The Lemon Index$4,500 middle bill · most between $3,400 and $6,100
2,366 owner reports on 175 models
Honda Accord, Honda Odyssey, Ford Explorer
Owners reported paying a median of $4,500 for a transmission replacement, with the middle half of bills between $3,400 and $6,100. That's 2,366 owner reports on 175 models (2,350 complaints to NHTSA and 16 YouTube videos). Costs vary by shop and region.
What owners paid
- Under $5000%
- $500–$1,0001%
- $1,000–$2,5009%
- $2,500–$5,00047%
- $5,000 and up43%
Share of the 2,366 owner reports in each price band.
Cars where it comes up most
Owner reports per model. Raw counts, not a failure rate: popular models get more reports.
Every model, what owners paid
| Model | Reports | Middle bill | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honda Accord | 181 | $3,600 | $3,000–$4,200 |
| Honda Odyssey | 152 | $4,000 | $3,300–$5,000 |
| Ford Explorer | 120 | $3,400 | $2,500–$4,000 |
| Ford F-Series | 112 | $8,400 | $5,900–$9,800 |
| Ford Escape | 91 | $5,100 | $4,000–$6,900 |
| Nissan Maxima | 84 | $3,600 | $3,000–$4,000 |
| Nissan Pathfinder | 73 | $5,000 | $4,000–$6,000 |
| Toyota RAV4 | 73 | $4,500 | $3,500–$5,000 |
| Nissan Altima | 71 | $4,000 | $3,800–$4,800 |
| Toyota Highlander | 67 | $9,400 | $8,200–$10,000 |
| Nissan Rogue | 57 | $4,100 | $3,700–$5,000 |
| Honda Civic | 53 | $3,000 | $2,200–$4,000 |
| Ford Freestyle | 46 | $5,600 | $4,600–$6,300 |
| Nissan Xterra | 45 | $4,400 | $3,500–$6,000 |
| Nissan Murano | 39 | $5,000 | $4,300–$6,000 |
| BMW 3 Series | 38 | $5,100 | $4,000–$6,000 |
| Lexus RX | 36 | $4,300 | $3,800–$5,000 |
| Mini Cooper | 32 | $7,900 | $7,000–$9,000 |
| Honda Pilot | 31 | $4,700 | $3,900–$6,200 |
| Acura TL | 30 | $4,000 | $3,700–$5,000 |
| GMC Acadia | 30 | $4,000 | $3,400–$4,500 |
| Nissan Frontier | 30 | $5,000 | $4,000–$6,000 |
| Volkswagen Jetta | 30 | $5,800 | $4,000–$6,800 |
| Ford Edge | 29 | $8,200 | $5,000–$10,800 |
| Nissan Sentra | 29 | $4,100 | $4,000–$4,800 |
| Ford Focus | 27 | $3,900 | $2,000–$5,000 |
| Acura MDX | 26 | $4,500 | $3,800–$5,900 |
| Toyota C-HR | 26 | $11,000 | $10,000–$13,900 |
| Mazda 626 | 24 | $2,600 | $2,000–$3,400 |
| Chevrolet Silverado | 23 | $6,000 | $3,000–$7,300 |
| Nissan Versa | 23 | $4,000 | $3,800–$4,000 |
| GMC Sierra | 22 | $6,800 | $6,000–$7,800 |
| Ford Taurus | 19 | $2,600 | $1,800–$3,100 |
| Subaru Outback | 19 | $8,000 | $6,500–$9,900 |
| Ford Fusion | 18 | $4,800 | $3,000–$6,100 |
| Saturn Vue | 18 | $4,500 | $4,200–$5,600 |
| Ford Windstar | 16 | $2,800 | $2,000–$3,100 |
| Volvo XC90 | 16 | $6,000 | $5,000–$6,700 |
| Ford Expedition | 15 | $6,000 | $4,700–$9,000 |
| Chevrolet Suburban | 14 | $6,000 | $4,400–$6,400 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan | 14 | $3,000 | $2,600–$4,000 |
| Chevrolet Tahoe | 13 | $6,000 | $4,500–$7,000 |
| Toyota Camry | 13 | $7,700 | $5,300–$8,400 |
| Chevrolet Malibu | 12 | $3,800 | $2,800–$4,000 |
| Honda CR-V | 12 | $4,900 | $4,000–$5,200 |
| Buick Enclave | 11 | $4,300 | $4,000–$4,800 |
| Toyota Sienna | 11 | $5,000 | $4,000–$7,900 |
| Chevrolet Equinox | 10 | $4,400 | $3,400–$5,000 |
| Chevrolet Impala | 10 | $2,600 | $2,000–$4,200 |
| Chevrolet Traverse | 10 | $6,400 | $4,000–$8,600 |
| GMC Yukon | 10 | $4,800 | $2,400–$6,100 |
| Nissan Quest | 10 | $3,500 | $2,600–$4,600 |
| Ram pickup | 10 | $3,400 | $2,800–$4,200 |
| Chrysler Town & Country | 9 | $4,400 | $2,800–$5,000 |
| Ford Bronco Sport | 9 | $10,000 | $10,000–$13,000 |
| Honda HR-V | 9 | $8,000 | $7,700–$8,500 |
| Jeep Patriot | 9 | $4,000 | $4,000–$4,500 |
| Toyota Corolla | 9 | $4,000 | $3,800–$6,000 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | 8 | $4,500 | $2,100–$8,000 |
| Infiniti QX60 | 7 | $6,500 | $6,000–$7,600 |
| Mazda MPV | 7 | $3,500 | $2,900–$3,800 |
| Mazda6 | 7 | $3,500 | $3,200–$3,700 |
| Subaru Crosstrek | 7 | $10,000 | $8,500–$11,000 |
| Subaru Forester | 7 | $9,000 | $7,000–$9,000 |
| Audi A4 | 6 | $7,400 | $6,800–$8,500 |
| GMC Yukon XL | 6 | $6,200 | $4,200–$7,800 |
| Jaguar X-Type | 6 | $5,200 | $5,000–$6,200 |
| Kia Sorento | 6 | $5,400 | $5,100–$6,600 |
| Ford Fiesta | 5 | $4,400 | $4,000–$5,700 |
| Ford Ranger | 5 | $9,000 | $2,800–$9,200 |
| Mazda Tribute | 5 | $3,000 | $2,900–$3,000 |
| Subaru Legacy | 5 | $8,200 | $7,000–$10,000 |
| Toyota Prius | 5 | $5,000 | $4,900–$5,000 |
