Transmission repair — how to find a reputable transmission shop

How to find a reputable transmission shop

You have four options to get your transmission repaired: Independently owned mechanical shop, Dealer, Chain operated transmission shop, or an Independently owned transmission shop. When you need yours repaired, here’s how to find a reputable transmission shop.

Pros and cons of getting transmission repair at a local independently owned mechanical shop

Pros:

They’re local and they care about their reputation.

Cons:

Since they don’t deal with transmissions on a regular basis they’re not very good at transmission diagnostics. As a result, they tend to recommend a transmission rebuild more often than just a repair.

They don’t do their own rebuilding. They usually send yours out to be rebuilt by a local rebuilder (rebuilding a transmission requires special tools and unique knowledge).

They’re often more expensive than a specialty transmission shop because they have to mark up the cost of the rebuilt transmission.

They aren’t always aware of the factory extended warranties.

You can only get warranty repairs done at their shop. If the transmission fails while you’re on vacation/out of the area, you’re kinda screwed.

They usually only offer a 12-month/12,000 warranty on the transmission.

Pros and cons of getting transmission repair at a the dealer

Pros:

The dealer is most up-to-date on known repeat failures and manufacturer “goodwill” extended warranty coverage. Because of this, they are more apt to replace valve body and solenoid parts rather than recommend a full transmission rebuild.

If your transmission needs a complete rebuild, the dealer usually doesn’t do it. They usually install a factory remanufactured transmission supplied by the carmaker. These are usually higher quality than a rebuilt transmissio.

If they repair your transmission, they’ll use factory parts versus aftermarket parts.

Best warranty: The remanufactured transmission usually comes with a longer 3-year/36,000 mile warranty that can be fixed at any dealer of the same make.

Cons:

The remanufactured transmission costs more and the dealer’s labor rate is higher than independent shops.

Pros and cons of getting transmission repair at a chain transmission shop

Pros:

They can usually turn your vehicle around in 1-2 days versus 3-5 days at an independently owned mechanical shop. That’s because they get the transmission from a local distribution center the same day.

Cons:

Chains and franchised shop have incredibly high sales goals they must meet. So these shops tend to jump right away to recommending full transmission rebuild rather than repair.

Chain and franchised rebuilt transmissions have a reputation for being lower quality which tend to fail after the warranty period.

The cost tends to be slightly higher than a local independently owned mechanical shop or a specialty transmission shop.

Warranty is usually 12-month/12,000 miles and you can get warranty at any of their chain/franchised shops.

Pros and cons of getting transmission repair at an independently owned transmission

Pros:

They are pretty good at diagnostic work and are not afraid to work on valve body and solenoids rather than recommending a complete transmission rebuild as the first option.

They usually rebuild your transmission on-site.

They’re cheaper than a dealer.

Cons:

They’re not always up-to-date on the known failures; the dealers see those first

They aren’t always aware of the factory extended warranties.

They usually offer just a 6-month/6,000 mile warranty. You sometimes have to pay extra for a 12-month/12,000 mile warranty.

Unless they’re an ATRA member, you can only get warranty repairs done at their shop. If the transmission fails while you’re on vacation, you’re kinda screwed.

Find a reputable independently owned transmission shop

Many independently owned transmission shops belong to the American Transmission Rebuilder’s Association (ATRA). ATRA puts on seminars to keep members up-t0-date on the latest repair and diagnostic techniques.

In addition to offering training, an ATRA shop participates in a warranty program that helps you get transmission repairs in other locations while you’re still covered by a warranty.

Find an ATRA shop here. Then go online to check out the shops’ reviews.

©, 2021 Rick Muscoplat