Irvine Transmission Center

I have been to Irvine Transmission several times over the last ten years and this review is long overdue. If you want an honest opinion and reasonable prices on getting your transmission checked or worked on this is the place. I’ve had Dale service the transmission for all of my vehicles over the years and he also did a clutch rebuild for on one of my trucks. I have never had a single problem and Dale is a really nice guy to deal with. Just today he finished changing the fluid on my 2003 Chevy Truck. I ask him to check the rear differential and he said that fluid looks perfect. He never up sells, he is just very straight forward and I am very comfortable with his prices.
I will not take my vehicles anywhere else for transmission or clutch. He’s a nice guy, very knowledgeable, reasonable prices, does excellent work, what more can you ask for.

UPDATE (08/​13/​2015) — RESPONSE to Mr. Dale’s REPLY.
Hello, Mr. Dale
From your reply, I see that you have MISSED the only point that I was trying to make with my review. If you had read my review without prejudice, you would have realized that the ONLY thing that was irritating about my experience was the PHONE CALL. And you conveniently side-​stepped it.
To QUOTE your reply, — «As per phone conversation i did not talk to him so dont know was said or not said.»
As business owner, isn’t it ethical to hold your hand up and say, YES, I AM RESPONSIBLE, regardless of whether it was you or anyone in your employ that provided the misleading information? Do you believe a business owner should wash his hands off of something his employee did?
I never said that I expected you to «drop everything» and take a look at my car. ONLY that I was led to believe by the PHONE conversation that I had caught you at a relatively free period. I was ONLY irritated that I wasn’t told that it would take such a long time to take a look at the car to figure out the issue.
Also, you mention COMPANY POLICY? How is a customer supposed to know YOUR COMPANY POLICY? Isn’t it your responsibility to let us know over the phone that your COMPANY POLICY dictates that it takes a minimum of 2 – 3 hours to look at every car???
And for your «Moral of the Story»: Please put that up in BOLD letters on the top of your website at least if you are NOT going to inform unwary customers of your «COMPANY POLICIES» over the phone.
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This is the first review I am writing on Unilocal.I am writing this out of a sense of bewilderment because I did not expect such behavior on the part of such a well-​rated business. Anyway, lets get to the specifics:
1. I started hearing noises from my car’s (Honda Civic) transmission about a week or so, ago. My friend suggested this place since he had had a very good experience with them.
2. I called them up around 3:30 pm on a Monday and spoke to «Anthony». I explained the issue to him and also mentioned to him that my car had a Manual Transmission. His immediate reply was that they only service Automatic Transmissions! I was a little taken aback, that a place which calls itself a «Transmission Center» only looked at Automatic transmissions. However, I was about to thank him and hang up, when he put me on hold for about a minute. When he gets back on the phone, he says that made a mistake and that they also look at Manual Transmission’s. He asked me with sense of urgency in his voice if I could come in immediately, and that they would «scan» (exact word used) and let me know what the issue possibly was? I told him that I could and I asked him until when they were open and he said 5 pm. I responded that I would be at the shop in half and hour and he replied that they would see me then.
3. I requested some time off work and left work early, drove 10 miles through reasonably irritating traffic to reach them at 4 pm. When I walk in, the manager «Dale» is at the front desk, and a guy sitting in one of the chairs on the side (who I was later told, is Anthony). I explain to «Dale» the reason for my visit, and he immediately says that it would take them over 2 hours to take a look at the car and that I would have to pick my car up the next day since they close at 5 pm!
4. I explained to him that the person I talked to on the phone (Anthony) told me no such thing, and that he asked that I bring in the car as soon as possible. Also, since I had no means of knowing that they would need to keep the car overnight, I hadn’t made any alternate travel arrangements to get back home.
5. By then, I was a bit flustered and irritated as to why someone would be asked to drive all the way out (immediately) when there was no way of getting the work done the same day. I could have just as well dropped it off the next day. Additionally, why was this not mentioned during the phone conversation? It made no sense to me. Finally, one last time, I asked «Dale» if they could help me in any way, and he just repeated the same lines about there being nothing he can do, and that they close at 5 pm. I also asked him if this was how his business deals with customers, and he said «I am sorry you feel this way»! So finally, I gave up and drove all the way back through ever worsening traffic.
MORAL OF THE STORY:
I respect the good-​great reviews from various other customers here and believe I may have caught them on an off day. I cannot comment on their (supposedly great) work, since I didn’t get anything done. I am not sure why I was dealt with in such a manner but I am certainly disheartened. I would like to just reiterate one thing, these guys may be great at their job, but this screen of poor customer service is obfuscating their talent, which I am sure they possess.

