Elmer’s Transmission Shop

the first shop i called in my whole life and said thank you for calling!
super friendly.

Elmer is HONEST AND RELIABLE!!! He quoted me a price over the phone, said the work would be done in 3 days, and that’s just what he delivered INCLUDING a warranty. He’s the only person you deal with and he does all of the work himself.
I took my 1992 Eclipse there and couldn’t be happier with the results.

Just a short update. BAR got involved and I got a full refund. I’m very grateful for the California BAR. Taking my trans to a different shop for the correct repair. Proceed with caution.

I don’t really care about convenience, state-​of-​the-​art facilities, coupons, etc. All that really matters is the ability of the mechanic (s), their integrity, and the value of the repair. Elmer and his mechanic, in their tiny shop in Burbank, genuinely do it right. I have worked on cars for over 40 years, even replacing gears, clutches, drive shafts, mounts, swapping out auto tranny’s for manuals, etc. I get it when professional mechanics want to be paid a premium for their good work because, usually, it’s damn hard work. This was especially true when I presented Elmer with a car I was flipping which needed a torque converter and two solenoids replaced. He even thought it was a nightmare to work on that car (a 2004 Cadillac Deville Northstar transaxle). Regardless, they removed the tranny (a big deal on this car), installed the parts and even repaired a coolant pipe that had been leaking — all for a little over a grand! An unreal price, especially when compared to the shops near my Venice address on the Westside, all who wanted double or triple what Elmer charged. And never mind that, the tranny and its issues were fully resolved. No more codes, leaks, hardshifting, etc.
Elmer and his mechanic are real dudes when it comes to getting it done! Again, there’s nothing easy about this work. They know it. I know it. Only they seem to fully understand what it takes to earn the respect and trust of customers and mechanics alike. Elmer’s is a rare find to be sure. I’m happy to drive from Venice to Burbank anytime I need his fine work.

So I was in need of transmission work on my 2005 Honda Odyssey. I asked the dealer to quote me on a rebuild and their price was over $ 3,800. I was referred to a couple of different places including Elmer. I did phone interviews with each shop and after talking with Elmer, I knew he was the man for the job. I had my van towed to his shop on a Monday and had the van back by Friday. He took the time to explain everything that went wrong, what he had done to rebuild the tranny, and sent me on my way for about half of what I would have paid the Honda dealer. Smooth shifting tranny with a 20,000 guarantee… nice guy who you can trust.

Thanks to everyone who posted such great reviews. 2004 Odyssey with 150k miles & the engine light comes on. Take it to my regular mechanic (who doesn’t do transmissions) who informs me that I’ll need it rebuilt.
Bring it to Elmer based on great reviews. Before he will work on it he wants to double check error message my mechanic received. Comes back disappointed telling me that yes my mechanic is correct and that I’ll need to have transmission rebuilt.
He then proceeds to educate me as to why this happens with Honda’s and mentions another part he should replace (while transmission disconnected) that he will only charge me the $ 30 the part costs, no labor.
Dropped it off Friday, he informs me late Tuesday morning that it’s ready.
I go to pay bill & notice that the $ 30 part wasn’t on the bill. He tells me he changed it but didn’t want to charge me for it. So I tipped him. He then hands the money to his assistant. Classy guy.
Nice to support a mom/​pop type place. Elmer is was awesome in every way one would want a mechanic to be.
Again, thanks to everyone for singing his praises, well deserved.

I have to take a moment to praise Elmer’s Transmissions, along w/​Elmer himself, b/​c this type of customer service is rare these days.
My vehicle’s «Transmission Service Required» light was staring at me, so I took it first to Aamco in Long Beach (where I happened to be at the time), thinking I could perhaps get away w/​just replacing the ATF fluid, and they had a $ 60 special going at the time. They were too busy to take my car, so the next day I ended up in N. Hollywood and stopped by Aamco on Hollywood Way — which quoted me $ 180 for the same service. When I mentioned my prior quote, the guy just said «yeah, that’s not us» and said I’d have to leave the vehicle with them until the following day… ain’t nobody got time for that!
So I drove to Elmer’s down the street, where Elmer himself hooked up my car to their diagnostic computer to troubleshoot the problem, drove my car around the block to «feel it out», then told me a simple ATF job wasn’t necessary, and concluded that, while my trans is slipping, and will likely require a full rebuild, I’m a few months away from needing that, and don’t need to spend any money on it now.
Seriously, what repair shop spends about 30 minutes doing a hands-​on assessment of you car, and then tells you not to spend any money on it right away? Answer: Elmer’s Transmissions, that’s who… one of the last good and honest mechanics in the biz. If you need trans work, this is your place.

