Marin Autotrans was recommended to us to check on our transmission issue. I called and explained the issue to John. He said he was busy, but I was able to schedule a date to bring in our car to have it checked out. When I brought it in, John was nice, friendly, and honest. read more

I came to this place because it was recommended to me by another mechanic .. and my impression was that he was going to treat us well. but. when he saw me at the door he told me (WHAT YOU WANT) and I was surprised by the way he told me. Well I ignored him and I mentioned that I was coming to check my car due to a transmission failure .. and he told me YOU HAVE TO WAIT .. just to say I'm Latino .. and after a few minutes he came out and with a very bad temper told me that he couldn't be jumping from car to car and that he couldn't do it that he says the i had to call to make the appointment .. that it couldn't be another day ... but I graciously said thank you and we left. I have been in many places but I think this one has a very bad customer service or I don't know if because I am Latino, not want to attend to me. but hey I decided to do this review read more

My transmission started slipping and I brought it in. John was highly recommended from the other auto repair shops in town. I can see why. Not only was he super helpful but was able to get me scheduled in quickly and provide a great price. read more

My "thingy" on my car went out and it wouldn't drive anymore..... Well, that "thingy" was part of my transmission. I chose these guys because every other person that I asked, loved these guys so there you go. That is why I am so surprised that NO ONE else has yelped these guys yet. They were very nice and most importantly, they explained it all to me very well. And best of all, the car was ready when they said it was. So when your "thingy" goes out on your car, call them. Oh and more importantly, these goes to way more than transmissions. I was surprised to find this out, maybe it is because their name is "Autotrans". The next time I need something done on my car, I am going to these guys again. read more

John replaced the transmission on my 2007 F150. Has helped me numerous times with various other problems I've had for no charge. He has also given me lots of helpful advice in regards to the truck. Would 100% recommend. read more

These guys know there stuff - they told me everything I needed to know in 5 minutes. The shop I had been to 10 minutes before filled my head with unicorns and bat wings. An auto trans is the most complicated item on this planet - you only want to do it once ! Friendly and no "due-due". read more

i can't believe i'm the first reviewer of this great shop! this is really great slept on shop with old school mechanics ethics. the guys here know their stuff and are very honest. i moved to novato and was was worried about finding someone to work on my cars: modified, engine swaps, etc. first off, these guys are very accommodating on doing unusual jobs for me, and they always do it right, even if its a terrible hassle. ive had a number of issues fixed by them that other garages wouldn't even look at. i can show up with a corolla that has an mr2 engine and a celica tranny and they track down the right starter for me. i had a terrible suspension issue that 3 other garages looked at and wouldn't even attempt, the guys at marin autotrans had it done the next day and didnt damage my vehicle in any way, even though there was a lot of butchering involved. next, they are one of the only places left that does EVERYTHING in house. they dont buy new transmissions, they rebuild them. and proper. they are a great and knowledgable place to get things like LSD's installed, or just for basic service, be it engine, trans, whatever. wait, a place that can both actually fix normal problems and help with customization issues??? they are honest and will tell you if you need something, but they never try to upsell you here. they are not cheap, but you are in marin, and considering that and that they do it right the first time, every time, they are pretty reasonable. the only thing they cant do for me is tires and wheel adjustments on my giant wheels, but i dont hold that against them of course. if you have to go anywhere, go here! just a great old school feel there, i always end up shooting the shit for like 30 minutes with the owner and employees every time i am in to drop of or pick up. Great work, great people, great shop! read more

I have all of my cars worked on at this garage. My all wheel drive Dodge's transmission had been targeted for a full re-build by a garage in San Rafael. I took it to Marin Autotrans. They looked it over carefully and determined that no rebuild was necessary - just a fluid change. The transmission is now going on 200,000 miles and going strong. This story is repeated consistently with questions about our Honda Civic and VW Jetta. This garage understands trade-offs of cost versus necessary repairs and gives the customer the choice. Plus any work that has been completed is excellent. I have been getting cars repaired for 40 years and have never felt so confident in the integrity of a mechanic and quality of customer service as I do with this garage. read more

Once again was so very pleased with the excellent service John and his crew at Marin Auto Trans gave us. What can I say they worked with my sons hectic schedule, saved us a ton of money and time . It's not easy being quick, but flexible efficient but also always try to keep your customer from spending an arm and leg. I wish when I was a teenager I had a mechanic take the time to explain to me how to keep my cars in good shape. I would literally drive four hours to take our cars here. All I have to say is John you have to stay in business at least another 30 years! You guys rock !! read more

This is the best shop in Marin County, PERIOD! I have lived here for over 40 years, and have had a love affair with cars for over 32 years, I know enouh to be dnagerious under the hood. John mechnics have worked on all my cars for the past 10 years. John diagnosis issues faster, and fixes things right the first time. read more

This is my favorite shop in Marin. John was a huge help from day one. The shop was booked out for almost two weeks. He still made plans and effort to help solve the issues with my truck sooner. These guys know customer service! read more

I found John and Marin Autotrans through Yelp reviews. I needed to find someone I could trust to repair my transmission on my work truck. What a great guy! Very informative and like others have said, he takes the time to explain what the problem is. He did the repair within the time frame he estimated, and the cost was within the range he had set. He also told me to bring it back in 500 miles for a double check for leaks, etc. As strange as it sounds, I can't ever recall a mechanic telling me to bring something back for a double check! What a great company and great service! read more

This is the best service I've had at from any type of mechanic. Very friendly and honest. They explained me what was wrong with my transmission and helped explained my options very well. It does not get better than this! read more

Agree with Mf B whole heartedly! These guys are indeed ethical and know what they're doing.

This place is great,my husband lost my only key to my Nissan Altima in Petaluma (i live in oakland).We were stuck out there without a key,i called this place spoke to Torri Bell who took care of it very quick .I had the vehicle towed to their shop and within 1 hour my car was ready.I could finally get home.JUST GREAT SERVICE .... read more

After 40 years as a maintenance mechanic I just don't feel like working on my own cars. At the same time, I can smell shops who overcharge the ignorant and sell customers things they don't need. John is that rare shop owner who actually has an encyclopedic knowledge of all things automotive. He is totally honest and his prices are exceptionally reasonable. I cannot recommend him highly enough. read more

Great service and great advice about car repair. Let a few other repair shops give me an estimate and wow was I ever glad to go here. John and Tom are very good people. No wonder it took me two weeks to get an appointment. What others told me it would cost $1300.00 to fix they saw as a minor problem. highly recommend. read more

These guys were great! I have a Chevy Contractor Van that was having transmission problems. In short order diagnosed the problem, called me to explain, and recommended the appropriate repairs at a fair price. I was on the road in three days. Me and the van are very happy. Nice guys and top notch work! read more