THIS PLACE IS AWESOME! I highly recommend Irvine Transmission Center to all car owners for any kind of transmission issues. I have a 2003 BMW 530i that has been a terrific car. It had some issues with the transmission, but I was always afraid to have it looked at because of the cost and because I am a female and females seemed to get ripped off by automotive companies all the time. That was definitely not the case here. Dale and Sean are completely honest and trustworthy. They gave me options and information about my car and transmission that I never knew before and worked so hard to get things done on my car in a timely manner. And they truly are a God’s send to me.
My car has never run better and I am more than confident in the work that they did and the price that they charged me.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Irvine Transmission Center to anyone who needs tranny work. These are people you can trust!

These guys are the absolute best. Dale, I can’t thank you enough!
I brought my car in for the first time about a month ago for a free assessment since my normal tune up guy said we should check out a transmission specialist since my car was jolting pretty badly when shifting between 1^st and 2^nd and 2^nd and 3^rd, and sometimes even when it would come to a stop. My normal tune up guy (who’s also wonderful), John from Irvine Auto, said it could be that the transmission fluid was dirty, but it probably was something worse and that I should get a transmission specialist to check it out. I know John has his guys he recommends who do transmissions, but I decided to google some and bring my car into the specialist who had the best reviews online – and that’s how I found Dale and Irvine Transmission Center! After a free assessment, Dale explained to us that I should get my transmission rebuilt else I buy a new car (if there were other problems with my car). Luckily, all else with my car seems great and as it’s a Honda Accord (2002) with about 150k miles on it, seems like it could go another 150k if the transmission was rebuilt. I was very impressed with how thorough he was at explaining the problem to my boyfriend and me and was glad to see many previous customers had even sent physical thank you letters to Dale that he’s displayed in his shop.
I spent another jolty week driving around on my car and soon realized this problem needed to be fixed VERY SOON as it was getting worse each day. So, about 6 days after my free assessment and quote, I dropped off my car with Dale. I dropped it off on a Monday early morning (8am) and picked it up that Wednesday around 1:30PM. Dale again took the time to show me the old transmission parts that they’d taken apart and compared them to what brand new parts look like; wow, did my transmission need to be rebuilt! Even as someone who doesn’t know much about cars, I was shocked at how different my old parts and brand new parts looked (mine had worn down to the metal) — my boyfriend understood much more than I and tried to explain to me what he knew too :) In any case, I paid Dale the initially quoted price (very glad he told me the total up front, I very much appreciate him for sticking to his original quote and not finding additional fees when getting rung up – just another reason this place rules)! Nick was the guy who worked on my car and he did a marvelous job. Dale explained to us that since my car’s computer had to relearn how to appropriately shift since it was a brand new transmission, it might drive a little funky initially. I honestly didn’t think it was very different, and was 100% satisfied with the incredible job they did. Dale even told me to bring my car back in 10 days after to do a DOUBLE check on all their work and ensure everything was running smoothly. So, 10 days after, I brought my car back in, and for free, Darnell checked my car out and did a test drive as well and told me all their work was good :). My car runs WONDERFULLY now and I can’t thank these guys enough! Dale and Darnell are also great to chat with and are genuinely good, hardworking people. I recommend this place to any and all people who are having potential problems with their transmissions. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
Extremely satisfied customer here :) A++++ work.

My car barely drove but it got there… they took my info, told me a schedule (about 2 hours), and got back to me as they said. The assessment was straight forward and I trusted his evaluation. That helped me decide what to do next — basically, it was the end of life for that car… but, ITC was great — nice, professional, and trustworthy.
No charge on the evaluation… and very clear explanation of what is going on — both verbally and in writing. I got the printed output from the car’s diagnostic with a long list of what’s wrong — nice.

