Jess Lewis Transmission

i had a car into AAMCO in Venice Florida and after a month and no work done but dropped the tranny, AAA’d it out of there with tranny in a box. took tranny in box to Jess Lewis in Ft. Wayne and they did what AAMCO could not do in a month in less than a week. Several parts missing from the visit to AAMCO, so they had to make a block. hauled the repaired tranny to back to Florida in trunk again and had a mechanic install it. a few more parts were missing and difficult to find. Jess lewis looked several times, but could not find. found part at salvage yard, tranny in and running fine! second visit with Jess Lewis for transmission work and completely happy with their expert work! It was a nightmare experience with AAMCO, which Jess Lewis fixed no trouble! This is the 1995 Eagle Summit! Thanks so much. Sturdevant auto salvage had two eagles!

I brought my 2001 Plymouth Neon with approximately 170,000 miles into Jess Lewis Transmission because it was in desperate need of a new transmission. I had a summer internship in San Jose, California and I was planning on driving my Neon across the country from Indiana. I estimated that I would drive approximately 5,000 miles just on the way out to California because I decided to make a road trip out of it and roughly 10,000+ miles over the course of the entire summer!
Dan, who I believe is the owner of Jess Lewis Transmission, could not have been more respectful and kind to me. HOWEVER, Danny, who I believe is his son, was the complete opposite. He has absolutely no business being in ANY role that involves customer relations. Danny is, without a doubt, the most RUDE, INCONSIDERATE, and DISRESPECTFUL person that I have ever met and with whom I have ever had to do business. It is truly a shame that Jess Lewis Transmission allows such a person to interact with their customers as it honestly, in my opinion, ruins any reputation they may have as a transmission shop.
Unfortunately, I did not interact with Danny until after my transmission was already installed. Had I met him beforehand, I would have taken my business elsewhere. I paid $ 1200 plus tax for a rebuilt transmission that included a one year, 12,000 mile warranty, which, I later discovered, is far below the industry standard and the competition. I spoke with other transmission shops in Fort Wayne, IN (including Summit Transmission) and they all informed me that they would have charged me $ 1150 plus tax for a rebuilt transmission and that it would have included a two year, 24,000 mile warranty. Hindsight is 20/​20, but I truly wish that I had done a better job of doing my homework before deciding upon Jess Lewis.
Anyways, I had my transmission rebuilt at Jess Lewis and other than a leaking seal that I found about a week later (which Jess Lewis replaced free of charge), the transmission seemed to work very well. It made it all the way out to California (just over 5,400 miles total) through every imaginable condition… rain, sleet, snow, dust, scorching deserts, gravel roads, and mountain roads (most of which were gravel) that climbed over 12,000 feet in a matter of a few miles, just to name a few. From a quality of work perspective, I was very satisfied.
After I arrived in California and settled in, I took my Neon to the most reputable transmission shop I could find in San Jose (Mike’s Transmission) to check on that seal that had previously leaked. As luck would have it, it was leaking again, only this time it was a significantly bigger and faster leak. Mike, and his wife, Patty, were incredibly considerate and respectful and were completely willing to work with Jess Lewis in terms of warranty fulfillment. Unfortunately, Jess Lewis Transmission was not.
Upon inspection, Mike told me that the cause of the leaking seal was a very rusty axle, of which Jess Lewis Transmission failed to inform me, both when they installed the rebuilt transmission and when they replaced the seal a week later. Jess Lewis knew that I was planning on taking my car across the country and back and they knew that I had a rusty axle. Their negligence could have resulted in a very costly incident, both for them and for me. Needless to say, I was furious. Mike told me that if he had done this work he would have certainly informed me of the rusty axle (like any reputable transmission shop would), especially since it would almost certainly cause a leak. He also said that, if for some reason he failed to inform me, he would have paid for everything to have it fixed. Guess what? Jess Lewis did not agree.
Mike told me that it would cost just over $ 300 to replace and install a new axle, a new seal, and the lost transmission fluid. Jess Lewis was only willing to pay $ 64 worth of the $ 300+ (great warranty… NOT!). When Mike spoke with Dan, the owner, he told me that it was a very good experience and that Dan truly wanted to help. However, later in the day when Mike’s wife, Patty, called Jess Lewis back to give them the final number, she was forced to speak with Danny. Based upon how Mike described the experience to me and how Patty was treated, I was absolutely appalled and incredibly embarrassed. Danny yelled at her on the phone and was incredibly disrespectful. Even young kids should not act like Danny did, let alone a full grown adult. Danny is PATHETIC, to say the very least. Words cannot describe how UPSET and DISAPPOINTED I am in Jess Lewis Transmission and their poor excuse for an employee, Danny.
So, to conclude, if you are strictly looking for a quality transmission, Jess Lewis Transmission may suffice. However, if you are looking for honest, respectful, and kind service and people who will stand behind their service, their product, and their warranty, in addition to a quality transmission, RUN AWAY FROM JESS LEWIS TRANSMISSION!