50 Years of Smooth Shifting at Alonso Transmission

Regular car maintenance is important. Sure, most people know to change oil every 3000 miles (or longer if you use synthetic). But many of us never think about our transmissions. Since most manufacturers recommend changing transmission fluid every 30,000 to 60,000 miles for manual transmissions and 60,000 to 100,000 miles for automatic transmissions, it takes years to be needed and can easily slip the mind.

I recently felt some acceleration issues with my car and checked with my regular auto shop. Surprisingly, they recommended Alonso Transmission over their own work. I was intrigued.

Alonso Transmission has turned out to be an amazing recommendation. It is a true gem in our community. As I would soon find out, this Miami institution is celebrating its 50th year in business… and for good reason.

Store manager, Ralph Abraham, explains that Cuban-born Carlos Alonso was a transmission wizard. “In Cuba, he had a shop called Lightning. Back in the day, he would regularly build and modify transmissions,” explained Ralph. “His start in Miami was with a step van where he would drive to people’s homes and, with one-day service, he would remove the transmission, fix/rebuild it on-site and then put it back in.

This innovative approach gave Alonso a leg up on the competition. As transmissions became more tedious and intricate, he set up his first shop at Bird Road and 72nd Avenue. In 1984, he bought a building at 7007 SW 13th Terrace and the rest, as they say, is history. Today, the shop runs 6-days a week. Major repairs are done during the week and on Saturdays the shop does transmission service appointments only. Carlos Alonso died in 2015, but his wife still keeps an eye on things and loves to deliver the paychecks to the staff.

In 1992, Ralph Abraham, the shop’s general manager, came to work at Alonso Transmission. His father was already a partner with Carlos and Ralph has since brought in his two sons, Aaron and Andre. This is truly a family business, with a plaque of Carlos Alonso carefully placed so he can posthumously watch over the shop.

You can feel how special this place is from the moment you call them. From the quick and friendly phone demeanor to the no-nonsense approach of what they quoted me, this business feels genuine and honest at all levels.

For many of us, a quick primer should prove valuable. A transmission is gears of your vehicle. It’s required lubricant, transmission fluid, contains detergents, allowing it to clean while it works. After time, transmission fluid breaks down and can lead to sludge build-up. In turn, this can cause poor shifting, slipping, hesitations or worse. Ralph recommends, “For new engines, a transmission service should be done every 35-45,000 miles. After that, every 20-25,000 miles.” Ralph also points out, “Many other transmission places will just do a fluid change. We always take out the pan and replace the screen and filter. What we do is a full transmission service.” He says that others can take short cuts that lead to future problems. Always insist on a full transmission service.

As for those of you who might need more involved work, have trust in Alonso Transmission. They do 30-40 major transmission repairs a week. Their 5 full-time transmission technicians have many years of experience. And if you are not an expert, when you come in, they will take the time to show you what they are doing with physical examples as a visual aid.

Aaron Abraham shows customer upcoming work using example parts

Although hidden in West Miami, Alonso Transmission is worth the drive. Even Hollywood, CA knows that. In 2002, the “Fast and the Furious 2” movie production used Alonso Transmission to repair the transmissions in their fleet of cars used in the film.

Ralph provides the following advice, “With today’s more sophisticated cars, transmissions can be 8, 9 or even 10-speed transmissions. That means higher temperatures and friction. In short, you need to service them more frequently. Don’t wait for something to happen. Use the manufacturer’s mileage recommendation and come see us.”

You can visit Alonso Transmission at 7007 SW 13th Terrace, Miami, FL 33144. Their hours of operation are 8a-6p Monday-Friday and 8a-11a on Saturday. Call them a few days early to ensure a good appointment time at 305-261-4587.