[koozy]

I need your help. This is not my car. It belongs toa good friend who I have known for over 30 years. I used to restore cars as a hobby and I know my way around technically so I'm just trying to help. The car is a 2001 PT Cruiser with 52,000 miles on it. Her warranty ended 5/07. In 2/07 a dealer completely overhauled her automatic tranny for the third time. This came with a 12month/12k mile warranty. This time there is a hole in the case in the area of the differential and the entire unit needs to be replaced. The dealer says they won't cover it because the problem is in an area than was never worked on by them. In other words the differential portion and not the transmission side. My argument is this
1) They are both lubricated by the same fluid. This transaxle unit(more specifically the AUTOMATIC tranny portion) is the most complicated component of the car AND it's been taken apart THREE times already. The symptoms are always the same. She brings it in when going from neutral to drive takes a few seconds for 1st gear to "kick" in. Something could have flowed with the fluid from the tranny portion into the differential portion and caused the problem.
2) THREE major tranny repairs and nothing else has gone wrong with the car???? Can we say that the whole unit was defective to start with?
The so called warranty manager at the dealership says that my request of having the District Service Manager review this has been obliged, but I have no proof. The DSM doesn't speak to the customers. I was told that his answer was that if the car is out of warranty, he is out of the picture.
They are willing to do this for a $800 discount but my feeling is that she shouldn't have to pay anything.
I would really like anyone who has some good advice to plaese come forward. I just don't think this is right I'm just tryint to help out a friend in need. There is nothing in this for me.