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Most transmission problems are fixed by rebuilding the transmission. If it’s your first time having the transmission repaired on your vehicle, you may be wondering, “how much does it cost to rebuild a transmission?” Well, the cost differs based on what aspect(s) of the transmission needs to be rebuilt.
The average cost of rebuilding a transmission is between $400 and $1,500. Of course, the cost could go over $2,000 if what needs to be repaired is severely damaged to the point that it affects other parts of the transmission system.
This article explains everything you should know about transmission rebuild and the average cost.
What Does It Mean To Rebuild a Transmission?
The term “transmission rebuild” literally means “transmission repair,” but in context, it refers to repairing a transmission in-depth-ly.
When a transmission is rebuilt, it means the damaged parts/components of the transmission have been repaired or replaced; this repair pattern saves you some amount of money, especially if the transmission wasn’t severely damaged.
Put simply, rebuilding a transmission means disassembling the system, fixing/replacing faulty parts, and reassembling. Transmission rebuilding is recommended in most cases, but sometimes, if what needs to be changed is quite too many, it’d be much better to go for a complete replacement – of course, that would cost more.
While are pretty many resources out there to help you with DIY transmission repairs/rebuilding tutorials, it is best to have your car’s faulty transmission to be rebuilt by an expert mechanic – so it’d be done perfectly without affecting any other critical component or system on your car.
How Much Does it Cost to Rebuild a Transmission?
Okay, we’ve talked about how a transmission rebuild can save you some money instead of completely replacing your car’s bad transmission? Yeah, you could get your car’s transmission rebuilt for as low as $400 or even less.
However, your location and the mechanic workshop you’re going to get the job done would hugely influence the amount you’d pay.
The truth is that the cost of transmission rebuild varies greatly based on pretty many factors. However, hereunder are the main factors that can influence the amount you’d pay to rebuild your car’s transmission.
Factors That Affect Transmission Rebuild Cost
- The severity of the repairs
- Location (your city or county)
- The mechanic shop where you’re going to get it done
- Where the replacement parts would be bought
Parts may cost from $100 to $700 or more, while labor costs could be from $50 – $300 based on the hourly rate of the mechanic workshop you’re getting the rebuild done. Basically, when a transmission is rebuilt, the following components are changed:
- Clutches
- Bands
- Seals
- Gaskets
- Bushings
- Bearings
- Internal transmission sealing rings
- The transmission fluid filter
Again, there could be other components of the transmission that may need to be replaced; or even so, not all these components would need to be replaced. A transmission rebuild is mostly worth it, as it could save you up to three grand from buying a brand-new one.
To rebuild a transmission may take up to eight (8) hours; there’s a high chance you won’t be getting your car the same day you took it to the workshop for a transmission rebuild.
Another popular options people choose over transmission rebuild is getting a “reman transmission,” which means a remanufactured transmission.
Reman transmissions, or simply remans, are more like refurbished transmissions; they are almost the same as brand-new transmissions but have had one or more crucial components replaced by the OEM.
If the price of your transmission rebuild gets too high, maybe you should consider getting a remanufactured one – they are typically priced between $1,500 and $3,500.
Should You Go For a Rebuild or Buy a New Transmission?
The decider should be, “what happened to the transmission that made it go bad.” If the transmission overheated and broke down, a rebuild may not fix the problem(s); you may either need to get a reman option or a brand new one.
On the other hand, if the transmission filter fails along with the gaskets or bushing, a rebuild would save you a lot of money. So, it is the severity of damage on the transmission that decides whether you should settle with a new one or simply get the bad one rebuilt.
What Makes a Transmission Fail?
There are pretty many things that could cause the transmission to fail, from severe scenarios such as accidents and hard collisions to internal problems such as overheating, component failures, low fluid, leaks, and more.
It is important to check on the transmission quite frequently; change the fluid regularly, and fix any leaky spot as early as possible.
How Long Does a Rebuilt Transmission Last?
If the job is well done, and you keep up with maintenance, you should drive with the rebuilt transmission for over 100k miles.
However, if the mechanic did a poor job, you may notice that your car would start showing signs of transmission failure at about 30k to 50k miles from when the rebuilding was done.
How Long Does Transmission Rebuild Take?
Well, you’d have to drop your car and go home. Yeah, that’s because transmission rebuild can take from 10 hours to 3 days, or even more.
If the replacement parts are close and the mechanic doesn’t have clients that are before you, the job could be completed in 24 hours. But if the parts will be shipped from another location, you should expect 3 – 4 days for the rebuild to be complete.
Summary
So, how much does it cost to rebuild a transmission? This article has clearly explained how much it could cost you to rebuild your car’s transmission or get a remanufactured one.
Rebuilt transmissions – if the rebuilding was done well – function like new ones and can last for over 100,000 miles if you keep up with the maintenance.
Rebuilding is recommended when the transmission is not badly damaged – the issue is caused by one or two faulty components. If the transmission is badly damaged, you should consider getting a new one or a remanufactured one that fits your car.
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