I went to Irvine Transmission Center based on their Unilocal reviews and I am sure glad that I did ! I had my transmission fluid flushed at another repair shop and shortly thereafter my truck developed a chattering in the transmission. It took me a few days to pin it down but when I felt sure it was coming from the transmission I took it to Irvine transmission Center. I spoke with Dale and explained the whole story and he felt like it may be related to the flush since it happened right after. He drove the car and confirmed the chatter and recommended that I re-​flush the transmission with the correct fluid and see what happens. He even recommended a place to have it done since he didn’t do it himself at his shop.
I followed his recommendation and sure enough, the re-​flush and re-​fill with the correct fluid solved the issue. I confirmed with the previous shop that they hadn’t used the correct fluid and my truck is running great.
Not only was Dale honest in diagnosing the issue correctly when he could have easily told me that I just needed a new transmission since mine has 146,000 miles on it but he recommended a great place to have it done and didn’t make a dime from the whole thing! There are not many businesses like this around anymore where integrity is still regarded so highly so I highly recommend Dale at Irvine Transmission Center to anyone considering your options!

UPDATE — the transmission in my Silverado went south and had to be rebuilt. Both transmissions I had work done here was sub-​par. So in addition to the cost of getting my other transmission fixed, the rebuild on this one cost me another two grand.

I finally took my car to Irvine transmission center after getting 3 different answers as to what was wrong with my car from 3 different places. Dale and his team diagnosed it properly and were quick to get the job done. It only took 2 days to get my car back, when others said that kind of work would take up to a week.
I’m very pleased with the work dale and his team did :) they were very nice, patient and explained everything step by step.
Will definitely recommend them and bring any of my other cars back!

I brought my Tacoma in because of a Transmission issue that the dealer couldn’t figure out… Infact, they denied anything was wrong. I took my truck to Irvine Transmission because a buddy told me Dale (the owner) was honest and helpful. He diagnosed the transmission for free and wrote up some notes to help the dealer figure out the problem for free. He told me its probably covered by warranty and go back to the dealer. Most people just aren’t that nice anymore. I def recommend this place.

The best! I’ve had many experiences with various repair shops over my 40 years of driving cars. This place is the best! I took my 1965 GTO in for a leaky transmission and they repaired it very quickly and with little fuss and it was very inexpensive.

I’m mechanically inclined and normally do all my own work on my car. I bought everything to do a transmission service (filter, gasket, and fluid). Only problem was, I couldn’t get the drain plug for the transmission loose.
Upon further research I found this is a known issue with 1999 – 2003 Chevy cars. GM over tightened the drain plug from the factory to the point the 10 foot breaker bar I used wouldn’t work.
I called up Irvine Transmission and talked to Dale (owner) and explained my problem. He knew exactly what I was talking about and offered to help.
I dropped my car off Monday at 4:45pm (they close at 5). Dale said he would take a look at it in the morning. Dale called me Tuesday morning at 9:30am to say he was able to get the drain plug off and replaced it with the one I provided. They also serviced the transmission with the supplies I had and my car was ready to be picked up.
Picked up the car later that day. Dale only charged me an hours labor. Stand-​up honest service is what Irvine Transmission is. So refreshing to find a place like this since they are few and far between this day in age.
I will be recommending this place to family and friends and will be bringing my other cars here in the future.

Took my ten year old F150 into Irvine Transmission recently because I sensed I was having some transmission issues. I left my truck with Dale and he told me he’d check it out and call me. A few hours later Dale calls to say the transmission wasn’t the problem, but I had a cylinder misfiring. He recommended a shop across from him, Gene’s Auto Repair. Dale offered to give my keys and paperwork over to Gene. I checked out Gene on Unilocal.He’s got stellar reviews. Gene replaced an ignition coil and my truck was running great. And for a lot less than I thought I was in for initially.
It was nice to have a guy diagnose a problem then suggest a reputable mechanic and not charge me for the time. Great customer service and good business savvy. I’ll definitely go back for any future transmission problems. Now I need to write a review for Gene.

This was by far the best experience I have ever had when it comes to auto repair!!! Dale knew exactly what the problem was just by talking to me on the phone. He ran some tests fixed the problem and best of all it was free of charge!!! Very honest business!!! I would recommend them to everyone!!!

I’ve had a great experience here. Dale is a very very honest person. I would definitely recommend anyone who wants professional technicians to fix their car. Very satisfied!

I had a great experience at irvine transmission center. I definitely recommend my family and friends to come here. I am assured that irvine transmission center does quality work and has some of the best technicians around.

