It's been a while since I've been on here. I have a 2003 G35 Sedan (Automatic w/ Auto-Manual option).

Just got the bad news from a mechanic shop that I need a new transmission. I've never had transmission problems with any of my previous cars so I'm not sure what my options are. I haven't taken it to the dealer yet but I'm already worried about the price tag for parts & labor.

Price is definitely my biggest concern and I'm pretty sure if I buy anything from the dealer I'll be overpaying. Can anyone get me started on comparison shopping for the parts? Not sure what parts I'll need or where I can look for them online or locally . Also not sure if Infiniti/Nissan parts are my only option or if there are less expensive but comparable quality options out there (or higher quality at the same price).

I'll add the details about what caused the problems to my car in the next post.

 

At first I was only having problems at highway speeds, the car would not shift and the RPMs would go very high. I'd have to let up off the accelerator a few times before the car wanted to shift. Took it to a mechanic shop and they said it was some sensor, which they replaced for $300 or so and everything worked fine for a couple months.

Things got worse a few weeks later. Still thinking it was the sensor, I started driving it in manual instead of automatic which seemed to fix the problem at first. Couple weeks later the sensor display would say Automatic even though I had the car in Manual. Started noticing the car shaking in between shifting as well but now it was at much lower speeds.

Took it back to the mechanic since the sensor was under warranty. They offered to take it to a transmission shop and they came back telling me it was the transmission. Any advice would definitely be appreciated!

 

I would stick with your mechanic or the transmission shop they suggest. The dealer will be very expensive. How many miles and at what mileages was the transmission fluid changed?

 

It's very low mileage, about 72K. I could never get a straight answer on whether or not flushing the transmission was a good idea so I never did it since many suggested it could do more harm than good. Starting to wonder if I should have done it.

I only intended on diagnosing it at the dealer so I can get a complete parts list, they told me it'd be $140 for the checkup. I'd like to buy the parts myself online if possible to keep my costs as low as possible.

 

191k on mine and ive never done a flush. However i do a drain and fill every 10-15k miles. I doubt at 72k the fluid is the problem unless the car was raced every day on a track or used to tow regularly. It should go well over 100k even if the fluid was never changed.

The transmission shop should be able to give you a parts list of whats needed. It is probably cheaper the get a low mileage uses transmission vs a rebuild.

 

I like to go to www.car-part.com. Gives you a good list of near by places that will have the parts you need. You can save time from calling around for the prices.

 

Is that what it did before too? Any check engine or anything else on? I think I would do a second quote somewhere. Sounds like you don't trust them to begin with @ 72K even if you did not flush or drain and fill it should have plenty of life left.

 

Thanks for all the responses. I forgot to say that the Check Engine light did come on when these problems started. But after I took it in, when they replaced the sensor the light went off. Car was never used for racing btw just regular commute to work/school.

Anyone want to guess why this would happen at such low mileage?

 

So I was quoted $2500 for a transmission rebuild. Is this a good price for this vehicle? Comes with 1 year warranty/unlimited miles.

Buying used seems sketchy to me, is there a cheaper option that also comes with a warranty?

 

$2500 sounds reasonable to a little high depending on what parts are replaced. The warranty is reassuring though.
You could likely do a used, low mile tranny installed for $1500-$1800, but the best warranty you'll get is probably 90 days.

 

Yea since I'm keeping the car I guess it'd be best to rebuild it.

I guess my concern is would a rebuild fix what caused the problem? It's concerning that a vehicle with only 75K needs a new transmission.

 

Does that include the torque converter being rebuilt? Is yours a sport? If so are they rebuilding the vlsd?

 

yes I remember him saying something to about a torque converter and a valve body or something like that. And something about sealing or separating the transmission from the radiator too. And no not a sport.

 

Not sure why this would part of the rebuild, the VLSD is in the rear differential

 

Where do you live? Here in SD there's a place called Rapid Transmissions that'll do it for $1800 with a 3yr 36000mi warranty.