Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civic]

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Nathan Drake
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Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civic]

Post by Nathan Drake »

Have a bit of a dilemma. The check engine light came on for my car and I noticed it was shifting gears oddly. Error code turned out to be related to the transmission, and I received a worst case estimate for the cost to rebuild the transmission for $2k.

99 Honda Civic
170,000 miles
Drive it annually about 20,000 miles

Fairly good condition, have had some minor replacements (Radiator, timing belt, etc), but this would be the worst maintenance expense that was fairly significant.

I'm extremely frugal, and want to get at least 250,000 - 300,000 miles out of the vehicle, which to me seems like a reasonable expectation for how reliable this make and model tends to be, but would anyone push me towards getting a different vehicle at this point? The owner of the transmission shop said that I could expect at least 80,000 - 100,000 more miles on the rebuilt transmission.

$2,000 in maintenance sounds better than spending $300 / month on another car, but this is the first time a maintenance related expense has me questioning whether or not I should keep the vehicle.

Thanks for any help!
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Onyxmeth
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by Onyxmeth »

Your car in it's current condition isn't worth a lot. If you put the $2000 with the sale price of your car it's maybe $2500-$2800. You can always check Craigslist for used vehicles and see if anything in that price range tickles your fancy. Otherwise if you do want to drive this car to its last breath I say eat the repair cost and enjoy your 99 Civic.
crg11
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by crg11 »

How long will the 80,000-100,000 miles last with your driving habits?

In your case, my initial thought would be to go with the transmission replacement. If your car has proven to be reliable in the past, you continue to be comfortable driving it, and you keep up with its maintenance, then the odds should be in your favor. You are almost certainly better off keeping it than spending $3600+ a year on a new car for several years.

Where I begin questioning a car is when it consistently breaks down and/or when it is not comfortable to me anymore. I don't want to have to worry every morning whether it will start and get me to work, that is unnecessary stress and very inconvenient when it does break down. Likewise, if it really feels like it is falling apart and me or my family's safety is at risk, that is when I will entertain looking at a new car.

Oh and given that you would have a payment for a new car, it may not be a bad idea to start saving for a new car. That way when the day comes, you can either pay cash entirely or for a significant portion of the cost.
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Kenkat
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by Kenkat »

In terms of loss of resale value, you already paid for the repair when the transmission went out. The car is basically worthless in its current condition but if you fixed it, you could probably sell it for close to what you pay for the repair. So - I'd go ahead and repair it and if you like the car and it still feels reliable, keep driving it. Every month you drive it is 3 or 4 hundred bucks in your pocket and you could always sell it in a couple of years.
tibbitts
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by tibbitts »

Have you obtained additional estimates? $2k seems inexpensive for a factory-remanufactured transmission with a warranty, including labor.
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Nathan Drake
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by Nathan Drake »

tibbitts wrote:Have you obtained additional estimates? $2k seems inexpensive for a factory-remanufactured transmission with a warranty, including labor.
Do you mean "expensive" instead of "inexpensive"?

Have not received additional estimates. That estimate was a worst-case, it may be closer to $1800.

From reading on the internet, that price sounds about right...but maybe I'm getting gouged?
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TimeRunner
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by TimeRunner »

Since you are "extremely frugal, and want to get at least 250,000 - 300,000 miles out of the vehicle", fix it, maintain it to a level of safety, reliability, and creature comfort you can live with, and drive it into the ground...if you are comfortable with that idea and have a good non-dealer mechanic. Have savings ready to replace it if needed. Keep it out of the weather as best you can. If you freak out because the window doesn't roll up or there's a new rattle, then forget about it and get a used, low mileage reliable BogleheadMobile.
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Judsen
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by Judsen »

Three years ago I had the transmission of my 99 Honda accord rebuilt at a cost of $2575. I was tempted to trade at the time but decided against it. I am now very pleased with the decision to keep my car. $2575/36 mos= $71.52. If you like your Honda you will want to keep it. If you get the "car fever" you will rationalize trading. I almost traded but I'm glad I did not!
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tibbitts
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by tibbitts »

Nathan Drake wrote:
tibbitts wrote:Have you obtained additional estimates? $2k seems inexpensive for a factory-remanufactured transmission with a warranty, including labor.
Do you mean "expensive" instead of "inexpensive"?