Just had our 1969 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Turbo 400 transmission rebuild by Elmer. I must say I am very pleased! Reliable, inexpensive & trustworthy. Elmer is the best. If we have any more sick babies we are bringing them to Elmer!

I agree with all of the other five star reviews. The torque converter on my 99 Expedition exploded sending chunks of metal into the transmission.
Elmer rebuilt the transmission, replaced the torque converter, and placed an inline filter in the return line from the trans cooler. After a month of driving, he had me come back, removed the filter and fully serviced the rebuilt transmission to make sure all the metal chunks are gone.
Transmission had been working great for over a year now with no issues.

Can’t say enough about this little shop. Very clean and neat, Elmer is very knowledgeable and figured out the problem in a couple of minutes. Just needed a quart of ATF to fix the slippage. I’m very thankful I found this mechanic, specially with some many shady mechanics around town. Will go back for sure!!!

Elmer is honest, trustworthy, and kind. It’s as simple as that.
I had shifting problems and knew something in the transmission was wrong. The first shop I took it to immediately started estimating an entire transmission replacement. $ 1,500-$ 2,000. I then googled transmission shops in the area and tried Elmer’s. He genuinely hoped it wouldn’t need a full replacement. He checked the codes, checked the fluid, and found that there was a leak and had very little fluid. He offered to do a transmission service; fluid flush, replace the filter, and replace the leaking gasket.
$ 158 after tax.
Not only did he save me a ton of money and hassle, he was kind and on my side. He told me to check in with him anytime I have a problem even if it’s not a transmission because he would send me to someone he trusts. I’ve never donee Unilocal post, but I felt I should for him.

Elmer was super nice and honest. My transmission was acting up so I took it in. He drove it around the block with me and then ran a free diagnostic on it. Turned out it was A-​OK and I was on my way. He is really the glue that holds this city together as far as transmission repairs go.

Elmer is nice, honest, and reliable. The transmission on my VW Jetta was not working properly. I took it down the street to Elmer’s for a free diagnosis/​estimate. The cost was more than I wanted to put into my 2002 car so I didn’t get it fixed. Luckily for me, he ended up purchasing the car from me for a reasonable price and I used that money towards a Honda Civic.
Thank you Elmer!

Elmer is the best. I think he’s one of the few honest mechanics out there. He saved me time, money and sanity. Thank you Elmer for diagnosing my vehicle and for fixing the issue for a reasonable price. You truly saved me and I am grateful. If anyone wants to know where I came from to Elmer, read my review below:

Elmer gave flawless and quick service. Fair pricing. And he explained in detail why problems occurred, how to address and how to avoid in the future. I’d come back with any future transmission related needs.

Quick and friendly service. My Acura transmission gave out after 180,000 miles. He did a great job and now I’m back to a smooth ride I can depend on. I would recommend him.

Elmer is awesome replaced my clutch and found and fixed an oil leak and had it all done in a day! Will use him for all my auto needs :)

Elmer rocks! Didn’t try to sell me on anything I didn’t need, instead was helpful and knowledgeable. I will be sending friends and family here.

Now a days it’s so hard to find a place with people that won’t rip you off! I have to say that going to Elmer’s transmission will always be the best place for me to take my car. I always recommend Elmer’s transmission to all of my friends and family. Elmer is one amazing man with the heart of gold! He really goes out of his way to see what is the root of the problem of the car and tries his very best to work with you to give you the best rates. He is a honest hard working man that treats his customers with the best service. He knows that there are many people out there that would rip you off for an extra buck! He refuses to lower his standards and morals to rip any one off. For me, especially being a female he really made sure I understood what was wrong with my vehicle and worked with me. If you are looking for a great place that WON’T rip you off, that the owner is honest and hard working, you HAVE to take your cars, your families cars and your friends cars to Elmer’s transmission you won’t be disappointed!

I’m VERY picky about my classic Car. She’s like a family member to me.
So when my baby needed a rebuilt trans, I asked a few guys in the car biz «who is the best transmission specialist that you know»? One name kept being repeated several times. Elmer’s, They did a GREAT job! Easy to deal with and the car runs perfectly! I highly recommend you take your car classic or not to Elmer’s.