| BMW 5 Series | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Chevrolet Cruze | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Chevrolet Spark | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Dodge Caliber | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Ford Transit Connect | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Hyundai Sonata | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Jeep Commander | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Mazda3 | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Mitsubishi Outlander | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Toyota Tundra | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Volvo S80 | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Chevrolet Blazer | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Chevrolet Colorado | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Dodge Journey | 3 | too few for a range | |
| GMC Envoy | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Hyundai Tucson | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Jeep Cherokee | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Jeep Compass | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Kia Optima | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Lexus ES | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Lincoln Navigator | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Mercedes-Benz M/GLE | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Mitsubishi Galant | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Mitsubishi Outlander Sport | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Saturn SL | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Subaru Impreza | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Volkswagen CC | 3 | too few for a range | |
Models with 3+ reports. A model gets its own page and a range at 5+ reports. 74 more models with 1–2 reports count in the totals above.
Engine codes that can lead here: P0700 P0730 P0715 P0720 P0731 P0732 P0733 P0734. A code is where a shop starts, not proof the part failed.
Related repairs
Clutch replacement $1,800 · Differential repair $2,600 · CV axle replacement $1,000 · Torque converter replacement $2,500 · Transfer case replacement $3,000 · Valve body replacement $1,900 · TCM replacement $1,600 · Driveshaft replacement $1,200
The details
How we count
Every number here is a repair bill an owner reported, never a shop's price list. Two sources: the bills owners wrote in their own complaints to the U.S. government (NHTSA), and the dollar amounts owners said out loud in YouTube repair and ownership videos. A figure counts for a repair when that repair is the part named nearest to it. Left out: purchase prices, payments, rentals, towing, warranties and deductibles, amounts under $50 or over $15,000, parts-only prices ("the part was $80 on Amazon"), bills for two different repairs named together, and money someone else paid. One number per complaint (or video) and repair: the biggest, so it's the bill, not the diagnosis fee.
The range is the middle half of the bills (the 25th to the 75th percentile), so one wild number can't swing it. Owners who complain to the government often had expensive repairs, so a typical bill can be lower. Costs vary by shop and region, by dealer vs independent shop, by parts and by miles. This is what owners reported, not a quote for your car.
Check the bills yourself
NHTSA complaint numbers (search them at nhtsa.gov): 11777374, 11777365, 11777106, 11776639, 11776320, 11775847, 11774990, 11774811, 11774526, 11774136, 11773877, 11773571 and more.
Said out loud on YouTube: $2,000 ▶ · $2,000 ▶ · $3,000 ▶ · $3,500 ▶ · $4,000 ▶ · $4,000 ▶ · $4,000 ▶ · $4,000 ▶
Quick answers
How much does a transmission replacement cost?
Owners reported a median of $4,500, and the middle half paid $3,400 to $6,100, from 2,366 owner reports on 175 models. Costs vary by shop and region.
Which cars need a transmission replacement most?
The most owner reports come from the Honda Accord, Honda Odyssey, Ford Explorer. These are raw counts: popular models get more reports, so this isn't a failure rate.
Why do transmission replacement costs vary so much?
Shop labor rates differ by region, dealers usually charge more than independent shops, new, used and rebuilt parts cost different amounts, and some bills include other work done at the same time.
Where do these numbers come from?
From 2,350 complaints to NHTSA and 16 YouTube videos: the repair bills owners themselves reported. Owner reports, not a price quote.
Sources: NHTSA owner complaints and YouTube videos (amounts said out loud), sorted by The Lemon Index. Owner reports, not a price quote. Costs vary by shop and region.