Busted transmission on 2000 Honda Accord, should I fix or sell?

[Azndude51]

I have a 4cyl 2000 Accord automatic. I was driving yesterday and then all of a sudden I heard some loud banging and the car slowed suddenly (good thing no one was behind me). I figured my transmission failed because the car would no longer shift into 3rd, it would jump back down to 1st which caused the car to slow down. Also, moving the shifter is a lot hard than before and the car vibrates a lot more. I talked to a friend who has the same car but a 2001 model and his had the same thing happen a couple years back. I didn't actually know this until I told him about my situation. He told me that he had to get his transmission replaced for $2000 but part of it was covered under the extended warranty since Accords of our generation have been having transmission problems frequently. Unfortunately mine is out of warranty. I called the dealer today and they gave me an estimate of $3700-4000 to replace the transmission. The KBB value for the car prior to transmission problem (private party, "fair" condition) is $3860. IDK if it's even worth it to fix the car.

Should I get the transmission replaced or should I sell/junk it and just get a another car? I can live without a car for at least a couple of weeks. Also, if it's best to sell it where could I go about doing so? Are there dealers that will take cars in my condition or do I need to go to a salvage yard and sell it for parts?

Thanks in advance

Update:
I called a few other shops. I live in a relatively small town so there aren't many to choose from. The cheapest to swap out for a remanufactured tranny was $2700, others were $3000+. A couple of them said they wouldn't even work on it since they only do domestic cars. I can't find a local shop that will rebuild it. There's reman trannies for $900-1000 on ebay though I'm not sure if I want to go through the trouble of buying one on ebay then bringing it to a shop to have it installed. I also asked some co-workers for advice but no one has any good suggestions.

Honestly, I kind of want to just get another car now. I'm young and single, I want something sporty something like a VW GTI or similar. However, that's only if I can get a decent amount (more than a couple hundred $$) for the car as is.

Final update:
I sold the car to a repair shop/used card dealer for $900. I now drive this, a 2005 VW GTI 1.8T (Turbo) manual, and I LOVE it:

 

[xaeniac]

No way would i spend that kind of money to keep a 2000 accord on the road. You are spending more than its worth and anything close to a $1000 bux would be almost too much to spend on this car.

 

[Azndude51]

What sucks is that I already spend $650 to get the timing belt replaced 2 months ago :'(

 

[holden j caufield]

I've heard honda/acura auto trannies during the 2000-2004 were prone to have these problems.

 

[AMDMaddness]

Go to a local tranny shop and not the dealer you should save 50% on the dealer price.

 

[Chuvalo]

What sucks is that I already spend $650 to get the timing belt replaced 2 months ago :'(

How many miles are / were on your Honda ?

As the other poster mentioned, you may want to get a second quote - or depending on how long you plan to hang on to it, opt for a used transmission.

 

[Azndude51]

How many miles are / were on your Honda ?

As the other poster mentioned, you may want to get a second quote - or depending on how long you plan to hang on to it, opt for a used transmission.

It's at 111,000 miles. I was planning on checking a couple of other shops but nothing is open until Monday. The dealer was the only place open on Saturday.

Also, I wouldn't mind buying a car to replace the Accord but I want to be able to justify replacing it if I'm going to spend the money.

 

[TonyH]

Go to a local tranny shop and not the dealer you should save 50% on the dealer price.

I wouldn't go as far as 50% but the savings will be substantial. Hell, if you were closer I could cut you a deal. I can do those BAXA/MAXA Honda transmissions in my sleep.

 

[Eli]

The transmission in my girlfriends 2001 Civic went out a few months ago. We got it fixed; it was 2500$ or so at a local, highly recommended transmission shop with aftermarket(read: better than OEM) parts installed.

It is almost always cheaper to fix a mechanical breakdown than it is to buy a new car.

A used car is always a gamble. At least with this car, you will know it's history. It will have a new timing belt and transmission for $2500. If the engine runs good, suspension is tight, etc. there most likely will be no more mechanical issues for tens of thousands of miles.

 

[Gibson486]

it's gonna cost atleast 1k and that is if you can find someone to do it at 1K. That is for a junk yard one. i would expect the cost to be atleast 1.5K for a rebuilt one (again, that is the cheap end). Junk Yard ones will be cheaper, but you do not know the history and how long that tranny has been sitting there. You do not even know if it was sheltered (more than likely it is, but you never know). Yes, you get something like a 90 day warranty, but that warranty will usually only cover the cost of the tranny and not the labor, which is what costs alot. Rebuilt ones usually cover labor also because it's part of the warranty from the company the bought the rebuilt one from. that and the warranty is atleast 1 year usually.

