The folks at Thunderbolt were great. I had taken the car to an auto repair shop, and they diagnosed the issue as a transmission problem. I brought the car to Thunderbolt, and they check out the transmission and found it was not the problem. They found the problem was a bad wheel bearing, which was recently. I took the car back to the shop who originally replaced the bearing and had it fixed under warranty. Thunderbolt was very accommodating, and while they could have replaced the wheel bearing, they agreed I should take it back to the shop who originally replaced it. Their honesty and good advice is refreshing. I recommend Thinderbolt, and I expect they will take care of you, as they took great care of me! read more

In reading all the bad reviews it seems like almost all of them have absolutely no clue how auto repair works. About three years ago, Thunderbolt rebuilt the original engine in my 1971 Chevy Vega and did a great job. The original quote was for the standard items in any rebuild and it was clearly stated that after the tear down the price could go up if it was discovered that more work was needed to be done. I understood this and only a ignoramus would not. My price did go up because more was needed but it was perfectly legit. I used to own a body shop and had the same issue. You make your best guess on what is needed with a visual inspection but after the tear down in almost all cases more damage was discovered. The insurance adjusters knew this but the idiot customer would push back, like they are here. read more

Thunderbolt Transmission did an outstanding job replacing the transmission in my 2012 Chevy Colorado. From start to finish, the experience was excellent. Communication was clear and consistent, the repair was done right, and the final result is exactly what I was hoping for. Everyone I dealt with was great, and I had the pleasure of working directly with the president, Skip Hartley--great guy and runs a great company. I highly recommend Thunderbolt Transmission to anyone looking for quality work and honest service. read more

I called thunderbolt because I heard Micheal Berry advertise for them. After telling my friends about my disastrous experience , they all say I should contact him about how bad I got ripped off. I took my 1989 Ford Bronco in to rebuild the engine and transmission. I wish I had read the reviews, because I had the same bad experience as many others who have written in. I was quoted $6844 to rebuild the engine but ended up spending $8875. I spent $3077 to rebuild the transmission. After one year and only 3000 miles the engine sounded like it was about to throw a rod through the hood. When I towed it in, the mechanic said the engine was totaled. After one month, they called with an estimate to rebuild the engine again and wanted to charge $3100 even with the warranty which only covers parts. Apparently my quote of $3100 was just for labor. Another month goes by and they have not even touched it. Thankfully I did some research and found a remanufactured engine that is practically new for only $3000. I bought a remanufactured engine for less than what they quoted me to repair mine . Im having swapped out for $500. (Reman-engine.com) I just cant believe I paid $8875 to rebuild my engine and It almost threw a rod in one year and only 3000 miles and they had the audacity to want to charge me another $3100 to repair their mistake. read more

Now 8 months after spending over $12,000 to have the transmission and engine rebuilt, the engine was loosing oil, spraying over hot engine, causing tremendous smoke. Call Thunderbolt, $250 diagnostic charge, won't tow. Turns out the clips that holds the transmission oil cooler line to radiator came off, line came out and sprays oil everywhere. The clips were the original, online new clips are available for $10 or less, clips need to be able to provide pressure to hold lines in place, they re-used the original clips. So used that oil to lubricate yourself, cause you will need it when you bend over at Thunderbolt Engine and Transmission. read more

Why would i pay 2500.00 to you tp rebuild my transmission when a new transmission is only 1450.00. You guys were going to use 50.00 in parts to fix my transmission and put 2450.00 in yall pocket for labor. I am so glad because of yelp. Plz....PLZ DONT WAIST, NO, DONT GET SCREWED read more

Thunderbolt - Auto Repair Near Me - Houston, Texas

I couldn't be happier with the service and cost provided to me on my F150 after another shop didn't fix it properly the first time and I had to replace the whole engine. These guys are great! Yeehaw! read more

This place will quote you one price and all said and done will triple! Do not go to Thunderbolt. Honesty, this place is run by a bunch of bigots. Please find an honest business to take your vehicle. read more

Bait an switch for sure my truck,God bid for I was told rebuild that was over 48 hundred,then got the call that it would be double that,almost 9 Grand I'm getting truck back in a crate for motor it was running when they got it also they keeping the 1 thousand deposit Do not take to Thunderbolt,Chris Sanchez is a liar period caught him in several lies ,guess Skip the Owner doesn't care how his company is run.... read more

