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Car Guys - Dumb Dad Disaster here; Help predict our Misery (1 Viewer)

I've never had much luck with independent transmission shops. The two I've had put in at dealerships were remanufactured with good warranties. I put over a 100,000 miles on both vehicles without another problem.

 
Just say you had your hand resting on the shift lever and it moved while driving.  Ask if it really should do that while driving, boom free transmission!

 
I may up my estimate. . . 

Okay, if you do need another transmission, as someone previously said, I would not have the dealership do it.  I would buy a used one and find a local expert to install it.  For example, I found one on LKQ, it's a 2018 from a Subaru Ascent w/19k miles on it for about $2,500.00.  The trick is, doing a little leg work and investigation in finding an independent shop that 1.) Trusts you because most will not install a customer sourced part so you have to work that out and 2.) That You trust.

Again, it's a bit more work and hassle but I firmly believe in independent shops.  I take my wife's vehicles to the dealership for everything.  On my 3 other cars, I pick and choose.  I have a shop I take it to for our 2008 Honda, one I take it to for my 2016 Subaru and a speed shop I take my 2009 Corvette to. Generally, I'll take it in to the dealership until the warranty expires and then if I can't do it myself, I'll take it to a trusted independent.

Good luck!

 
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I remember when my '04 Suburban needed a transmission. Dealer wanted like $4000 to do that - ended up hiring a local transmission shop with an excellent record for about $2000. That was years ago.

So a new-fangled Subaru with a bad transmission getting fixed at the dealer? That's an easy 8k. 

I'd go local, smaller shop if it was me.

 
Once you get the final bill tell your son he’s going to have to mow grass and other chores to pay it back. Then take a little off every time he does something. 

 
The shop is still adding hidden charges.
Then there's

The shop fee

The shop supplies fee

The front office supplies fee

The documentation fee

Fuel surcharge 

Is there a Covid supplies charge now? I heard some doctor offices were charging for that.

 
Welp... still holding my breath a bit but the immediate damage was:

 He snapped the left front axle. And according to the dealer... it’s being covered by the warranty.  :suds:

Now, like the Wolf in Pulp Fiction, I’m  not going to start *bleeping* our *bleeps* yet. I still gotta wonder if that transmission pawl (the thing that keeps it in Park) is effed up or something hasn’t presented itself yet once they get that new axle on. For the first time ever I’m thinking of looking into one of dem extended warranties for any downstream issues later on. 😳

Also still don’t get the mechanics on that. I guess the force of throwing It in Park threw everything under pressure and the axle blinked first. Yikes.

Thanks to everyone for the guesses/advice. So I guess....for now (fingers crossed)...$1 is winner?

 
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If it was just the axle, then wouldn't the transmission have still tried to engage when he put it into gear?
 My wife snapped the passenger front on our Honda Fit when she started to turn right in red, hesitated, then put the hammer down. When I got there, I would have sworn it was transmission, until I looked under the car and saw it hanging there. IIRC, I had to pull the emergency brake to keep it from rolling away after pushing it into a parking lot.

Anyway, tried to put it in gear and got nada, hence thinking it was transmission.

 
If it was just the axle, then wouldn't the transmission have still tried to engage when he put it into gear?
With the news that one of the front axles broke (yikes) ... now I am wondering if the transmission did, indeed, default to Neutral upon the "illegal**" shift into Park. @Hugh Jass, do you all know definitively what part broke and spilled ball bearings onto the ground?

** according to the the onboard computer's drive-train-management rules.

 
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STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:
I’m curious, what you think the car should have done when his son put the car into park? 
It shouldn't have gone into park at all.  Newer cars have a safety feature that keeps the parking pawl still at any speed above a crawl.  

 
It shouldn't have gone into park at all.  Newer cars have a safety feature that keeps the parking pawl still at any speed above a crawl.  


So what should have happened? The car just doesn't stop and his kid continues to roll? 

 
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With the news that one of the front axles broke (yikes) ... now I am wondering if the transmission did, indeed, default to Neutral upon the "illegal**" shift into Park. @Hugh Jass, do you all know definitively what part broke and spilled ball bearings onto the ground?

** according to the the onboard computer's drive-train-management rules.
I'm reasonably sure it was the CV joint's ball bearings and internal cage all broken up.  I also read, that you can still push a car in Park with a severed axle so I guess that makes sense.

