Trans replacement '04 Toyota Avalon - options?

Joined
Mar 30, 2019
Messages
100
Location
West Slope of CO
The Avalon's transmission is shot at 155k, in spite of services at 50k intervals.

It happens....

It's too nice of a car to scrap out, so here are our options.

A- $2800 trans shop installs reman, 3 year, 36k mile warranty
B- $2200 local independent shop pulls the tranny and rebuilds it in-house. No warranty.
C- $1500 local independent shop installs junkyard tranny with 90k. New filter/fluid. No warranty.

What would you do?
 
That's your second transmission failure (not in the same vehicle), what's going on? Is it the mountains?

I'd want to know why it failed, so I'd lean towards getting the one you have now rebuilt. I'd install it myself if you could.
 
kdchachn,

We recently bought this car with a full Toyota dealer maintenance history. It was locally owned.

I was the driver when the trans failed. I was just finishing a 300 mile day on I70. Average MPG were 29.9. Ambient temps were high 90's to low 100's. A/C was ice cold. Coolant temp was steady. Car was sailing along at 84 mph for hours. I ease into town, and at the first stop light it grenaded. Slippage, then whining, then grinding. Nursed it home, trans fluid that was bright pink is noticeably darker and burned.

Last September, my GMC's rear diff failed, which I initially though was the trans.

I guess this comes with older vehicles, but I sure don't miss car payments!
 
Door A. If the car is really that nice you might as well have the warranty.
A broken tranny at 155,000 miles in a 16 year old car is usually a ticket to Pick and Pull.
laugh.gif
 
Last edited:
What kind of a shop rebuilds your transmission for $2200 and gives no warranty? They should give you some kind of warranty even if its one where you have to bring it back to their shop.

I would go with one with a warranty if you spend over $2000.

How is engine, body, frame.

What is the book value on the car? Its a 16 yr old with 160K miles.

Are you planning on keeping is for several more years.

Here is the thing, you will not get much if any extra money for the transmission being recently rebuilt. People expect the vehicle to come with a working transmission.

So an option is to sell as is. Someone in the business will buy it and do the transmission work themselves and sell the car.
 
If I could find the service history and it was good, I would entertain C. You could do 2 of these for one of A. Just a thought...

With no service history on C, I'd go with A.

How much is the Avalon worth with a "new" transmission?
 
No way would I trust a shop to pull and rebuild it with no warranty so that idea is out. If you like the car and plan on keeping it I would spend the $2800 for the reman with warranty.
 
Option C. Those trans are usually fairly reliable.
Your cost for the dealer reman is average.
 
Here's how I am thinking. You pay $2800 to get a $5000 Avalon back in service.

Or you take the $2800 and apply it to a "new" $5000 Avalon and sell your transmission-less Avalon for $2000 and you are in another
Avalon for $200 more money. Just giving you rough numbers in my feeble attempt to give you other potential options.

You have to apply the repair cost to the purchase of another vehicle. Honestly, I ain't this smart. I heard it on a Podcast coming back from vacation last week.
 
Last edited:
I would shop a little more for a better price and a warranty at say a local shop. That year car in good shape other wise with those miles I'd be looking at keeping it on the road for another 6 years. My stepson has an auto Corolla with 247,000 miles on it roughly. Spill and fill two times still running like a champ. His is probably 80% freeway miles.
 
Originally Posted by Gebo
Here's how I am thinking. You pay $2800 to get a $5000 Avalon back in service.

Or you take the $2800 and apply it to a "new" $5000 Avalon and sell your transmission-less Avalon for $2000 and you are in another
Avalon for $200 more money. Just giving you rough numbers in my feeble attempt to give you other potential options.

You have to apply the repair cost to the purchase of another vehicle. Honestly, I ain't this smart. I heard it on a Podcast coming back from vacation last week.

He knows the condition of this Avalon. Buying another Avalon is an unknown - unless he can find a meticulously maintained Avalon for $3K with verifiable service records....which is very unlikely to happen.
 
Gebo,

The car is only worth $3800 ish with a functioning trans.....it is at the breaking point of selling it "as is"...

However, the car is in great shape, except the trans!

The engine is tight. No leaks, timing belt was done at 100k. Newer suspension on all four corners. Body is straight, paint is shiny, except for some clear coat flaking on the roof.

Everything on the car works, but the trans.

It's a very comfortable and safe car.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by The Critic

He knows the condition of this Avalon.


And up until yesterday he'd have described its transmission as "great"-- maintained since new, shifts perfectly, fluid clean, etc. What could possibly go wrong?

My point being the same goes for all the other parts.
 
Last edited:
Tyson, I apologize. I was not suggesting you do what I said. I was merely trying to point out another option. I quickly looked at saw that $5k was a pretty common price.

If I really loved the car, I'd put the Toyota transmission in it but that wasn't an option.
grin2.gif
 
A or C. Definitely no B. Probably locate a low mileage AT and then have shop with certified AT techs do the work. That 04 Avalon is a very nice vehicle. I have a 04 Camry V6 with 80,000 and it runs like new.
 
Back
Top