PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. — Jade Hill says she borrowed thousands of dollars to pay for what she was told was a transmission repair. Months later, she received an unexpected phone call from the mechanic who worked on her SUV. He told her he had recorded the repair as he performed it and claimed the transmission work she paid for was never done.
Hill said the trouble began last November when her 2008 Ford Edge suddenly would not move. The SUV was towed to AAction Better Built Transmissions, located at 7685 Pines Blvd. in Pembroke Pines.
According to Hill, a service advisor told her she needed a transmission.
She said the diagnosis was presented as certain, and she agreed to the repair.
The bill came to $3,850.
Hill said she did not have the money and had to take out a loan.
“I was bawling,” she told Local 10 News. “I cried.”
When she picked up her SUV, Hill said she believed the transmission had been rebuilt or replaced and was told the repair carried a one-year warranty. She said no one ever mentioned replacing the vehicle’s front axles.
Months later, Hill said she received a phone call from the mechanic who had worked on her SUV.
According to Hill, the mechanic said he had recorded the repair as he performed it to document exactly what he did in case his work was ever questioned.
Local 10 News obtained those recordings.
In one recording, the mechanic is seen working on Hill’s SUV while narrating what he says he is doing.
“Okay Jade Hill, one new axle there. One new axle there. The car is running right now,” he says.
After taking the SUV for a test drive, the mechanic tells the camera, “Jade, there is nothing wrong with your transmission.”
He continues describing the test drive by saying, “Shift, shift, shift. The transmission is perfect. Transmission shifts beautifully. Does not have to be touched whatsoever.”
Before returning inside the shop, the mechanic tells the camera he wants to see how management responds after he reports what he found.
“And we will see what the response is. Will he say, ‘OK, it’s fine? Just leave it like that?’”
The recording then captures a conversation between the mechanic and a service advisor Hill identified as AJ.
“Both axles?” AJ asks.
“Yeah,” the mechanic replies.
“That’s it?”
“Yeah.”
AJ then responds, “I basically sold them the unit. I sold the unit, but... the axles are bad?”
The mechanic again replies, “Yeah.”
A short time later, the recording captures another conversation as the two men walk through the repair shop near Hill’s vehicle.
“The lady, she called me crying on the phone. I felt bad for her, but $3,850, b****,” AJ says.
Laughter follows.
AJ then repeats, “$3,850,” followed by more laughter.
Hill said watching the recordings left her stunned.
“I’m livid,” she said.
The invoice provided by Hill lists charges for a general overhaul and reconditioning of the transmission assembly, including an overhaul kit, torque converter, valve assembly, piston kit, transmission fluid and labor. The invoice also includes replacement axle assemblies.
Industry repair estimates indicate replacing both front CV axles on a 2008 Ford Edge typically costs substantially less than $3,850, although actual repair costs vary depending on parts used, labor rates and any additional repairs.
Hill later hired Fort Lauderdale attorney Michael Salazar.
In a demand letter sent to AAction Better Built Transmissions, Salazar alleged Hill was charged thousands of dollars for transmission work that was never performed and demanded compensation. He described the recordings as compelling evidence supporting Hill’s claims.
“The videotape speaks for itself,” Salazar told Local 10 News.
Local 10 News visited the repair shop seeking answers.
Shop owner Luis Merchan declined an on-camera interview and referred questions to his attorney.
In a three-page letter to Local 10 News, attorney Alejandro Velez, representing Merchan and AAction Better Built Transmissions, strongly disputed Hill’s allegations and urged the station not to broadcast the recordings.
The attorney wrote that company records show Hill’s vehicle arrived at the shop inoperable, that a documented transmission repair was performed and billed, and that the company stands behind its work by providing customers with a one-year warranty.
The letter also challenges the credibility of the mechanic featured in the recordings.
According to the attorney, the mechanic was terminated for cause because of documented misconduct, including chronic tardiness and abusive language. The letter alleges the former employee threatened to “ruin” and “destroy” the business before his termination, later refused to leave the property, and was ultimately trespassed by law enforcement. The attorney argues the recordings were provided to Local 10 News as part of a retaliatory effort against the company.
The attorney further contends the recordings were made illegally using wearable Meta smart glasses inside an employees-only area where workers had a reasonable expectation of privacy. The letter argues the recordings were made without the consent of those involved and asks Local 10 News not to broadcast them.
The company said it immediately launched an internal investigation into Hill’s repair order. According to the attorney, the review includes digital diagnostic information, technician logs and parts records. The company also stated that if the investigation uncovered any improper conduct, it would work directly with Hill to make the situation right.
Local 10 News asked the company to provide the records it says document the transmission repair. As of publication, those records had not been provided.
As Local 10 News was preparing this report, Salazar said the parties had reached a resolution but declined to discuss the terms.
Hill said that regardless of the outcome, she wanted her experience made public.
“This needs to be brought out,” she said.
“You’re allowing this to happen. You know about it. There’s no way that you don’t know about it. You know what parts come into your facility. You know what’s ordered through your company.”
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