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The automatic way to higher gearbox repair bills

26th June 2013 Print

Cars with automatic transmissions are more likely to fail and when they do they are more expensive to fix than their manual counterparts, according to automotive specialist, Warranty Direct.
 
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.
 
But, as the percentage of automatic cars on UK roads continues to rise compared with manual vehicles*, Warranty Direct’s analysis of 50,000 live policies reveals that driving a manual is also cheaper if the ‘box develops a fault.
 
The average cost of repairing an auto gearbox is £1,070.49, while manuals cost, on average, £824.28.
 
One in 80 automatics on the UK’s roads suffers an issue every year, as opposed to one in 180 manuals. Overall, almost quarter of a million cars (240,000**) have to visit a garage each year due to a gearbox problem.
 
Duncan McClure Fisher, Warranty Direct Managing Director, 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.”
 
Warranty Direct can protect against unwanted garage bills from as little as £15 a month. For more information or for a quote, go to warrantydirect.co.uk.