John is very friendly and is up and up with you on the work he will do and the price. Very easy to talk to and makes you feel welcomed there. read more

Really appreciate the service. Got our company van transmission rebuilt two weeks ahead of schedule was a blessing. Great price and back on the road making money! Thanks for the amazing service! Customer for life. read more

Good guys! Sorry for late review but these guys took care of my Lexus LS430 transmission a year ago because it was leaking. She still running cherry. Thank you again. Service A+ Communication A+ read more

All I have to say is that if you have any type of Transmission Problem with your car, there is only one place to go to get an honest and upfront opinion and he goes by the name of John at Pearl City Transmission. Not only is he friendly and easy to talk to, he's there to give you an honest assumption of what may be wrong with your Transmission. Being the dummy that I am when it comes to cars, I thought changing your oil meant that your Transmission Oil would be changed and filled as well, buts that not the case with my Toyota Camry SE. i found out the hard way when my gears started to slip and the ride felt like I was riding on an Amusement Park Attraction. My Toyota Camry happens to have a Transmission where it's sealed and has no Dip Stick so there's an intricate way of getting to my Transmission Fluid and that's where John and staff took a look at it. My Transmission Fluid was bone dry and with possible damage to my clutch and Transmission. That's when John gave me a call and gave me my options. I opted to just have them fill my Transmission Fluid to its regular level and see how it goes or pay for a New Clutch and Transmission which would of cost me to sell my kidneys and other body parts to pay for it. I guess you all know which option I went for :) It's just that there's a leak in my Transmission and John told me just to fill it every month or if the fluid level gets low and that's the way I'm going handle this situation right now. Also having my regular mechanic refer me to John and staff at Pearl City Transmission also put my Mind at ease as well. The funny thing is that Pearl City Transmission is actually located in Waipio near the Credit Union Building so that threw me off :) In ending I can't thank John and staff enough for taking a look at my Transmission and as of now, my Camry is running a whole lot better but I do have to monitor that Transmission leak. I highly recommend you call ahead of time and make an appointment because they are always busy and won't be able to take a look at your car unless you have a reservation. That just goes to show you what an amazing. Business John runs. Nothing better than supporting our local businesses and John and staff truly have the Aloha Spirit. Definitely recommended if you ask me. read more

Steer clear of this place. Took my car here and they wanted $6300 to rebuild my Honda transmission. Took it to another shop $120 later car is like new! Was just a simple part. Call around before coming here better options out there! read more

There is much to appreciate about this locally owned business, but as always, the good about anything has to begin within the people. John is the reason why this transmission repair shop deserves 5-stars for excellence. From initial contact to final pick up, as a business owner, he takes time to be intentionally present to listen and to ask helpful questions based on his expertise in order to better understand every issue at hand. Although it's a little too soon to narrow down and address our transmission problems, when the time comes, we will definitely be returning here. Thank you so much for sharing your goodness with us, John. read more

Took my car into Pearl City Transmission and the owner was honest and very accommodating. He told me that car did not have a transmission problem and it was instead an engine issue. He was kind enough to print out the exact problem so that I could pursue other options. It's no surprise they've been in business for decades. Mahalo read more

Trust these guys without a doubt, brought in my car and John listened to the problem i was talking to him about and upfront with everything. Answering all my questions and gave me a peace of mind. Would come back if i need to without hesitation. Well deserved 5 star! read more

Needed to get my transmission rebuilt. Called around but they seemed the most accomplished dating and sincere. We dropped off the car to get diagnosed. Confirmed. Needed to get overhauled. He broke it down even more and got really specific. Everything he said were the symptoms we were getting. Made the appointment to get it done. Finished when promised and now I have no worries with the trans. Even got a free 1 month check up to see it it was all good. Good service and great guys. read more

It was a pleasure doing business with Pearl City Transmission! My car is running like a new car! I highly recommend this business! Mahalo John and Cheryl!!! read more

I was referred to this place by a trusted repair shop so I had very high expectations... and they were met! I messaged them via Yelp first and got a response within the hour. They are a small local family-owned shop so they are very busy, but when I did get a chance to come in for my appt, John did a test drive with me so I could point out exactly what I thought the problem was with my transmission & when it was happening. I appreciated the time to take the test drive because prior to that I had made 2 appts with Toyota Servco and they said they didn't think anything was wrong/couldn't pinpoint where any unusual sounds were coming from. By the next afternoon, John knew what was wrong and how to fix the issue. Their team fixed it in the shortest amount of time he quoted, & financially it came out slightly cheaper than what I was quoted too, which was fantastic. Everyone in the office was very nice, and i received zero hassle. They were professional and informative, and I would recommend to anyone looking to do transmission-related work. read more

