Help! Mechanic says whole transmission needs replacing...

[krmccour]

I hate to be one of those one time posters as I frequent 4Runner forums quite often, but I do have a problem that I would greatly appreciate some help with solving.

My mother has a 2005 Pontiac Vibe with a 5spd transmission with 150k miles. Recently she noticed (I did as well upon driving it) that the transmission sounds much "rougher" while it is engaged, i.e. while driving. She doesn't know much about cars and I'm out of town for awhile, so she took it to a local transmission place and was told she would need to replace the whole tranny. I find this hard to believe simply because other than it sounding rough, it runs perfectly fine. No loss of power, no grinding while shifting, no clanking, and no whining. I don't know much about these transmissions, and can't seem to find much on the internet regarding them, so I've turned to you all. Here are the symptoms:

When the transmission is engaged, it is very noticeably louder and sounds rough. The closest sound I can compare it to is when you run general unleaded in a car that is made for premium and you get that rough, almost grating sound. Almost like it is straining more than normal, but like I said there is no loss of power or acceleration. The sound has become progressively worse since she first noticed it.

Lastly, the quote from the mechanic was $2200 for a new tranny, which I find pretty steep, if it even needs an entirely new one. Any thoughts? Thanks for any help!

[SeattleJeremy]

2003-2005 5-speed transmission failures are actually quite common due to a flawed bearing design. Toyota fixed the issue in the 2006 and newer 5-speed.

The 6-speed also fits and does not have this issue and is generally cheaper to buy because of availability. However, the 6-speed's gearing is different, and generally lowers fuel economy by 3-5mpg.

As for the price to replace the transmission, is that for a new transmission or a low mileage wrecking yard trans? Shop around any shop that can install a clutch can install this transmission. Don't limit your self to national chains.

Edit: If you can do the work your self check out http://car-part.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for wrecking yards in your area that have a 2006-2008 5-speed you might be able to score one for less than $1200.

[krmccour]

So would simply replacing the bearings not be a solution if nothing has been damaged? This is extremely frustrating as replacing the whole transmission at 150k is ridiculous.

I'm actually not sure if the price he gave her was for pulling a used tranny or a new one, I'd hope it was for a new one. Unfortunately I won't be there before she gets it fixed so I have no way of dropping one out from a local junkyard. Are there any reliable websites for purchasing a new or used tranny and having it shipped to the shop?

Thanks for your help.

[joatmon]

$2200 is a lot of money, but it is not ridiculous even for a used tranny, once you consider what shops have to charge for labor rates in order to cover all their business expenses. You might find a different shop offering a better price, but it will still be a lot of money. Do you know if that was the cost for just the tranny, or for the tranny and the labor?

The consensus is that the parts and labor cost make replacing the bearings more expensive than just replacing the transmission.

http://car-part.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; lets you search junkyard inventories in the US. Don't know what a new one costs.

[SeattleJeremy]

So would simply replacing the bearings not be a solution if nothing has been damaged?

The problem with replacing the bearings is that everything in the transmission case has to come out in order to replace them.

There are several ways to fix the issue.

• Buy a new one.
• Buy a used/wrecking yard one.
• Have the shop repair it.
• Buy a remanufacturered one.

When it's as low level as bearings, it's usually most cost effective to buy a remanufacturered one, which is likely what is on the bill for your mom's car.