How to Save Money on Car Repairs: 30-80% off Automatic Transmission Repairs

You love your car. Even though it’s a few years old, your car is still in great shape. Most importantly, it is *paid for*. But alas, your car or truck's automatic transmission has given up the ghost. So you call your truck or car dealer, then a national transmission repair chain, and to your shock the estimates come in around $3600.00 to install a new unit. But that is a big percentage of the value of the entire car! What to do? There is no need to spend that kind of cash on a transmission job. Here are a number steps you can take to get your car or truck running like new again and save big money at the same time.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. If your auto transmission shifts or otherwise acts strangely, even once, get it checked by a reputable transmission repair technician IMMEDIATELY. Auto transmissions are very complex, and have hundreds of moving parts. If your transmission exhibits any potential problem, even a slight one, it will get worse and get expensive FAST. Get the problem checked out early, and it may mean a simple fix such as a leak repair instead of a complete transmission replacement, saving you thou$ands.
2. If you do need a transmission replacement, beware that auto dealerships and national transmission shop chains charge top dollar for parts and labor. To save money, avoid these options and go elsewhere.
3. You can save about 30% or more by going to a reputable, independent transmission shop. To find one ask around for some referrals. Ask your auto mechanic. Ask the parts people at Autozone, Advanced Auto Parts, Napa Auto Parts or other local auto parts stores. Ask your friends. Ask the neighborhood "gear-head". Independent transmission shops generally charge less for parts and labor than the auto dealers and transmission shop chains. These shops will either remove, rebuild and reinstall your transmission, or they will replace it with a compatible rebuilt unit. In either case you will save money if you take action as soon as your transmission starts exhibiting problems. If you keep driving, ignoring the shifting problems, vainly hoping the problems will go away, the more parts will get torn up inside your transmission and the more you will have to pay to get it rebuilt. This is money out of your pocket whether your shop repairs or replaces your transmission.
4. If you want to save even more money, consider removing the old transmission yourself, bringing it into the shop for the rebuild, and then installing the rebuilt unit yourself. This will mean you can avoid paying the transmission specialist for eight billable hours on average, saving you as much as $700.00 or more in labor charges. The step-by-step procedures for removing and reinstalling your transmission can be found in the Haynes Guide or Chilton's Manual for your particular vehicle. Beware that not every transmission shop will allow you to do this. But many will.
   
   If you want to replace the transmission yourself, you can save a lot of money on the transmission unit itself by obtaining it through non-traditional sources. Last year I needed to replace the transmission on my full-sized Dodge van. The price for the transmission at the auto dealership parts department was about $2100, and my local auto parts store wanted about $1800. An internet search for a rebuilt unit for sale by an individual turned up one in a nearby city being sold by a Dodge technician who had a freshly rebuilt transmission in his garage that one of his customers canceled out on. He sold it to me for $500.00. The price was certainly right on that transmission job!
5. Once your rebuilt transmission is installed, be absolutely sure to follow the break-in, follow-up, and ongoing service procedures recommended by your technician *to the letter*, or you will end up needing another transmission a lot sooner than you would like.