There are a number of points that need to be considered when buying a second-hand gear box. If you are ever in the unfortunate position where your gearbox has failed, you may not realise the options that are open to you to get your vehicle back up and running. You might assume that your only option is to purchase a brand-new gearbox but checking online will quickly show that this is incredibly expensive – a new gearbox can cost thousands of pounds depending on the make and model of your vehicle. So, what are your options? One option is to purchase a second hand or “used” gearbox. They’re usually widely available depending on the make and model of gearbox you’re looking for. They’re almost always far cheaper than buying a brand-new gearbox. But unfortunately, that’s usually where the positives end and the negatives can, and usually do, start. The first issue to consider when buying a second-hand gearbox is whether it is the correct gearbox for your vehicle. On the face of it, it may appear to be. You might own a vehicle with a diesel engine and may find a second-hand gearbox that fits that vehicle, for that particular year and transmission type. However, you will later realise that there are different models of gearbox depending on the size of your engine - for example, a 1.2 litre engine can and often does have a different gearbox compared to a 1.5 litre engine, when the vehicle make, model, year and transmission type are all the same. There are many, many variations when it comes to gearboxes, such as whether the vehicle in question has stop/start function, the year of the vehicle, the engine size, the transmission type and, of course, whether the gearbox is an automatic or a manual gearbox. Once you have purchased a second-hand gearbox, you may find it difficult to obtain a refund if it later turns out to be the incorrect type of gearbox for your vehicle as this type of sale tends to be ‘sold as seen’. This can and often does prove costly, as even if you buy a second-hand gearbox, it will usually run into hundreds of pounds. At Get-Gear Transmissions we always check your registration number against our online database to ensure you’re purchasing the correct gearbox for your vehicle, giving you peace of mind, with no nasty surprises later on! The next problem you may encounter is the condition of the second-hand gearbox. It is incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to have any idea about the internal condition of a used gearbox. This is made particularly difficult if purchasing online, as you will only be able to assume that you will receive the gearbox pictured – this is not always the case! Unscrupulous sellers have been known to take pictures from ‘good’ angles, not showing, for example, any external case damage (with external damage the gearbox is nearly always burned out, and only good for the scrap bin). This only becomes apparent on receipt of the gearbox, and if purchased with no warranty could prove to be a costly mistake. Even if purchased with a warranty, you would then have to return the gearbox, which could cost around an extra £100 in delivery fees if this is not covered by the terms of the warranty, along with a chunk of your time waiting for collection of the gearbox. Even if the second-hand gearbox you have bought looks good externally, you will not be able to tell for certain the internal condition until it has been fitted and the vehicle driven. If there are then issues with the gearbox, this may cost you even more money, when you must pay your mechanic to remove your gearbox again so you can (hopefully, depending on the warranty), return it and start to shop around for another gearbox. Your mechanic may charge you for each day that your vehicle is taking up a ramp in their building, thus adding even more to the overall cost. With a fully reconditioned gearbox from Get-Gear Transmissions, you can have confidence that the gearbox really is as good as new, and we back this up with our 12-month unlimited miles warranty (details of which can be found on the home page of our website). The warranty is something that needs to be carefully considered when you buy a second-hand gearbox. It is usually, if not always, worth spending a little bit extra to obtain at least a 3-month warranty to ensure you don’t encounter the issues described above. Purchasing a second-hand gearbox with no warranty at all is not something we would ever recommend – a reputable seller should always be happy to give some form of warranty and you should be wary if this is not offered. If you have decided to buy a used gearbox, ensure you are buying from a reputable seller – these can usually be found on eBay, where you can check a sellers rating, amongst other places. Always check out online reviews from other buyers before parting with your hard-earned money! When considered overall, a fully reconditioned gearbox may cost more initially, but will almost always outlive a second-hand gearbox, so may work out to be the cheapest option in the long run. At Get-Gear Transmissions we also offer a finance option allowing you to spread the cost of your gearbox purchase over 4 months to make buying a reconditioned gearbox even more affordable – you pay 25% of the cost of the gearbox on the day of collection, and then 3 more monthly payments of 25% - we don’t charge any interest and we don’t add on any fees whatsoever. At Get-Gear Transmissions we only sell fully reconditioned gearboxes. However, we’re always happy to offer help and advice to anyone buying a gearbox, from anywhere, with no obligation to purchase from us. For an informal chat, help, advice or for any other issues relating to your manual gearbox, with absolutely no obligation to purchase from us, please call 01902 608865 or email sales@getgeartransmissions.co.uk - it’s always a pleasure to assist.