Same job at other shop types (everything else as set above): Independent $29–$85 · Dealer $37–$110 (the headline above). Each figure applies that shop type's hourly labor rate (market estimates, shown above) to the calculator's own hours and parts assumptions. It is modeled, not a quote.
Check a quote against these ranges
This sets your number beside published ranges and owner-written bills. It is not a verdict: ask the shop what the quote includes (parts grade, labor hours, fees, tax). It runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent anywhere.
How often do owners actually win a lemon-law case?
In Connecticut's 2025 lemon-law program, 113 of 141 arbitration hearings (80%) ended in a refund or replacement vehicle, while Texas ordered 14 repurchases or replacements after hearings among 576 complaints filed in fiscal 2020; these are program totals for all vehicles and defects, not for transmission leak inspection.
| Program and year | Cases | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut, 2025 | 141 hearings | 113 refund or replacement (80%), 15 cash and keep, 13 no action |
| Texas, fiscal 2020 | 576 complaints filed | 302 settled before a decision; 14 vehicles ordered repurchased or replaced after hearings (78 post-hearing orders) |
| New York, 1998 | all cases | consumers prevailed in 68% of new-car cases and 63% of used-car disputes (awards and settlements combined) |
| Connecticut decisions since 2018 on the makes in this page's owner complaints | Ford 35 of 357 | the file lists each case, not its outcome |
Has the replacement part I am buying been recalled?
NHTSA lists 2 equipment recalls that name transmission leak since 2015 (power train), covering 2,827 items sold as parts rather than whole vehicles; the largest, by Zf North America, Inc. in 2025, covered 2,312.
| Year | Maker and product | NHTSA component | Defect | Items |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Zf North America, Inc.: Transmission Control Unit | manual transmission | ZF North America, Inc. (ZF) submitted a defect information report based upon the recall determinations made. | 2,312 |
| 2021 | Borgwarner: Start Stop Accumulator | automatic transmission | certain Ford and GM Start Stop Accumulator (SSA) part# JM5P7P184BE size 180X110X140mm, JM5P7P184CB size. | 515 |
Has this part been recalled abroad on cars that may share it?
Manufacturers filed 10 foreign recall campaigns that name transmission leak with NHTSA since 2015; the latest, from Mercedes-Benz USA in 2022-06. These are recalls abroad, and they apply to U.S. cars only if the same model is sold here.
| Filed | Manufacturer | Foreign recall no. | What the filing says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-10 | Mercedes-Benz | 218 | Vehicles, has determined that on certain Model Year ("MY") 2020 EQC-Class vehicles (293 platform) the bolt in the front axle differential transmission might not meet current specifications. |
| 2020-10 | Mercedes-Benz | 195 | Determined that on certain MY 2019-2020 A-Class and B-/GLA-/GLB-Class (177 and 247 platform) vehicles, the oil level in the dual clutch transmission might not meet specifications due to a production deviation. |
| 2020-10 | Nissan. | 192 | Nissan received one (1) thermal incident complaint and eight (8) Continuously-Variable Transmission (CVT) oil hose leak claims in China market. |
| 2019-09 | Mercedes-Benz - DBA Sprinter | 180 | Daimler AG has determined that the manual transmission of certain Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles Platform 910 (VS30) was filled with 3.5 liters of oil instead of 2.5 liters of oil. |
| 2022-06 | Mercedes-Benz | 098 | MBAG has determined that on certain MY 2021 CLA-Class (118 platform), A-Class (177 platform) and B-Class (247 platform) vehicles, the transmission bearing cover mounting might not meet specifications due to a deviation in one of the casting molds. |
| 2018-03 | Mercedes-Benz | 060 | As a consequence, the pipes could become loose while driving which could lead to a transmission fluid leak. |
| 2020-02 | Mercedes-Benz | 039 | If a bolt were to break while driving, the torque transmission to the axles would be interrupted, leading to a vehicle stall. |
How many recalled cars are actually fixed, so should I check mine?
Across 11 NHTSA recalls that name transmission leak filed 2015 to 2024, 77.5% of the 405,887 recalled vehicles had been repaired after 8 quarters, against 66.2% for all recalls, which leaves about 91,466 vehicles still carrying the defect.
| Year | Vehicles | Recalled vehicles | Repaired | Component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Ram 3500, 2500 | 250,079 | 75.2% | automatic transmission |
| 2023 | Kia Niro Phev, Niro | 121,411 | 79.0% | automatic transmission internal |
| 2021 | Jeep Cherokee | 18,800 | 91.3% | automatic transmission. |
| 2024 | Nissan Sentra | 9,645 | 90.1% | driveline driveshaft |
| 2019 | Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid | 2,167 | 56.9% | automatic transmission |
| 2020 | Porsche Cayenne | 1,805 | 95.8% | automatic transmission cooling. |
| 2021 | Chevrolet Traverse | 639 | 72.3% | automatic transmission |
| 2020 | Audi Q8 | 531 | 97.7% | automatic transmission cooling. |
If this part was recalled, is the repair free?
