Transmission Rebuild I How Much Does It Cost ?

If an Master ASE A-1 Certified Transmission Mechanic at Master Transmission & Collision diagnosis determines you need a rebuilt transmission, you’ll discover the difference that rebuilding your transmission by an expert technician can mean because your rebuilt transmission is backed by the strongest warranty in the business – up to the life of your car depending on your needs. When an master technician rebuilds your transmission there’s no fear of a defective replacement unit. And because it is rebuilt using the original unit by an on-site expert technician, you know it’s right! He’ll completely disassemble your transmission, rebuild it with quality parts, thoroughly clean and inspect your transmission’s internal and external components, reinstall your transmission, refill the fluid, make any external adjustments and road test to ensure all of the problems you noticed prior to our service are corrected. You get peace of mind that your transmission has been rebuilt to Master Transmission & Collision exacting quality standards and backed with a lifetime warranty. Contact us for more details.

Transmission replacement is one of the most expensive jobs done by any mechanic. According to Transmission Repair Cost Guide readers, the average cost of transmission replacement ranges from $1800 to $3400.

A used/salvage transmission ranges from $800 to $1500, a rebuilt transmission from $1100 to $2800 and a re-manufactured from $1300 to $3400.

The labor to remove and replace a transmission ranges from $500 to $1200 for 4 to 10 hours of billed time.

Differences between rebuilt vs remanufactured?

Rebuilds can cost just as much as a replacement depending on the extent of the damage. The upper end of the range is typically for the replacement of a high end vehicle’s transmission or a complete rebuild after a major mechanical failure.

Basic repair jobs are on the lower side, from $300 to $1400. For example, fixing a manual transmission often only requires a new clutch, a $800 to $1500 job.

The cost of transmission repair varies widely based on a number of factors, the most important of which is the type and extent of the repairs being performed by the mechanic.

If the transmission needs to be completely replaced or rebuilt, drivers can expect to pay several thousand dollars for parts and skilled labor, while a few minor repairs and a fluid change will only be a couple hundred dollars.

Make & Model
It also depends on the make and model of the vehicle, with domestic/standard models costing quite a bit less than high-end or imported vehicles such as BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen.

Extent of the Damage
What the car has been through can also affect the price as newer cars that have been well maintained will cost less than those that have been through tough times.

Old vs New
Considerably older or rarer cars are harder to find parts for, which also increases the cost.

Manual vs Automatic
Manual transmissions cost less to repair/replace than automatic transmissions.

Shop
Some shops charge higher prices than others for the same work (due to marketing, location, reputation, etc.)

Your Location
Finally, the driver’s location will contribute a great deal to the overall cost of the procedure. Areas with higher costs of living, higher demand of services and/or lower availability of skilled technicians will charge higher labor costs, escalating the overall price.

On average, a re-manufactured transmission will cost between $1,300 and $3,400, depending on the make and model of your vehicle. The cost of labor to install it is in addition to the price of the unit and will typically run between $500 and $1200.

It is usually more expensive to replace your transmission with a remanufactured transmission than to have your transmission rebuilt at a transmission shop. However, if there is significant internal damage, the additional components (hard parts) required to get it back on the road can cause the final price of a transmission rebuild to be higher than a remanufactured transmission.

Here are the other differences between rebuilt vs. re-manufactured transmissions.

As mentioned previously, when deciding whether to rebuild or replace a transmission it is important to know that either option can be more cost effective, depending on how complex and extensive the issues are (it can take a long time to troubleshoot and repair some problems, in which case a replacement would save you money).

Making this decision is difficult for the average consumer, which is why it’s so important to find a trustworthy mechanic. Check our our reviews !

There are a number of symptoms of a damaged or worn out transmission to watch for, some of which are listed below.

Many problems can be solved/avoided by regularly changing a car’s transmission fluid or getting the transmission flushed on a regular basis as recommended by the owner’s manual (recommendations are typically between every 30-50,000 miles).

A single mechanical failure can cause the car’s engine to shut down and disable it entirely, so it is important to watch for these signs and get your car inspected at the first sign of trouble.

In the event that a transmission does begin to fail in some way (or fails completely), mechanics will often recommend a replacement, a rebuilding process, or other smaller repairs to ensure that the car will function properly and reliably. Each type of repair has different procedures and costs associated with it.

The process of rebuilding a transmission is rather lengthy and labor-intensive. Mechanics must disassemble the transmission to look for problems and replace the parts that are causing it to not function properly. Through this process, the part(s) causing the mechanical failure are eventually found and replaced instead of having to install a brand new transmission.

Generally speaking, there are three different aspects that must be checked before any transmission rebuild or replacement:

1) Changing the Fluid
The first is probably the easiest, and definitely the most affordable: changing the transmission fluid.

The cause of many problems is low or dirty transmission fluid, which can also cause the vehicle’s fuel economy decrease. This causes shifting to become noticeably “stickier” and, in some cases, the car will change gears and stay stuck in neutral. This “fix” often costs less than $100, though many vehicle owners find that they can do it themselves.

2) Checking for Trouble Codes
Next, the mechanic checks the vehicle’s computer system that controls automatic shifting (for automatics). Transmission slipping and hard shifts can actually be caused by the computer if it is not reading the RPM correctly. Sensors can be easily replaced without disassembling a transmission, so this is the second easiest (and cheapest) repair that can fix the problem(s).

3) Test Drive & Inspection
After a number of diagnostic tests including test driving the vehicle and a comprehensive inspection, the technician will remove the transmission from the vehicle and disassemble it.

Each part is inspected, cleaned and replaced if necessary (especially if it is outdated). Parts such as seals and gaskets are replaced anyway. The electrical system is tested and any required repairs are made.

If the problem was found and none of the “hard” components require attention, the unit is assembled and reinstalled into the engine. After another test drive to ensure everything is working properly, the car is returned to its owner.