Recently my Toyota Sienna minivan started acting up. Everything I googled about the symptoms told me that it was a transmission going bad and that at best I could hope for a rebuild that might only cost around $2,000. We had a trip across Snoqualmie Pass coming up in a week to visit family for Thanksgiving, and google assured me that a transmission in that condition, hauling 5 adults plus luggage up the Cascades, would surely break and leave us stranded. And with an expensive towing bill. I wondered if it was worth repairing it. It's a 2004 Sienna AWD XLE Limited with 205K miles. A quick check on Autotrader showed only one similar model in my area, with 274K miles, for $5,995. Expanding the search to 500 miles revealed one other, with similar miles as mine, for $5,495. At that point, a ~$2,000 transmission rebuild sounded much better than selling a project car for pocket change and buying one of those other Siennas. I looked for a nearby transmission shop with good reviews and landed on Renton Transmission. After a few hours they called and said my transmission was fine; the problem was a speed sensor telling it to shift at the wrong time. Replacement cost for that sensor, $338 part + labor. After picking it up, I drove around for a long test on the highway onramps and offramps, and sharp inclines, where I had most seen the symptoms. This time there were no symptoms. They also alerted me to the fact that a less common symptom I had described to them was a misfiring cylinder, and that this appeared to be just a wiring problem. He said that cylinder's misfires were recorded in the codes. l had just days prior had an oil change done at a highly regarded shop and they had not mentioned anything about that, which suggests that they did not bother to check codes. I'm very glad to know about the misfiring cylinder; I'll have it looked at soon. I'm so glad this turned out to be so much less expensive than I had feared. Thanks, Renton Transmission! Highly recommended! read more

DO NOT GO HERE!!! I cannot emphasize enough!!! Had to have truck towed here and was basically hamstrung and got charged 3X more than any other place said they would have charged me! He put a rebuilt Jasper differential in and each one lasted less than 1000 miles. Had all future work done at a different highly regarded transmission shop. Our family nearly got stranded several times because of Jasper failures but were able to limp back home! Unfortunately, the other transmission shop owner and I had to both fight with Jasper to get refunded after the 3rd Jasper replacement also failed. Had a new one built and installed correctly by the new transmission shop for a small fraction of the cost Renton Transmission charged me. This was after several months off and on without a vehicle and getting screwed in the first place!!! read more

Pete the Owner is great and does very good work! I took my car to Ashworth Towing & Auto to have my transmission fixed, ( you'll see there add on craigslist, can fix most transmissions for $695 what a bunch of BS, if you don't fix it with Bill Wright he will charge you $200 for towing, $250 for removing & disassembling plus tax ) after 2 months I finally got my car back with more problems then when I took it in, After sending it back four time and 2 months later still had a leak. So I went to Renton transmission and the owner Pete found the source of the leak and had it fixed and back to me the next day, I have had the car back for a week and no problems. Wish I had gone there 1st, would have saved a lot of time and money and he did follow up with me...what great service! read more

I was very happy with the work done on my vehicle's rear axle. Both the customer service and work was very professional and I trusted their knowledgeable diagnosis. I did call around the King County area and felt like I was given a good price and that's important since drivetrain repairs are among the most expensive that you'll make on your car. I was also surprised how quickly it was done, considering how much work was involved. From the initial diagnosis, to getting the parts, and driving away finished - it was all done much quicker than I thought it would have taken. Highly recommended. read more

I was having problems shifting gears, the previous mechanic did a fluid change and didn't get a fix, he told me It needed a new transmission. I went to Renton transmission this morning to get a diagnosis and after an hour and a half, I got a call that my car was fixed. I paid less than $150. Very honest shop. My car is running like never before, very pleased with their service. Thanks to Renton transmission. read more

Pete, nice guy. But said 2 of my tires were not sized the same as the other two and said to go back to Firestone for new tires before having him check the axles because my car had a bad vibration. Firestone AND Discount Tire measured my tires and determined they are identical. I even went out with a tape measure and checked myself. Anyway, Pete quoted $400 PER EACH of the 4 sides to "see which axle" is bad. Luckily he's closed on weekends because I had a wonderful WOMAN at Factoria MIDAS help me today instead. I called, she knew which axles go out on my type of vehicle, was able to squeeze me in on a busy Saturday, had the parts, they test drove my car twice and had 'er fixed by 2pm for $700 not the potentially bank-breaking $1600. Thanks anyway. :) read more

I don't normally leave reviews but I felt like Pete deserved one...To make a long story short, I accidentally drained my transmission fluid thinking it was oil...and then drove my vehicle a few miles before realizing what I did. My vehicle wasn't even drive-able. I was almost positive that I had ruined my transmission and I was going to be shelling out several thousand dollars to fix it. I called up Pete on a Tuesday and told him what I did. He told me to bring it in and he would fill it back up with fluid and see what happens. I had it towed to his shop Tuesday evening and left the keys in the drop box. He called me around 11am on Wednesday saying he filled it with 6qts of ATF and the car was fixed. He drove it around for a bit shifted through all the gears and it was driving fine. I was shocked. I couldn't believe it. Pete could have told me that it needed a new transmission and I wouldn't have questioned it at all. The most important factor when considering a mechanic is whether you can trust them. Pete earned my trust. He could have easily made himself more money by lying to me and I would have believed him but he didn't. Thanks Pete. read more

