The Best Transmission Shops in Winston-Salem NC Are the Ones Proven Safe To Hire

The state of North Carolina doesn't require any state license of transmission repair shops in Winston-Salem NC, so there's no state standard for competency in transmission repair.

So there's no guarantee that any particular transmission repair shop in Winston-Salem NC is even competent, is doing business ethically, delivering value, or satisfying their customers.

This makes it all the more significant that all services for transmission repair in Winston-Salem NC that bear The Prime Buyer's Report-TOP 10 symbol have been cleared by our research staff as passing all the requirements for Prime Buyer's Report-TOP 10 status such as survey phone calls to previous customers to verify high satisfaction with their transmission repair services, good complaint record, verified liability insurance, sufficient length of time in business, only employees legal to work in the U.S., and more.

North Carolina has a law that applies when transmission repair services in Winston-Salem NC cost more than $350. Here's how the law works:

• The transmission shop is to give you a written estimate and ask you to sign an authorization for the transmission repair.

• When you authorize the transmission repair, you have the right to request that you get back or examine any of the old parts.

• The transmission shop must notify you of any storage charges you'll owe if you don't pick up the vehicle once the transmission service is completed. 

• The transmission shop may not exceed the cost you authorized by more than 10 percent without first getting your permission. 

• If the problem is unknown, the transmission shop must tell you how much it will cost to diagnose the problem. Once they've diagnosed the problem, they must contact you with an estimate and to get authorization to do the work. 

• The transmission shop must provide you with a detailed invoice that itemizes charges for labor and parts and identifies all parts as new, used, or reconditioned.

• Keep in mind that transmission shops have flexibility in marking up the charge for parts and that you must pay for authorized transmission services even if they do not solve the problem.

Transmission Repair, Transmission Rebuild, Transmission Remanufacture

Transmission repair is used as a generic term but it properly means doing a limited amount of repair to your transmission to get it working again, if such is even possible with a bench repair, fixing or replacing a minimum number of parts inside your transmission.

Transmission remanufacture, or transmission rebuild is a more extensive process that replaces all the components inside with new ones.  But since there's no textbook or legal definition for transmission rebuild versus mere "repair", some transmission shops will quote you a price for a "transmission rebuild" when in fact they are doing a much less extensive mere repair, and it's often why some transmission shops seem so much cheaper than the others who give you an honest quote for a true rebuild requiring more new parts and more labor.

Beware of Cheap Diagnosis of the Transmission Problem 

Some transmission shops will quote you a dirt-cheap price to look at it and diagnose your problem. But be aware that it can be a gimmick.  Once your car is up on the lift and your transmission taken apart, they will quote you an unnecessarily high price to fix it.  But if you decline the repair, such as if you want to have it done elsewhere, you are now hit with a charge to put your transmission back together and back into your vehicle.  So if you are at the mere diagnosis stage, before you leap at a cheap quote for transmission problem diagnosis, find out what happens if you decline their repair quote, meaning their charge to put it back in your car.

Transmission Repair Warranty
Quality transmission repairs or transmission rebuilds will come with warranties and not all transmission shops offer the same ones, so find out in advance how many miles or months it's for and exactly what it covers. 

If you travel, also take into account if that transmission shop's warranty is honored by shops in another area where a breakdown might occur.  The most obvious instance of knowing the warranty work can be performed by other shops is in the case of national or regional franchises like Mr Transmission, Cottman Transmission, AAMCO Transmissions, Gibraltar Transmissions, Lee Myles Transmission and others. But some indepedent transmission shops join regional or national networks of other independent operators expressly so that their warranties will be honored outside their local area.

Some Transmission Shops in Winston-Salem NC Are Better Than Others
The Prime Buyer's Report lists these transmission shops in Winston-Salem NC: . Other services for new transmissions or repair of transmissions in Winston-Salem NC that might still be in business include: .

Research on Transmission Repair in Winston-Salem NC

Common Transmission Repair Terms

Automatic Transmission - An automatic transmission shifts itself. A fluid coupling or torque converter instead of a manually operated clutch connects the transmission to the engine. Newer automatic transmission vehicles use electronic controls to regulate shifting and torque converter lockup.

Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) - A special kind of oil used in automatic transmissions. There are several types: Dexron II, Dexron III, Type F, Mercon, Mercon V, Chrysler 7176 and several varieties of Chrysler ATF-Plus. All of these automatic transmission fluid types are are friction-modified lubricants except Type F. Dexron II, Dexron III, Mercon and Mercon V have similar additives. You should only use the automatic transmission fluid specified by your vehicle manufacturer. If you use the wrong automatic transmission fluid, you can cause transmission problems. Read your user's manual if you do not know what type of ATF your transmission calls for. Some dipsticks list the type of automatic transmission fluid required. Some universal ATF fluids are available that meet requirements for many friction-modified vehicles. Newer automatic transmission fluid such as Dexron III and Mercon V last longer than past types of automatic transmission fluid, but they can still oxidize if your transmission runs too hot. Towing is especially hard on automatic transmission fluid unless your transmission is equipped with an oil cooler. It is recommended you change your older vehicle's transmission fluid around every 30,000 miles. Newer vehicles have different automatic transmission fluid change recommendations. See your owner's manual for details.
 
Clutch - A pedal or lever that engages or disengages the rotating shaft and driving mechanism in manual transmission vehicles.

Clutch Pedal - The pedal to the left of the brake pedal on manual transmission vehicles. Pushing down the clutch pedal enables the driver to change gears.

Differential - A special gearbox designed to spilt and deliver the torque into two outputs that turn at different speeds. Axel differentials are designed to split torque evenly; however, when a center differential is used between the front axles and rear axles in four-wheel-drive systems, it can allocate torque unevenly.

Drive Train - The system that connects the transmission to the drive axles.

Manual Transmission - A transmission in which the driver changes gears using a hand-operated gearshift and a foot-operated clutch. Also known as a "standard transmission".

Transmission - Transmission is the gearbox that multiplies engine torque through gear reduction and torque conversion. Most manual transmission vehicles have four or five speeds, with the highest gear being either a 1:1 drive ratio or an overdrive ratio that is less than 1:1.  Automatic transmissions multiply the engine torque as it passes through the fluid coupling, also called the torque converter, then through different gear ratios. Vehicles with manual transmissions usually have better fuel economy than cars with automatic transmissions because of slippage that frequently occurs in automatic transmission torque converters.   Manual transmissions are usually easy to maintain, except for the clutch, which can break or malfunction if adjusted incorrectly or treated roughly. With automatics, the leading mechanical problem is fluid breakdown that results from overheating. You can avoid transmission failure with transmission fluid changes and filter changes every 24,000 miles.