Used Transmissions for Sale — City Auto Wreckers

City Auto Wreckers has been supplying the Chicago area with quality used auto parts since 1981. Our facility at 690 McClure Rd, Aurora IL 60502 carries a rotating inventory of tested used transmissions for most domestic and foreign vehicles — automatic, manual, CVT, and 4WD — available for local pickup or nationwide shipping.

Call (800) 898-2489 to check availability for your year, make, and model, or use our online parts search to see what we have in stock right now. We are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Used, Rebuilt, or Remanufactured — Which Is Right for Your Car?

Before you buy, it helps to understand what you are actually purchasing. These three terms are used interchangeably in the market, but they describe very different products at very different price points.

A used transmission is a factory-original unit pulled from a donor vehicle and sold after inspection and testing. Nothing has been disassembled or replaced — it is the original gearset, solenoids, valve body, and torque converter. When the donor vehicle had low mileage and the unit passes a functional test, a used transmission delivers factory performance at a fraction of the cost of new. This is what City Auto Wreckers sells.

A rebuilt transmission has been disassembled, worn or failed components replaced, and reassembled. Quality varies enormously depending on who did the rebuilding and which parts they used. A shop rebuild using OEM-spec components can be excellent; a budget rebuild using cheap aftermarket clutch packs may fail faster than the original. When you buy rebuilt, you are buying the rebuilder’s workmanship — not a known entity.

A remanufactured transmission is rebuilt to original manufacturer specifications in a dedicated facility, typically by the OEM or a certified supplier. It usually carries the longest warranty but comes at the highest cost — often comparable to a new unit. For a vehicle under three years old with high daily mileage demands, remanufactured makes sense. For most everyday repair jobs, a quality used unit is the more practical choice.

Transmission Types We Stock

Not every transmission is interchangeable, and the type your vehicle requires is determined by its manufacturer. Here is what we regularly carry and what each type is used for.

Automatic transmissions are the most common type in vehicles built after the mid-1990s. They use a hydraulic torque converter and a planetary gear set to shift gears without driver input. We stock automatic units for the full range of passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs — from light-duty 4-speed units in older vehicles to 8- and 10-speed units in current-generation trucks.

Manual transmissions use a driver-operated clutch and shift lever. Though less common in new vehicles, they remain popular in performance cars, light trucks, and older models. We source manual units from low-mileage donor vehicles and test synchro engagement before sale.

CVT (Continuously Variable Transmissions) use a belt-and-pulley system instead of fixed gear ratios, providing seamless acceleration and improved fuel economy. CVTs are now standard in many Nissan, Honda, Toyota, and Subaru models. They require careful sourcing — CVT units from high-mileage vehicles can have worn variator surfaces — so we are selective about which CVT units enter our inventory.

4WD and AWD transfer cases and transmissions power trucks, SUVs, and crossovers with multi-axle drive systems. If your vehicle uses a separate transfer case, we carry those as well. Call to confirm what your specific drivetrain configuration requires before ordering.

How City Auto Wreckers Sources and Tests Every Unit

Buying a used transmission carries risk if the seller has not done the work to verify the unit’s condition. Our process is designed to eliminate that uncertainty.

Every vehicle that enters our yard is assessed before dismantling. We record the odometer reading, note the collision type and damage location, and flag any vehicles with known drivetrain issues. A rear-end collision on a front-wheel-drive vehicle, for example, typically leaves the transmission completely undamaged — those units are among our most reliable. We do not pull transmissions from vehicles with documented fluid contamination, overheating history, or impact damage near the drivetrain.

After removal, each unit undergoes a functional check: we inspect the external casing for cracks and seal condition, verify that the input shaft turns freely, check solenoid operation on automatic units, and confirm that the torque converter is intact. Units that pass are cleaned, tagged with their donor vehicle’s mileage and pull date, and placed in our organized inventory. Units that do not pass are sent to metal recycling, not to our parts shelf.

When you buy from City Auto Wreckers, you can ask for the test record on any unit. We maintain documentation on every transmission we sell.

Makes and Models We Regularly Stock

Our inventory turns over continuously as new vehicles come through the yard from across the Chicago area. We consistently carry transmissions for high-volume domestic vehicles including Ford F-Series (4R70W, 6R80, 10R80), Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra (4L60E, 6L80), Ram 1500 and 2500 (545RFE, 68RFE), Chevrolet Malibu and Equinox, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler, and Ford Explorer and Edge.

On the import side, we regularly stock units for Honda Accord and Civic (including CVT variants), Toyota Camry and Corolla, Nissan Altima and Rogue, Subaru Outback and Forester (including CVT and AWD), and BMW 3 Series and 5 Series. If your vehicle is not listed here, use our parts search tool or call us — our inventory changes daily and we may have what you need.

How to Buy: Online Search, Local Pickup, and Nationwide Shipping

There are two ways to purchase a used transmission from City Auto Wreckers.

Online search and purchase: Visit our parts inventory page and enter your vehicle’s year, make, model, and engine code. Each listing shows the donor vehicle’s mileage, the unit’s condition notes, and the price. Add to cart and choose local pickup or freight shipping at checkout. Freight shipping on transmissions is typically quoted based on weight and destination — most Midwest deliveries land within two to three business days.

Phone and in-person: Call us at (800) 898-2489 during business hours. Our counter staff will look up your vehicle by year, make, model, or VIN and confirm available units on the spot. Local customers are welcome to visit our Aurora facility, inspect the unit in person, and take it home the same day. There are no core charges on local pickup orders, and no return freight costs if something is not right — you deal directly with us.

A note on core charges: some online transmission sellers require you to return your old unit or pay a core deposit. We do not charge cores on local pickup. For shipped orders, ask about core policy when you call.