When the transmission in my 2003 Windstar van suddenly died, like anyone facing a potentially major repair bill, I wanted to know and understand my options and feel comfortable that the mechanic I chose was competent, ethical and charged a fair price. I live in Gainesville and first took the van to my regular nearby mechanic, who charged me $40 for an initial diagnosis and told me the problem was internal to the transmission and offered to replace it with a third-party rebuilt transmission for $2560. I wanted a second opinion, and remembered that a friend some years back had recommended the Transmission Doctor in Alachua. I called the owner, Jim Markle, who offered me a free initial diagnosis (testing without removing the transmission from the vehicle). He also told me he would cover the $50-$60 cost of towing my van to his shop in Alachua if they did major work on it. I agreed. To his credit, my regular mechanic told me I would likely save substantial money by taking the van to a shop that specialized in transmissions, as they might be able to rebuild my existing transmission, rather than swap it out for a new or rebuilt transmission. Mr. Markle made the arrangements with a tow company to get my van, which saved me time. I was hoping for an inexpensive fix my original mechanic had overlooked, like a broken external linkage, but that was not to be the case. Markle confirmed that the problem was internal to the transmission, which had zero hydraulic pressure. He recommended that his shop remove and disassemble it find out exactly what was wrong. For this labor he would charge $200. This money would go toward a repair or replacement option I decided upon with his shop. Again I agreed. He and his mechanics found that the torque converter was heavily damaged but could be rebuilt. With taxes, cost would be $1900, with a 1-year parts and labor warranty. At this point Mr. Markle fielded my questions about options such as swapping my entire unit with a transmission from a junkyard, or a third-party rebuild, or factory replacement. After learning the pricing, warranties, and other pros and cons of these approaches, I decided to have Transmission Doctor rebuild my unit. The work was done timely and communications with his staff were clear and courteous. Of course most important the rebuilt transmission works very well, and the follow-up diagnostic and leak-check he conducted after 300 miles showed no problems. Having to spend $1900 on auto repairs is no fun, but I am happy with the work and service I received, and knowing I have a reliable drive train and can travel with full confidence gives me peace of mind.

When the transmission in my 2003 Windstar van suddenly died, like anyone facing a potentially major repair bill, I wanted to know and understand my options and feel comfortable that the mechanic I chose was competent, ethical and charged a fair price. I live in Gainesville and first took the van to my regular nearby mechanic, who charged me $40 for an initial diagnosis and told me the problem was internal to the transmission and offered to replace it with a third-party rebuilt transmission for $2560. I wanted a second opinion, and remembered that a friend some years back had recommended the Transmission Doctor in Alachua. I called the owner, Jim Markle, who offered me a free initial diagnosis (testing without removing the transmission from the vehicle). He also told me he would cover the $50-$60 cost of towing my van to his shop in Alachua if they did major work on it. I agreed. To his credit, my regular mechanic told me I would likely save substantial money by taking the van to a shop that specialized in transmissions, as they might be able to rebuild my existing transmission, rather than swap it out for a new or rebuilt transmission. Mr. Markle made the arrangements with a tow company to get my van, which saved me time. I was hoping for an inexpensive fix my original mechanic had overlooked, like a broken external linkage, but that was not to be the case. Markle confirmed that the problem was internal to the transmission, which had zero hydraulic pressure. He recommended that his shop remove and disassemble it find out exactly what was wrong. For this labor he would charge $200. This money would go toward a repair or replacement option I decided upon with his shop. Again I agreed. He and his mechanics found that the torque converter was heavily damaged but could be rebuilt. With taxes, cost would be $1900, with a 1-year parts and labor warranty. At this point Mr. Markle fielded my questions about options such as swapping my entire unit with a transmission from a junkyard, or a third-party rebuild, or factory replacement. After learning the pricing, warranties, and other pros and cons of these approaches, I decided to have Transmission Doctor rebuild my unit. The work was done timely and communications with his staff were clear and courteous. Of course most important the rebuilt transmission works very well, and the follow-up diagnostic and leak-check he conducted after 300 miles showed no problems. Having to spend $1900 on auto repairs is no fun, but I am happy with the work and service I received, and knowing I have a reliable drive train and can travel with full confidence gives me peace of mind.