I brought my car to this place to get my engine rebuilt. I was quoted one price and paid a different price. After they stated they replaced my engine i came back and got my car the check engine light was still on. I brought my car back and asked them why if the engine was replaced, is the check engine light still on. They told me it can be the spark plugs or the o2 sensor, i informed them all they're mentioned is apart of the engine they told me that's not true. They told me to bring my car back for them to fix the spark plugs, when i dropped my car off the engine cover was on my car, when i picked my car back up the engine cover was no longer on my car. I contacted them requesting my engine cover and the person that worked on my car stated they may have thrown it away. I came to the business asking them to run the cameras if they're certain i didn't have a cover. Dominic told me the person that run the cameras is doing a test drive i can wait, then he said the cameras only go back as far as 3 days. I asked to speak to the owner an employee by the last name of Martinez stated he was the owner, however when i dropped my car off he told me he was only a employee. Everyone at this place of business is extremely rude no matter how much money you spend. They are treating people like the money spent doesn't matter. My engine was supposedly replaced and a check engine light is still on. I would like to speak with the owner because the customer service is horrible They started deleting camera footage when i asked for them to run the cameras. read more

Bait and switch. Expect to pay about twice as much as they quote you. Very shady.... If for some reason after reading all the bad reviews... you decide to give them a chance... make sure you get everything you want done in writing!! Their 3 year 100k warranty is parts only. Labor for 90 days. Very deceptive!!!.. read more

I read all the reviews on here but I still decided to take my truck to get fixed there. I took the word of the Michael Berry show that they where a good a business. After my experience with them I will never recommend or say anything good about them. All the previous reviews are all correct to the last detail. Stay away from them. Because once they get your vehicle your going to pay too too much from what they say or quote you. Like they say it's a quote. No it highway robbery. The pictures are just the oil leak that I noticed once I got home from picking it up. That's was just one of the problems. And the guy Darrel he will lie and give you the run around. He can't be trusted. Don't listen to anything excuse he gives you. I still got a lot more to say about them. I read more

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I called to get a price for a job and Chris told me he can give me two quotes, I got one quote for rebuilding my engine and he was suppose to give a quote to put another engine and he just said "ok bye" like wth. He just hung up the phone without giving the information he said he was going to give. They will definitely not get my money! read more

My car was a project car a real basket case as project cars tend to be. So you can imagine it took me a while to get my car on the road. I haven't made the 500mile break in period and my car is leaking oil. After talking to Thunder about my issue they quickly pointed out the real warranty is only 90 days on labor which is 2/3 the cost. Who wants to hear that kind of customer service after spending north of 8k on a project car. Find yourself a company that stands by their customers, it's too hard to save that kind of money to be left out in the cold. Update, now that we are driving our car its leaking oil faster than you can pour a quart in it. Man I feel like a total sucker falling for the three year warranty pitch. My 97 Pontiac is going to die an early death and I paid for everything thunder recommended. read more

The entire Thing is a scam ,they advertise at a price , but I was told straight up that it would be 6k or 7k , and originally priced at 2895.00. It's all a upsale scam to see the customer parts that they may not need , and the customer really has no choice. I would suggest if you need a rebuilt motor to absolutely find someone else that will quote a price that won't start to rise as they want to make it rise. read more

