AAMCO Transmissions & Total Car Care

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Susu Ahmed
a month ago
Excellent customer service. But beyond that, these are genuinely honest mechanics. Today I had every reason to believe there was something wrong with my car. It was making a weird noise that a different mechanic made me think I would have to pay $1800 to fix. When I took it to these guys for a second opinion, they told me there was truly nothing wrong they could find with the car and didn t charge me a dime after spending a full 30 minutes looking at it. They could have made a lot of money off me today, if not the full $1800 then at least a diagnostic fee. I don t know much about cars and was really worried about the sound. But they chose not to scam me like the last mechanic tried to. I m very appreciative of their honesty and highly recommend coming to them!

  Danielle Smart
5 months ago
This place deserves zero stars!! Had my car in there 2 days in a row 3 days after they put in a new transmission, allegedly. First they said was low on fluid, then told me was a shifter cable, which I took to my mechanic and they didnt think so but we replaced that and still same issue now they aren't returning my calls! Trying the west side Aamco to get it fixed. Do not use this shop untrustworthy and obviously incompetent!!

  nastynte
4 months ago
Great place to take your truck. Had them rebuild the trans in my 08 silverado. Straight forward shop. Got it done quick and with warranty

  David Olson
2 years ago
I was having transmission shifting issues and I scheduled an appointment online and received a call shortly after to confirm. Had to change date, but it was only minor inconvenience. They checked it out and topped up with transmission fluid I provided. When I came to pick up, told me I m all set. I asked how much I owed for the diagnostic and they said I didn t owe anything. I am not familiar with vehicle transmissions and hey could have easily told me I needed a new transmission or thousands in repairs. They were honest and up front. I would recommend to anybody.Services: Transmission, General repairs & maintenance

  Kathryn Kost
8 years ago
I have three older model cars that spend way too much time in repair shops, so I ve worked with a lot of different mechanics and shops. Mike and his staff at this AAMCO are the best mechanics I have encountered in a long time. Not only is the work excellent and thorough, Mike helped us figure out the best and most economical solution. My son was driving across Iowa on his way to a new job in Utah when the transmission blew out. All the other shops we called gave standard answers ( it takes 3 to 4 days ) and prices, even after we asked if there was any way to get it done quicker. Mike understood immediately what we needed, and offered to get to work on it as soon as the car arrived. They worked nonstop until it was done (in one day), found other problems that needed to be fixed, and road tested it before handing it over to my son who immediately hit the road for the 16 hour drive. The car worked beautifully. I can t say enough great things about this shop. They re honest, hard-working, smart and thorough. They understand cars and treat their customers as they themselves would want to be treated. We feel fortunate to have found them.

  Mike Kuhn
a year ago
My girlfriend's car was ransacked, several items missing (small cash, make-up, sunglasses, etc.) while they took their time over almost a week doing simple maintenance work. They play dumb there and have zero accountability with professionalism and responsibility when she went to pick it up after SHE had to call and ask if they were finished with it. If that is how you want your automobile to be treated then go for it. If you have any decency, STAY AWAY!!! So many other places will treat you better around Des Moines and deserve your business. Let this dumpster fire burn itself out. Joel Lucas is the manager and I'd be ashamed if I were him. I never leave reviews so yeah...it's that bad.Service: General repairs & maintenance

  Kristi Doss
a year ago
BF took his truck in cause the reverse was out of it. Other than that it ran perfect. Dropped it off on a Fri, was told it would take till wed.On we'd never received a phone call , nothing. On Thurs. BF called and was told they were replacing the torque converter and they used one that they had in shop. Never called to ask if that was ok . They said a couple hours it would take. Fri comes around still no call so BF called them and they said an hour or so. Fri afternoon came around and get a call they were done.went and got it and aamco employee got rude when we wanted to use a coupon one of their coupons for $100 off., But he did take it.its now 3 days after we got it and tomorrow morning it's going back in. There's no acceleration, it's making a whining noise and hesitation at stops , and feels like it's ready to die at stops. All problems that were not there when we took it in. It ran perfect before just no reverse.

  Micah Stevens
3 years ago
I have taken my car to multiple different shops to try and diagnose a loud noise going on with my car. Not only did other shops charge for diagnostic, I was consistently quoted over $4,500 for the repair. Thinking I was SOL and just going to have to buy a new car, as a last ditch effort, I took it to AAMCO. Not only did they offer a free diagnostic, I was able to fix the issue for $1,500, and they offered to help me save money by using a refurbished part that came with a warranty.Highly recommend this place. Very professional, timely and courteous. Literally saved me thousands of dollars.