Very professional and friendly service. Took my car in with some transmission problems. The guys diagnosed the problem and provided an honest assessment. Even if I choose not to get the vehicle repaired they understanding and didn't even charge for the diagnosis. I would strongly recommend this shop read more

Had my F150 towed here to do trans work. In a week in a half they had it out already. Staff were friendly and my baby is home. Mahalo Pearl City Transmission! read more

Fast, friendly & professional staff. John, owner who treats you as a friend & is knowledgeable.

I took my car in for a transmission check, thinking the transmission was going, hoping all I needed was the transmission fluid changed. After thoroughly checking my car out and taking it on a test ride, the man brought me out and stated my transmission was perfectly fine and I didn't even need to change the fluids. He reached in tightened up a line or two and pointed out that one of my fan blades were broken off, which was causing the light shaking. Then he sent me on my way, happy as a lamb and money in my pocket, thank you Jesus!!! read more

My car died in the H1 in Friday rush hour traffic. After getting the police and freeway safety to tow me, the kids and dog off the freeway, I called and spoke to John at Pearl City Transmission and had it towed there. He was so kind and honest that he recommended I tow it to the dealership for warranty coverage. He was right! John saved me thousands and gained nothing for it. Mahalo!!! I highly recommend his shop for professionalism and honesty. read more

Always fair and thorough information. We have done business several times over the years and had at least three F-250 or chevy 3500 transmissions rebuilt as well as clutches in both tundras and tacomas. Price is fair, work is top notch. Very satisfied. Don't risk going anywhere else. read more

I found and honest guy - It is so hard to find honest people in todays world. I took my car to Pearl City Transmission because my car would not go in reverse and the transmission light went off. UGH! not gonna be cheap. I left it with John to give me a quote for the repairs. He called the next day and told me I was still under warranty and I should take it to a Ford Dealer. He did the internet research and found it was a common problem with my model car. He printed out the paperwork, gave it to me to take to the Ford Dealer and charged me nothing. He was right! Ford fixed it for free. WHAT A NICE GUY. read more

Since I cant edit my review Ill also add in these facts: 1. The shop said they would buy my car for $500, well below what they would part it out for, then a week later the owner said never mind. (Because I said other people were offering me 2k and he knew he couldn't screw me over) 2. The people who were looking at buying the car were originally told they were not allowed to view the car so I had to plead with the shop to allow them to look at it. The owner said "due to insurance reasons they cant come in the shop" then he "allowed them" so is it against your insurance to allow them and you eventually break your own rules OR were you lying and just trying to make it hard for me to sell it? Either way you did what you could do to block potential clients from looking at the car. 3. The shop told me it would be another 1,000 to install a used transmission when they already had the old one out, how would it cost almost more to install a new transmission when all they had to do was hook up the transmission? Money Grab 4. I tried to tell the owner put the car together and make it towable for over a week however he "went out on vacation" and didn't return any calls, I have my call log to your shop asking for someone to call me back. He sat on it so he could charge me "fees" 5. They charged me another 400 to "make the car towable" and they told the person buying the car it would be towable. When he showed up with tow straps the owner of the shop just put the transmission in the trunk and locked the door, meaning the batter was unhooked and the inter car was 100% inoperable thanks to them NOT putting anything together like they said they would and CHARGE me for. Luckily the guy who bought it was patient and got a tow dolly to get it to his house. 6. The person who bought the car was a very nice military guy who new his stuff. Luckily he knew that the shop tried to KEEP some of my parts so they can SELL them for a profit. Had the guy who bought it not have immediately took the transmission out of the TRUNK and make sure all the pieces were there the shop would have essentially STOLEN over $500 in parts. 7. I said up front that I was iffy on the Third party warranty and my suspicions became evident during this whole ordeal and I wont be buying another extended warranty again, however I was not told at the beginning of this ordeal that A. The owner was going to NOT allow people to come in the shop to look at the car B. The owner could have put a used transmission in the car for 1000 TOTAL (He told me that AFTER he charged me 1100) C. The owner tried to STEAL the core and other parts of the car Again, these shop owners were nice at first, however once they had my car apart it was apparent they were just nickel and diming someone. Then at the very end they tried to STEAL my parts. read more

