This store is the only place I will take any of my cars for transmission diagnostic, service, repairs and rebuilding. I have had all my cars transmissions serviced and rebuilt here, from My BMW,Mercedes,Ford, and my Jeep. Rob is fantastic and always keeps me updated on status. His builders are amazing and more than qualified. Service is impeccable and Rob is always giving me great advice on taking great care of my vehicles. read more

BEWARE! TOTAL SCAM. I know this place has a lot of good reviews, but they ripped us off big time. We went to have our transmission diagnosed. Once he had our car taken apart, he had us trapped. The prices Rob promised kept going up, and the stories became more questionable. He miraculously found a low cost transmission in Sun Valley. He sent us to pick it up, which we see now was a set up. When we delivered it, he found it was damaged. Both he and the parts seller claimed we damaged it. It just got worse from there. Rob is a very charming guy, but a total scam artist. His real goal is to destroy your car and then offer to buy it dirt cheap. STAY AWAY. read more

Fast professional service. Great experience, fair and honest pricing. Rob goes out of his way to make sure everything's right.

Rob and his team are some stand up guys. I came in with my 1987 Ford Ranger thinking I needed a rebuild on my trans. Long story short, Rob saved me thousands of dollars and serviced my transmission, (new fluids, filter, gasket) and said I was good to go. He also gave my truck an oil change and preformed minor suspension work on the rear end. The truck runs smooth as could be. I highly recommend you guys check Lake Forest Transmission out. read more

Lake Forest Transmission! Only reason I'm giving them 5 stars is because I can not give them 6. After many years of questionable "services" from other transmission outfits, Rob saved the day. Or should I say, saved my 1965 Mustang. I had shift & leak issues. It took a few days but that's how Rob is! Patient and not willing to deliver your vehicle back until everything is solved. Car runs better than it ever has. I should know. I'm the original owner. I should include that I was blown away with how low his fee. I was so blown away that I peeled off some more cabbage as a tip! read more

Just had a conversation with Rob regarding one of our company vans that was not shifting. He spoke to our driver and told him how to handle the situation. Apparently, a cable had come loose. I can not tell you how grateful we are for his help. Most companies would ask for them to have the vehicle towed in before helping them. I can not rave more about this wonderful company and owner, Rob. Thank you so much Rob you are wonderful. Roberta at Classy Closets. read more

Took my 2013 F150 in to have the driveshaft replaced. Rob and his team made short work of it and had me back on the road in about 30 minutes! Friendly, courteous and professional are words that easily describe this shop and the employees. Not to mention, very competitive on the prices. Would definitely recommend to anyone needing transmission, drivetrain or brake service. read more

Lake Forest Transmission - Newly installled driveshaft. - Transmission Repair Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Highly recommend this place! Rob and his team provided excellent service and a fair price. All done within a timely manner too! Definitely go here. read more

I never write reviews but in this case I had to. I had my Dodge Van towed to Lake Forest Transmission. Rob, the owner, diagnosed that the trans had sustained a catastrophic failure and the best course of action was to get a new replacement. I found that they are an excellent auto repair shop that provides top-notch service to their customers. They provide timely and efficient work, and they always go above and beyond to ensure that their customers are satisfied. Rob, the owner, is always on top of things and is willing to go out of his way to help his customers. He is a true professional who takes pride in his work and is committed to providing the best possible service. I highly recommend Lake Forest Transmission to anyone who needs auto repair services. They are simply the best! P.S. My van was ready 2 days earlier than promised. Thank You, Thank You! read more

I pulled into the bank with car running fine. After ATM, car would not reverse. I assumed it was transmission. Car is 11 years old. Stupidly, I do not have roadside assistance policy. I am 75 years old. It was hot. I didn't know what to do. It was late afternoon on a Saturday. I checked Yelp for transmission shops and this one was close by and highly rated. In a world of diminishing customer service, I was lucky to find Rob. He sent a tow truck to get my car. Rather than just selling me an expensive transmission job, he thoroughly evaluated the problem and discovered it was only the alternator and the car was back on the road on Monday. He is honest, caring and happily, funny. In future, I wouldn't trust anyone else with my car. He is my hero. read more

I want to say that Lake Forest Transmission has saved me with multiple issues with my Transmission! Rob is very helpful and considerate to your needs as a customer. Reasonable and great turn around time to get you back on the road quick! Thank you for the help once again! 5 s! read more

A very trustworthy high quality repair shop. Ran and owned by a very knowledgeable Transmission Mechanic. Who charges very fairly.

