Ron Tonkin Honda is a family owned business, serving the Pacific Northwest for about 50 years. Here at Ron Tonkin Honda, we will help you find the vehicle of your dreams along with assist in your auto financing needs. Ron Tonkin Honda is a family owned business, serving the Pacific Northwest for about 50 years. Here at Ron Tonkin Honda, we will help you find the vehicle of your dreams along with assist in your auto financing needs.
Ron Tonkin Honda is a family owned business, serving the Pacific Northwest for about 50 years. Here at Ron Tonkin Honda, we will help you find the vehicle of your dreams along with assist in your auto financing needs. Ron Tonkin Honda is a family owned business, serving the Pacific Northwest for about 50 years. Here at Ron Tonkin Honda, we will help you find the vehicle of your dreams along with assist in your auto financing needs.
Ron Tonkin Honda is a family owned business, serving the Pacific Northwest for about 50 years. Here at Ron Tonkin Honda, we will help you find the vehicle of your dreams along with assist in your auto financing needs. Ron Tonkin Honda is a family owned business, serving the Pacific Northwest for about 50 years. Here at Ron Tonkin Honda, we will help you find the vehicle of your dreams along with assist in your auto financing needs.
For years, I trusted this dealership with my 2015 Honda Civic and paid dealership prices because I believed I was receiving expert service. Unfortunately, my recent experience has seriously damaged that trust.
In 2024, I followed the dealership’s recommended maintenance schedule and had a transmission fluid service performed. Shortly after that service, I began noticing transmission slipping and hesitation that had never been present before.
Over the next year and a half, I brought these concerns to the dealership multiple times. Each time, I was told everything appeared normal. At one visit, I was told the fluid was slightly low and was topped off, but the symptoms continued.
As the problem became more noticeable, I finally pushed for a deeper evaluation. I was then told by the foreman that my transmission was in very poor condition (described to me as a 7 or 8 out of 10 in severity) and that I might ultimately need a transmission replacement costing nearly $10,000—more than the value of the vehicle.
Because of the seriousness of that diagnosis, I authorized another transmission fluid service and transmission computer update that were recommended as a temporary measure. Remarkably, after that service, the slipping and hesitation that I had been reporting for nearly two years largely disappeared.
Wanting a second opinion before making any major decisions, I recently brought the vehicle to an independent transmission specialist. They scanned the vehicle, inspected the transmission, and found no transmission codes, no transmission faults, and no evidence that the transmission currently requires replacement.
What frustrates me most is not that there was a disagreement between two shops. It is that I repeatedly reported the same concern for nearly two years, paid premium dealership service rates, was eventually told I was potentially facing a transmission replacement worth more than my vehicle, and then received a clean bill of health from a transmission specialist after the dealership’s own follow-up transmission service and software update resolved the symptoms.
At this point, I would like Ron Tonkin management to review my service history and explain how these events occurred. I would welcome the opportunity to resolve this directly and professionally, but based on my experience, I cannot currently recommend this service department.