IDK,  I'm with fish up there, I still don't get why it "let" him slam it into Park.  And if just neutral, why would the axle snap.  I ask my kid and he's like "I dunno specifically what I did, I don't remember anything."  No license until 18, ftw!

 
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Are they being kind to let it fall under a warranty or do they believe that it failed and should not have broken even in that circumstance?
 

Good on Subaru or more specifically that service department! 

 
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Man you dodged a bullet, but thats a POS axle if it's imploding under those circumstances :eek:
I doubt the dealer knows WTF it is they’re talking about. 
 

They generally have 1 good disgruntled mechanic who thinks he knows everything and then 6 shlubs who can barely change oil w/o stripping the drain plug. 
 

I have ZERO confidence with dealerships. 

 
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I doubt the dealer knows WTF it is they’re talking about. 
 

They generally have 1 good disgruntled mechanic who thinks he knows everything and then 6 shlubs who can barely change oil w/o stripping the drain plug. 
 

I have ZERO confidence with dealerships. 
Depends on the dealership.

My father-in-law worked 40 years as a mechanic for BMW and Volkswagon dealerships here in the KC area. He has a ton of experience and had to do a ton of factory training over his career. His shop had a fair amount of guys just like him - of course they had lube and oil change techs as well. But I can say he was (and is) a highly skilled and professional tech.

He's retired now, and man he earned it. 

 
The best mechanic I know works for a dealership. He a certified Corvette technician, and has worked on cars his whole life. I also know several small shop mechanics that are very good.

A person can get ripped off at both dealerships and small shops. You just have to be careful. 

 
I doubt the dealer knows WTF it is they’re talking about. 
 

They generally have 1 good disgruntled mechanic who thinks he knows everything and then 6 shlubs who can barely change oil w/o stripping the drain plug. 
 

I have ZERO confidence with dealerships. 
Depends on the dealership.

My father-in-law worked 40 years as a mechanic for BMW and Volkswagon dealerships here in the KC area. He has a ton of experience and had to do a ton of factory training over his career. His shop had a fair amount of guys just like him - of course they had lube and oil change techs as well. But I can say he was (and is) a highly skilled and professional tech.

He's retired now, and man he earned it. 
Mobbin's broad brush sucks.

My dad was a mech and then service manager for Subaru back in the day. I used to work for him part time as a teen and know what kind of crew he had.

Subaru is one of the best manufacturers IMO. Not surprised they're taking care of this under warranty.

 
I'm reasonably sure it was the CV joint's ball bearings and internal cage all broken up.  I also read, that you can still push a car in Park with a severed axle so I guess that makes sense.

IDK,  I'm with fish up there, I still don't get why it "let" him slam it into Park.  And if just neutral, why would the axle snap.  I ask my kid and he's like "I dunno specifically what I did, I don't remember anything."  No license until 18, ftw!
Hope you're just kidding about the bolded. Don't blame the kid for bad parenting!  :P

 
Mobbin's broad brush sucks.

My dad was a mech and then service manager for Subaru back in the day. I used to work for him part time as a teen and know what kind of crew he had.

Subaru is one of the best manufacturers IMO. Not surprised they're taking care of this under warranty.
Yeah, cause guys like your dad and a dude out in KC grow on trees these days. 

I’m sure they’re used to be loads of great mechanics at car dealerships “back in the day”. 

my broad brush strokes didn’t come up with the name Stealership or encourage others upthread to warn the OP about going to said stealeeship. 
 

 
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Are they being kind to let it fall under a warranty or do they believe that it failed and should not have broken even in that circumstance?
 

Good on Subaru or more specifically that service department! 
Keep in mind--I believe that the dealership can actually bill the manufacturer (Subaru) for warranty repairs---so my guess is that the dealership is not taking a loss on fixing it under warranty.  They probably are also taking into the fact that if they are completely ruthless in this situation and charge the client full retail--there is a good chance that the client would be hesitant to purchase a Subaru in the future or recommend the brand/dealership.   By doing it under warranty--the dealership will still be able to get compensated through Subaru--and they probably cemented retaining that customer for many years to come. 

 
Update? 
Yeah we’re driving it around now “good as new”. As I posted above, he somehow snapped the left front axle, but we got away with no other damage somehow. 😳 Subaru actually covered the axle in full. I must admit that when I shift from Park to Drive I can make out the faintest squeak so I wouldn’t be overly surprised if the parking pawl has a slight notch or rub or something now. But it all works. We got so lucky.

 
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