Last updated: July 2026 — every figure on this page was checked against the named UK sources on 8 July 2026.
Gearbox repairs average £330 in the UK; replacements run from £500 for a manual to £5,000 for some automatics. The spread is so wide that the diagnosis — repairable fault or dead box — decides the question before any value maths.
A reconditioned gearbox (£727.62 average, FixMyCar) is the middle path that saves many borderline cars.
What the repair side costs
| Job | Typical cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Gearbox repair (UK average) | £329.67 (£300–£2,500 range) | FixMyCar |
| Automatic gearbox repair (average) | £517.94 | FixMyCar |
| New manual gearbox | £500–£3,000 | FixMyCar |
| New automatic gearbox | £1,000–£5,000 | FixMyCar |
| Reconditioned gearbox (average) | £727.62 | FixMyCar |
| Replacement, typical band | £500–£2,800 | Bumper |
Bumper’s fault-specific ranges show why diagnosis matters: a box that will not go into gear can be a £100–£300 fix (linkage or clutch hydraulics), popping out of gear runs £350–£600, one gear not driving £400–£700. Standard automatics replace at £600–£1,200, but twin-clutch/DSG units run £1,100–£2,300. Labour alone is £400–£600 — 8–10 hours at £40–£60/hour (Bumper) — which is why swapping to a reconditioned unit often beats opening a dead box.
The decision in three questions
- Is it actually the gearbox? Clutch hydraulics, linkages and mounts mimic gearbox faults at a tenth of the price. Insist on a diagnosis before any big number.
- Repair, recondition or replace? £330-average repair for a specific fault; £728-average reconditioned unit for a tired box; £1,000–£5,000 new — in a manual-vs-automatic world, the automatic always costs more.
- Does it pass the 50–60% rule? Insurers write off at half to two-thirds of value (AA; RAC’s example is 60%). A £1,500 DSG job on a £2,200 car fails it; the same job on a £6,000 car passes easily.
What the scrap side pays
Average scrap payout: £279 (CarTakeBack, June 2026), around £200 per Scrap Car Comparison — weight-based, so the dead gearbox barely moves it. A car with a blown automatic and good bodywork may be worth meaningfully more to a breaker or trade buyer than to the scales; get both numbers before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
Why are automatic gearboxes so much dearer?
Complexity and parts: FixMyCar puts automatic repairs at £517.94 average against £329.67 for gearbox repairs generally, and new automatics at £1,000–£5,000. Twin-clutch (DSG-type) units sit at the top of Bumper’s £1,100–£2,300 replacement band.
Is a reconditioned gearbox trustworthy?
A properly reconditioned unit (£727.62 average on FixMyCar) comes rebuilt with worn parts renewed and usually a warranty — ask for its terms in writing. It is the standard middle path between a £300 repair and a £3,000 new box.
How long does gearbox work take?
Bumper estimates 8–10 hours for remove-repair-refit; Checkatrade says 6–10 hours and one to two days at the garage; BookMyGarage warns repairs needing parts can stretch to days.
My gearbox is noisy but works — repair now or wait?
Bumper prices noise-only faults at £100–£600 — the cheap end of gearbox work. Waiting until it stops driving moves you into replacement territory, so early diagnosis is the money-saving move.
Related guides
- Is my car worth repairing? The 60% rule
- Clutch gone: repair or scrap?
- All clutch and gearbox cost guides
Sources: FixMyCar gearbox cost guide, Bumper gearbox guide, the RAC and CarTakeBack, all checked 8 July 2026. See how we verify prices.