I really wanted to like this company but so far my experience has been nothing but a disappointment. The transmission went out in my 2000 GMC Sierra 4x4 lifted the with 33 inch tires and 170,000 miles, It has an upgraded 6.0 motor with about 500 hp and was built for towing. The stock trans could not keep up. Mad Dog looked like great outfit to build me a sweet upgraded trans that would work well. And after speaking with Dale their "sales guy"? He told me Oh yeah no prob we are the best! We will build just what you need." My trusted tranny shop: California Transmissions, were willing to install it at a fair price of $600, but warned me about the challenges of buying online with warrantee and issues in the future. They offered to build me a trans just as good at about the same cost and cover it with a 2 year warrantee, at any california transmission location. Two weeks later, right on time, as promised, the transmission arrived on a truck in a box that was broken and smashed. I was going to deny the package but the trans didn't look damaged inside the poorly packed card board box on a crate. I was affirmed by Dale that they are packed well and not to worry! Boy was he wrong. Any way, I called Mad Dog before accepting the package but the were closed, I left a message but never received a call back. I paid 600 to have the trans installed and it was bad out of the box. It had issues with the stall converter slipping and would jump out if gear between 3 and 4th and rev like it was in neutral. After attempting to reach Mad Dog multiple times they finally responded to me and my shop and agreed to have it shipped back on their dime!
At this point I have still never got the truck back from my tranny shop so I have not driven it yet.
Dale acted like he was doing me a huge favor by paying for return shipping for their bad out the box part. I requested compensation from the extra labor that I was going to be forced to pay, and Dale explained their no labor cost refund policy, but told me that he would check for me. They got it back and their GM expert and Shop Manager Bobby determined that it had a crack in the valve body, metal shavings inside, and a bad stall converter. He said "You would have not driven very far!"
Obviously, I have not driven it at all yet! Any way, they said they would get it fixed and shipped back the next day. I again asked Bobby about giving me some sort of credit or compensation for the extra labor that I was going to be forced to pay, and he side stepped the request and said he would also check into it. A week later I didn't hear from them again, so I called and found out that it had not been shipped because they had to order a new valve body. I requested to speak with Lou multiple times however he was not available every time I asked. Another week later the transmission arrived and was installed. My shop called me and told me it was ready, the were very nice and only charged me $1000 total for labor (an additional $400 on top of the $600) for doing the job twice. but warned me that it shifts violently from 1st to 2nd! I picked up the truck and it was so bad that my cup falls out of the cup holder at every 1 to 2 shift. I called Mad Dog and spoke with Dale and he acted like we have never spoken, then quickly transferred me to Bobby, and he said no prob, we will send you a different servo, and that will solve the issue. i requested compensation for my $400 in additional cost once again but received the same answer, we will look into it! Ok so 1-2 weeks later, no servo and no tracking info so I call Mad Dog to find out that the servo was sent to an address that does not exist. Jennifer apologized and told me that another one would be on its way. I received an email from Mad Dog wandering why I Denied delivery for a transmission!
"What??? I already had two transmissions shipped, and installed!!! Not sure what your talking about" I said! "Must me some other customer unhappy with their shipping freight service" I thought.
Any way, still no servo gear. Or tracking info!
1 week later after no delivery I call Mad Dog once again and Jennifer tells me that they did not have one, and they had to order a new one.
So I requested a tracking # and phone call of any info on its arrival and received no such info. Yesterday I received the servo clearly it is not new and not in a new box, but I really hope it fixes the shifting issue. I hope my experience helps with your decision to purchase from Mad Dog Transmissions, It would be cool they would step up and compensate me for the $400 out of pocket cost to me. Not to mention the 6-8 weeks without my vehicle. Not counting on it though. Maybe my experience would have been better If they did the work and stood behind their product and labor. However I live in CA, so driving to them is not an option.
Lesson learned. read more