  Tyler Coplea
6 years ago
I dropped my Mazdaspeed3 off to check out a pop out in second gear. They found i had an issue and that it was covered under my extended warranty. They then called after pulling the trans to ask if i also wanted to replace the clutch because it was showing signs of heavy wear. They quoted me for the part. I refused the service and asked if they would allow me to source my own parts. They agreed to let me do so. I have never had a shop let me do this. I am thoroughly impressed with the work and customer service from this shop. I have been here a couple times and have always had the best service and customer service. Also, there warranty policy is fantastic. Had a leak from my G6 after a solenoid replacement. I called them, they got me in within a couple hours and fixed it, no questions asked. Great shop, i am now a lifetime customer.

  Ryan Punzalan
5 years ago
it was my first time going to them. my AC broke and got an appointment with them. Joel greeted me when i got in and was very pleasant in dealing and asking about my vehicle needs. A couple of hours later, he called and told me my AC was fixed at a fraction of the previous estimates i got from other shops!! now it's winter in my vehicle and they really are a life saver!met Joel's boss too when i picked up my vehicle and the people there really are friendly and caring of people's needs. they don't just treat you as close friends, they treat you as family!

  Jamie Schacht
6 years ago
Tim and the workers at AAMCO are the most caring individuals who helped me out tremendously! I was making a long trip and my car ended up breaking down in Des Moines Iowa; Tim was quick to help out and even made sure I was able to get to the shop safely. They made reasonable and fair offers for the payment to cover the fixes; they did not push on any extra fixes like some shops like to do which I really appreciate. Unfortunately my car ended up having another part breaking (13 year old car, was not a shock that its time for driving was over) and Tim communicated very well on what happened and was helpful on what were reasonable steps moving forward. Overall, I am so thankful that I went to AAMCO and highly recommend everyone to go! If you want to receive genuine, kind, quick communication, respectful payment offers, and caring services, AAMCO is your place!

  Jon Ole Olsen
5 years ago
Everything works great now!After a couple of drivetrain issues I think that the AAMCO folks knew me by voice when I called. (It was nice, but not something that you really want.) Some of the repairs were not cheap, but others surprised me at how inexpensive they were. The vehicles are running well now and I am confident in the work they did. I hope that I never have another transmission failure, but if I do I will call AAMCO.

  Brenda Colbert
2 years ago
Very knowledgeable team & staff, work completed within a reasonable time. Young technician set my oil usage no longer a need for a sticker on windshield. Plan on returning for any automotive needs, kudos to Aamco Transmission!!

  Kristy Berger
8 years ago
I wish I could give Brian and his crew more than 5 stars!!! Fair, Honest, GREAT customer service . . . this is how I would describe my experience with AAMCO in Des Moines. My family and I were traveling from Kansas and our transmission went out as we pulled into the fair grounds. We called Brian and he took care of the towing, helping secure a rental car and finally repair! THANK YOU to a very well run business and crew!!

  Roy Coleman
2 years ago
Replaced transmission on daughter's car. Did not torque bolts correctly if at all, the bolts were all loose, and one starter bolt was missing, starter broke and shorted against catalitic converter. This caused the battery to short out, .To make a long story short had to have car towed home on Friday night, Saturday had someone figure out what had happened. Ended up costing over 320.00 in parts plus tow & labor to get car back on the road, total cost nearly 525.00 talked to Joel and he said she should have brought it back to them. They aren't open on Saturday, and why would we go back to them considering there workmanship in the first place, am now trying to get reimbursed from the owner. He offered 300.00 . We're now going to small claims court.Service: Transmission

  John Jacob JinglehimerSchmidt
a year ago
Despite the nearly 5star review. Seen way too many recent 1star reviews with absolutely no response from the business saying sorry or what can we do to help make this better. Will look for another transmission shop.

  Tabitha Slaughter
a year ago
Would highly recommend. I called all around and they had the best price by far: super friendly and got it done insanely fast.

  Zach Elliott
7 years ago
Very Trustworthy place. Got my sway bar links replaced for an affordable price. Joel was very helpful and they got the job done fast. Will definitely be returning if I need anymore help with my truck.

  Trevor Tomkins
7 years ago
Taking your car to the large oil change chains, Midas, Jiffy Lube, Tuffy, etc can save you money on the front end as I've been doing it for years, but good luck getting anything other than an oil change done at these places. The markup on parts and their labor rates are through the roof so when work needs to be done, it becomes an inconvenience to then find another place. I have had recent repairs and services done on both my vehicles at this AAMCO and I'm hooked. If you want a trustworthy shop that doesn't simply want you in the door so they can find as many things as they can that "need to be repaired or replaced", then give this shop a try....Extremely knowledgeable, personal staff that take the time to explain options and help you decide what may be best for you, the customer. I was blown away by their customer service and genuineness. Repairs were affordable and performed quickly. This shop has earned my business and exceeded my expectations.

