Warning to all looking for Transmission Specialist

[legriv]

BEWARE OF LEONARD BULAONG

I was the owner of the Rav4 the one SIR JEKBU said on this thread --> http://tsikot.com/forums/transmissio...t/index24.html. Congratulations to you, it was solved easily.

UNFORTUNATELY, I experienced the other way around, or should I say WORST than what happened to sir COCOY 2 years ago here--> http://tsikot.com/forums/transmissio...t/index13.html. Bad thing is, I still went on to see LEONARD BULAONG and did not took sir COCOYs bad experiences as a warning.

This was transpired during my HELL week;

Day 1, Monday, 25 August 2014
Went to see LEONARD BULAONG to check my tranny. However, the situation seems to be odd because they don't have shop anymore. What happen was we met at Banawe and asked to drive to the direction he said in Manungal St. Tatalon.

His father, Alex test drove the car and check the problem. after test drive, LEONARD said the tranny should be brought down and was given me 2 options
1) Original will be replaced by Surplus Tranny parts, 1 year warranty.
2) Rebuild the tranny with original parts, but 3 months warranty.

I chose #1 as he is telling me its the best option, he priced me 32k initially after nego we agreed to 25k. Then we agreed that the tranny will be done at 8pm, so I waited. They are just working on the street side where parking is not allowed. Even the baranggay police warned us that the owner of the car will be fined. But leonard said "akong bahala" dyan.

From 9AM-3PM, they have done nothing as they are busy working on the other client na napakabait, so I have no complains. To think they have only one Jack for a "transmission specialist". So they couldn't work on both.

Then when my turn went in, they dismantled the tranny and ended at around 6pm. That time LEONARD already asked for 20k downpayment so they can buy the surplus tranny that I have never seen - but I still trusted them. Then I was informed that the bearing should be pulled and machine shops are already closed.

I was so disappointed because they didn't anticipate that thing when they are dealing with me knowing that they are working with trannys all their life (as they say)

So I have no choice but to go home empty handed and my car is parked illegally and its tranny are torn apart. But, I still big hopes that everythings going to be alright the next day as he promised, it will be up and running before 11AM.

Day 2, Tuesday 26 August 2014
I called LEONARD at 9pm to check if the car is already running, then he said, "nakabit na pero binaba ulit kasi me tagas ATF" (Lie #1). I was there at 11am and the moment I came Alex bulaong is still assembling the tranny, so I asked him..."sayang yung unang kabit tapos na sana kaso nagkatagas daw eh no?", alex replied "d pa naman nakakabit to inaassemble pa namin eh?" i said, kala ko nakabit na kanina..., he replied "hindi pa". So i just kept it on my self.

Then he asked for another 1k for the ATF and which I noticed he just used the used one. Then I told him "bakit nde lahat bago nilalagay mo?", he told me "okay nya yan CVT pa yan". - nice right, but I let it pass once again.

The car was assembled again and when i test drove it, it seem everything is noisy and loose - and the tranny problem is the same -> plus more problem. Then we agreed to have it ECU scanned which I believe that should be done before bringing down the tranny.

After the scan, the technician told us that it has a tranny problem and coudnt isolate if ECU issue as the performance is the same using brand new ECU.

Once again I felt hanging to this situation
1) If the tranny components were already replaced, why the same problem occurs?
2) Why we didnt go on to ECU and other electrical components first before we brought down the tranny?

Once again, the situation left me with no choice but to go home with nothing but headache and frustrations. Then I decided to leave the car to LEONARD to give him time to work out on the problem.

Day 3, Wednesday 27 August 2014
I tried to focus on my work and just phoned LEONARD to seek updates. His update was

LEONARD: kailangan tong palitan valve body
ME: Kala ko pinalitan mo na lahat ng laman loob
LEONARD: dapat brand new
ME: cge kung sure ka ba na yun ang problema eh.
LEONARD: sure yun napascan ko na eh.

Day 4, Thursday, 28 August 2014
I called LEONARD to seek updates

LEONARD: sa friday pa dating ng valve body, inorder ko pa sa casa
ME: okay, sure na ba yan
LEONARD: oo sure na 11AM

DAY 5, Friday, 29 August 2014
I called LEONARD to seek updates

LEONARD: wala pa check ko mamaya
Me: cge, balitaan mo na lang ako, sabi ko puntahan na lang kita bukas.
LEONARD: mga 11am pa ako available
ME: cge dun na lang ako tambay sa Manungal st.
LEONARD: nasa casa ang sasakyan nde ko mapull out kasi nakapila (Lie#2 - casa)
Me: okay, cge dun ko na lang puntahan, sino contact natin dun
LEONARD: si marlon

Day 6, Saturday 30 August 2014
I was really thinking to pull out the car from him because its not making any improvement yet I suspect its just getting worst. So I went to his place early in the morning (Manungal St. Tatalon) and nobody was there including my car. So I ask somebody from there and he said "anjan lang si 'nard paikot ikot tinetest drive ata oto mo" - so okay, the car is not in the casa.

