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Transmission Died
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 2:29 pm
by Sthej
Hey all,
My 09 vibe (140k miles, smaller engine) had the planetary gears shred in the transmission. The transmission shop says the parts are very expensive and that it's cheaper to buy and install a new transmission for a whopping $4500 (inc labor). I bought it for about that much closing in on 2 years ago. Honestly, I feel a little burned after buying into Toyota reliability...
I'm mostly planning on taking it as a loss, selling the car to a junk yard, and buying something different.
I guess I'm here for... Consolation? Commiseration? Advice? What would you do?
Re: Transmission Died
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 3:59 pm
by joatmon
It's always a bit of a gamble with a used car. Seems like the car was about 10 years old when you got it, probably no way to know how it was treated in those 10 years. A tranny should last more than 140K miles if not abused. That sucks.
Don't know where you are, but you might check car-part.com Its an online tool to search junkyards in the US for various parts. No idea what installation would cost, but it looks like 09 trannies in my area are under a grand. Sometimes a small local shop can be the best deal on labor.
Its a gamble buying a transmission from a wreck, but I've had good luck. If you go that way, get a warranty just to make sure it works when you get it. Some junkyards also do installation
Re: Transmission Died
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 4:09 pm
by Caretaker
Yep, 4 speed transmissions are as outdated as the Pinto. I've been complaining to GM technicians for many years regarding my poor shift points. It just isn't mated well to the Corolla engine. If small and versatile is still what you are after, there are lots of used Fits out on the market. But as Joatmon alluded to, if you go with another used vehicle, buy it from an individual NOT a dealer. Dealers know nothing about the cars they sell. When buying from an owner, you can ask them really tough questions and see if they come up with answers quickly and can show documentation of repair/maintenance history.
Re: Transmission Died
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 5:02 pm
by Sthej
joatmon wrote: ↑Thu Feb 18, 2021 3:59 pm
It's always a bit of a gamble with a used car. Seems like the car was about 10 years old when you got it, probably no way to know how it was treated in those 10 years. A tranny should last more than 140K miles if not abused. That sucks.
Don't know where you are, but you might check car-part.com Its an online tool to search junkyards in the US for various parts. No idea what installation would cost, but it looks like 09 trannies in my area are under a grand. Sometimes a small local shop can be the best deal on labor.
Its a gamble buying a transmission from a wreck, but I've had good luck. If you go that way, get a warranty just to make sure it works when you get it. Some junkyards also do installation
Thanks, I'll poke around and see if I can find a replacement. Have you seen anything about buying from eBay?
Re: Transmission Died
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 7:02 pm
by tpollauf
Couple things here. First off WELCOME to GenVibe
Secondly, for us to help you out EVEN MORE !!!! Please update profile showing your location. This way we could possible recommend shops/garages/etc. where you could easily get a used tranny installed for under $2k. Again, not knowing where this car has been primarily driven most of it's life, we can't assess much on what it would take to get her back on the road. Bottom line ... repair it, as the rest of the car should still go another 5-10 years if properly maintained.
Re: Transmission Died
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:04 pm
by CraftsmanQuad19
LKQ is a reputable parts recycler. Give them your vin and tell them you want a trans, they’ll ship ya one that is a direct match, and have a local shop/reputable shade tree mechanic put it in for ya. All in I’d say you’re probably 1000-1200 for parts and labor.
A reman trans....that’s a bit more expensive. We use jasper at work, and I asked the rep what a trans for my impala would cost. Our shop cost (lower than standard) was 1700 bucks. Yeowch!
Re: Transmission Died
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:42 am
by Sthej
Thanks! I'll check out LKQ
Re: Transmission Died
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 11:59 am
by SeattleJeremy
Also check
https://car-part.com/
It's pretty common to find a working transmission on this website for under $700.