For a 2000 accord, it may be worth since it only has 110K. If you want to keep it till the wheels fall of, it will be money well spent. If you want to keep it until you hit something like 150K, then it's a toss up. I'd rather get a different car, but I can eat up 40K is about a year and a half.

If you are daring enough, you could do it yourself. But man....it is something that is left to people who know what they are doing. It's atleast 32 man hours to do if you decide to do it on your own with no experience.

edit:

Looking at Jasper Engines (they make quality rebuilds), the price is around $2600. Of course, it's the street price, not what the installer will pay. Infact, that actually may be the estimated price with install.

 

[SparkyJJO]

$3700 to replace the trans? Screw that...

Did you check at a reputable shop instead of the dealer? Dealers usually cost more.

 

[BUTCH1]

If the motor is in good shape and had it's oil changed at regular intervals I'd say fix it, still a lot cheaper than buying another car. One thing though, around 10 years is when a lot of cars seem to have AC problems as well and it's another pricey fix (unless you can live without it)..

 

[Chuvalo]

It's at 111,000 miles. I was planning on checking a couple of other shops but nothing is open until Monday. The dealer was the only place open on Saturday..

That's not a lot of miles for a Honda.

If it's been ( and continues to be ) properly maintained ( and it doesn't rust out ) , it should be able to go another 111,000 IMO.

btw - was the transmission service ( change of fluid ) done on the car at the recommended intervals

 

[CraigRT]

Have a wrecker installed a used trans for whatever price, $4k is assinine for any repair..

Engines go for less than a thousand for pretty much any car at any wrecker, no repair should ever cost more than that honestly!

 

[jlee]

Have a wrecker installed a used trans for whatever price, $4k is assinine for any repair..

Engines go for less than a thousand for pretty much any car at any wrecker, no repair should ever cost more than that honestly!

I was just thinking..I can get the entire engine/trans assembly (including turbo) for my MR2 for less than that...granted that's not with installation (and it's a manual trans), but $4k is ridiculous.

 

[Vette73]

Couple questions.

How much can you get for the car of the trans is working?
How much will it cost to fix it right?
How much can you get for it as is?
Do you plan of driving it at leats another 2 years?

Answer those questions and you will know what the break point is when it comes to fix or don't fix.


Also check craigslist in your area for techs that work on the side. Rockauto has a rebuild kit for $106.

Also some used trans at eBay go for around $400-600 for accords with around 60-80k on them. If you do buy a used one make sure you replace the filter and all the seals.

 

[bruceb]

If the car is in sound mechanical shape (body / interior / suspension) then fix it. But do it at a local tranny shop or swap in a low mileage used one (around 50-75K miles) like from a recent rear end wrecked car. It will hold up for 2-4 years when you will likely want a new car. You can post over here:
http://hondaswap.com/

Or also here:
http://www.honda-tech.com/index.php?

They can tell you for sure what year tranny will work with the 2001 car.

 

[Jumpem]

It's not worth spending that much on an eleven year old car.

 

[MovingTarget]

Unless you were looking for an "excuse" to get a new vehicle, go ahead and get it fixed. If you were considering a used car instead, it is much better to go with the devil you do know than the one you don't. Your new(er) car may fail in the same way a month after your bought it, but at least you know what has been fixed on your current one. 111k miles is nothing as long as rust or other body damage isn't an issue.

 

[Azndude51]

Thanks everyone for the advice so far.

That's not a lot of miles for a Honda.

If it's been ( and continues to be ) properly maintained ( and it doesn't rust out ) , it should be able to go another 111,000 IMO.

btw - was the transmission service ( change of fluid ) done on the car at the recommended intervals

The car used to be my dad's and I'm sure he didn't take very good care of it. He maybe got the oil changed every once in a while and that's it. He didn't believe in doing any other servicing. It has also been in several accidents and it is starting to rust on one of the rear doors. Needless to say the condition in the car isn't great, that's why I would rate it "fair" on the KBB guide.

I'll probably call a dedicated trans shop or two on Monday to see what their prices are, hopefully it will be cheaper. The problem is that I live in a small town and just moved here last month so IDK which shops are good. I'll probably ask some co-workers on Monday for some suggestions. I'll probably also call a couple of salvage yards and see what I can get for it as is.