It's cool to find and honest, knowledgeable shop for something as complicated as transmission issues. One morning, I started it up my car, pulled the gear shift down to the "D" position, and nothing happened. AAA recommended this shop and helped me get my car there after-hours. I quickly described my problem on the back of an envelope and dropped my keys in the slot. The next day, they called to tell me that it was only a broken shift cable, and replacing it was cheap. I was relieved that they were honest about the simple issue and didn't try to make it worse than it was to make more money. I recommended this place to a friend who went in for a transmission fluid flush and he was very pleased with his experience as well. read more

Last week I brought in my Explore to get checked out. I was getting warning lights about my transmission and it was shifting funny. I initially took it to the Ford dealer whom told me I needed a new transmission. After checking out Yelp reviews, I spoke to Pete at Renton Transmission. I will be honest; I was a bit leery about working with any transmission shop, previous bad experiences. He felt there was a good chance he could fix it without a complete rebuild. After checking it out, he said it appeared to be in good condition minus the broken part. I asked for a little extra investigation before committing to the expensive repair, which he gladly did. I got the same response and let him at it. Turned out the issue wasn't quite what he initially thought but said we were still within the estimated price. He asked to replace the torque converter due to some discoloration as a precaution, which I agreed to. At the end, he felt my transmission is in great condition and should have many more miles before a rebuild is necessary. All in all, the service was prompt; he thoroughly explained what was going on, price seemed high; but it is a transmission and it was 1/2 the dealer's replacement estimate, and I have confidence in the repair. If I have one minor issue, he said there was a chance I could get the car back on Friday but it wasn't ready till Monday. I wish he would have given me a heads up on Friday that it wouldn't be ready by the end of day. I hope I don't have to use him again, but will gladly recommend him to others. read more

At 190k, my good old Jeep Grand Cherokee had been throwing torque converter codes and the "transmission overtemp" light came on for the first time...I limped it home and and checked Yelp for a good local shop. After talking to Pete about it, rebuild was the option that he recommended given miles on the rig. I knew I wouldn't be confident on a long trip unless the tranny was restored to baseline. Buying a new rig with higher insurance and years of payments was anathema to me...and the Jeep is a sound platform... I have cared for the old girl well over the years. Pete gave an estimate which matched the final bill. And now....after the TCM learned and adjusted to my driving style, it shifts so smooth it feels like when I first bought it. Road trip!!! read more

I was so impressed by their honesty that I am switching shops. I needed a new transmission in my Murano; Renton Transmission discovered that Nissan extended the warranty on my transmission. With only 236 miles left on my extended warranty, he gave me a call and suggested I take it to Nissan. I was so impressed that they were willing to lose money to save me over $4,100! I appreciated the time he took to answer all my questions, do the research and ultimately do what was in my best interest. We will be happy to bring both our vehicles there for future care. read more

Very professional , honest, and fast! I highly recommend Renton Transmission and will definitely go back for any work I need in the future. I called in the morning and was able to get an estimate and the work done that day. Highly satisfied! read more

Very professional, honest and fast. I would highly recommend this company. Thank you Pete for your impeccable service.

Excellent service! Went in thinking the transmission was shot and they found it was only a minor issue and fixed it immediately and saved us thousands. Our other car's transmission went out a couple months ago and their quote was $4,500 to fix vs $6,000 from another shop. Will always come back to Renton Transmissions for any other issues! read more

Was happy they looked at the trans problem same day. was not happy they charged me to drive it and tell me what I already knew. I read it was free diagnosis on the web site. I'm concerned of what else is going to be a surprise charge. not willing to find out. oh and they closed early on a Friday(with out notice) and my car was locked up all weekend! what a pain in the rear. read more

Excellent service. Brought in my Tacoma with the clutch slipping down to its death and Pete and crew replaced it, noticed a clutch pedal spring was broken and a bushing gone, got in the parts and had it done and back in 24 hours. Night and day difference in how it drives. Great service. I've had a clutch replaced on another truck here a few years ago, same quality service -- and that truck is still doing great. read more

Renton Transmission was very helpful! I bought a used bug that seems to have problem after problem, however the guys at Renton transmission were able to replace my clutch for me and the service was friendly and helpful. My only complaint was that I kept having to call them because they would forget to call me back! read more

I never write a review but felt this was a good time to do so. My 2007 Mustang at 120,000 miles started making expensive noises, and I hate to walk . Having turned wrenches for 43 years I knew the transmission was the offender. After reading the other Yelp reviews and having lived in the neighborhood for 9 years I had the Stang towed to their shop. After their test drive and diagnosis I was given the option to fix the problem or reman the whole thing all depending on what they found upon disassembly. Luckily the cheaper fix was all that was required. As a mechanic for 4 decades who WON'T work on his own car I find it awesome to find an honest shop that does great work at a great price in a very timely manner !! I would recommend this shop to any and all who need their services !!! Thanks Guys read more

This is a very honest Transmission shop that does solid work. I had them test drive my car with suspected tranny problems and they told me that it was the engine ignition- no charge. On another car they swapped the transmission and came in UNDER the original bid. (Tranny runs great now). Trust this owner to shoot straight and do solid work on your car. read more

I've been bring my cars to Renton Transmission for nearly ten years. In addition to doing routine maintenance and repairs on my vehicles' drivetrains, they rebuilt the automatic transmission in my van. They are fair, honest and the service they provide is always outstanding. read more