WORSE AUTO REPAIR SERVICE in the history of auto repair shops. They don't deserve any stars, but one is the lowest rating (WARNING-long review but worth reading prior to sending any vehicle here). Thunderbolt had my dad's truck for over two months doing repairs and charged him $6000. My dad picked up his truck on 9/16(Saturday), and one of the release instructions they gave my dad was for him not to drive his truck no more than 65mph for the first 500 miles. My dad dropped off his truck on a half tank and when we picked it up, his tank was on empty. We took it to a gas station to fill up and when my dad tried to start his truck, it wouldn't start. I tried to give him a jump and still nothing. My dad called their shop and told them the situation and they told my dad his fluid pump was not getting any fluid. They replaced my dad's entire engine and now the fluid pump that goes with the engine isn't getting any fluid after they supposedly fixed all issues on my dad's truck. My dad asked them to fix it and they tell my dad that the fluid pump isn't covered under warranty COINCIDENTLY! We pay to have the truck towed home and they tell my dad they will come pick up the truck on a certain day. Guess what...they never showed up to get it. My dad gets a certified letter in the mail dated for 9/12(Tuesday) stating his truck has been ready for weeks and that they will start charging $25 a day and place a mechanic lien on his truck if it is not picked up but they NEVER called and told us the truck was ready. My dad called them on 9/11(Monday) and that's when they told him it had been ready for weeks. What type of business sends out a certified letter the day after speaking with the customer threatening to place a mechanic lien when they know they never contacted him?! A week goes by, and a tow truck calls me telling me he's in route to get the truck and I inform him that no one is home to give him the keys as we were waiting for days for the truck to be picked up. The tow truck person has the audacity to tell me that picking up the truck is a courtesy and that I or my dad need to find a way to get the keys, or we will have to pay to have the truck towed back to the shop. These are shady, conniving, useless people who basically stole $6000 from my dad. They put my dad's truck in worse condition than when it was dropped off in early July. My dad's truck was still drivable when he left it with them and now it won't even start. I would never recommend such horrible car and customer service to anyone. These people will take your money and not fix your vehicle! read more

Massive scam! DO NOT COME HERE! My mother was having an engine problem and was told to come here for a rebuilt engine. They quoted her $2500, and took in her truck. We were given a two week estimate for repairs. After two weeks was up we get a call from them. They have ripped the engine out and decided we now need many new parts they had not told us about before. We were also informed THEY BROKE the engine mounts holding it in and we would have to pay for that too. The new price is now a little over $5,000! Double what we were first told. And now its either pay them this extortion money or they keep out vehicle? My mother is a non working widow living on a very fixed income. This is going to bankrupt us. NEVER come here! Trust the bad reviews. Save yourself. I cant understand how they can legally get away with scamming this way. read more

Had engine rebuilt. Quoted $2800 and by the time said and done it was $6800. Still had to take to another mechanic to fix exhaust leak they failed to install pipe correctly, oil sending unit they damaged and made the fuel pump run continuously killing my battery and replace the intake gaskets they Installed improperly causing a miss. Poor service and blame issues on other stuff that wasn't even true read more

I have never written a review in my life, but if this will keep anyone away from thunder bolt I'll do it. I put every penny I had into getting my engine replaced, 1 week later back in the shop. After a few more times of dropping it back off at thunder bolt, it ran for 2 months. My engine melted on 45, all of my coolant disappeared. I was told it was my fault, and I'm in charge of my fluids. Coolant runs 30k miles, not 2k. In so deep on the car, had to get another engine. Couldn't run for more than a day. I spent loads just from the tow trucks. Every time i picked my car up, it broke down. Car could not stop over heating, and it was because my thermostat was installed upside down, trapping air in my engine. Probably something was installed incorrectly the first time. Many more problems to come, thousands later, it still doesn't run well. I was completely screwed over. I am 19 and was in debt because of my 2009 Camry. Starters to replace the parts my self because thunder bolt could not be trusted. Oil is leaking onto my spark plugs, told my valve cover gasket will be fixed by Russell. Let's really hope, because my life has been torn up from the repairs on this car, can't keep it running, barley starts, the Ubers and not being able to get to work is extremely stressful. Save some money and buy a new car, I shouldn't have listened to the radio. read more

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In response to Thunderbolts reply. Would love to hear how another shop managed to put 500 miles on a car with no transmission. I personally would have gone with the original lie that someone must have wrote down the mileage wrong. And yes. An estimate is just that and yes there would be a *few* parts necessary to replace on the engine.. but 10 thousand dollars is just plain fraudulent advertising. Not eve possible unless you were building it from scratch. That's more than a couple spark plugs. Knowing full well no one will pay 1 thousand dollars non refundable deposit plus what it cost to put back in and tow somewhere else. Fair warning to consumers...do not even get involved with this shop. You will be stuck with a more than tripled estimate and out a lot of money to even get your car back. Not a legitimate shop. read more