Have not received additional estimates. That estimate was a worst-case, it may be closer to $1800.

From reading on the internet, that price sounds about right...but maybe I'm getting gouged?
I meant that it's inexpensive for a factory-rebuilt transmission, including labor. What brand of transmission are you pricing?
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Nathan Drake
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by Nathan Drake »

Thanks for the advice everyone. Since I don't have a new car itch, maybe it's just best to bite the bullet and hope I don't have any other serious and expensive problems to deal with.

I always have enough money saved up to buy a new car in cash, but I'm not a car person and just see it as a means to get from point A to point B. I enjoy the car well enough for that purpose and would prefer to save extra money each month.
Judsen wrote:Three years ago I had the transmission of my 99 Honda accord rebuilt at a cost of $2575. I was tempted to trade at the time but decided against it. I am now very pleased with the decision to keep my car. $2575/36 mos= $71.52. If you like your Honda you will want to keep it. If you get the "car fever" you will rationalize trading. I almost traded but I'm glad I did not!
Jud
Glad to hear that. How many miles did you put on the vehicle in those three years?

I'll have a two year warranty on the transmission, which would cover roughly 40,000 miles of additional driving.
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Topic Author
Nathan Drake
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by Nathan Drake »

tibbitts wrote:
Nathan Drake wrote:
tibbitts wrote:Have you obtained additional estimates? $2k seems inexpensive for a factory-remanufactured transmission with a warranty, including labor.
Do you mean "expensive" instead of "inexpensive"?

Have not received additional estimates. That estimate was a worst-case, it may be closer to $1800.

From reading on the internet, that price sounds about right...but maybe I'm getting gouged?
I meant that it's inexpensive for a factory-rebuilt transmission, including labor. What brand of transmission are you pricing?
It's being done at an independent shop for an automatic transmission. It's just rebuilding the OEM on my vehicle, not replacing the transmission.
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Watty
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by Watty »

kenschmidt wrote:In terms of loss of resale value, you already paid for the repair when the transmission went out. The car is basically worthless in its current condition but if you fixed it, you could probably sell it for close to what you pay for the repair. So - I'd go ahead and repair it and if you like the car and it still feels reliable, keep driving it. Every month you drive it is 3 or 4 hundred bucks in your pocket and you could always sell it in a couple of years.

+1 there is little downside since most of the cost of the repair will still be in the car after the repair.

One thing that that you might consider doing though is to start shopping for a replacement car and only buy one when you find a really good deal.

One downside to keeping a car until it dies is that you may you have to buy one in a hurry and you may not be able to find a great car at a great price. I have had to find a replacement car with a short deadline and I did OK but not great.

Since you drive a lot you should also take a hard look at the total cost of ownership and if you can improve your gas millage by getting a replacement car that gets better gas mileage that alone could justify getting a replacement car.
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bottlecap
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by bottlecap »

If you like the car and don't want a new one for aesthetic or safety reasons, it would likely be cheaper in the long run. Of course, you engine could blow two months from now...

You should shop it around, though. It seems high, but not too crazy - it is probably largely labor. I had to replace the transmission on a Chevy truck in November while I was out of town. Because of that, I opted for a new trnasmission, but my local mechanic said he could've rebuilt it for about $1,600 if I had been in town.

Good luck,

JT
TheGreyingDuke
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by TheGreyingDuke »

Looks like a rebuilt trans can be purchased for less than $1000, wouldn't be more than $500 to remove and replace and the whole thing is done, beats most in house rebuilds in my experience.

http://shop.synchrotech-transmissions.c ... ons_c8.htm
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awval999
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by awval999 »

Personally.... I'll go against the grain here. I'd buy a new one. The car is 15 years old. Has 170,xxx miles on it. It's been a great companion. But it's time to take her to the great big junkyard in the sky. You're missing out on new safety features by continuing to drive the 1999 model. In addition you can get all the new gadgets and whatnot like a CD player, iPod connector, moonroof.

