My mechanic said to change transmission fluid every 30k miles. I ignored him for 60k. Now got a $3,400 rebuild bill.

So here's the thing. I got a 2015 Honda Accord at 45k miles. Took it to this old school mechanic named Dave who runs a shop near downtown. He told me to do trans fluid drain and fill every 30k. I figured he was just trying to upsell me. My buddy said modern transmissions last forever. Well at 105k miles my transmission started slipping. Dave quoted me $3,400 for a rebuild. Should I have listened to him or was 30k really too soon? My dad says 50k is fine. Who's actually right about this?

2 comments

2 Comments

ross.sean3d ago

Man Dave wasn't trying to upsell you, he was trying to save you $3,400 lmao. I learned this exact lesson on my 2012 Civic at 80k miles. My buddy told me the same thing about "lifetime fluid" and I believed him. Transmission started shuddering at 92k and I ended up paying $2,800 for a used trans swap at a shop near my work. 30k is totally reasonable for a drain and fill, especially if you do any city driving or short trips. Your dad saying 50k is fine for some cars but modern Honda CVTs are picky and they burn through fluid faster than older automatics.

avery_carr573d ago

You got a 3,400 dollar rebuild? Man that stings. I gotta say I agree with @ross.sean on this one, Dave was looking out for you not trying to make a quick buck. 30k is pretty standard for a drain and fill on those newer Hondas, especially if you do a lot of stop and go driving. Your buddy and your dad mean well but they're going off old info from back when cars were built different. Modern CVTs just need that fluid changed more often and skipping it is basically rolling the dice.