The gearbox is hands down one of the most important parts of any vehicle. With the power to transform power from the engine to the wheels, this complex part is something you must look after. 

Whilst many cars still use a simple 5 or 6-speed manual gearbox, automatic gearboxes with up to 8 gears are not uncommon in newer or luxury cars.  

But one question remains: how much is a new replacement gearbox going to cost if yours fails? And does the price differ between manual and automatic gearboxes? Keep reading and find out how much it costs to repair a gearbox now. 

Manual gearbox replacement cost 

Replacement manual gearboxes cost between £600-£2800. There's a wide range in prices due to the wide range of cars and their price points, but this is the latest approximation for 2024. 

• Typical family cars, city cars, and hatchbacks up to 2.0L gearboxes cost around £200 to £3,000 
• Luxury cars, sports cars, and performance cars (with 2.0L plus engines) gearboxes cost anywhere between £6,000 to £7,000 

Here’s a breakdown of common brands and their most affordable gearbox repair costs: 

Gearboxes generally last a long time. A garage can often source a reconditioned unit instead of a very expensive gearbox from the main dealer.  

As complexity and precision are required to transmit the engine's power efficiently, gearboxes require significant amounts of materials and skill to produce. This means they can be expensive to make, repair, and replace.   

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Automatic gearbox replacement cost  

The average cost of a replacement automatic gearbox is between £600-2300. 

Further estimates for 2024 show the average automatic gearboxes cost:  

• Traditional 5 or 6-speed automatic gearbox replacement cost: £600 - £1200  
• Twin clutch/DSG gearbox replacement cost: £1,100 - £2,300  

There are many different options available for automatic gearboxes, from traditional 5-speed ‘torque converter’ gearboxes to multi-clutch 8-speed units. If you’re unsure which you require, check in with your local garage or dealer for specific information.

Whilst automatic gearboxes often involve fewer components in the car, they can be much more complicated and difficult to work on than their manual counterparts.  

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Can my gearbox be repaired?  

Yes, many broken gearboxes can be repaired. But it’s not always that simple. 

Depending on the particular problem and time available, it may be possible for your broken gearbox to be repaired. The issue usually present with this method is that a typical garage will not attempt to repair internal gearbox problems.  

Whilst there are many gearbox specialists in the UK, the mechanic will take extra time to remove and send away the old gearbox for repair.  

All the while, your car will be undrivable.  

If your car is particularly expensive, rare or performance-orientated, this might be the cheapest option, as a replacement gearbox may be hard to come by.  

Labour Costs To Repair A Gearbox 

Gearbox labour costs average around £400 to £600. 

This is because it would take roughly 8 to 10 hours to remove the damaged gearbox, repair it, and reinstall it. Mechanics cost, on average, £40-60 per hour in the UK. 

Typical Costs To Repair Gearboxes 

Because gearboxes are such complicated parts, there are a few different failure modes. Here’s a breakdown of typical gearbox repair costs:  

1. Popping out of gear  

• The average cost to repair: £350 - £600  

Popped-out gears are caused by either a worn synchromesh or sometimes a badly adjusted gear linkage. This is usually much cheaper, but this can be an annoying and dangerous problem.  

Because the gearbox's output shaft spins at the same rate as the wheels, when the car is in motion, the new gear selected tries to engage with a spinning gear on the output shaft.   

To mitigate this, a synchromesh is added to every metal gear - apart from 1st, which is why it’s difficult to shift down from second whilst still moving - to ‘synchronise and mesh’ the two spinning gears.   

When this wears, the gears will have difficulty meshing properly, and the force of this forces the newly selected gear back into place, thus pushing the gear stick back.  

Replacing a synchromesh involves removing the gearbox from the car and having a specialist replace the part; as the actual component is relatively cheap, it’s usually worth refreshing them on every gear.  

2. One gear not driving  

• The average cost to repair: £400 - £700  

If a gear can be selected but there is no drive, this tends to indicate that the particular cog in the gearbox is broken or stripped. This issue is often accompanied by a grinding or whirring noise.

Like the problem above, the gearbox will be removed and the gear replaced. This is usually caused by a manufacturing defect or aggressive use, such as trying to engage the gear without engaging the clutch or using excessive force. 

3. The car won't go into gear  

• The average cost to repair: £100 - £300  

Cars not going into gear can happen suddenly or gradually. The gear selector linkage is made up of many components, either cables and pulleys or solid bars and rotating joints. This transfers the motion of changing gears in the car to moving the selector fork in the gearbox. 

Thankfully, even if you cannot select any gears, the selector mechanism is usually accessible by a mechanic with a lift and should not take too long to replace.   

Many manufacturers don't offer the individual components that make up the linkage as spare parts, but the whole assemblies usually don't cost less than £200.   

In some cases, you might find that just a clip or bolt has become loose, which will be a quick and cheap fix. A faulty clutch can also cause this problem. 

4. Noisy gearbox  

• The average cost to repair: £100 - £600  

Unfortunately, a noisy gearbox could be caused by multiple things, most of which require some gearbox reconditioning.   

Common culprits for noisy gearboxes are shaft bearings and worn gears. Like most gearbox problems, the individual parts are cheap, but removing and replacing them takes a fair amount of effort.  

In some cases, the issue may be caused by a lack of gearbox oil. If caught quickly, a top-up can prevent lasting damage—make sure to check your fluid levels regularly.  

How does a gearbox work? 

A gearbox's job is to take the limited range of torque of the engine and make it usable for every speed, from setting off to 100mph+. Similar to a bicycle, but on a different scale.