Just my two cents.
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Rooster1
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by Rooster1 »

kenschmidt wrote:In terms of loss of resale value, you already paid for the repair when the transmission went out. The car is basically worthless in its current condition but if you fixed it, you could probably sell it for close to what you pay for the repair. So - I'd go ahead and repair it and if you like the car and it still feels reliable, keep driving it. Every month you drive it is 3 or 4 hundred bucks in your pocket and you could always sell it in a couple of years.
This is how I approached the transmission repair on my 2002 Acura a few years ago. I had it fixed at reliable transmission shop locally. It was about $1000 less than Acura quoted. I'm still driving the car. Kenschmidt's advice above is very good.
Last edited by Rooster1 on Mon Aug 04, 2014 8:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Bidwell
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by Bidwell »

Nathan.

Please get three written estimates. If you want to get 300,000 to 500,000 out of your car I applaud you, go for it. But, be responsible, get those estimates. Maybe $1250 will cure the problem. Maybe $ 785, who knows. Good Luck, Hondas rule.
555
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by 555 »

Nathan Drake wrote:$2,000 in maintenance sounds better than spending $300 / month on another car,...
Where do you get that $300/month figure. $300/month since 1999 would be $54,000. Why would a new car cost that much extra?

If a $2,000 repair would postpone a new car purchase for one year, say, is that worth it? (Serious question. I have a similar dilemma right now.)
wander
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by wander »

My brother had a shop rebuilt his 1998 Honda Civic 5 years ago. It didn't go well or maybe the shop just wasn't good about transmission. He had to replace it with an Avalon two years later. If you want to keep it, you want to bring it to Honda/Acura experts.
Last edited by wander on Fri Apr 04, 2014 4:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
camaro327
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by camaro327 »

You're going to have to be able to drive it 2yrs or to 210K miles without other repairs to make it worthwhile. It's the "other" repairs that may come back to bite.

With it's age I would rather put the money toward a new Honda Civic LX, base Mazda 3, etc. Then you can begin the chase for 250K miles anew.
awval999
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by awval999 »

Put it down.
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zzcooper123
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by zzcooper123 »

Check for "Goodwill" rebates especially if you are a frequent Honda buyer. I got half off a transmission overall on my 2003 Accord. I would have sold the car otherwise.
tibbitts
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by tibbitts »

You need more estimates and need to verify that you need the transmission itself and not some control component.

I'd hesitate to have a shop rebuild a transmission, assuming that's what's required, vs. buying a brand-name factory-rebuilt model.
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Re: Transmission rebuilt ($2k) or buy a new car? [Honda Civi

Post by nhdblfan »

TheGreyingDuke wrote:Looks like a rebuilt trans can be purchased for less than $1000, wouldn't be more than $500 to remove and replace and the whole thing is done, beats most in house rebuilds in my experience.

http://shop.synchrotech-transmissions.c ... ons_c8.htm

Yes, you "can" buy them like that as a retail customer,however you must add in freight-and your time to pack up the core,fluid and most importantly your exposure to the warranty.

I managed a transmission shop for a number of years and did run into several customers that wanted to buy their own,mostly used from bone yards but a few rebuild off the internet like that .My response was simple as I compared it to bringing a steak to a restaurant,if its tough you have no recourse. I have seen more then one factory rebuild and several bone yard units not move when installed or have shift issues.The unit then needs to come out,if you bought it,you pay the R&I again,you must also consider its up to you to re-crate the core (to get your 200 back) and deal with the shipping.

To the OP, I would not recommend putting a unit a a car with that many miles and age unless the customer insisted on it,you got you moneys worth,get the scrape value and go find another "newer" Honda (off lease 2011-2012).
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