Tranny rebuild or replace?

Strong Bad

Ok everyone, need some peoples thoughts on this since I gotta move fast.

The skinny, my effing truck from hell is at it again. I hate this goddamm thing AND Ford with a passion. Wanted to get that out of the way.

So, I have 2 options now and know which way i'm leaning, but want some opinions. The transmission has taken a dive.

Option #1: I can get the existing one rebuilt with a 12 month / 12k mile warranty. This option is about $2200 - $2500.

Option #2: I can purchase a new/rebuilt tranny with a 3 year / 36k mile warranty for about $3400 (worst case).

I am NOT getting rid of it right now. I have 1 year left on the thing and plan on getting a home late this year (will be VERY late thanks to the truck from goddamm hell), so I can't take on a big new loan with buying a home in the near future.

Oh yeah, i have spoken with the service manager and expressed my severe displeasure with Ford products and said I want to speak with the regional service manager from Ford to see what they could do to own up to their **** products. (not in those exact words)

I'm VERY f***ing pissed off right now!

John

Joe08867

What about buying a rebuilt tranny and just using yours for a core?

If not I would go with a new one at least you get a better warranty.

What year is your truck??

ohskigod

**** the dealer and get some prices at some local tranny shops. prices are always high for tranny's, but 3400?....holy ****!

Strong Bad

Those are the only options available. My Explorer is a 2003.

Here is some other data on this thing. At 75k miles, I wound up having to get the rear end replaced. Yeah, no warranty, but Ford wound up owning up to the HUGE problem with the rear ends going bad and covered all but $275.

After researching, I found that the trannys are the biggest problem overall with a high failure rate. This is why i'm kicking and screaming at the Service Manager and trying to get in touch with the Ford rep.

I am leaning to option 2 though at this moment in time until I hear back from a higher up.

Stay tuned!

madmax

I just sold my blazer for this same reason. Sold at very low price and the buyer put the money in a new trans for approx $3200 or so. We chose the "new" option because it had a warranty which included labor to replace it. Used they were going to cover only the price of the trans if it broke. LOOK IT UP ON THE INTERNET! I did and found my particular year/model had a widely known problem of breaking right away after rebuilding but no reports of the Jasper replacements having any sort of problem afterwards. Sell it. Buy something you want.

Demiurge

ohskigod wrote: »

prices are always high for tranny's, but 3400?....holy ****!

It's a truck, they're expensive. Also, a dealer is more likely to do it correctly since they see the make/models more often. You might pay more, but sometimes it's worth it.

Had some major engine problems this week myself. I took it to a private place when the problem arose and ended up with them telling me I needed a bunch of engine work (and the way it sounded I almost bought into it) that was going to run about $3,000. Took it to a dealer and my problem was merely a bad coil pak. I was sitting here for 3 days planning on the possibility of having to drop some major coin on a new vehicle.

I hope you get your issue resolved painlessly.

Did you get more than one opinion or did you take it right to a dealer (they have the best diagnostics)?

Strong Bad

A coworker gave me the number of a tranny specialist in his area. Said they are very good. I talked to the guy there. He went over all the issues with my specific tranny. Something to the effect that the housing on that specific tranny (a few years Ford used that model) is aluminum and is known to wear down easily, thus causing pressure leakage and such. Said he's seen it a ton of times and fixed it a ton of times.

The short...this tranny specialist will replace the existing one with a 2 year / 24k mile tranny for $2376 (to the penny).

I'm waiting to hear back from the dealer and any possibility they could lessen the blow to my wallet.

Face

Rebuild. Unless the case is warped or cracked, there's no need for a new one.

I'd get estimates from private shops. After the warrantee is over, I don't use the stealer for anything.

Face

Demiurge wrote: »

It's a truck, they're expensive. Also, a dealer is more likely to do it correctly since they see the make/models more often. You might pay more, but sometimes it's worth it.

That's not always true. A lot of the time dealers send the work out to local transmission shops. Since the dealer and the trans shop both have to make money, that's why it's usually more expensive.

ohskigod

ugh.....explorers, say no more dude!!!!

good call on calling the Tranny specialist, nothing wrong with exploring options, though i see the point Demi is making. Sometimes a Dealer can be a huge asset, or a major pain in the ****. depends on the problem, the dealer, plus other things.

this is a **** situation and i feel for you. I hear your point of keeping debt low for house hunting down the road, but 2-3g's in a 5 year old explorer we know to be a source of future problems? this is a tough call man.

do you need a truck? I'm thinking a cheap lease on small but reliable new transportation (hyundai, Yaris, I'm talking 4 wheels and an engine here). take that 3g and prepay lease payments with it from jumpstreet to keep debt on your credit bureau low. Christ, any small car on the market will be covered by a warrantee and be more dependable than that shitbomb emplorer. hate to sound blunt, but I'm going with logic here.

if you do replace the tranny, it would be tough to say wether to punch out of that car asap after you get the house (following the theory of it being a f*cking albatross) or drive it into the dirt hoping it will give you a return on investment.

keep us posted bud

Jstas

If you're only keeping the truck another year or so, buy a junkyard trans and have them swapped out.

Demiurge

Face wrote: »

That's not always true. A lot of the time dealers send the work out to local transmission shops. Since the dealer and the trans shop both have to make money, that's why it's usually more expensive.

Hence the more likely clause.