This is a follow up to my original review of 1 star. I'd give zero stars if I could. My experience was similar to many others. Quoted $2500 for the original work. Woung up paying $5,200. 3 week turnaround turned out to be more than 6. Never a follow up call. I had to continually call them only to be lied to .. Picked the car up, and it was still overheating. Their "manager" after keeping the car for the better part of a week, said they found nothing wrong. Still overheated. Brought it to my local mechanic who showed me the improperly installed head gasket was leaking. Tbolt offered to fix it again under warranty, but I lost all trust in them and couldn't afford to lose the car for another 2 months. So, another $1,500. Now, 21,000 miles later, the crankshaft main seal leaked. I was forced to sell the car for scrap value when I should have gotten another 80,000 miles out of it. My advice? Run!!!!! Anywhere else is cheaper in the long run. read more

I have a 2005 Jeep Wrangler TJ.... I took it here and these guys were great!!! My Jeep is running better than it did when I bought it... They were honest and fair.... I had a lot of friends tell me oh they are ripping you off you could've took it here and there... But good quality repair is hard to get these days!!! They are to the point and cut no corners once they tear your motor down.... Thanks for working with me and not treating me like I was rich or had a lot of money on hand for this extensive repair!!!! read more

Shady business practices. WARNING! Stay away from this place. Take your hard earned money elsewhere! Had my engine rebuilt there over a year ago and now having issues. They will not honor their warranty and will not fix the issue. All I get is the run around with these guys. First off they keep asking for money to replace parts which they don't tell you up front. In the end you pay around $8000. I took my car back to them to repair an issue and they still want to charge more money. They do want to provide you with any documentation because they know they are in the wrong. Don't know how these A-holes are still in business? Guess dumb-asses like me that went there in the first place! read more

Great local auto engine and transmission repair in Houston, TX! Thunderbolt has been providing Houston with amazing service for over 80 years! They are huge supporters to our troops too! read more

Thunderbolt - Thunderbolt Engine & Transmission Repair Houston - Auto Repair Near Me - Houston, Texas

I heard about this business being the best at replacing a engine from a ex mechanic from Metro. I called and got a very reasonable quote, just $1000 more money for labor up front than other repair shops.Their warranty was 3 years and we decided to use them.After the car was there 3 1/2 weeks and 3 days before it was ready they called my son to tell him that it needed more parts.I was the one paying for it and they had my name as the one in charge. My son was there when it was towed there.They indicated that if it needed more parts that the price would include those parts.Who knew they would add a additional$3500.00 to the price to replace almost everything under the hood ie(belts,hoses etc).This is horrible business tactics knowing a stranded individual that is waiting on their car would not know what to say to that.If this was optional why call.A person would think,what are my options since I don't know what else was bad in a 2013 car.The person hollered at me and said "it is too late, if you don't have the money we will keep the car on a lien.The point is if the original price is $3500 +$1000 for labor how could they attempt to jack another $3500.00 from the customer 3 days before it is ready.Total price over $8000.If it looks to good to be true,it is ! read more

Deceptive, dishonest, unreasonably slow. I have filed a BBB complaint against Thunderbolt for the horrendous treatment I received. I signed a contract and paid $1000 deposit to have an engine rebuilt on 7/5/19 (spoke to Robert). I called on 7/10/19 to check status of the repair and was told by Robert that the vehicle had not been picked up by their tower yet. He said that the vehicle would be towed on 7/11/19, and that I should expect work to be complete in 2 1/2 - 3 weeks. I called to check status on repairs again on 7/26/19 and was told that work had not yet begun. The mechanic that I was transferred to stated that they would begin the work by 7/31/19. I called a fourth time on 8/1/19; the mechanic that I was transferred to stated that work had not yet begun. I presented to the business on 8/2/19 and asked to see my vehicle. I was told that the vehicle was being worked on at their mechanic's personal residence and was not on site. Their contract does not state that vehicles would be stored at private residences, nor was I informed that this was occurring. I then asked for a refund of my deposit and stated that another shop would retrieve my vehicle. I was given the mechanic's personal address; the new shop drove there (instead of where I expected my vehicle to be) in order to tow my vehicle away. Thunderbolt failed to provide any service to my vehicle and did not notify me that my vehicle was not being housed at their proper business location. John did stick me with $150 towing fee and refunded the rest "as a courtesy" per Skip's reply to my BBB complaint--I never met the man; he states in the reply that he was not on site for any of this, yet he submitted the official BBB response from Thunderbolt. Stay away from this business; their business office staff is useless and shady. read more

