Tips for dealing with transmission shops

1. Ask questions! In the transmission business, there is a lot of room for the shop to, well... be dishonest. The transmission shops that are trustworthy will be open and honest and take the time to explain the situation in terms you can understand and that make sense.
2. Understand their warranty. Any reputable business will be willing to stand behind their work.
3. Be wary of phone quotes. The honest fact is there is no way to be sure of what's wrong with your transmission until some diagnostic testing has been done. Also ask what the charge will be if, after diagnosing the problem, you decide not to have the repairs done.
4. Do not decide on price alone. Check with friends to find any good or bad experiences they may have had with transmission repair shops. Also if you have a regular, trusted mechanic that you use for other automotive repairs, ask them.
5. Check out their parking lot. Are their vehicles that appear to be abandoned? I always wonder how many of these cars came in on those inexpensive loss-leader ads, and the final bill ended up being so much that the owner had to forfeit ownership of the car-or just left it rather than pay. Also, what is the average age of vehicle in the parking lot? If most of the cars are 10 to 15 years old, they might not be qualified to work on your newer model.