Transmission problems, regular maintenance, and untimely repair generally give off a nasty stench. For many vehicle owners, the thought of transmission problems produces immediate heart palpitations. Why? Because transmission service is expensive and inconvenient.
We have to break the news to you. Even with proper maintenance, transmission issues will probably occur as thousands of miles are added to your vehicle each year. However, after arriving at a shop, you don’t have to be caught off guard – we will provide important questions based on few key transmission facts that can result in affordable transmission service with long-term savings.
Does the Shop Identify an Issue – Before Charging?
As soon as mechanics begin work within your transmission, charges accumulate. Ask your local transmission repair shop how they know there is a problem before taking your transmission apart. Few pieces of information are as valuable as an accurate diagnosis; especially before shelling out a handful of money. A quality transmission shop will not be able to identify the specific parts which may be faulty within a transmission during initial diagnosis, but the important conclusion is to identify whether there is an internal transmission failure requiring a tear down procedure. If a shop tells you the parts that have failed with certainty, that should be a red flag to visit a shop with a less arrogant approach.
The TrueTest Inspection offered by Advanced Transmission Center is completely free. What does it do? It pinpoints whether your vehicle’s transmission has an internal transmission failure – before our team of technicians ever begins a transmission service or transmission repair. Once a problem is identified, our team will ask you before performing chargeable work to your vehicle. If no problem is identified, a transmission service or power flush may be a great option for your vehicle for maintenance purposes only.
This is important for any affordable transmission repair shop. Before charging you a penny, you should know there is a problem with your vehicle and a range of what the final bill might look like. At Advanced Transmission Center, we provide customers specific quotes once we get the results of the tear down procedure. This provides customers with transparency on pricing and repairs completed.
Does the Shop Offer a Great Warranty?
While facing transmission issues, the future health of your vehicle should be an important consideration. Normally customers prioritize fixing the problem at hand while trying to save money. This is understandable given the unexpected repair bill. However, we believe that it is equally important to plan for the future – in doing this, extraneous spending can be easily avoided.
Ensure that your local transmission shop offers a great warranty. How important is this? In short, incredibly. A poor warranty and a great warranty can mean the difference between thousands and thousands of misspent dollars. Also, do you really want to trust your transmission repairs to a shop that fails to stand behind their work with a strong warranty?
How can you discern the quality of a warranty? Simply by understanding what to avoid.
Avoid a Warranty with Limited Labor Coverage
Certain warranties partially cover labor–cheap labor in some cases. Often, warranties have a labor rate cap. For example, a warranty may cover only a third of the actual hourly rate that you might be charged if something goes wrong with your transmission. Also, does your warranty cover inspections or final quality inspections? Don’t get left paying out of pocket for normal steps in a quality repair.
Avoid a Parts-Only Warranty
Parts-only warranties often accompany used transmissions, notorious for failure. While the warranty may look impressive, used transmissions should be avoided. Even worse, many of these warranties do not cover the cost of fluid. For some vehicles with 20 quarts of high-grade synthetic fluids, you can be out over $400 in fluid costs alone.
General Auto Shop Warranty
Usually, general auto shops do not have the expertise required to address and remedy complex transmission issues. Furthermore, repair shops often purchase used or cheap transmissions, often from junkyards, poised for failure. Even a quality remanufactured unit may require small adjustments to work correctly. These adjustments take a high level of expertise and should be entrusted to specialists. For example, many transmissions require certain re-learn, shift adapt or re-programming steps that are necessary to ensure the longevity of your transmission. Without the correct tools and personnel, these steps cannot be completed successfully. Though a warranty may accompany the transmission, general auto shop warranties are normally subpar compared to those offered by a credentialed local transmission shop.
Advanced Transmission Center
At Advanced Transmission Center, we do not deny that transmission repair can be costly. With an accurate diagnosis, a team of experts, and an excellent warranty, transmission repair can be affordable in the long-run. Learn more about why we are your best local transmission shop!
Advanced Transmission Center is a Colorado-owned and operated auto repair shop with locations in Denver / Lakewood and Westminster. ATC specializes in driveline issues such as automatic transmission repair, four wheel drive repair, clutch replacement, differentials, manual transmissions and CVT. As Colorado's first AAA approved shop our goal is to provide accurate, timely service with exceptional customer satisfaction. All of our technicians are certified in the latest makes and models and we are one of the few transmission repair shops with a nationwide warranty.
Free Customer Towing Service 
Free TrueTest™ Inspection 
Fast Transmission Services 
Comprehensive Warranty in Denver 