So I called him,

Me: Asan ka? Asan oto?
LEONARD: nasa casa nga diba???
Me: (Calmly said) okay, dun na lang tayo magkita(casa), checkin ko na rin kung magkano magagastos natin dun...
LEONARD: okay.

then eventually called me back after 1 minute using other number
LEONARD: dito ako sa Mazaraga eh.
ME: okay sige dun na lang tayo sa casa magkita.
LEONARD: Okay.

So I went to casa and check with the service if my car is there for checking - NONE, WALA, NADA(so confirmed that everything was I lie, even from the start I given him the benefit of the doubt). Then I called LEONARD, just to tell him just bring my car in Toyota Quezon Ave, then I waited 30mins to think he is just 3 blocks away, and every time I called he said he is on his way.(Lie)

Then he arrives, I hitched in the passenger side, the moment I got in, he said the problem is still the same, no improvements. But I really got disgusted the way they treated my car;

1) The car smells the hell of smoke - MAN, I never allowed someone to smoke in my car.
2) Upholstery and dashboard are full of grease and black dirts.
3) My loose coins are gone.
4) Alarm is not working
5) ATF is leaking
6) THe whole engine bay is wet with ATF
7) The wheel alignment is a mess - which not be moved becuase they are working only in tranny.
8) I left the car with 34kms in my trip meter, and got it 145kms - where the hell my car went? that's too much for a test drive.

I said to myself, "What the hell I got into?"

Then, I said I will pull out the car and just sell to somebody, since they aren't able to fix it. And I demand only for the half of the payment I did i.e. 10K which he agreed but he said he will just deposit it on Monday, 1 September 2014 OR Tuesday 2 September 2014. I think that's fair enough to both of us considering my car hasn't improved a bit. I could've ask for full refund for the mess he did, but no, I'd still want to be fair.

BAD NEWS is, today is already Wednesday and no money is deposited. Tried to contact him every now and then but he always give excuses...in short...pinapaikot lang ako.

With this experience, I learned the hard and expensive way. I just lost too much;
1) My hardly earned money (downpayment 21k, taxi cainta - qc back and forth ~1500)
2) My time and effort
3) Car degradation
4) And too much stress dealing with this person.

I could've just kept silent but I cant let this kind of trade continue. For me...YOU JUST BEEN WARNED! I rest my case.

[shadow]

Binugbog mo sana


Sent from my iPad using Tsikot Car Forums

#retzing

[[archie]]

Bad trip nga naman...

Sarap upakan.

That's why I don't trust anyone from banawe that does not have a shop.

Sad to say that your money is gone.

[Kasparov]

Ok na ginawa mo. Reduce your losses. Balikan mo hagisan mo sila granada. Mga put*#!

[kotiko]

8) I left the car with 34kms in my trip meter, and got it 145kms - where the hell my car went? that's too much for a test drive.

More than 100km? Wow that's a lot. Nagpunta atang Bulacan yan. Sorry to hear about your experience!

[legriv]

More than 100km? Wow that's a lot. Nagpunta atang Bulacan yan. Sorry to hear about your experience!

Yun ang hinala ko kasi taga bulacan daw sya eh...mukhang kilala mo sya sir kotiko ah.

[jeDi13]

takutin mo nalang, sabihin mo bahala na RIT (riding-in-tandem) sa kanya kung hindi siya mag-dedeposit

[kotiko]

Yun ang hinala ko kasi taga bulacan daw sya eh...mukhang kilala mo sya sir kotiko ah.

Ay hindi, Dapat Laguna sasabihin ko pero narealize ko mas malapit Banawe sa NLEX. I wouldn't be surprised if he did, going around Metro Manila wouldn't easily result to 100km unless taxi driver ka.

Anyway, it's every car owner's worst nightmare... to pay for a hefty price and none of the problems gets solved and get the car in a worst condition afterwards...

I had my fair share of those kinds of experiences too and until now masakit parin sa puso pag naalala.

I just remembered the TV5 Tulfo brothers show that I chanced upon last night... If you want to take matters to the next level! Pero sana you get your money back.

[baludoy]

that sucks. dapat talaga ma-warn iyong ibang may problematic trannies para wala na maloko iyong mga iyan

[shadow]

Kasi naman if your car need a major repair tapos nakita mong walang shop Sa tabi na lang ng kalsada kahit gaano pa siya kamiya hinde na bale. Magbayad na lang ako ng mas mahal safe naman kotse ko.


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