Called and gave my vehicle info to the person that answered. Was given a drive out price of $4250. After 3 weeks, they called back and said it was an additional $2800. I asked about the $4250 and was told that was the "get it in here" price. RUN don't walk away from this repair shop. Just be prepared fo the bait and switch. read more

WARNING DON'T USE THIS PLACE.... I wish it would allow me to give it no stars to be honest.. I wish I would have listened to family members about this place. But I feel that everyone deserves a chance boy did they prove that they were RIGHT!!!.... So I received a quote for transmission repair $2999.00 something in that range. Two months later before completion of the job I received a call , oh no I called cause they don't call you to get update on vehicle status. So they say oh by the way your vehicle will require an additional 1000$ to get computer reset.. by this time I said fine cause in reality all I wanted was to get my vehicle back for work. I then received my vehicle day's later transmission was reading "HOT" so I called the shop to tell them about the issue . So I had to get the truck brought to the shop out of pocket and it wasn't due yet for the two week inspection to make sure it was running good you figure they would have said don't worry about it we'll get a wrecker truck out to you. So here I'm waiting a month or two later asking them for the status and why was it taking so long. I also requested to speak to the owner of the establishment and I get no answer at this time I'm at the office and Chris says you can talk to us which are the three guy. Chris is so unprofessional it's not funny.. not sure why he continues to work there . My opinion he's bad for the establishment thunder bolt has been around for a long time and is the reason I trusted them for repairs. But then I received a call of additional cost is needed for parts 350$ for transmission cooling radiator.... Man at this point I went from 2999.00 to 4350$ final after some parts were damaged after the first repairs read more

They do the job right the first time. Which is not only convenient but also makes them trustworthy. The car never ran so good.

I took my 2006 Dodge to them to be repaired 2 years ago. They replaced the transmission that cost me $5000. The transmission leaks, took it in the second time to repair the leak, my tailgate got stolen. They removed my front axle and said that was causing the leak, still leaking- sent it the 3rd time- the truck is there now. PS they will not take responsibility for my tailgate. Who is the owner? read more

My husband and I have an old VW bus that we took here to get work on. At first they told us $1200 with a 2 week time line. The 2 weeks went by and they hadn't even looked at it. So we left it with them for another month and went in several times to see if they had started the work on it by then, which they hadn't. By this time we were quite frustrated because the guy who runs the shop was telling us one thing, while the back mechanics were telling us another. There is a huge disconnect between the two, clearly a lack of communication. Another 2 weeks went by and we then get a call from the shop telling us that they need to get parts from California and that it is now going to cost us $2500 instead of the initial $1200. We told them we would have to get the money together and ended up picking up the vehicle on a Friday, because there was no way we were going to pay that amount after already having the vehicle in the shop for 2 months with no progress on our transmission. We then get a call from the shop asking us if we were able to get the money together so they could start the work. We then explained to the guy who runs the front of the shop that we couldn't afford that price and before we could finish he says, "so when are you going to come get your vehicle, because it is taking up room in my shop." Um sir, we've already picked up our vehicle if you communicated at all with your mechanics.. I am certain that these guys do great work, when they actually do it.. However, I am giving them 2 stars because of the lack of communication between the front and back of the shop, as well as with us. Also, you don't quote someone $1200 and then go up on the price by over $1000, that just makes no sense and makes me think you are just trying to scam me. read more

I am very unhappy with thunderbolt motors. I call them and got a quote on a new motor and new transmission it was 4800 but they kept going up until 8000. The time I was quote was 3 to 4 weeks it took 8 weeks. I got my truck back and it was leaking antifreeze and it is still leaking antifreeze. I have taking it back to them 10 different time for the antifreeze leak and paid thousands in truck rental besides the 8000 I paid them. I am very unhappy with them I ask to talk to a manager and the owner but the salesman inside keep referring me across the street to the 2 repair supervisors who don't know why its leaking antifreezes. I would never ever take anything to thunder bolts no anything. read more