my 2006 Subaru Forester (143,000 miles on it) was making "clunking" and other noises upon accelerating and even coming to a full stop. Especially worse in stop and go traffic. Noises got worse over time (9 months or so). Made appt. with Pearl City Transmissions, and I was informed that there was a diagnostic fee of about $145. I agreed. John Nakashima (president) took the car for a test drive of about 10 minutes. Returned and said I needed a whole new REBUILT transmission at a cost of between $4,000 to $4,500, depending on what extra parts were required. He produced NO diagnostic data to back up his claim. I paid their diagnostic fee and left. They also said it would take at least 2 weeks to do the job. He added "that if anyone told me that all it would take to fix the problem was a Transmission oil and filter change, they would be lying to me." I was near a Subaru dealer service department, and bought the necessary amount of Subaru specific (OEM) transmission oil and Filter, at a total cost of $94. Performed the drain and Refill of the Transmission, put on a new filter, checked the levels, and took it for a test drive. Drove it for over 1 hour, till everything had reached temperature, over very similar roads that produced the previous "clunking" noises, including notorious stop and go traffic. GUESS WHAT? NO more noises. Actually car shifted better than it did when it was new 13 years ago. I had other technicians drive it, and they concluded the same, NO MORE noises, and it drove real smooth in shifting. Mr Nakashima's diagnostics was completely bogus, he could not produce an ounce of empirical data substantiating his diagnosis, despite his claim he had all sorts of equipment that would verify what he told me I was very skeptical of his diagnosis and what he was telling me, and did he did not produce a single piece of data to prove it to me. HE WAS NOT HONEST, and probably saw an easy $4,500 chunk of change coming in. He's bogus and a disreputable business man. DON"T use this outfit. Not to mention he needed two weeks to do the job. read more

My experience with a 2011 Chevy Silverado Transmission Repair. I noticed oil leaking and over-reving in 2nd gear from my transmission. Brought into Pearl City Transmission shortly after. Left truck overnight for pressure test and estimate. John called me early the next day and informed me the torque converter clutch was the culprit and I would need a transmission overhaul, parts, labor etc... Quote was 3200.00. I stopped in the shop to pay for the estimate and John told me not to worry about anything until the job was done. I gave him the go ahead for the repair. Estimated at 1 week repair time. I was heading off island and John had no problem keeping the truck safely at his shop for 2 extra days after repairs were complete. I received a new banner assembly set, filter, 2nd and 4th band, pump bushing, reaction sun gear shell, 1-2/2-3 shift solenoid, speed sensor, variable force motor (EPC), torque converter, 12 qts of fluid, killer kleen, cleaner, diagnosis, transmission removal and installation, transmission assembly and adjust, 3 year 36,000 mile warranty, free 30 re-inspect, 5 service coupons and outstanding service. I paid what I was quoted and bringing it to John and his team was the greatest decision I could've made. I feel like I have a new vehicle. It drives like a dream and it's covered under warranty! The whole experience was stress free and as hard as it was to hear the news about the price, I challenge anyone to find a certified transmission mechanic with a lower price for a rebuild. 110% satisfied and would recommend this company to anybody on Oahu with transmission issues. Couldn't of asked for a better mechanic and team! Thanks John and family! read more

This was the first time I have ever needed to take my car in for a transmission problem, and it was just by chance that we looked up the reviews for Pearl City Transmission and decided to take it in. I had previously taken my car somewhere else and they gave me a breakdown of how I needed to overhaul my transmission. It was going to cost way too much money for a car that was running fairly well and I just knew I they were trying to pull one over on me. I had a very specific problem that John was able to find right away. His prices were fair, there was no extra or over charges. This is an honest, family owned business and they take pride in their work. I recommend them to everyone I know. read more

GREAT transmission shop! The staff is outstanding! John and his staff are knowledgeable, professional and provide quality workmanship in servicing my drivetrain needs. Had my 2nd gen Tacoma's tramission fluids changed twice. Had my carrier bearing changed, and recently had the rear differential gear changed along with the seals and bearings. My Tacoma now has new life! Mahalo John and the crew at Pearl City Transmission. I couldn't be any happier with your quality service. read more

Took my Escalade to this transmission shop. From scheduling my appointment to leaving with my vehicle - I experienced excellent customer service, and John broke down exactly what I was experiencing with my transmission. Very knowledgeable person and friendly. This is the transmission shop you should put your trust into. Thanks again! read more

