Transmission Repair Cost

Depends on the transmission and where you are. First, you need to find a transmission shop which is competent and honest. Don't assume anything.

Some of the national franchise tranny repair companies have very spotty reputations. Dont assume that a dealership is competent or honest because it is a dealership.

Once you find the right place, ask them for an estimate.

You are probably talking in the range of $1500-2000, but there could be a lot of variation.

For the most part, people don't fix automatic transmissions. The time to get the thing out of the vehicle and open on the bench is substantial enough that if something is wrong, they just replace it with a rebuilt because the cost is no more than typical repairs.

I don't know what a rebuilt on the GMC would be, but between $1500 and $2500 sounds about right. Ask around for a local transmission shop with a good reputation.

--scott

Good luck. If you find one, let us all know.

I would not allow a "local" shop to rebuild my transmission. Too many parts, too many dimensions, too many thing to go wrong for me to trust a general repair shop. I've been burned several times for a lot of f'n money. Most local shops are just going to put in new friction, maybe seals, and they'll probably do it blindly w/o finding root cause. Most are too untrained and/or just too dumb to find root cause. They are very unlikely to address, much less measure, bearings and bushings. A slightly bigger shop and you'll end up with someone else's tranny. Who knows wtf that owner did to it. My take is to get on the internet and find a dealer tranny. These things are rebuilt by companies that do 100's of the same tranny, and generally come with dealer R&R warranties. For example, dodgeparts.com has a 4 speed tranny for about $1600. That's only a few dollars more than a local shitty rebuild. Put it in yourself, or find a shop to order and install the same. If it breaks, any Dodge dealer in the country will cover the repair for 3yr/36k.

- Nate

I completely disagree, and I don't know where you get that kind of idea. Competent local shops are the ONLY ones that really do it right. With the mass rebuilders, you get someone ELSE'S problem that wasn't properly diagnosed, a cheap friction-only rebuild, mix-and-match parts that might not have even come from the same model year resulting in slight differences, and abusive cleaning and disassembly/reassembly processes. Been there, done that, never again.

I would NEVER allow an off-the-shelf piece of "remanufactured" junk to be put in place of my transmission needing a rebuild unless I had done something extreme like cracked the case. And even then, I'd look for a replacement from the wrecking yard and then rebuild IT if necessary.

I have found them before, but they dont always stay competent and honest. Eternal vigilence is the price of success.

We have one guy here in this little town whom I would trust. He has been in business for years and has a good reputation for quality, BUT he is so overworked that you'd better not be in a big hurry. He is obviously not associated with a dealership.

Just don't go to AAMCO!

Anyway, like someone abouve already said, they don't like to fix transmissions. Espically if it's got a lot of miles on it, it really doesn't make sense to just fix the part the broke, since you will probably be returning shortly when the next part breaks.

I've only ever had transmission problems once. I took it to the dealer (it was barely drivable) and got the car backa week later after they rebuilt the transmission for $1150 and it was as good as new. That was in 1992. I expect that it would cost much more today.

HI: Mitch here:

per all your advice, I called mid sized shops, specializing in trannys (trannies?), and arranged to have the first shop do a diagnostic first (Paid $36). 1999 GMC Jimmy 4.3L, 4x4, mileage 112,000.

Sun Shell Drum cracked. Some worn clutches. Some worn friction steel.

Shop #1: Replace drum, fluids, new filter, seal. $1,100. Total rebuild $1,

900

Shop #2: Replace drum, new seal kit, clutches as needed, filter, fluids $1000. They recommend some of the friction steel will likely need replacing. no estimate. complete Rebuild $1,500

Shop #3: Can replace drum, but recommend a complete rebuild at $2,400.

Shop #1: verify seal kit is complete. not. complete seal kit + Drum $1,300. Recommended friction steel too for $1,400 total.

Shop #2: ask what it is to add friction steel. notify them thier competitor is at only $1,100 on the first go around, and can have it done in 1 week. Shop#2 requotes Replace drum, new seal kit-all clutches, filter, fluids, and friction steel as needed. $1100. SOLD.

Thanks all for your input. Hope this info helps others too......

Mitch

Mitch_Boucher_PE wrote:

Uhhhhh...I hope you went on more than price. There are some really BAD shops out there.

Sounds like they did their shooping based totally on price. For $400 more they could have gotten a complete rebuild, but they went with a fix. I think that's crazy for a transmission with over 100,000 miles on it.

I took my 1978 Dodge van (automatic shift transmission) to a Mr.Transmission shop between four to five years ago for repair.I don't remember exactly how much it cost me,but they did a rebuild for about $885.00.So far,no problems at all.That is the only vehicle (Dodge van) I have ever had any transmission problems with.Other old vehicles with manual shift transmissions and manual clutches I have owned before,when it came time for clutch repair,I always bought the parts I needed (either new or rebuilt clutch disk,throw out bearing and pressure plate) and I did the work on them myself. cuhulin

Occasionally you can get an idea about a shop's reputation from the Better Business Bureau,

or similar. Because one particular Mr. Transmission may have done good work for you, it doesnt mean that the franchise will be good everywhere, or even that if you went back to the same shop after a period of time that it would still be good.

I had really good results from Just Transmissions in Houston a few years ago. Now they are gone completely. It was rumored that they cut low prices to be competitive, then got caught short when the inevitable comebacks occurred.

I called one shop, now using the name Just Transmissions, and asked the kid who answered if his prices included upgrades (factory recommended improvements in parts or techniques).

His was reply was " Man, we don' do no upgrades. We just fix the transmission."

You have to keep your eyes really open.

Round Top,Texas.The biggest little city in Texas. cuhulin