Question: I’ve been having trouble switching gears in my BMW, and I read online that it’s probably my transmission. I’m trying to decide if it’s worth getting a new one—but I know they aren’t cheap. How much is a transmission replacement on a BMW?
Answer: Replacing a transmission is notoriously one of the most expensive repairs a car owner can face.
One BMW dealer suggests the average cost for a brand new component, plus labor, taxes and fees, is around $5,000. Kelley Blue Book’s estimate is much higher—nearly $10,000 for some BMW models.
That’s because the transmission is an essential system of a gas-powered car, transmitting power from the engine to the wheels. Its many different components include valves, seals, gaskets, and a clutch (in a manual transmission) or torque converter (in an automatic transmission). Gears make up a major chunk of the system, and transmission fluid keeps everything lubricated and operating smoothly.
If your transmission is failing, there will likely be some telltale signs. If you have difficulty accelerating from a stop, or if shifting feels rougher than normal, feels like it’s slipping, or makes a grinding sound, there could be a problem related to the gears. If you notice reddish transmission fluid leaking from your car, it could indicate worn-out seals, a broken fluid line, or a cracked torque converter.
How long should a transmission last?
With proper maintenance, most drivers can expect their transmissions to operate just fine for 150,000 miles or more. To keep your transmission running for as long as possible, consider checking the level of your automatic transmission fluid often and replacing it roughly every 40,000 miles, adjusting transmission bands on older cars every 60,000 miles, and replacing the transmission filter based on your car manufacturer’s recommendations. You might also try a transmission conditioning product that can repair small leaks.
Experts suggest that the vast majority of transmission failures are caused by heat, so it’s best to keep your car within normal operating temperatures by not overtaxing your vehicle with stop-and-go driving or an excessive amount of towing.
There are so many parts to a transmission that drivers are often advised to replace the whole system rather than attempting to pin down and fix individual components. Labor costs are high because swapping it out requires disconnecting many pieces including fluid lines, electrical wiring, exhaust components, axles, and more.
Of course, technology is always advancing, and a relatively new type of system called a continuously variable transmission (CVT) uses belts and pulleys in place of gears. And electric vehicles don’t have traditional transmissions that change gears, but rather only one set of gears that all spin together in most cases. With fewer parts and less friction, energy passes almost instantaneously from the motor to the wheels, allowing EVs to accelerate quickly.
Deirdra Funcheon is a journalist with a master\\\’s degree from Boston University and more than 20 years of experience covering a broad range of topics. She has worked at Univision (on the investigative team at Fusion), Axios (where she covered Miami-area news) and Bisnow (covering the commercial real estate industry). At Jerry, she aims to empower drivers with knowledge about how their vehicles work and how best to handle repairs, insurance and other complications of car ownership.
Everett Cook is an award-winning journalist and editor with more than 10 years of experience across a variety of industries. In editing for Jerry, Everett’s mission is to help readers have a better understanding of the costs of owning or leasing a car and to better understand their vehicle in terms of insurance and repairs. Prior to joining Jerry, Everett was an editor for Axios. His previous work has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Atlantic, Atlantic Re:think, The Boston Globe, USA Today, and others. He’s also been a freelance writer and editor with experience in SEO, audience building, and long-term content roadmaps. Everett is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan.