The main thing is to check with a few different places before sending your car in for major surgery. The only issue with that (sometimes) is the diagnostic fees, which is why I would start with the dealer first. They've got the best diagnostic tools for your make/model than anyone else, and usually the best training.

Would I get run of the mill service at one? No, not unless I was leasing, in which case you often don't have a choice.

candyliquor35m

I've had to replace many engines and trannies mostly in saturns but others also. I always come out way ahead going with a used one These are cars I'm selling as opposed to keeping them for myself but I would do the same thing either way.

I just checked with my friend at the junk yard. $600 for the trannie, $400 to install it.

Usually a 30 guarantee on the trannie but no guarantee on the labor so if the trannie is bad you usually have to pay the labor twice.

Strong Bad

Face wrote: »

That's not always true. A lot of the time dealers send the work out to local transmission shops. Since the dealer and the trans shop both have to make money, that's why it's usually more expensive.

BINGO!

Recalling my conversation on the phone with the dealership yesterday, he mentioned they DO NOT do the repair on the premises, but send it "down the road" to have the work done. In essence, it's done at another shop and the price is jacked up for the dealerships cut.

Here is what i'm doing -

1. Wating to hear back from the dealership if they are going to have part of the cost covered by Ford because of the obvious high failure rate of these specific trannys.

2. If they do not make it worth my while to have it done by the dealership, then it goes to the specialist near where I work.

3. I hang on to it till AFTER I get into a home, ditch the POS before more crap goes wrong and get something economical (like Ohskigod said).


Again, stay tuned!

nms

I second the "if you don't need the truck run away and lease something small and cheap" argument.

From what you described it sounds like if you replace the tranny something else will go wrong in the near future.

BIZILL

if you choose to rebuild, then beef up the internals. otherwise, go new.

madmax

You could always go with a racing tranny, a 460 motor with supercharger and nitrous and wheely bars...
madmax

Face

madmax wrote: »

You could always go with a racing tranny, a 460 motor with supercharger and nitrous and wheely bars...
madmax

Yeah, but it'll still be a Ford.

shadowofnight

Jstas wrote: »

If you're only keeping the truck another year or so, buy a junkyard trans and have them swapped out.

I second this as your best bet if not keeping it longterm.

madmax

When the transmission quit, did someone actually find it on the road? Dead?
madmax

Face

shadowofnight wrote: »

I second this as your best bet if not keeping it longterm.

I did this once and it blew up a few months later. If you plan on keeping it for only a couple of months, buy a junker. Otherwise get it done right.

Strong Bad

I have 12 (VERY painful) payments left on it, so I'm keeping it atleast till then. I'm going to get it done right, thats a no brainer.

Monday at the latest, i'll make a decision where it gets repaired. The service advisor called to confirm the $3464 total with tax. I told him it's up to the service manager and regional Ford rep if they and Ford ever see any business from me again, including future car purchases.

shadowofnight

Face wrote: »

I did this once and it blew up a few months later. If you plan on keeping it for only a couple of months, buy a junker. Otherwise get it done right.

I've done it twice , and both times they lasted many many thousands of miles. But if he has 12 more months of actual payments on the piece of crap..I mean ford...then yeah I would go with a fully rebuilt trans.

disneyjoe7

Have you consider an used BoneYard Trans? Thinking $700 for trans say 35k -50k on it, having a local mechanic install it for $225, then sell it.

Ok that's what I do with it. With so many issues why keep putting $$ in it, sounds more like a headache to me.

nms

Of course I don't know your financial situation, but you might be better off replacing the trans, dumping it, and using the cash from the sale to help with the payments. You'll come out in the hole but maybe not as bad should something go wrong after the trans and you hold onto it. But only you can tell if this will work for you.

wizzy

If you can find a reputable, good, knowledgeable tranny shop ... many times a rebuilt can be better than new as a good tech will know what to "fix" that was the weak point of them when they came from the factory.

Frank Z

This is why I work on my own vehicles.

HiPerf360

Find an ATSG certified shop and have it rebuilt.

Stay away from AAMACO!

Dealers sub out the tranny work 95% of the time, they just do the R&R.

ben62670

Dealers can suck at tranny rebuilds. As stated most dealers sub out tranny work. Find a tranny shop that has been around a long time, and let them do it. $2400 is a good price. A lot of work needs to be done(I have rebuilt a few). Make sure all seals, clutches, bands are going to be replaced. Also ask if they have a heavy duty kit. For $100-200 more it is definitely worth it.

SKsolutions

Worked briefly for Lincoln, saw more Fords than Lincs or Mercs. I've never heard of a dealer doing a soft part rebuild on a tranny, at least around here. Same tranny shop did the work for walk ins, but had cores on hand to keep the Ford rebuilds on the shelf. At the time 2003, the shop ran1600-1800, and ford was around 3200, if I'm remembering correctly. Normal dealer markup for us was 100% on aftermarket and vendor items. Depending on how bad I wanted out, I'd grab the lowest mile used one I could find, do it on my back over the weekend, sell it, and get the debt off my credit profile. If you take a lease, your credit report will only reflect the total of the lease, not the full purchase price. When you get a blended credit pull from the lender financing you mortgage, you may present a better profile or get a better rate/score.

ESavinon

Have you considered a remanufactured transmission?
Rebuilt is just worn parts replaced with new parts and new seals.
Remanufactured is basically a new tranny inside a used housing.
It's better than a rebuild and cheaper than a new transmission.