American & Foreign Transmission Service

This place is a scam…
I took my transmission down for a casing swap since there was a crack in the original, $ 400+ later the transmission was returned and I was told that «everything was perfect». I came home, installed the transmission and instantly realized the neutral safety switch wasn’t working. I called down and was told that it «was barely anything» and the «it was a piece that depresses the neutral safety switch inside the transmission» and that it would be $ 7 for the part and to make an appointment to get it replaced.
So I make an appointment, go down and suddenly he wants $ 150 to fix this. I told him I needed a few weeks to save up the money and went home. After speaking with my co-​worker who is a master mechanic, he brought up that the piece had to of been broken while they were re-​casing everything since this problem started directly after them doing this work.
I saved up the money, went down today and asked Steve if there was anyway that this could have been something that happened when they did the re-​casing or if he thought it could have occurred when I was installing it. Either way I came down with the $ 150 ready to pay so I could have my car in working order. Steve FLIPPED OUT at the question and started cussing and going off about how I was «that person» trying to get «free work». I was standing there trying to calm him down telling him I was just trying to ask a question and he was absolutely ranting and cussing about «free work» and on and on and on. He then said he would not fix the transmission at all.
This is what you call a SCAM ARTIST.

This is an incredible story and may not be believed but for various reasons I am posting it on Unilocal anyway.
I have an old and big diesel truck van, rugged 4 wheel drive that can still get about 22 miles to the gallon and it can haul a lot of stuff or a lot of people over about any kind of terrain. It is a rare vehicle even if it is old. It also once had a nice sound system.
In mid August 2015 the truck was leaking some oil and the 4 wheel drive did not work right. I was referred by Dustin’s Automotive to American Transmission and Foreign Services owned by Steven Tout. Steve originally estimated $ 1,500 to replace an oil seal and rebuild the transfer case. After examining the vehicle he called me and said the oil pan need replacing and that would add about $ 500 to the bill.
I paid him $ 1950 0n 8−19−15. I could find nothing on the bill that said anything about an oil pan. Steve did say they had serviced the transmission and it looked real good. I had just taken the truck on a 500 mile trip and except for the above mentioned problems it ran great.
On 8−20−15, after Steve’s repairs, I took the truck on another trip. It shifted much worse than before and after 15 miles it broke down and would not shift out of first gear. I had it towed back to Steve’s shop and when we got back there was oil spilled all over the flat bed of the tow truck.
Steve told me it would normally cost another $ 2000 to fix but that if he could have the truck for «two to three weeks» he would fix it for $ 700 more and «eat the labor». I did not have another $ 2,000 and had no choice.
After three weeks I started bugging Steve about the truck. He really hated it when I physically showed up at the shop. He kept saying, «I will call you». I looked for my truck and did not see it in the shop or outside anywhere. I became concerned when it appeared my truck was no longer at the shop. On two occasions he promised me the truck the next day, but the next day came and went and no phone call and the truck did not appear to be in the shop. He kept saying «I will call you» but he never called and kept putting me off.
Finally, after four trips to the shop, on September 25, 2015 I got the truck back. But there were some big surprises. First of all the sound system had been ripped out of the truck. Just a gaping hole and some wires hanging out of the dash. Steve was more angry at me than apologetic; like it was my fault. For the stolen sound system Steve generously offered to knock $ 150 off my inflated $ 700 bill. There was also a large water jug missing and the vehicle insurance card and vehicle registration card had been moved although not removed. There was also old ragged cloths not belonging to me in the back. I had washed and cleaned the vehicle right before it had been towed but now it was filthy and looked like it may have been off road.
But the real story was on the odometer. I kept a notebook writing down the readings for various places I had been and at gas fill ups etc. The last three reading were 64 190, 64 220, and 64 280. The last reading was when it was delivered to Steve via the tow truck. When I picked up the vehicle from Steve on 9÷25÷15 the odometer read 64 254
The odometer had lost 26 miles! ODOMETERS DO NOT RUN BACKWARDS; WHILE IN STEVE’S POSSESSION THIS ODOMETER HAD BEEN TAMPERED WITH.
Ever see Ferris Bueller’s Day Off? I wondered how my truck might have done in a Mexican desert. Or perhaps it was just used to haul stuff around Reno, but regardless the miles were significant enough to warrant tampering with the odometer. Again odometers do not run backwards!
Now that I have rescued my truck minus the sound system and after having paid Steve over $ 2500 I am more than a little concerned about what my truck was used for during this 4 plus weeks, time that Steve was supposed to have been working on it. That is one reason I am writing this review in case my license plates, registration and insurance cards show up on surveillance photos or records any place. THIS TRUCK WAS IN STEVE TOUT’s POSSESSION from 8÷15÷15 to 9÷25÷15 and I have the supporting paper work to prove it. He was not authorized to loan this vehicle to a third party.
I also think that people in Reno need to be aware that there may be problems at this shop that might result in poor workmanship, long waits and overcharges. I would never take a vehicle in there again.