Why Transmissions Cost So Much
It’s a natural question to ask when you see the estimates: why the heck is replacing a transmission so expensive? The short answer is that it’s arguably the most complicated part in your car. The longer answer is that it’s not only complicated, but absolutely essential for your car to run. The transmission is responsible for making sure your car shifts gears and picks up speed. That combination, plus the labor and training it takes to expertly deal with transmissions, makes a full repair service plus parts extremely pricey.
Find a Good Mechanic
We strongly advise you to absolutely dive into every online review you can find for mechanics near you (of course, that’s if you don’t already have a go-to, trustworthy mechanic). Better yet: ask trusted family and friends for their recommendations, especially when it comes to mechanics who have done big jobs. A lot of your transmission replacement costs will come from the labor, so investing in a quality mechanic who you can count on to be honest and transparent with you will be absolutely essential.
Pro tip: look beyond the mechanic’s own website for reviews. Instead, opt for customer reviews on third-party platforms, like Yelp and Google Reviews. This will help ensure that you get the least biased insights possible into your prospective mechanic’s quality of work.
Explore All of Your Transmission Options
Most people believe that getting a new transmission for their car is non-negotiable. After all, the worst thing ever would be to buy a cheaper used one and end up in the same situation within a few months, right? Of course, that would be terrible, but the idea that this would happen with an old transmission is a myth.
The truth is that there are plenty of high-quality, like-new used transmissions out there, and finding them can save you thousands of dollars in transmission replacement costs. How can you make sure that you spot these quality used transmissions instead of getting stuck with a dud? That’s exactly what we’re here to tell you.
Finding a quality used transmission is about making sure you get as close to like-new as possible, and that’s only true for Grade A used parts. “Grade A” is the highest rating that a used transmission can receive. It means the part has been thoroughly inspected and found to be near-perfect in terms of damage and wear, including:
- A total damage surface area smaller than the size of a credit card.
- An average of 15,000 miles or less on it per year (or less than 60,000 miles total).
Getting a “Grade A” transmission will get you virtually identical performance to a new car part, with one crucial distinction: it’ll be much, much cheaper.
Get Covered Under Warranty
The key when shopping for a new transmission, especially a used one, is to go with a dealer who covers all of their parts in warranties of one year or more. At Sir Car Part, that’s something that we are proud to do. When a dealer does this, it shows that they stand by the quality of the part they’re selling you, and they’re going the extra mile to make sure you and your investment are protected in the long term. Never invest in a car part that isn’t covered under warranty, no matter how cheap it is; it’s important for you to get the chance to drive around for several months in order to ensure that the transmission performs as it should. If a dealer covers the parts they sell under a generous warranty, you’ll have nothing to worry about.
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