Factors that have an Impact on the Repair Price
Level of Damage
What elements are broken-down and to what extent they are damaged is the main criterion in the overall repair price. A newer, well-maintained car will cost less to fix than an older car that has been used with disregard to maintenance recommendations.
Manual vs. Automatic
In terms of design, manual transmissions are not as complex as automatic gearboxes; therefore the automatic gearbox repair can entail far greater costs
Make and Model
The make and model of your vehicle also turn out to be a determining factor when it comes to the repair value in the USA. Spare parts for a domestic model (like GM or Ford) are more affordable than parts for foreign cars (VW, BMW or Mercedes).
New vs Old/Classic Cars
If you are the owner of an old or retro car, you will have to loosen purse-strings when some component, especially the transmission, gets out of order. Firstly, not every repair shop can provide high-quality maintenance and repair for old/classic cars. Secondly, spare parts for such cars are hard to find (even used parts), therefore they will cost more. Classic/retro cars are not only the source of pride, but also huge expense items in the family budget. If you have to rebuild/replace the old car transmission, it may cost you even $5000.
On the other side, if you drive a common/comparatively new car, there’s a possibility that you could find a relatively inexpensive used gearbox or spare parts for it on the market and pay just for the labor. In many cases, it is more reasonable to replace the gearbox with a used unit rather than agree on time-consuming transmission rebuilds.
Location and Transmission Repair Shop
The repair shop location also may have impact on how much you will be charged for the gearbox repair. Areas with higher living expenses, or higher demands in services will commonly require higher prices. Different repair shops may have different approaches to pricing policy. Some shops charge higher prices than others for absolutely identical services due to brand, location, reputation, service portfolio, qualification of employees.
Don’t forget about Labor & Materials
It should be taken into account that the transmission repair cost also includes preliminary work and the price for installed spare parts. The gearbox is also attached to other systems in the car, so it takes some time and effort to take the gearbox out of the car – and this labor should be paid up.
Although you may buy a used/remanufactured gearbox by yourself, anyway you will have to pay for its installation and this procedure may cost you from a $1000 to $2000 once the labor costs have been included in the final price.