After having my car repaired by Villa Ford Collision Center I noticed a noise in my driver’s side suspension and after taking it back several times I was eventually told that the noise was coming from the transmission. Believing that I was having smoke blown up my exhaust pipe, I turned to Irvine Transmission to diagnose the noise. Dale, understanding where I was coming from and skeptical himself given how the noise was produced offered to take a look. Within hours he advised that not only did they find no issues with the transmission but he had Gene for Gene’s Auto Repair come over to see what the possible cause of the noise could be, (not Irvine Transmission Center’s specialty.) They found a faulty ball joint and leaking rack and pinion. All of which was allegedly replaced by Villa Ford Collision Center. When I went in to pick up my car from Dale, I expected a bill for their diagnosis and report of possible issues but NO CHARGE! Seriously? Yes, I will recommend both businesses from here on out. Likely I will be bringing my car to Gene for repairs as the insurance company (Farmers) involved in my accident is refusing to repair the damages. Thanks Dale and Gene.

My wife and I were looking for a great, honest place to take her car. After taking it two places and feeling like we were getting taken advantage of, we found Irvine Transmission Center. These guys are as good as it gets. Dale and Isaac didn’t try to pressure us into getting something we didn’t need. They earned our trust. We will definitely be taking our cars there in the future.

I originally took my car to V-​Tech, a trusted mechanic shop next door to Irvine Transmission Center, due to a clicking sound from the front end of the car. V-​Tech guys looked at it and told me that the clicking sound stops if I put my Pathfinder in 4-​wheel drive and recommended for me to walk my car over to Irvine Transmission Center next door. So that’s what I did… Dale the owner checked it out and told me to return in an hour or 2 so he can diagnose the car. Later on, he called me back saying that he cannot hear the clicking sound after putting the car back into 2-​wheel drive from 4-​wheel drive. Meaning, the clicking sound had gone away on its own after shifting from 2-​wheel to 4-​wheel and then back into 2-​wheel again.
This guy could have easily told me that he fixed it or could have made up some mumbo jumbo story and charge me a couple of hundred dollars… at least… but he didn’t. While he’s finishing up my paperwork and charging me NOTHING for his diagnosis, I started to look around his front office area and noticed dozens of recommendation letters from his customers… Boy… was I lucky to find Dale who apparently has over 18 years of experience working on transmissions. Even though Dale didn’t make any money from my business that day, he knew that he’d earned himself a customer that would never take his business elsewhere and always recommend him to his friends. This issue had me worried for quite some time and I can’t thank Dale enough!!! Thank you Dale and Irvine Transmission Center!!!

Here is the straight skinny! I am a seasoned DIY mechanic but will not venture into the inner workings of a modern automatic transmission. While on a road trip along the west coast I developed a ticking noise which I believed was coming from my transmission or torque converter. I found Irvine Transmission Center and read a few favorable reviews on Google. After speaking with Dale (owner), I decided to take my truck to him for a diagnoses and repair.
When I arrived, Dale had me fill out a contract giving him the right to inspect and drive the truck AT NO COST!!! I looked at the form and assumed he would just add the time into the bill later. That afternoon He called and informed me it was likely a cracked flywheel. The repair was estimated to be roughly $ 700. I told him to go ahead and take care of it.
Three hours later, I get a call telling me that they had removed the transmission and discovered the problem to be a broken starter striking the flywheel and causing the noise. He said that they were re-​installing the transmission and ordering the starter. He then mentioned «I’M NOT GOING TO CHARGE FOR ANYTHING BUT THE STARTER AND THE LABOR ON THE STARTER. THE TRANSMISSION R&R WAS A MIS-​DIAGNOSES AND HE WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT… Unbelievable and he also did not charge for the inspection and diagnoses. I have never in my life heard of a mechanic doing this. In some ways I feel that he should charge for his time but I am not complaining and I know he is still making a little money on the job. In fact, he offers a 10% discount coupon but I almost felt wrong about asking for 10% off of such a fair and reasonable bill.
I have told everyone I know in the Irvine area about him and wanted to let you all know what a great resource you have for specialty drive-​train work.
I only wish I knew of someone like Dale back home. You will not likely find someone like this anywhere else. He also gave me a ride back to the place I was staying while he worked on my vehicle. Do yourself a favor and take your transmission problems to Dale the next time you have a problem. You would be hard pressed to find professional quality service as good as his anywhere else.
Thanks Dale,
The truck is now running perfectly with no odd noises or problems whatsoever.
–Sam