  Candice Smith
5 years ago
Juel made my experience so much less stressful. He worked with me through a difficult situation and kept me from drowning in anxiety. I really appreciate the service, price, and understanding of this shop. I will definitely be back in even for the simple things! Thanks AAMCO.

  gravityisnotmyfriend
7 years ago
They guys at AAMCO were very professional, accommodating, and knowledgeable. They were willing to dig into my transmission to determine the cause of the failure instead of just throwing a rebuilt unit on. And while the final bill was expensive, AAMCO ended up being the least expensive out of the four shops I called - and that included fixing my air conditioning and changing the oil.I would definitely recommend them.

  Nicol Hoover
7 years ago
I have taken my vehicle to this location multiple times and each time the customer service has exceeded my expectations! They genuinely care for their customers and the service they provide. I will continue to have my vehicle serviced at this location and I will highly recommend others to do the same!

  Mindya Biness
4 years ago
Car had a transmission code and I took it in. Code went away and I paid for a transmission flush, but a little while later car threw a transmission code again and when I brought it in they said I should flush the fluid and that it would be 700 dollars because they would have to change the transmission pan. So pretty much I paid for a transmission flush the first time but they never did it. Scammers

  Vance The First
4 years ago
We ve been looking for a company that does great work, doesn t push unnecessary repairs on us, but still recommends what we need to maintain our vehicle. The past few experiences have been excellent, and I m happy to say we have found our new mechanic!

  zombiezey
6 years ago
Over an hour after my appointment and my car hadn't even been touched. They said it was because the car ahead of me was waiting on a hose. I only needed an oildchange and some tests done. Wont be returning. You have 4 bays and you could have emptied any of them to put a car in for 5 min. Very dissatisfied. Act like i dont have things to do this is why i made an appointment.

  Brad Stegall
4 years ago
Both quoted me one price and charged me double. Could have been Miss communication but I thought quote was low so I asked and manager affirmed the price before I accepted. Took it in for noise. As soon as we drove off lot we heard noise so took back and when they rode with us the admitted there still is noise but not same so we could schedule an appointment and they would work on more. I dont belive this noise is not related to thier repair but even if this is true when i take something in to get fixed i do not expect it to get sort of fixed.

  Stevan Nguyen
7 years ago
I had my Lexus GS430 worked on exactly a year ago when the transmission started making very concerning noises. There was a very loud whining noise, transmission pump, in every gear selection. I drove up from out of state without the issue and decided it would be too risky to drive back with the problem. I decided to go with this Aamco because I read a couple of different reviews and their price was reasonable. If you're like me, people's word go a long way. Aamco has had a bad reputation for a long time on the Internet and around the country. But the S.E. 14th one is much different and I believe that because the owner cares. My car was brought in and they did a full rebuild on my transmission. Put it back together and it ran very well. It came with a 1 year warranty which was quickly used because the transmission pan had a leak, typical issue since the gasket is very easy to mess up when installing. Mike recognized the issue, order the part, and had my car fixed the next day. I've been driving it ever since and have not had an issue yet. Seriously, transmission work is expensive as heck. If you're like me, you don't want to get fooled around with when you're talking about that amount of money. I would definitely recommend this Aamco. They are definitely different from the bad reputation the other ones on the Internet and around the nation give. Thanks guys!

  Laurel Schacht
6 years ago
If your car ever breaks down in Des Moines, Iowa call this place. Daughter was stranded on a major highway, car was towed here. Tim and his crew made sure she was safe and had somewhere to go while we were on our way to get her. We ordered repairs that were made, but something else went terribly wrong with the car that was 17 years old. He suggested that the car was now beyond investment and let us out of the work he had done on the car. You just don't find that many honest people out there like this. Thank you Tim and crew for helping our daughter and for being a great business man.

  N D.
10 years ago
I took my car into the S.E. 14th St, Des Moines location a week ago for a head repair. I was told it would be 3 to 4 days maximum and I would have my car back. It is now a week later and I do not have my car and they tell me hopefully, it will be done tomorrow. This service has been ridiculous and I will not be using this company in the future and I will advise all friends and acquaintances not to use any Aamco shops for their cars. I am very frustrated that I still must pay for services promised that I have not received, and I am a very dissatisfied customer. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY

  Richard Way
2 years ago
So far so good! Good communication, & when we setup the charges by phone, the other crew knew what I was talking about, so the information was passed & shared. No surprises or clueless acting office guys.