Federal law (49 U.S.C. 30120) requires a maker to fix a recalled defect without charge for cars first bought within 15 calendar years (tires within 5), and NHTSA lists 1 recall campaigns for parts matched to a transmission leak inspection since model year 2015, covering about 250,079 vehicles.
| Rule or count | What it says |
|---|---|
| Age limits | The free-remedy duty does not apply to a car first bought more than 15 calendar years, or a tire first bought more than 5 calendar years, before the recall notice. |
| Failure to fix | A repair not done adequately within 60 days of presentation is prima facie evidence of failure to repair within a reasonable time; the maker must then replace the vehicle or refund the purchase price less depreciation. |
| Free remedy | A maker must fix a recall defect without charge. |
| NHTSA recalls matched to a transmission leak inspection since model year 2015 | 1 recall campaigns covering about 250,079 vehicles |
Which transmission designs are in cars of my age?
EPA's Automotive Trends data show continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) went from 2.3% of new cars in model year 2005 to 28.6% in 2024, while manual transmissions fell from 6.2% to 0.9% (sales-weighted national shares).
| Model year | Manual | Conventional automatic | CVT | Average gears |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 9.7% | 90.2% | 0.0% | 4.1 |
| 2005 | 6.2% | 91.6% | 2.3% | 4.5 |
| 2010 | 3.8% | 85.3% | 11.0% | 5.2 |
| 2014 | 2.8% | 78.3% | 19.0% | 6.0 |
| 2018 | 1.6% | 76.0% | 22.3% | 6.5 |
| 2021 | 0.9% | 72.4% | 26.6% | 7.0 |
| 2024 | 0.9% | 70.5% | 28.6% | 7.0 |
A transmission leak inspection estimate lands at $37–$110 with the default settings: a pan gasket repair at a dealer. The leak source and the shop type move that number more than anything else.
What does the estimate cover, and what does it leave out?
The estimate prices finding the leak and sealing a common source, and the dealer or independent shop type. The default case is a pan gasket repair at a dealer. An independent shop for the same job comes to $29–$85.
What it leaves out matters more. If the inspection shows the transmission has already run low on fluid and worn inside, the repair stops being a gasket job. Treat the estimate as the cost of learning what is wrong. Then decide on the repair with the shop's findings.
How much does each leak source cost?
Hours and hourly rate drive every line in the table. The calculator treats the leak source as the main variable, and the shop type as the second.
| Job | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Pan gasket, dealer (default) | $37–$110 |
| Output shaft seal, dealer | $27–$75 |
| Cooler line, dealer | $19–$69 |
| Internal seal / hard parts, dealer | $103–$289 |
| Pan gasket, independent shop | $29–$85 |
The jump is at internal seals and hard parts. That job means taking the transmission apart, which is why it costs the most. If a shop quotes a pan gasket but the price looks like the internal-seal row, ask why.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep driving with a small transmission leak?
Only if the fluid level stays in range and the car shifts normally. Check the dipstick, if your car has one, before each long drive. Slipping or delayed shifts mean the fluid is already too low.
Is a leak inspection the same as a repair?
No. The inspection finds where fluid escapes, and the estimate covers sealing a common source. A worn internal part needs its own quote.
Sources
Data shown on this page
- Connecticut DCP Lemon Law annual report (2025), data.ct.gov Lemon Law Arbitration Decisions, Texas DMV Lemon Law Annual Report FY2020, New York Attorney General (1999 release on 1998 results) data from 2026
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall flat file (equipment recalls, report type E) downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, Foreign Campaigns (filings under 49 CFR 579.11, public API) downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall quarterly reports (basis of the Annual List of Recall Completion Rates) downloaded 2026-10-05
- 49 U.S.C. 30120 (Remedies for defects and noncompliance), text via Cornell Legal Information Institute; NHTSA recall campaigns data from 2026
- U.S. EPA, The 2025 EPA Automotive Trends Report (EPA-420-R-26-001) downloaded 2026-10
Terms: US government data, public domain.
Observed: records as filed; owner reports are unverified and are not failure rates. Derived: computed from the records; an association, not a cause. Rule: a published legal rule, not a measurement; whether it covers a given repair depends on the car and the facts.
What is our own estimate
The price range comes from our calculator's formula. Its parts prices, labor hours per job and shop-rate tiers are CalcScrape estimates, not a published price dataset. Checked against RepairPal's range ($61–$90) on 2026-10-10: our default's midpoint is 3% below the middle of that range. Price evidence grade C: one outside published range; the hours and parts prices behind the estimate are CalcScrape assumptions and have not been checked against repair invoices. Methodology