Rebuild, Repair, and Replace: The Average Costs

Transmission replacement is one of the most expensive jobs done by any mechanic, ranging on average from $1,800 to $3,500. Rebuilds can cost just as much as a replacement, depending on the extent of the damage. The upper end of the range is typically for the replacement of a high end vehicle’s transmission or a complete rebuild after a major mechanical failure. Basic repair jobs are on the lower side, from $1,000 to $2,000. For example, fixing a manual transmission often only requires a new clutch, a $1,000-$1,500 job.

Two ways you can save some money are: buying a used/remanufactured transmission instead of a new one and rebuilding the transmission yourself. These topics are outside the scope of this article and will be covered in a future post.

Visit our what people are paying page to see what people like you have paid or been quoted recently to have their transmission fixed. You might find an example from your area or with a similar problem!

The cost of transmission repair varies widely based on a number of factors, the most important of which is the type and extent of the repairs being performed by the mechanic. If the transmission needs to be completely replaced or rebuilt, drivers can expect to pay several thousand dollars for parts and skilled labor, while a few minor repairs and a fluid change will only be a couple hundred dollars.

It also depends on the make and model of the vehicle, with domestic/standard models costing quite a bit less than high-end or imported vehicles such as BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen.

Extent of the damage. What the car has been through can also affect the price as newer cars that have been well maintained will cost less than those that have been through tough times.

Considerably older or rarer cars are harder to find parts for, which also increases the cost.

Manual transmissions cost less to repair/replace than automatic transmissions.

Some shops charge higher prices than others for the same work (due to marketing, location, reputation, etc.)

Finally, the driver’s location will contribute a great deal to the overall cost of the procedure. Areas with higher costs of living, higher demand of services and/or lower availability of skilled technicians will charge higher labor costs, escalating the overall price.

As mentioned previously, when deciding whether to rebuild or replace a transmission it is important to know that either option can be more cost effective, depending on how complex and extensive the issues are (it can take a long time to troubleshoot and repair some problems, in which case a replacement would save you money). Making this decision is difficult for the average consumer, which is why it’s so important to find a trustworthy mechanic.

There are a number of symptoms of a damaged or worn out transmission to watch for, some of which are listed below. Many problems can be solved/avoided by regularly changing a car’s transmission fluid or getting the transmission flushed on a regular basis as recommended by the owner’s manual (recommendations are typically between every 30-50,000 miles). A single mechanical failure can cause the car’s engine to shut down and disable it entirely, so it is important to watch for these signs and get your car inspected at the first sign of trouble.

Transmission is slipping between gears while driving or popping back to neutral

Unusual grinding/clunking/humming noises – especially when in neutral

Fluid smells like it is burned

Clutch is dragging – clutch stays engaged and causes grinding noises when trying to shift

Grinding or thumping when gear changes instead of smooth transitions

Lag/delay between gear changes and/or higher than normal RPMs for a given speed or gear change


In the event that a transmission does begin to fail in some way (or fails completely), mechanics will often recommend a replacement, a rebuilding process, or other smaller repairs to ensure that the car will function properly and reliably. Each type of repair has different procedures and costs associated with it.