If I could rate these guys no stars I would. I took my 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT to them to do a complete transmission flush put brand new Royal Purple ATF that 'I' provided which in itself was way over $100 worth of oil, and to install a new filter which I provided. I drop my car off and it was ready for pickup later that day. I get home open the trunk to see my brand new filter STILL in the trunk. I was furious. I called spoke to the owner, he gave me some lame story about how it's hard to replace the filter in that transmission and recommends against it (even though its part of the manufacture recommended maintenance for the car), so I thought ok fine at least he put my good oil in there right? I wanted to do that because I new down the road I would put new headers on the car and it was throw a lot more power to the transmission. That was about October of 2012. Fast forward to today, I have new headers and stuff done to the car, I start hearing odd sounds coming from the car; go to a local mechanic down the street who is a Mitsubishi expert and also transmission expert. I find out guess what?? It's the transmission! Oh and guess what?? It looks like the oil hasn't been changed in a long time! As in IT WAS NEVER CHANGED IN OCTOBER!!!!! So all Pearl City Transmission did for me was take lets call it closer to $200 worth of expensive synthetic ATF from me and on top of that took $250 and did absolutely NOTHING!!!! So I have no idea if this was pure negligence or pure discrimination. All I know is do not take your vehicle to them! read more

The people here are extremely nice. We needed a new transmission but the price they gave was way too much and we found somewhere else that will do it for less so we didn't do business with them. But they were extremely friendly and if I had had the money I would have definitely gave them my business. read more

I heard a lot good things about these guys from friends so I decided to bring my car here, my car was stuck in Halawa, fortunately they were able to help me find a tow truck company to bring my car to their shop, so I am really grateful cause it really sucks when you don't have an extra car to use. They were able to diagnose the problem very quickly and the price of the job was fair, but I really do not mind on price when it has something to do with my car anyway since I would rather pay than be stuck on the road later down the line. The customer service was awesome and they got my car out quickly, thanks guys!! read more

I just want to give a shout out to a great family owned company, Pearl City Transmission. After commuting back and forth from the mainland for the last 4 years and renting a lot of cars, I was asked to move back home to Hawaii. Knowing I was going to need a car, I shipped my pride and joy, a 1968 Ford Mustang Convertible that has been in the family since 1974. After coming home from work and parking her in the stables, I noticed there was a serious leak in my transmission line. Right after dinner I started doing my research on the internet to see who the trusted shops were on Island (a good 2 hours). Reading some of the horror stories posted, it seemed like it was going to be a crap shoot on selecting a transmission shop. That's when I saw the ad for Pearl City Transmission. I began looking into their operation and read a few past postings on other sites so I decided to give them a ring the next morning. I talking with Ian, the General Manager/Owner about my car and its present and past problems. We agreed to have it brought in and Ian arranged for a tow truck to come pick up my car. Within an hour, the truck had my car on its way to the shop. When I arrived to Pearl City Transmission I noticed it was moved inside the shop to protect it from the weather even though they weren't going to get to it until the next day. The team actually fabricated a return cooling line needed so I wouldn't have to wait 7 day to get it from the mainland. They also fixed a seal leak from another line that two other shops on the mainland missed but charged me for repairs on a slow drip. Ian and his son both test drove my car to see if they could confirm my story about my trans running hot and showing high levels, like "double" what it should have been reading. They got back to me and explained my system was clogged and the culprit might have been some additives added a while back to stop that slow leak. Their Technician flushed the system (first time ever done in 44 years) and cleared up the problem. On top of all that, the trans was slipping a little and Ian made some minor adjustments to repair the problem. To make a long story longer, I received Excellent Service and a Fair Price with some great advice about other local shops and fix-it yourself tips from Ian on my Old Pony. I've already passed his card out around work and standby my statement. If you have a Transmission problems, please give them a call, you won't be disappointed. Feel free to post this email and email address if anyone has questions. Thanks again to "Pearl City Transmission". A True Kamaaina Shop! Respectfully, Rich Trundy read more

Brought in my 2008 Ford Explorer because of loud clunking noises. My mechanic told me that it might very well be a big transmission problem. My heart sank. .. Big dollars. .. I called them, got an appt within 4 days. They had it for 2 days. They told me it had nothing to do with the transmission, but rather 2 different sized tires FROM COSTCO! !!!! Runs great now. They didn't charge me a cent. .. Honest, quality work. Take your car here! I will if I ever have transmission prob again read more