Mike, It appears you read only what you wanted to read in my review. Parts of my review dealt with poor workmanship and customer service that you failed to address. Simply stating "the issue was fixed at no cost" is not an explanation as to why I had to bring the vehicle in for repair. In addition, you never addressed the issue of had the work been done correctly the first time, then I would not be writing the review in the first place. You also failed to address the lack of customer service skills and diplomacy that Steve, Tommy and Darrell exhibited to me. I encourage you to speak with the company or person who is in charge of the Thunderbolt website and have them change the statement about "customers satisfied - 100%" as that is false advertising and could lead to a lawsuit over the statement. On a positive note, I drove my truck to my local and trusted mechanic of over 15 years and had him perform the work. Indeed the bolt was only missing and no special extraction of a broken bolt was necessary. In addition, after a new gasket/seal was placed on the manifold, the bolt attached and torqued, my mechanic could tell there was still a leak. Fortunately, he had the forethought and respect to ensure the work be done correct the first time, that he took the time to bring in a specialist to ensure the manifold and seal fit in uniform with factory specifications. The best part is the work was conducted in two days from the time I dropped off the truck. I also did not have to drive an hour each way to/from your shop; have another person come with me to drop off and retrieve my truck and go an unknown numbers of days without knowing when my truck would be ready. Bottom line Mike, the Thunderbolt team failed to provide adequate service while the truck was first in your possession. Thus resulting in the truck having two failures within the first 10,000 miles. The attitude of the Thunderbolt personnel is that I am the one with the problem and Thunderbolt will fix it on their time when they are ready and at my cost. There was no indication of a sincere attempt to apologize for the failures nor was any attempt made to try and accommodate me while the failures were repaired. read more

we use thunderbolt for our marine engines and only one has ever given us a problem thunder bolt paid us for our labor and fixed the motor in a day. i would recommend thunderbolt and do not believe that a rebuilder could stay in business this long if they were not doing a good service. read more

If i could give negative stars I would. Please save yourself some money and do not bring your vehicle to these people. Gave me a price in install my engine and then came back over two weeks later telling me we owed them double the price if we wanted to get it fixed. We balked and didn't get the work done of course. They then wouldn't release the car without us paying a large sum! not very honest and definitely not customer friendly. Here is a tip...not everyone is a mechanic so you have to explain what you are doing upfront and not try to cheat your customer in the end. Very disappointing to say the least. read more

Had my truck 2 weeks before they even got started on the estimate. Didn't tell me up front that the "minimum labor" charge would not apply to my truck, that it would be $675 instead of $575. The term "minimum labor" being a play on words should have been obvious to an educated man like myself. The R&R estimate initially given for a 5.4 long block to be installed, changed into $8000. The handwritten estimate received was not clear and illegible. My core wasn't questionable. I told them "No, put everything into the bed of the truck and I will send a wrecker to retrieve it". I was told the truck was blocked in, in a 2 car bay, and they'd call me when it was ready. I called 2 days later and was told the same thing;however, the estimate went down almost a thousand dollars. Told them No. Called every day, they kept telling me it was blocked, and tried to talk me into the repairs-and price kept coming down. I told them their lack of professionalism and apparent dishonesty had me so rattled, I wouldn't let them fix my atv.. and the truck was still blocked in-6 days total. Final quote received was $5600. At that point, I googled "Who is" Thunderbolt. Got the direct email for the owner, and sent him an email; 10 minutes later I received a call from an employee saying my truck was ready to go. Had it towed to Mac Haik Ford, and the engine replacement cost 5800. 2 weeks later, I still had not received my partial refund and called to ask why. They told me I had to drive downtown to pick up my check. I said No, we used the postal service to get the deposit check to them and they should mail it to me. They explained the "minimum labor" phrase, and that my truck estimate was extra $...and also tried to deduct for a wrecker. I pointed out that I had supplied the wrecker both times-when it was towed to them, and when it was retrieved. Received my paltry refund check a week later and a certified letter the day after, March 15; threatening storage fees to begin in 5 days if my truck repairs not authorized by then, or picked up. I had the truck towed to the ford dealer on Feb.22!!... Such attention to detail..they didn't even know the truck had left their possession 3 weeks earlier!! read more