Really, since the car was never in good shape and not properly maintained, I'm kind of looking for an excuse to buy another car. If have to spend money, I'd rather do it on a car that I enjoy to own and drive. I don't like the Accord at all, I am young and single and don't like driving around in a boring family car. I just need to justify the expense.

 

[Eli]

Nothing will justify the expense, like I said it is almost always cheaper to fix a car than to buy a new one.

But if you want a new car, then get a new car. I plan on driving my car into the ground, because even if everything goes wrong at once, it would still be cheaper than paying 8k+ interest for another used car with yet to be determined problems.

Same reason we fixed my girlfriends' car. It will be paid off in November. She got taken for a ride, and paid over $16,000 for the car over the life of the loan. Now she has to drive it for another 10 years to recoup the costs.. lol.

 

[Eli]

Now wait a minute. I thought it was 2001+ Hondas that had the faulty automatic transmissions? I think 2000 MY is okay. Almost positive.

You were driving along, heard a loud banging, and stopped? My bet is your torque converter bit the dust. I bet your transmission is fine.

Was the transmission exhibiting any odd behavior before the incident? Usually the bad Honda transmissions die a fairly slow, painful death as the filter becomes clogged, causing the hydraulic pump to lose pressure, causing even softer shifts, which causes more wear, clogging the filter further, etc. My girlfriends transmission lasted about a month after symptoms started. - a loud whine from the transmission, and sluggish/sudden or late shifts..

 

[Chuvalo]

Thanks everyone for the advice so far.




The car used to be my dad's and I'm sure he didn't take very good care of it. He maybe got the oil changed every once in a while and that's it. He didn't believe in doing any other servicing. It has also been in several accidents and it is starting to rust on one of the rear doors. Needless to say the condition in the car isn't great, that's why I would rate it "fair" on the KBB guide.

I'll probably call a dedicated trans shop or two on Monday to see what their prices are, hopefully it will be cheaper. The problem is that I live in a small town and just moved here last month so IDK which shops are good. I'll probably ask some co-workers on Monday for some suggestions. I'll probably also call a couple of salvage yards and see what I can get for it as is.

Really, since the car was never in good shape and not properly maintained, I'm kind of looking for an excuse to buy another car. If have to spend money, I'd rather do it on a car that I enjoy to own and drive. I don't like the Accord at all, I am young and single and don't like driving around in a boring family car. I just need to justify the expense.

See if you can get some leads on some good mechanic shops from your co-workers....word of mouth is your best bet when trying to find a good shop IMO. If nothing else, reputable mech shops can recommend the tranny shops they use.

Some of these shops also might buy the car off you for a price above what a salvage place quotes you, and then do the repairs at their cost and simply sell it themselves.

Also, get the price on a ' used ' tranny as the price is a lot cheaper than a rebuild and it might give you more time to decide whether to sell it with the used tranny now or just keep it for another year or 2 for breathing room till you decide what your next move is.

Again, 111,000 mi on a 2000 Honda is not a lot........and remember, no matter what shape your car is in, there's always a buyer for it !

 

[LegendKiller]

Now wait a minute. I thought it was 2001+ Hondas that had the faulty automatic transmissions? I think 2000 MY is okay. Almost positive.

You were driving along, heard a loud banging, and stopped? My bet is your torque converter bit the dust. I bet your transmission is fine.

Was the transmission exhibiting any odd behavior before the incident? Usually the bad Honda transmissions die a fairly slow, painful death as the filter becomes clogged, causing the hydraulic pump to lose pressure, causing even softer shifts, which causes more wear, clogging the filter further, etc. My girlfriends transmission lasted about a month after symptoms started. - a loud whine from the transmission, and sluggish/sudden or late shifts..

2000's are included. My wife had one that eventually had a f'd transmission. She took it there back in 2003 in they replaced it without charge.

They may not do the same with this one since it's so far out, but you never know. I'd call them up and complain.

 

[Turin39789]

That's not a lot of miles for a Honda.

If it's been ( and continues to be ) properly maintained ( and it doesn't rust out ) , it should be able to go another 111,000 IMO.

btw - was the transmission service ( change of fluid ) done on the car at the recommended intervals

It ain't the 90's anymore.

That said I would get the car checked out and make sure the problem is as bad as you think it is.

Decide if you want to deal with it and maybe more issues or if you have the scratch to upgrade to a newer used car. It will likely still make sense to get a local shop to fix the tranny or install a rebuilt one, much easier to sell that way.