Well, I hadn't been on the forum for some time, but I felt I needed to address this.
I was servicing my wife's '06 Stratus (52,000 original miles) and although it wasn't at 60k yet, decided that the 12 year old ATF+4 needed to be freshened up. So, I ordered a WIX 58934 and 12 qts. ATF+4. When I went to install the new filter, it wouldn't stay! The A604/41TE trans filter uses 2 stand-off posts on the filter body that push up into the valve body and these are what retains the filter into the valve body. Those stand-off posts on this WIX were just plain too small and just let the filter drop.
I got my precision caliper out and measured the mount posts against the OEM and they came up about .005 too small. When I was doing this, I then saw that this filter was Made in China! So, I ordered an OEM Mopar and then contacted WIX. Talked with Susan there and she asked me if she could have a field Rep call me. I told her by all means. Within an hour ot two, Mike from Mann-Hummel called. It was then that I found out that WIX had been sold about 2 years ago to this German corp. (I would have probably known this if I had been following the forum like I should have). Well Mike was actually not too far from me and came by about an hour later. I showed him what was happening and he absolutely agreed that there was a problem. I told him YEAH! it's called Made in China IMHO.I told him that I had been using WIX for nearly 40 yrs. and I had never had any issues until now nor I had seen a Made in China on their products that I ever remembered. He asked if he could keep the filter to send to engineering which I happily gave him. He then got a list of my cars and tractor and came by yesterday with engine filters for everything! Nice.......!
So, what's the take-a-way? Well, I was really disappointed to see that another American company sold out and gone overseas. I was also extremely disappointed to see a WIX with a Made in China on it. (BTW the OEM is American manufactured). Last, it WAS good to see that they seemed to still really care about their customer relations and they did make it right. I just really hope that now that WIX really isn't WIX anymore, that this Mann-Hummel hasn't started cheapening (can I say Fram-a-tizing) their products to pay for their acquisition..................
I was servicing my wife's '06 Stratus (52,000 original miles) and although it wasn't at 60k yet, decided that the 12 year old ATF+4 needed to be freshened up. So, I ordered a WIX 58934 and 12 qts. ATF+4. When I went to install the new filter, it wouldn't stay! The A604/41TE trans filter uses 2 stand-off posts on the filter body that push up into the valve body and these are what retains the filter into the valve body. Those stand-off posts on this WIX were just plain too small and just let the filter drop.
I got my precision caliper out and measured the mount posts against the OEM and they came up about .005 too small. When I was doing this, I then saw that this filter was Made in China! So, I ordered an OEM Mopar and then contacted WIX. Talked with Susan there and she asked me if she could have a field Rep call me. I told her by all means. Within an hour ot two, Mike from Mann-Hummel called. It was then that I found out that WIX had been sold about 2 years ago to this German corp. (I would have probably known this if I had been following the forum like I should have). Well Mike was actually not too far from me and came by about an hour later. I showed him what was happening and he absolutely agreed that there was a problem. I told him YEAH! it's called Made in China IMHO.I told him that I had been using WIX for nearly 40 yrs. and I had never had any issues until now nor I had seen a Made in China on their products that I ever remembered. He asked if he could keep the filter to send to engineering which I happily gave him. He then got a list of my cars and tractor and came by yesterday with engine filters for everything! Nice.......!
So, what's the take-a-way? Well, I was really disappointed to see that another American company sold out and gone overseas. I was also extremely disappointed to see a WIX with a Made in China on it. (BTW the OEM is American manufactured). Last, it WAS good to see that they seemed to still really care about their customer relations and they did make it right. I just really hope that now that WIX really isn't WIX anymore, that this Mann-Hummel hasn't started cheapening (can I say Fram-a-tizing) their products to pay for their acquisition..................