Took my sons S10 in for what I thought was a Ring gear or torque converter replacement. Turns out it was a starter rattling and they fixed quickly and affordable. I am a mechanic myself and it was nice to deal with someone knowledgeable and trustworthy ! They earned 5 stars. read more

Looking for an HONEST and FAIR mechanic? Yeah this is the place. Rob and his team took care of the rear differential on my Cadillac. Thanks Rob you have earned a customer! read more

I like the attention paid during the brake job preformed on my vehicle. I watched how he took his time and did not rush it at all. The price i was quoted was reasonable and the work was excellent. The manager/owner Rob is very friendly and will not up-sell anything to clients. Speak to him before you get some work done because he might save you some money on services you might not need. Thank you LFT and thank you Rob...I still will come back for that transmission flush;) read more

LFT is definitely the ONLY transmission should I would recommend with a 100 mile radius! Rob is amazing and takes his time with everything he does! Those other places rush to get jobs done and he never does! The service needs Six Stars! I am overly pleased with my transmission job! THANK YOU MR ROB read more

Lake Forest Transmission - Transmission Repair Near Me - Lake Forest, California

See all

One happy customer here! Rob and his co-workers at Lake Forest Transmission are "the real deal". We are traveling the US, towing an Airstream. As we drove into Newport Beach the transmission on our GMC Sierra started to slip. We headed over to the GMC dealer, who in turn referred us to Lake Forest Transmission. While no one likes to have to replace a transmission, our experience with this group of guys really was great, Within a matter of two days we had a brand new factory transmission installed and our truck was road ready. A BIG HUGE thank you to Rob & crew. We highly recommend this place. read more

My 2013 Toyota Tacoma was having torque converter shudder and the dealership told me I need a complete transmission rebuild. Rob recommend a fluid change and shudder lube. He's service fixed the problem and saved me thousands of dollars. If I ever have transmission problems again I'd definitely take my vehicle back there. read more

I came to see Rob James after the GMC dealership quoted me $5k for a new transmission. I ended up buying my own transmission online (https://www.bestbuytransmission.com/) for about $800 less than the dealer price, and then Rob saved me about the same on the installation. So $1600 stayed in my pocket. These guys really know their transmissions! read more

Went here for some problems with a 2008 Mazda3 not shifting correctly. Rob hooked his scanner up to it and was getting multiple errors. The problem was intermittent so Rob asked if i could leave the car for a day while he drove it a bit. Unfortunately, the problems didn't happen while he was testing it. He did narrow it down to the TCM module which is the brain of the transmission. The part is very expensive and not very easy to get. I checked the internet and got the part cheap and was able to install it myself. I never had to pay a dime for the diagnosis. Rob was very friendly and helpful. I would recommend this business. read more

Took my Ford ranger here for a quick fluid change. Great hidden gem! Owner is super nice and very knowledgeable. Very reasonably priced. Great service I'll be coming back here and recommending to friends. I highly recommend! read more

Just had my daughters car fixed here. I had originally taken the car to the dealer with what I thought was a bad cv joint in the axel or possible wheel bearing going bad. After having to call the dealer to find out what was going on, I was told that I had to spend $1200 on new tires and alignment before they could properly diagnose the problem. Needless to say I just picked up the car and left. Rob had done some work for me years ago so I thought I would let him take a look, well $295 later the problem was solved. Bad wheel bearing. He rotated the tires and topped off the oil for no e tea charge. I won't ever take any car anywhere else. read more

Always been a great experience. Very helpful in communicating and making you feel safe when the car is broken down! Doesn't cheat you out of things. Recommend this place for any young women or single parent ! Great experience and always HONEST read more

When my Scion xB flagged a transmission code, I was terrified - that is usually NOT cheap. Lake forest transmission was recommended to me & Rob couldn't have been nicer! Not only did he pull the code & realized it was a sensor, but he found one for the best price & didn't take advantage of me just because I'm a girl! He was so friendly, kind & knowledgeable! He even realized my car needed a smog & took care of that for me; couldn't have had a better experience here. I will be coming back for sure! Thanks Rob!! read more

Just moving to Lake Forest it was not easy to find an honest car mechanic or even shop. Rob was honest. My Explorer was running hard and needed a new transmission. He built my transmission in a timely manner and at an affordable/reasonable cost. Rob also helped me with other things my Explorer needed. It has been a few months and my Explorer hasn't driven this smooth since when it was brand new! My recommendation: you are wasting you're time and money going anywhere else! This is the best car mechanic shop I have ever worked with! Thanks to Rob the owner and all the mechanics @ the shop. John UK read more

It is so hard to find someone you can trust in this industry. I finally feel comfortable now that I met Rob. He has done work on two of our cars. He really takes care of you and does a good job. read more

Let me start with the honesty factor. Rob is a straight shooter. Through out a ballpark high and low price for the repair on the rear differential to my 2007 Yukon XL. I was quoted for double else where due to other shops just wanting to swap out the entire rear end for a rebuilt one. Robs approach was to just repair the problem within the existing rear end instead of replacing the whole thing. That approach saved me over $800 alone. In addition to that there was an emissions code requiring some testing which could have resulted into a big money fix. Instead his expertise narrowed down the issue and got it repaired for $100 when other shady shops could have taken advantage of the situation of the unknown and charged me an insane amount of money. This place is the real deal. Honest people & very fair prices. I recommend this place to everyone. I can't speak for the other people who may have not had a perfect experience but I come from a service based company as well and understand the unknowns with troubleshooting a problem. Either way they are the most honest people to attack an unknown situation. read more

