Study: Automatic transmission more fail-prone and expensive to fix than manual

Thursday, June 27, 2013 - 08:00
Comments off
Gearstick

SAFE: Manual more reliable than automatic

Automatic transmission is more fail-prone and more expensive to fix than its manual counterpart, according to research by automotive specialist Warranty Direct.

In analysing 50,000 live policies, Warranty Direct found the average cost of repairing an automatic gearbox is £1,070, while manuals cost, on average, £824.

It was also found that one in 80 automatics in the UK suffers an issue every year, as opposed to one in 180 manuals.

Overall, 240,000 cars have to visit a garage each year due to a gearbox problem, and the more error-prone automatics are continuing to grow in presence.

The gearbox is one of the most expensive parts of a car to repair or replace, with garage costs rising as high as £5,850.

Duncan McClure Fisher, Managing Director of Warranty Direct, said: “Automatic gearboxes are a good example of how technology has become more complex which, in turn, leads to more expensive repairs when things go wrong.

“Manufacturers are also increasingly using Direct Shift Gearboxes (DSG) which, by using two independent clutches, can achieve faster gear shift times, but are also inherently more complicated, advanced systems.

“Motorists may be surprised to find prestige marques at the wrong end of our study on gearbox failures but this may be partly down to the proliferation of automatic cars in those manufacturers’ model ranges.”

Image courtesy of catatronic, with thanks.

1 Comments

  1. Does this suggest that if you want to save on repairs, it is better to buy cars that operate in a manual gear? There seems to be quite a price difference in repairing automatic and manual gears. Thanks anyway for sharing this information.
    A1TransmissionRichardson.com