I have a 96 Explorer XL with a 4.0 V6 & automatic transmission (I assume 4R55E?) It has 135,000 miles on it, I bought it with 45,000 miles. As far as I know, it has the original tranny. It began slipping a few days ago, I had a shop check it out. They say it is slipping in & out of 2nd gear. They would have to take it apart & rebuild it.. at a cost between $1,400-2,200. They say they can't tell how much it will cost until they take it apart. Of course I doubt it will be at the low end of the price range. I plan to call around & get some quotes. From the research I have done, this price seems to be about average.
I'm not sure how long I plan to keep the vehicle & was considering trading it in on something else. I am considering less expensive repair options. What would be a reasonable price to buy a used or rebuilt transmission & what is a reasonable price to pay a shop just to swap them rather than do a rebuild? Or should I consider shopping for a new vehicle & offering the Explorer as a trade-in without repairing it & telling the place I am trading it to about the problem (it would be obvious on a test drive anyway.)
I would appreciate any opinions or ideas. Thanks...