can say is "wow, that's not my experience!" We have *ONE* dealer locally (out of about 7 that sell Chrysler products) that I would let work on my car, and that dealer is only good because the service department invested in everything it takes to become a Viper specialist shop (complete with dyno) and staffed up accordingly with talented techs. The mom-and-pops(*) LIVE by not screwing people over, on the other hand. Every repeat customer they alienate cuts down their chance of seeing another year in business.

(*) "mom-and-pop" does NOT include Ammco, Brake Check, Cottmans, Jiffy Lube, etc. etc. etc.

Two points, and I'm done with this:

1) I never told you what I paid, and I don't know (or care) what you paid. 2) Every post I've made has used words like "odds" and "probability." If you don't recognise that those words absolutely explain why the genralization can be true despite the fact that you got a good transmission, then its obvious why we can't have a rational discussion.

...........substitute the word "allow" with "admit", and remove the word "maybe" in that first sentence and your remark will be right on the money.

Why is this any different for a dealer?

Matt

Dealers are pretty much guaranteed a fair volume of warranty work at book rates from Chrysler, plus parts sales and new car sales can "prop up" a mediocre service department. No such safety nets with the mom-and-pop shops.

Except that I don't buy new cars from dealers who don't properly repair my existing cars. Losing the new car business is a big deal for most dealers and a lousy service department is the fastest way to do this.

Matt