Car Transmission Replacement
So im having issues with warranty and replacing my transmission. I’m just going to drop the story below, I just want to know if this even makes sense to anyone else. Not asking for professional legal advice, just anyone’s opinion and their experiences
Location: Texas
Car: 2016 Buick Enclave
Miles: 90k
On 12/17/26 my car was dropped off at the shop due to the transmission skipping. I have had the car for 1 year and only put 5k miles on it. My Job is 5-7 min away and 45mph speed limit, I rarely go anywhere in it. The warranty I have is 4 years unlimited miles.
When dropped off It was deemed to be the entire transmission as it was skipping multiple gears, multiple forms of proof was shown to adjuster who the shop says didn’t even care to actually look at the car while it was driving or anything they had to show pertaining to the transmission.
The adjuster sent in his ‘findings’ and that started the 48 hour clock for the warranty company. They responded saying it was an electrical issue with the torque converter and that wasn’t covered. The shop went back and fourth appealing 3 times telling them it was the entire transmission not that sensor they were claiming (electrical). Warranty company wanted ‘more proof’ as the shop already sent what was necessary and then some. They just resent the same things including VIDEO of the scanners while driving it. Finally 2-3 weeks later the warranty company says “we will just change the torque converter. We will send the part” they sent over the order forum to the shop even after the shop told them that would not fix the issue and the car would be back in the shop for another transmission. They still moved forward with the torque converter. The NEXT DAY on their OWN decision, the warranty company said “wait” and didn’t send the part. For eight working days they fought among themselves to decide what to do and ended up deciding to change the whole transmission, they would send the transmission.
So fast forward two weeks, the transmission they had sent shows up at the shop in an unlabeled black box. They put it in and test drive it. The car SLAMS at second gear. There is no second gear in this transmission. They call warranty company and the warranty company would only give them the transmission company’s acronym and no contact info. They told the shop they needed to go through them to talk to the company. After some days the transmission company contacted the shop and sent a new transmission and had the broken one sent back. The second transmission reaches the city I’m in on a Friday, due delivery for that following Monday. Monday came and the shop checked the tracking, the second transmission is in North Carolina. Shop Had to go through the hoops and come to find out the transmission was put on the wrong delivery truck. So that was hot shot back to my city that Thursday and put in. That Friday I’m called and the shop said this transmission was worse. The sensors inside wouldn’t even let it engage to let the engine know it’s running.
So a THIRD transmission is sent, this one is put in and takes a lot of miles to get it to learn and start shifting smoothly. The shop kept it and drove it for almost a week making sure it was okay for me.
I finally picked up the car and filled it with gas.
Fast forward to two weeks ago, 4/3/26, I haven’t even put 320 miles on the car and I was merging onto the interstate and it jerked. Looked down and check engine light came on. I immediately called the shop and told them I was on the way to them. On my way, the car completely shut down (those transmission sensors) while I was between cars and couldn’t get out onto a shoulder when I looked in the rear view and a 18 wheeler almost slammed into the back of me (not paying attention I’m guessing) and swerved around me behind the car that was to my left almost causing a accident on that side to go around me.
So I get the car to the shop to find out that transmission company doesn’t even want to pay the shop for the work they did with the first two messed up transmissions. So they called the warranty company and they started a new claim. Went through the process again and it was immediately sent up the ladder. Same adjuster doing the same thing as last time. The warranty company is saying they are going to contact the same transmission company to send another (fourth) transmission.
I didn’t feel safe to even leave the city in this car, now I don’t even feel safe on the road with these transmissions. We are going on five months of me missing work, begging for rides, people going out their way to give me a ride, I missed events, funeral, etc because I don’t have a car due to this. I paid for a warranty to provide reliable and fixed solutions to the covered issues and this is what I’m getting. I have Texas Legal Shield through my job and I plan to go that route, I just want to make sure I know what I’m looking at here when I ask and if I’m valid legally in even starting a suit against this company.
I also wanted to know if there was anything like the lemon law that pertained to extended warranties. Thank you 🙏🏽