Took my 1995 Honda to Pearl City Transmission because my gear shift light (D4) was blinking and speedometer was acting erratic. Owner's manual indicated possible transmission problem. I thought because of the age of the car, parts and diagnostic equipment might not be available. John Nakashima and his crew diagnosed the problem and replaced the defective part for a reasonable price. I recommend Pearl City Transmission for all transmission work. read more

Took my van here to repair a O-ring leak that another transmission shop f**k up. So far so good, no more oil leak and reasonably priced. Check these guys out first, it's worth the wait! read more

I want to thank Ian and his team at Pearl City Transmission for all their work and most importantly for their integrity... The funny thing is, this review has more to do with how honest and trustworthy Pearl City Transmission is and how good they are to their customers than anything else... you see, Ian and his team actually didn't fix the problem... At the end of the day, I don't doubt that Ian could find and fix my old Xterra, but he told me that it would end up costing more than the vehicle is worth. For me, I always have a trust issue and worry about being taken advantage of by auto repair shops, so I was weary when I originally contacted them about my Nissan Xterra. I took in my car because it has a problem that shows up intermittently, and has done so for a while. Ian told me that he would look into it and called me later that day to tell me my transmission was fine, but it looked like I had an electrical problem. The downside he said was that electrical problems take time to diagnose and I'm paying close to $100 per hour. Ian explained that I could either pick up the car or let them find the problem. He told me that I would not have to pay if they couldn't fix the issue. He worked on the car for about 2 days at close to 10 hours in labor, then gave me the car to test for a few weeks. The Xterra seemed okay for the first few days, but then the problem came back during the second week. When I finally spoke with him, I explained that I was not sure if I wanted to take it further, and he told me that he just wanted to try one more thing, and if that wouldn't take care of it, then he was going to stop. He reminded me that all I would have to pay for it this last attmempt didn't work would be the parts. This last time, he was not able to find the root of the problem, so he stopped and told me that it was better that I drive the car until the problem becomes permanent and easier to diagnose. What I am most impressed with was how patient Ian and his son John were at listening to my description, how meticulous they were at systematically working back through the problem diagnosis, how they gave me my car back for a while to test drive, how they never once quibbled about the fact that I wouldn't have to pay for work since they couldn't find the problem, and how they were honest in the assessment of how much effort should go into finding the problem in relationship to the vehicle's value. If my wife's car has any issues, or my new one does, I'm going to bring it to Ian and his team. read more

One of the best experiences that I have had with a company. Ian and his crew rock! They totaly rebuilt my transmission in my 06 Impala SS, (known for tranny problems) rebuilt, shift kit, transmission cooler. Car never ran better, its a beast! Nice people to talk with and very helpful! They had no problem fixing a botched job from a previous shop. read more

My husband took his truck to Pearl City Transmission to have it repaired. He called and was given an estimate and a warranty that guaranteed 3 years or 36,000 miles or whichever comes first. He stated that the timeframe to pick up our truck was reasonable about 4 days. He was most impressed with the quality of their work and that they also used quality premium parts for the repair. They also gave a detailed printed description of the cost of the parts and the time and cost of the labor in an invoice. He was very impressed with Operations Manager John Nakashima's work ethics. read more

Great communication. Honest. Fast. Friendly. There's no way I would have known if they charged me for something that was not necessary. But when they got into the transmission and found that they didn't have to do as much work, they were honest and saved me a ton of money. Will always go there and recommend it if you need transmission work. read more

Always heard good things about this company so when my sister-in-law had her 2005 Accord trans problems (she called me to check it first) I took her car in for her. They confirmed it was a trans problem so they went ahead and did the repairs. It took a few days as they had to remove the transaxle and tear it down to do a complete rebuild. While it was expensive, it was worth it as the car drove perfectly after completion. They warrant the trans for 5 years or 50K miles though you have to take it in yearly for a fluid replacement (oxidized fluid is the #1 reason for auto trans failures in my 43+ years in automotive repair experience). It's a local, family-owned company with a very warm & friendly staff. Ian was the founder/owner of the company and is "semi-retired" now that his son has taken over most of it, but he's usually there and a great guy to talk to. Many thanks to them and their reputation is well deserved! read more

Thanks for your honesty Ian and the Crew for my Transmission Service and also fixing the clunking sounds on my Dodge I thought it was the u joint problem but you guys figure it out missing bolts and help me out save some money.I absolutely recommend you guys to all my friends for excellent service.Thanks Again. read more