Clutches are similar to brake pads in many ways. They are made of the same type of material, and they both wear out eventually. The good news is that although a clutch replacement costs more than a lot of vehicular repairs, it is nowhere near as expensive as having an automatic transmission rebuilt.
The number one factor in how much it will cost to replace your clutch is going to be labor. You have to take apart most of the driveline to get to it. This includes removing the driveshaft, starter, hubs (front wheel drive), and many more parts that’ll depend on the specific vehicle you plan on fixing.
Clutch replacement price factors
I spoke with several transmission shops and the consensus is that it costs between $500 and 1200 dollars to change out a clutch. Several factors affect the price. Let’s review them.
- The price of the clutch and flywheel themselves- As a rule of thumb, your more common lower horsepower cars are going to have a
- Labor costs– Labor costs will often make up the majority of the price for a new clutch. So, if you have a shop charging $80 an hour vs. one that is charging $130, your bill will vary wildly even if they are doing the exact same job.
- How hard it is to get to your clutch– If you are bringing in a rear wheel drive vehicle, it generally is going to be easier to get to the clutch than a front wheel drive model.
- Are you going to do the job yourself?- If this is the case, than you really only need to look at the cost for the clutch replacement parts, which can be less than a hundred bucks.
- Dealer or mechanic?- A dealer is nearly always going to cost more money for the repair. The upside is that they are going to exclusively work with your make of vehicle. They also have a vast supply chain network, which means that any part that they may need will be available quickly, which means that you get your vehicle back quicker.
Clutch replacement time
The actual time that it takes to replace a clutch is minimal, assuming that you start with all of the parts needed to complete the job. A good shop will have a turnaround time of only a day or two.
Save money and do it yourself
It is certainly not an easy job. In fact, replacing the clutch can be one of the most challenging DIY projects that a shade tree mechanic might attempt. Don’t
If you are interested in doing the job yourself, you can certainly learn how from YouTube. Here is a guy with a great channel that will show you what goes into doing this on a front wheel drive vehicle. If it doesn’t scare you, than you may be able to save yourself some serious money. It is so much easier to do something like this when you can find a tutorial for your exact vehicle.
Make sure the job is done right
Before you commit your money to a repair, make sure that you are getting the job done right. A clutch replacement will last a heck of a lot longer if the shop is replacing the flywheel as well. For most shops this will automatically be written into your estimate, but just in case it is not, make sure that they are doing this as well. It is important to find a good clutch repair shop.