Trade in Value is like 5-6k (I believe this would be in good working order too)
It needs a 2500 dollar transmission repair (the part alone is like 1500. Its a mechatronic thing)
Assuming I have to spend the 2500 no matter which option I choose, which would you do? I am leaning towards repairing it. Any thoughts?
Hello psycjguy,
I would definitely have the transmission repaired. If you trade it in, since you’re so upside down, you'll lose a lot more then it'll cost to have the transmission fixed. No matter how the car lot spins the deal to you, the upside down amount you still owe will be hidden somewhere. And if your next car is used, it's only a matter of time until you’ll be back at a transmission shop. I know I'm biased, I'm the GM at a transmission shop in Phoenix, but let me explain my view. First, I would get a couple of second opinions to make sure what they're telling you, is what you need. See if you can get a referral from someone you know or even your regular mechanic should have a shop he's referred customers to. By the way, don't let your regular auto repair shop offer to take care of it for you, they'll ether send it out to a transmission shop and mark up the repair to you, or try to fix it themselves. Only a shop that specializes in transmissions, and knows what to look for as the root cause of the problem should ever touch your transmission. Even getting a correct diagnosis should be left to a transmission shop. But back to your problem, after you have the referrals, check them out a little. Check BBB, and on-line reviews, you might be surprised to see a lot of complaints for shops that you thought you could trust. Make sure the shops your going to get your second opinions from give FREE WRITTEN quotes, and make sure they give you the worst case scenario, if they won’t do either of those, then keep looking! After your car has been diagnosed you can then make your decision. Obviously the cost to repair your transmission and the warranty information (read the fine print) are both huge parts of your decision, but also consider, how long has the shop been in business, you want to make sure they'll be around to honor the warranty if there is a problem down the road. And last, when it comes down to a final decision between a couple of shops, use your gut, you should have a good or bad feelings about the shops you visited. It's like choosing a doctor, everything else being equal, you want to feel comfortable. I hope this helps, if you need more information, you can visit our site, I've gotten long winded there too, but it's a lot of useful stuff. Also you can contact me through the site as well, or just call, I'll be glad to help you get through the process or give some advice to make sure their not trying to get over on you. Feel free, I really enjoy keeping people informed when it comes to transmission repair.
Jeff Wilson,
General Manager,
Allstate Transmission And Auto Repair Phoenix
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I would repair
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