How could you ask for anything more?! We had an unexpected, urgent need for a transmission fix at 4pm on Monday. Rob answered promptly, helped us get the vehicle to the shop, and took a look at the vehicle. I let Rob know I needed this vehicle back on the road ASAP. It's one of our commercial vehicles and every day it's down, we're not helping customers. Rob was more than accommodating and promised the vehicle back to us by Wednesday (sooner than anyone else I called) and quoted a fair price. Boy, did he deliver!! The cost was what he quoted, he finished it on Wednesday, AND now it runs like new!! Thanks Rob and team! You made a world of difference and earned a customer for life! read more

Rob is amazing. After talking on the phone with him for 3 minutes, I knew this was where I was having my car towed from San Juan Capistrano where I though my transmission failed. Turned out it was ONLY a broken axle. Rob was very honest and fixed it in quick time. Would highly recommend this shop if you want honesty without dropping a small fortune. read more

Rob the owner is such an honest and ethical mechanic. Rob is also a great analysts of transmissions. I would recommend Lake Forest Transmission to any one. Great guy and really knows his craft. Thank you Lake Forest Transmission!!! read more

Here we go again, Rob to the rescue. I broke down,he gave me an honest estimate, an honest opinion, it's so nice to have someone you can trust in this industry. He fixed it and now I'm back on the road. Thanks again Rob read more

I took my truck to Lake Forest Transmission for... what was it ... oh yeah, now I remember... a Transmission problem. :) After spending weeks at another brand name transmission shop, I brought it here. It was my first interaction with this shop. I discussed with Rob my problem and he explained various options. I was comfortable with the communication and left my truck there for them to try to find the solution. After much inspection, it was determined that the need for a new transmission was unavoidable. There were successful in finding me a used unit with a warranty -- this saved me over $1,500. It has now been several months and over 10k miles since the transmission was installed, and it has been flawless. I have also since taken my other cars here for various other jobs. The shop is not the cleanest looking shop in the world, but don't let that fool you into thinking this place is anything less than an HONEST, KNOWLEDGEABLE, COMPETENT and VERY COMPETITIVELY PRICED car shop. It is a top quality shop, which is a reflection of its owner, Rob, whom I know to be a quality individual. Don't hesitate to take your car here for Transmission and many other needs. read more

This is an honest automotive repair business, friendly, caring and great service. You can tell by their parking lot, it's always overflowing with cars. They stay very busy. Thank you Rob for your expertise, helping me with my car. That car, as you know means a lot to me and I have total confidence and trust in you guys. I never worry about it while the car is there with you. If anyone owns Hot Rods, Mussel Cars, High End Classics, that need transmission service, bring the car to Lake Forest Transmission, they understand them and are very particular about the smallest details. read more

Rob has done a great job with every transmission he has helped me with! Fair prices and great warranty follow up read more

When I needed someone that understands transmissions, insurance, dealerships, and auto body shops and how to make it all work, together, I went to Irvine transmissions. Thanks for all the effort and outstanding work on my 2006 Dodge Ram diesels transmission. You have my loyalty forever. Jim Blandford read more

Rob James, owner here was referred to me. What a blessings having him work on a car I borrowed from my nephew's friend when my car was in a shop elsewhere being fixed.. The clutch and flywheel had to be replaced in the borrowed car while I was using it!. I had to help pay for the repair It was only right. Rob felt sorry for me and was so kind and helpful and super fair priced for what was needed.. He is extremely knowledgeable. I cant say enough good things about him. Thank you. read more

I wont go anywhere else. I have saved thousands over the years using LF transmission. I even go with minor items that go wrong. They can be insanely busy. But its worth it because I never fear a call back from them. They always find the most cost effective solution and wont even push any other options on me. Once telling me its better to just trade it in. Passing up a huge job, to do what's best to keep me as a customer. I send my wife with no hesitation. Rob is an old-school kind of guy. The kind of guy you want working on your family car. read more

Rob is just awesome! Service was excellent, honest and the price was great. Highly recommend!! This will be my go to repair shop for me and my family going forward. read more

I truly appreciate the high quality service we received from Rob! Brought in my 10 year old Matrix for a new transmission and received so much more! He was kind and patient with all much questions and took the time to get to know us personally. Thank you Rob for restoring my faith in mechanics!! read more

Thank you for taking care of our family! Rob took the time to do a differential diagnosis on our van, trying to see if other problems might be the cause of our transmission issue rather than just quoting us for a replacement or rebuild. He is honest, cares about people, and takes pride in his work. I know Rob runs a busy shop, but he took the time to really talk to us, explain how the transmission and electronics work, and the rationale for his actions/opinion. We ended up saving 6-7K by coming to Lake Forest Transmission, which really helped us financially as a young family. I'd recommend this shop to anyone!!!! -Y.F. read more