To achieve this, vehicle gearboxes are a complex assembly of machined shafts, gears, and bearings. The four main components are: 

• Input shaft 
• Lay or counter-shaft 
• Output shaft 
• Gears  

In addition, a selector fork is responsible for moving the gears around and is connected to the gear stick via a linkage, predominantly cables or solid rods. There are also parts such as synchromeshes, bushings and levers, which we’ll discuss later.  

Power enters the engine via the clutch connected to the input shaft. When the engine is running, and the clutch is engaged (pedal released), the input shaft spins—this is why you hear a grinding noise if you try to select a gear without using the clutch.  

When you depress the clutch pedal, the input shaft stops spinning. Using the gearstick to select a gear, the selector fork moves the appropriate gears along the lay shaft to transmit power through to the output shaft to the wheels in whichever gear is selected.  

How long should a gearbox last?  

In theory, a gearbox should last the life of the engine, and therefore, the life of the car itself. So, the average gearbox should last at least 100,000 miles without serious internal problems. Rare or expensive cars may need more frequent changes. 

Unfortunately, we can’t control or see how the previous owners of our cars treated them. Poor gearbox use is the most common cause of serious car problems, which may affect the car's overall lifetime. 

How does a gearbox get damaged?  

Like most things, automotive parts need servicing, maintenance, and mechanical care. If a gearbox is run without oil, it will wear much faster than if used properly.  

Common causes of gearbox issues are:  

• Towing heavy loads  
• Driving in a very hilly area  
• Aggressive driving  
• Poor maintenance  
• Manufacturing weaknesses/faults

Things like towing heavy loads or racing will shorten the lifespan of your gearbox, so be wary of a car with a towbar (unless you need it) and clues of an aggressive owner.  

How do I know if my gearbox needs replacing?  

Your gearbox will make odd noises or start popping out if it needs replacing. 

If you notice these signs, you should book your car for a service. Until the whole gearbox is looked at internally, it’s not possible to know exactly if it needs to be replaced.   

If your issue is gear selection (the gear stick feels vague and disconnected), you might only need the linkage replaced. If you’ve lost drive in one or more gears, or they’re making a bad noise, you might need a new gearbox.  

Is it worth replacing a gearbox?  

After the engine, the gearbox is probably the most expensive part of a car to replace completely. To know if it’s worth replacing the gearbox you need to consider the following:  

• What condition is the rest of the car in?  
• How many miles has it done?  
• How much will it cost to fix the gearbox?  
• How much will it cost to replace your car with a suitable one?  
• How much will your car be worth once the gearbox is fixed?  

In short, if the cost to replace the gearbox isn’t too hefty, and the car is in reasonable condition and age, it’s probably worth fixing your gearbox.  

Not only will it mean you don’t need to source a new car, but you will know how your one has been looked after—after all, a new one could develop a gearbox fault of its own in short order.

How do I protect my gearbox?  

Knowing how to protect your gearbox saves you from problems and big costs. Follow these tips and you should be able to sleep easy knowing you are caring for your gearbox.  

1. Keep up with servicing - above and beyond the intervals  

Whether the gearbox shares its oil with the engine or uses its own, keep it regularly maintained according to the manufacturer’s specifications. Using the wrong type of oil can also cause serious issues that develop over a long period.   

Some manufacturers state their gearboxes are sealed for life, Volvo and BMW for some. However, if you talk to independent specialists, they will say that this is not necessarily the case and they benefit from oil changes like any other.  

2. Don’t mistreat your gearbox  

You can't avoid needing to do things such as towing or driving in hilly areas, but refrain from being too aggressive with the gearbox. Gentle and smooth inputs to the gearstick and accelerator reduce wear.  

Avoid high acceleration launches. These put a serious strain on first and second gear.

Always use the clutch to change gears. It is possible to change gears without using the clutch. Motorcyclists often do this. However, in a car, a large number of forces can easily damage the gears inside the gearbox.  

3. Don’t try to force the gearstick  

You may find that reverse or first gear doesn't always slot into place nicely, particularly when manoeuvring. This is due to those synchromesh devices we discussed earlier - they're not present on first and reverse.  

Instead of forcing the gear stick, release the clutch pedal (make sure you're in neutral!) and press again. This spins the shafts slightly and should allow the gears to mesh easily.  

What to do if your gearbox breaks?  

If you can, drive the car to a safe location and call for recovery. If, for example, you have lost only one gear by not using that gear, it may be possible to drive the car a short distance.   

If your gearbox is making a noise in all gears, don’t keep driving. You may make the problem worse, which will make it more costly to fix.  

Search for a reliable repairer in your area by entering your registration and postcode with Bumper.  

The average UK gearbox replacement costs - The takeaway 

Keeping your gearbox in good condition is essential. However, gearbox issues can occur randomly, so knowing the potential costs will help you budget for unforeseen problems.  

Hopefully, this blog has helped you learn about the average UK gearbox replacement costs and what your car will need. Bookmark now to ensure you don’t lose this information! 

How Bumper can help 

Stay on top of last-minute or surprise car payments (like gearbox replacements!) with Bumper’s helpful pay monthly car repair finance option.

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Author - Joseph Law

Joseph has been writing about cars for over seven years and writing for Bumper for over two, blending his passion for automobiles with a talent for storytelling.

Joseph has written about engineering and cars for Autozilla, Komaspec, and several engineering manufacturers. When he's not writing or tinkering with one of his five cars, Joseph dreams of owning an Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale.